Fifty years ago, a show aired on NBC that would change the way people watch television, pushing accepted stereotypes and inspiring a new generation of young people to let their dreams soar. Star Trek was the story of the Star Ship Enterprise with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), whose mission was to boldly go where no man has gone before and to seek out new people and civilizations.
If you turn on an original series today, you have to excuse the campy effects. Remember that it was the 60’s and as effects go, for the time they were pretty good. The stories told on the show are what changed a generation. The bridge crew had an African American woman and an Asian man along with a Vulcan and several different human nationalities. At the time, it was common for television shows to be made up of mostly white men. If there were women characters, they weren’t put in roles as equals to men.
The 60’s had growing tensions between races and for a young African American girl to be able to turn on the television and see the strong African American female lead character "Uhura", it changed lives. Star Trek also had the first interracial kiss between Uhura and Kirk.
The Enterprise was not just a racially balanced ship. It also was accepting of creatures from every planet. Just because you were different didn’t make you any less valuable to the team.
The technology that was used on the Enterprise inspired the tech we all enjoy today. iPads, Cellular phones and Google Maps were all inspired by the television show.
“The tricorder's mapping capability as one inspiration in the development of Keyhole/Google Earth”
Michael Jones, Chief technologist of Google Earth
The original series only lasted 79 episodes, but it inspired a fandom that has lasted half a century and it is showing no signs of slowing down.
JJ Abrams is the latest to reinvent the Star Trek Enterprise much to the excitement of “Trekkies,” or Star Trek Fans, everywhere.
The Original Star Trek was also the genesis of some couture phrases and images you may see today.
You may have received a text from a nerdy friend that said LLAP
They were telling you a classic Vulcan goodbye “live long and prosper.” If you are as geeky as I am you might reply “I shall do neither for today I killed my Captain and my friend” (From the episode Amok).
The next generation Captain would tell his first officer to “make it so number one” The Next Generation also introduced us to the Borg who declared their dominance with the phrase “resistance is futile”
On Star Trek, it is a joke that is your character has a red shirt on you won't see the end of the show. On Star Trek if any extras had a red shirt on you know who was going to get shot first.
If you are a Star Trek Fan you are in great company. Some big celebrities and even a King are known to be huge Star Trek fans.
The Creator of the original series, Gene Roddenberry was a man that envisioned a world with limitless possibilities where no one was judged by their race or who they share their bedroom with. He dreamed of technology that was pure science at the time and he inspired a generations of young people to ignore limits the world puts on them and boldly go where no man has gone before.
