OtherWorld Science Fiction TV: Star Trek

DVD
VHS

Star Trek (1966-1969):
IMDB Listing

Gene Roddenberry

William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
Walter Koenig
Nichelle Nichols
George Takei
Majel Barrett
Grace Lee Whitney

... Creator

... Capt. James Kirk
... Spock
... Dr. Leonard McCoy
... Montgomery Scott
... Pavel Chekov
... Uhura
... Sulu
... Christine Chapel
... Janice Rand

The show that started the "Franchise." Star Trek is like fine wine in that the older it gets, the better. Most of the episodes are simple morality plays hidden in a science fiction world, which is painfully apparent now. However, when it first appeared, there wasn't anything like it. Other science fiction shows were either anthologies like Twilight Zone or geared toward children and adolescents. It's simplicity and some well-written episodes kept it alive in syndication for years. Star Trek was basically a space Western, but it often employed allogory to give commentary on war and racism that could not have been done by contemporary shows.

The centerpiece of the show was the friendship that developed between three characters: Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. The doctor was emotional and 'illogical' while Spock was unemotional and coldly logically. Kirk would let the two debate and draw from each element on how to approach a given situation. The interplay and chemistry between the three was also filled with humor. The other regular crew were given a few rare opportunities to shine in a handful of episodes and round out each of their characters. If you watch and enjoy any current science fiction television series, you have to at least go back and watch Star Trek and the The Twilight Zone to see what started it all.