Star Trek was a science-fiction series on American television that became a classic of popular culture. The original TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969, was created by Gene Roddenberry. It was set hundreds of years in the future and followed the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise as it explored outer space.
The Enterprise crew was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner. His first officer was Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. Spock was born of a father from the planet Vulcan and a human mother. The character, with his pointed ears and unemotional manner, became a cult figure among “Star Trek” fans.
Other original characters included the spaceship doctor, Leonard McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley; Mr. Sulu, the chief navigator, played by George Takei; communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols; and engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, played by James Doohan.
The original series inspired a number of additional “Star Trek” TV series, including “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994), “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999), “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001), “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005), “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-2024), and “Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023). An animated “Star Trek” program for children appeared on television in 1973 and 1974.
There were also a number of “Star Trek” motion pictures, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). The other films include Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn (1982), Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986), Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989), Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
The original series failed to get high viewer ratings, leading to its cancellation after only three seasons. But the popularity of the program spread with reruns starting in the 1970’s. Followers called Trekkies formed fan clubs and held conventions. More than 100 “Star Trek” novels have been published, along with over 20 nonfiction books about the series. Fans have also bought millions of dollars’ worth of “Star Trek” merchandise.
See also Nimoy, Leonard; Shatner, William.
