Star Trek's 50th Anniversary

   The conversation went something like this:

   "Dad, can I stay up past my bedtime to watch the new Star Trek TV show?"

   "How much past your bedtime?"

   "It's only a half-hour."

   "I don't know..."

   "Please? It looks like a great show! I know you'll like it, too!"

   "Well... I guess that would be ok."

   (What can I tell you - my Dad was a great guy!)

   And that's how 10-year-old Chuck got to watch the first episode of the original Star Trek TV show when it premiered on this day in 1966.

   That first episode - "The Man Trap" - isn't one of the better episodes in the run of the series - but I was absolutely hooked.

   This was a show that checked off so many boxes - loaded with imagination, adventure, heroism, beautiful women, monsters, special effects, drama, intelligent stories and compelling characters - how could I resist?

   Even in black-and-white (we didn't own a color television set yet), it immediately became my favorite show - I don't remember ever missing an episode.

   I was heartbroken when they announced it was cancelled after two seasons, thrilled when it was revived for one more season, and sad when it ended "for good."

   But then - the reruns! The show ran and ran and ran in syndication, and fandom started holding conventions - it was an idea that wouldn't die. Star Trek held on as comic books and (a quite excellent) cartoon series.

   There were reports of a new TV series with the original crew, but instead they started a new series of films. The first one was disappointing, but the second was a classic.  The rest are a mix of fantastic and, well, not so much.

   Then there were the new TV series, including Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise -  with more in the works.

   So why does Star Trek continue on and on when so many others have come and gone without a ripple?

   There are lots of reasons, including its optimistic vision of the future, peopled by fascinating characters, thrown into adventures beyond imagination. Or perhaps it is the archetype foundation as a "Wagon Train to the stars." Or, if you prefer, a military / exploration mission with infinite story possibilities.

   It's a combination of all those things - cracking good stories, humor, a canvas that allows for any kind of story you want to tell - and it has sparked the imagination of countless fans.

  All I know is, I don't want it to ever end.  

Posted in: Reviews