'Star Trek' showrunner Alex Kurtzman talks about toxic fandom

"There's a difference between debate and toxicity. Debate is essential."

The legendary Jean-Luc Picard is back on our screens and that's a good thing. In fact, that's a great thing, but having such an enormous, impassioned audience — every single one of them with an opinion — is a tough crowd to cater for. 

From the moment it was first announced that CBS was going to bring " Star Trek " back to our screens in November 2015, fans had reason to be excited once again. After all, it had been over 10 years since we last saw a new episode on our televisions, and even then, that was the soul-crushingly disappointing series finale of the underrated "Enterprise" in May 2005. 

During that time, Disney bought Lucasfilm and breathed life back into " Star Wars ," plus fans of that franchise at least had a couple of animated series to keep them going until December 2015, when "The Force Awakens" arrived on cinema screens. And "Star Wars" fans are a demanding bunch too, as was seen when the polarizing final sequel "The Rise of Skywalker" was released at the end of last year.

The reaction resulted in the widespread adoption of a new term, "toxic fandom." It can be generally summarized as a state of possessiveness and entitlement that leads to a feeling of superiority among a fan community. Even though the concept had existed for a long time prior, this was the first time it had been seen on such a scale.

Video: Heather Kadin, Alex Kurtzman talk 'Star Trek: Picard' and 'Discovery' Related: What makes a 'Star Trek' Fan? Costumed Trekkies share stories

Abandoned on Vagra II, Armus was a by-product of a procedure in which a

Toxic fandom can take two forms: Fans may rant that any change is bad and nothing will ever be as good as the original, or they may refuse to acknowledge criticism even though it's supported by reasonable argument. 

It's sometimes easy to overlook weak dialogue, poor writing, excessive exposition, too much technobabble, uneven story flow or a plot that strains belief, simply because we're overwhelmed to see our favorite characters back on our screens. It's important to maintain standards for writing, storytelling and production… — now more than ever, because we have to pay for the streaming service to watch our favorite shows. These shows are big business, each episode costs upwards of $8 million , and we're paying for it.

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Space.com spoke with "Star Trek: Picard" executive producers Heather Kadin and Alex Kurtzman about this at the series premiere in Hollywood on Jan. 13.

"We always read feedback. I think it's invaluable," said Kadin. "I think to read feedback and obviously, if one person has a specific reaction to one thing, yes, that's that one person's opinion and is a point taken. But I think there's a lot of value in seeing that a group of fans react to a decision we've made in a positive or negative way, because I think ultimately there are people who have been fans of this show for 50 years … and who feel an ownership of this show beyond what we're doing with it. 

"So I think to not listen to those reactions and listen to those criticisms, positive and negative, would be to do our own selves a disservice," she said.

Related: The 'Star Trek: Discovery' cast is full of Trek fans

Star Trek fans gather at the premiere of the 2009 film "Star Trek," at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

"The fans have kept 'Star Trek' alive for over 50 years. Their voice has actually been the most pervasive of all, and I think it truly belongs to them," Kurtzman added.

"That's not just lip service. We really do pay attention to what they say and we end up either tacking in certain directions based on that input. But I think hearing [criticism] is part of the conversation. If you're a fan, there's always going to be debate about 'Star Trek.' I think generally 'Star Trek' fans are a really good bunch," he said.

"I don't perceive them as toxic, actually. I think there's a difference between debate and toxicity. Debate is essential. My feeling is that if you're at a 50/50 split, you're probably doing well. It's when you're at 90/10 that you're in trouble. So generally, my feeling is that we listen, we try and incorporate what they have to say — and we're writing as fans ourselves, so it would be foolish of us not to do that."

Unnecessary foul language and hateful remarks with no justification are exactly the sort of thing that prompted Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber in "Discovery") to recently announce that he would no longer post production updates about Season 3 of "Discovery" on Twitter. 

You know what, I’m done. I won’t be posting anything else about the experience of production. Way too many people take it as an opportunity to project, justify whatever uninformed theory they’ve created in their minds, so I’m done. I’ll see you at the premiere of multiple seasons February 12, 2020

Social media certainly hasn't helped. Imagine how much worse the outcry would have been when news got out that the character of Starbuck was being regendered in Ron Moore's "Battlestar Galactica." And looked how that turned out: only the best sci-fi ever written for television. 

One old article that pops up every now and again claims that fans were outraged over the announcement of casting on "The Next Generation," and while there was some outrage, some quotes from within the article are claimed to have been taken out of context. The article comes from the June 9, 1987 edition of the weekly tabloid magazine "Globe," so yes, it's entirely possible that they were indeed taken out of context, especially when you realize the individual being quoted was none other than Shirley Maiewski , a woman who is often called the "Grandma of Trek" and has been one of the show's biggest supporters since Day One.

That's not to say it doesn't exist; a great example is near the beginning of the truly amazing documentary, " What We Left Behind: Star Trek DS9 " the cast read out some quite unkind comments and reviews that were written about "Deep Space Nine."

Ultimately, it is still all about opinions and we should all respect that, even if we don't agree. 

As someone who has quite strong opinions on science fiction film and television, nothing makes my eyes light up more than when in a queue at a Comic-Con for example, someone offers an interesting and unusual opinion — that's different to mine — and we have the chance to talk about it. Live long, prosper and debate sci-fi responsibly.

Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 

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Scott Snowden

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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  • TNG-Black & White Zenith I'm an ancient fan from back in the early 70's - I was among the group that essentially saved Star Trek by watching endless reruns of TNG to the point where I now drive my wife insane by saying the dialogue before scenes play in the orginal series while enjoying NETFLIX. I was one of those kids who spent endless hours ingesting gallons of soda and high salt snack foods while others were actually having teen age years they could look back on with fondness at having dated the opposite sex and having wacky adventures that are now fodder for retro TV series. That said, it now gives me the "bones" to comment on the new iterations on CBS All-Access. I was quite excited when Discovery was announced, and then gut-punched when all it turned out to be was some War/CrazySpore/Non-retro Retro mess with a dollop of tortuous Klingon thrown in for add'l pain - I still have not watched the latter half of the first year, and frankly don't want to even start the second - B/T/W, no slam on the actors - they are really superior - weighed down with confusing garbage. PICARD was better, and seeing the other TNG actors was awesome - ( I want me a "7of9" space cowboy/bounty hunter series really bad - pretty, pretty please ! - and "7" occasionally calling on her "Fed" buddy Will Riker to occasionally get her out of a jam ) - hey, maybe even have a "7" ongoing LGBT non-binary partner character. But please don't make me endure any more A. Kurtzman writing forays - he and whoever else is creating this stuff needs to have a real knowledgable Star Trek fan or team thereof help out with canon questions, oh, and maybe, just maybe with some real science input - no more Red Angel time travel horrifically complicated overblown nonsense. Oy Vey ! ......oh, and I want some prequel Romulan Warrior Nun stuff too.....those gals looked bada** Reply
  • Lovethrust “During that time, Disney bought Lucasfilm and breathed life back into "Star Wars," plus fans of that franchise at least had a couple of animated series to keep them going until December 2015, when "The Force Awakens" arrived on cinema screens. And "Star Wars" fans are a demanding bunch too, as was seen when the polarizing final sequel "The Rise of Skywalker" was released at the end of last year. The reaction resulted in the widespread adoption of a new term, "toxic fandom." It can be generally summarized as a state of possessiveness and entitlement that leads to a feeling of superiority among a fan community. Even though the concept had existed for a long time prior, this was the first time it had been seen on such a scale.” I am sorry but that is self serving hokum. They didn’t breathe life into it as rather they twisted it into their own feminist manifesto as the cost of a coherent story line and universe. It’s not “toxic” fandom, it’s fans rebelling at what hot garbage they served up. “Rogue One” was the only new film that didn’t have an agenda and kept the spirit of the original movies. It’s easily the best of the new films. Basically the film makers should know that if they pass gas the viewers will notice. The only thing toxic was what made it to the screen! Reply
Lovethrust said: “During that time, Disney bought Lucasfilm and breathed life back into "Star Wars," plus fans of that franchise at least had a couple of animated series to keep them going until December 2015, when "The Force Awakens" arrived on cinema screens. And "Star Wars" fans are a demanding bunch too, as was seen when the polarizing final sequel "The Rise of Skywalker" was released at the end of last year. The reaction resulted in the widespread adoption of a new term, "toxic fandom." It can be generally summarized as a state of possessiveness and entitlement that leads to a feeling of superiority among a fan community. Even though the concept had existed for a long time prior, this was the first time it had been seen on such a scale.” I am sorry but that is self serving hokum. They didn’t breathe life into it as rather they twisted it into their own feminist manifesto as the cost of a coherent story line and universe. It’s not “toxic” fandom, it’s fans rebelling at what hot garbage they served up. “Rogue One” was the only new film that didn’t have an agenda and kept the spirit of the original movies. It’s easily the best of the new films. Basically the film makers should know that if they pass gas the viewers will notice. The only thing toxic was what made it to the screen!
  • maxx steele Alex Kurtzman is just really bad at Star Trek. They need to remove him and everyone else running is right now and let them create a new, original scifi series. Star Trek isn't one of those properties, you call a "platform" so that you can ignore it's foundation and do the opposite of what it represents. Reply
Admin said: "There's a difference between debate and toxicity. Debate is essential." 'Star Trek' showrunner Alex Kurtzman talks about toxic fandom : Read more
maxx steele said: Alex Kurtzman is just really bad at Star Trek. They need to remove him and everyone else running is right now and let them create a new, original scifi series. Star Trek isn't one of those properties, you call a "platform" so that you can ignore it's foundation and do the opposite of what it represents.
  • rwicks Oh come on. Instead of getting competent good writers, they instead put in a bunch of tokens as main characters (which is perfectly fine!) and when "toxic fans" expressed their dislike over the insipid writing, the producers just started screaming people were racist, misogynistic, whatever. Nobody in Star Trek certainly, or probably Star Wars, cares about the gender or race of the characters. They NEVER did. There's been black captains in Star Trek, the Federation's genius was Dr. Daystrom, a black computer engineer that designed all the computers for all the modern Star Fleet ships, Janeway was a woman, Sisko was black. In the original pilot for Star Trek the 2nd is command was a woman. The whole idea of Star Trek is that race and gender simply didn't matter, except for that AWFUL episode Turnabout Intruder. That's an episode best forgotten! What an awful episode! Wouldn't mind that one being forgotten, and perhaps burned. In any case, I don't think there's many "toxic" fans of Star Wars or Star Trek anymore - people have just abandoned it. They are so poorly written today, they aren't even worth the time to view much less pay for. People are constantly insulted and slandered for objecting to nonsensical horrific writing. Of course people are going to give up on it. The eye candy isn't any better than you see on an XBox ONE or PS5. Special effects aren't that special anymore. Reply
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The Craziest Things Star Trek Fans Have Ever Done

Captain Kirk screaming at something

Star Trek is a global phenomenon. One of the largest, most popular, and most influential science fiction franchises in history, the short-lived 1960s television show has spawned not only seven spinoff shows and 13 motion pictures but possibly the most recognized fandom in the world. There are fans of the show in every country in the world and from every walk of life. President Barack Obama is a Trekkie , world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking actually appeared on an episode of Next Generation, as did real-life astronaut Mae Jemison , and it's even possible that someone in the Trump administration is a fan considering the Space Force logo is basically a revamped Starfleet Delta sign. Trekkies are a huge demographic, literally tens of millions of people around the planet. Any group of people that large will, by necessity, have its share of weirdos, crackpots, fanatics, and geniuses. Here are a few times Star Trek fans took their obsession to new heights –- and lows.

Trekkies had the original Save our Show letter-writing campaign

The original Star Trek series only lasted three seasons, but it was almost even shorter. In late 1967, rumors began to spread that the show faced cancellation. These rumors reached fans Bjo and John Trimble, who pioneered the letter-writing campaign under the technological and logistical limitations of the time. The US zip code system had only been around a few years in 1967, so Bjo and John  had to learn how it worked to get such a large volume of letters to be sent out. Then they had to use a "hand-cranked mimeograph machine" (basically the copy machine's smelly, slow, prone-to-smudges, ancestor) to print thousands of Save Star Trek letters . "We folded them," said Bjo, "labeled them, and stamped them, and put them in bulk mail."

They asked friends to speak to friends. Bjo worked in the science fiction industry, was given a mailing list of 4,000 and asked them all to ask ten friends to write in. NBC received over 116,000 individual letters, including from New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller . Over 700 students protested in front of NBC's Burbank studio in what one reporter called " the most enjoyable demonstration I've covered ." NBC relented and gave the show another season, but it couldn't be saved from its continually unimpressive ratings and was canceled the following year.

Star Trek fans stole over $150,000 of uniforms and equipment

Fans collect. Whatever the genre or subculture, memorablia and collectibles are a big feature of fandom. From sports to comic books to toys , the fan collectibles market is a massive business. Star Trek fans are no different, and Trekkies will pay a premium for vintage Star Trek gear. Any consumer good commanding high prices, dedicated consumers, and high competition for rare products is fertile ground for black markets. Original props, costumes, and related mementos from the sets of the various Star Trek series are very rare, and fans have been known to pay exorbitant amounts for artifacts from the show. Unfortunately, some people go a little bit too far to procure and peddle Star Trek merchandise.

In one of the biggest busts, a California man was arrested in possession of $50,000 worth of illicitly acquired Star Trek costumes and set pieces in 1990. Over $150,000 worth of original equipment and uniforms from the Original Series, The Next Generation, and a few of the movies had recently been stolen from Paramount studios. The man, Kevin Buehler, had been trying to sell or trade his ill-gotten bounty but was turned in by a fellow Trekkie who was outraged that someone would steal and sell relics sacred to the fandom. Buehler was eventually convicted of receiving stolen property, according to the LA Times .

One Trekkie wore a uniform to jury duty

In 1996, President Bill Clinton was facing some controversy. No, not the blue dress, this controversy was called Whitewater and was about some investments Bill and Hillary made. It may sound boring, but the Whitewater trial was a big deal and threatened Clinton's reelection. And one juror took it seriously enough to wear her Star Trek uniform to the trial.

Barbara Adams was a bindery supervisor from Little Rock, an alternate juror for the Whitewater trial, and a serious Trekkie. She saw the trial as an opportunity to promote the ideals of Star Trek –- inclusion, tolerance, and peace -– by wearing a Next Generation uniform to the trial. This was definitely odd but not a particular problem for anyone ... except the media. 

The good news is Barbara's gambit worked: She received a lot of press. She was able to talk about her uniform and what it meant to her on national TV. She highlighted an alternative to "mindless television" and advocated for a faith in humanity, demonstrated through Star Trek. The bad news is Barbara got kicked off the jury for violating the judge's gag order: Jurors could not speak with the media, not even about their outfits. In an interview afterward, Barbara was unapologetic , "I'm on a mission to promote the Star Trek ideals. If someone is attracted to [those ideals] by all this publicity, then it was worth it." Well, fair enough.

Trekkies have performed Shakespeare in Klingon

Star Trek fans are famous for their attention to the minutia of the series. Maybe as a prank, for the third Star Trek movie, the producers decided to give the main alien antagonists, the fan-favorite Klingons, a real language, so they hired linguist Dr. Marc Okrand to design one.

The year after the film's release, Dr. Okrand's notes and descriptions of Klingon were published as The Klingon Dictionary, which became very popular. In 1992, the Klingon Language Institute was founded, and today committed Trekkies and language nerds all over the world speak the language. Klingon has evolved from vaguely alien-sounding gibberish made for small portions of a film script into a completely usable language with its own mechanics and rules and vocabulary, capable of portraying some of history's grandest literature. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust honored the Klingon heritage of the Bard, acknowledging the human "propaganda claiming Shakespeare as one of their own." And in Washington, D.C., the Washington Shakespeare Company put on a Klingon production of scenes from several of Shakespeare's most popular plays in 2010.

The Klingon Language Institute sells Klingon language versions of the Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, and Sun Tzu's Art of War, among others. Duolingo offers Klingon courses , Bing has a Klingon translator, there's a Klingon Tourist Center in Stockholm, and in 2015, an Israeli tech start-up put up ads in Klingon because "anyone who can figure out what they say is invited to send in a resume."

Star Trek wedding ceremonies are pretty popular

Couples have been asking family and friends to don uncomfortable costumes for weddings forever, but Star Trek weddings have the potential to really dial up the discomfort, ritual, and, on occasion, awkwardness of wedding ceremonies.

The great thing about Star Trek weddings is the variety. Klingon weddings can feature daggers, fake blood, weird food, bulky and uncomfortable costumes for the happy couple and their guests — and lots of prosthetic makeup. Starfleet weddings can have phasers, tricorders, at least some weird food, captains and admirals, and uncomfortable uniforms for everyone that come in only three base colors, maybe prosthetic makeup. At Vulcan weddings you might find weird food, flowing robes that are warm but quite comfortable actually, and prosthetic pointed ears for everyone. Betazoid weddings would have much less uncomfortable clothing but way more of the awkward.

Or mix and match . Maybe a Bajoran bride and a Vulcan groom with a Starfleet officiant. Hire a Klingon band . Have a 3-D-chess-shaped wedding cake. Creativity is an essential part of a Star Trek wedding. And not just in choice of species. Unfortunately, unusual nuptials often need alternative arrangements. To plan his wedding, Trekkie Gerard Milewski said , "I found that the only way to get anything offbeat arranged was to go to extremely small producers of weddings supplies and to check out a lot of venues that were not traditionally used for weddings." Qapla' Gerard. Love conquers all. 

Star Trek fans defaced Canadian money to honor Mr. Spock

Commander Spock wasn't Canadian. Neither was Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the fan favorite half-Vulcan for almost 50 years. But when Nimoy died in 2015, Canadian Trekkies were distraught.

Apparently Canadian fans noticed that the portrait of former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier on the Canadian $5 bill looks like a certain pointy-eared science officer and have for years been adding to the likeness. Other Canadians might notice arched eyebrows, pointed ears, Starfleet insignia, Vulcan salutes, and/or a dark bowl cut with spiky sideburns added to Sir Laurier's face.

Upon the actor's death, so many Canadians left their tributes on currency that it warranted an official response from the Bank of Canada. "It is not illegal to write or make other markings on bank notes," said a bank representative , warning that doing so could prevent you from using it in a transaction, muck up a bill's security features, and reduce how long the bill stays in circulation. "Furthermore," said the bank in a politely Canadian admonishment, "the Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are symbols of our country and a source of national pride."

The "Spock Your Fives" campaign was promoted by many, including one Canadian design firm whose spokesman reassured the Bank of Canada, saying "I am sure that Sir Wilfrid Laurier would get it."

Suckerpunch a Star Wars fan

Star Trek or Star Wars? A question supposedly deeply divisive among science fiction fans. Wired refers to it as the "Great Geek Debate." It's been referenced in the Simpsons, South Park, Saturday Night Live, the Tonight Show, and so many other places that it's firmly lodged as a cultural article of faith by this point. When the 21st century's most famous astrophysicist, Neil Degrasse Tyson, explained to Business Insider  that he preferred Star Trek because Star Wars "made no attempt to portray real physics," the story was picked up by USA Today, Time, Entertainment Weekly, and more.

Whether or not the rivalry is real, the image of geeks debating the finer points of fictional physics is easy to conjure because we've seen it a million times on screen. So when an Oklahoma man was arrested in 2017 for fighting his roommate over which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars, it ticked all the right boxes.

In an  Ars Technica  interview, Star Wars fan Bradley Burk explained, "He was saying Spock was the sh*t and I was saying Yoda was the sh*t." Some name-calling ensued and before anyone knew what happened, Burk had been shoved to the floor and his Trek-loving roommate was choking him unconscious. The police soon arrested the Trekkie on charges of assault. (It's unclear what the outcome of the case was.)

Transformed a house into the Enterprise

Some fans have Star Trek bumper stickers, some have shelves of memorabilia, but only the truly dedicated will rebuild entire rooms of their homes. The USS Bell is a room in multimillionaire Marc Bell's former Florida mansion . It's a home theater with a full bar and a Ready Room plus a Borg regeneration chamber. The bar is in classic Original Series deep red and steel gray while the theater itself is a comfortable-looking recreation of the bridge of the Enterprise-D.

You don't need to be a millionaire to bring the 24th century into your home. Philadelphian Gary Reighn needed only $15,000 and two years to build The Bridge Home Theater , a 19x14-foot Star Trek-styled home theater. If you want a Star Trek home theater and you have two spare years, carpentry skills, and a forgiving spouse, Gary has detailed plans and photos at his website.

Tony Alleyne didn't have a spouse, forgiving or otherwise, because she had left him. So Tony poured his soul, and savings, into transforming his 500-square-foot flat in Hinckley, England, into a Trek homage . After 10 years, and a comparatively paltry $7,800, Tony had an apartment with a Starfleet galley, Enterprise-D transporter room, and a brig from Voyager. Unfortunately, after failing to find buyers for the apartment and being forced out by the terms of divorce in 2012, it's likely Tony had to redesign the futuristic flat.

There are lots of Star Trek dating sites

Anyone wanting to literally shape their lives around Star Trek should probably make sure their spouse or future significant other will be okay with it. Luckily there is now an app for that — multiple apps actually. In the last decade a whole host of dating websites have materialized to help Trekkies and Trekkers love long and prosper –- and if you have an opinion about the difference between Trekkers or Trekkies, these sites are for you. There's love in the stars, and online, for pretty much everyone these days , no matter what species you identify as.

"Set phasers to stunning!" is the masthead on Star Trek Dating . You might choose to scan for life-forms on Trek Dating or "love long and prosper" on Trekkie Dating . Trek Passions  was once one of the most popular science fiction dating services, perhaps because it was one of the first Trek dating services. Also, Conan O'Brien once mocked them in an opening monologue on his show, and they encouraged apostate fans of Star Wars and other shows to join the website as well.

To be clear, it's not like specialty dating websites are unique to science fiction. Subcommunities and subcultures abound with dedicated match-making services available. Cowboys have them and farmers have them, so why not Trekkies?

Trekkies named the first space shuttle

In the 1970s, NASA was changing. The success of the Apollo program was obvious, and the glorious rush of visiting the Moon had permanently cemented the agency's place in history. But now NASA was shifting gears from exploration of space to utilization of space. They needed a reusable vehicle, something that could be an efficient transport as well as a laboratory. "The space shuttle era was all about making space familiar, and making it our home and our workplace," said Valerie Neal , curator at the Smithsonian. So the space shuttle program was greenlit and a name chosen: Constitution.

Star Trek fans, including Bjo and John Trimble, heard of the proposed shuttle and started another letter-writing campaign . They flooded the White House with unsolicited letters urging President Ford to select a different name: Enterprise. If the shuttle was supposed to make "space familiar" and make it a new home for humanity, why not choose an already familiar, beloved name with deep meaning for a substantial number of Americans?

President Ford agreed and ordered NASA to rename the shuttle. He didn't credit the letter writers or mention Star Trek, but when the Enterprise was publicly revealed in September 1976, the Star Trek cast and creator Gene Roddenberry were invited to attend. Star Trek was no longer just a show about space — its fans had guaranteed the show a place in the actual history of space exploration.

Star Trek fans made a movie with their childhood hero

In 1999, Mark Altman and Robert Burnett were struggling to put together a labor of love. The two Star Trek fans wanted to make a movie about fans that wasn't condescending or insulting. They almost succeeded.

They got nearly everything they wanted. They put together a funny script with good actors, a good soundtrack, and high production values. They reached out to their childhood hero, William Shatner, for a co-starring role, and after some rewrites, he agreed. Mark says Free Enterprise was "the first movie to actually depict genre fans as they really are. All too often, the media confuses geeks with nerds and thinks sci-fi fans are a bunch of pocket protector-wearing losers who need to get a life."

And it almost worked. The movie was received well by the critics, portrayed Star Trek fans as functional adults, and helped to restart William Shatner's career, but it failed miserably at the box office. Mark and Robert got to meet and direct Captain Kirk on set, but their film barely grossed over $30,000 and only played for two weekends at the measly nine theaters that picked it up.

Trekkies invented the idea of conventions and modern fandom

In the decade between the original series and the first movie, an entire fan infrastructure evolved as Trekkies developed into a distinct subculture. Many of the elements of modern geek chic, fan art, slash fic, cosplay , and themed conventions were started by Star Trek fans desperate for a community that shared their enthusiasm. ComicCon, DragonCon, and all the other annual conventions can be traced right back to homemade Spock ears and tricorders in the '70s.

They started news magazines, formed local fan clubs, and built their own set pieces and costumes to wear at gatherings. New stories of the intrepid Enterprise crew were written and disseminated among the community, eventually reaching publication. Collector's networks were established and proto-conventions held  with panel discussions, skits, and recovered outtakes, plus film stills were shown to great applause and great auction bids.

Soon the conventions were larger, attracting thousands of people -– and the Star Trek stars themselves. By the mid-'80s, convention organizers were offering significant paychecks to Star Trek actors and other special guests to attend their larger, better organized, for-profit convention events. Fandom had started as a love affair but was becoming big business . Cross-promotions became common, special events like cruise conventions became popular, and in relatively short time, hotels and convention centers were competing to host Star Trek and science fiction cons. But it all started with fans determined to DIY their way into creating a community.

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The Myth of the Star Trek Fan

| September 24, 2006 | By: John Tenuto 38 comments so far

Sociologist John Tenuto shares some preliminary findings from his study of scifi fandom…

why are star trek fans so weird

Origins of the stereotype The media certainly plays a role in the perpetuation of the myth or stereotype. Media coverage of the 40th Anniversary conventions focused on the usual issues. The media showed fans dressed in costumes because this is a interesting visual, even though the majority of fans do not dress up for conventions (see CNBC’s “ Star Trek Fans Say Beam to Las Vegas ”  and corresponding video for a good example). The media focuses on the consumer aspect of being a Trekker, connoting that the fees for autographs or collectibles are problematic, or that fiduciary fan expressions are somehow unique to Trekker experiences.

When favorable, media discussions of Star Trek fans often have two related features. First, the reporters or writers makes certain to distance themselves from Star Trek because they do not wish to be considered Trekkies. Second, the reporters will include one or two jibes at Trekkies labeling them as geeks or such similar disparagement. No better example of this can be seen than in the recent Variety article “ Love and money fuel “Trek” trips ” by Brian Lowry. This favorable article regarding Star Trek provides all this and more. The first paragraph writes that Star Trek fans’ adoration of Star Trek is described as “if more than a little geeky.” The next paragraph then goes on to say, “ Granted, 40-year-old men wearing Spock ears must find love where they can get it, but in hindsight, there was much for them to like.” Imagine what the article might have said if it had a negative view of Star Trek and its fans.

The media discussions of Star Trek XI also include a focus on fans. Articles found at Trekmovie.com show a tendency for the media to discuss whether the creators of Star Trek XI are fans themselves, or how the film will meet the expectations of the Star Trek fans.

Sociology, the discipline that I teach, is a science qualified to discuss media myths. Sociology utilizes the scientific method to study what sociologist Peter Berger called “the world taken for granted.” It is certainly taken for granted that Star Trek fans are what the media presents. Yet, are they?

Lets look at the data I am currently studying science fiction fans. Nearly 7,400 people have been kind enough to help with questionnaires about themselves as Star Wars, Superman, and Star Trek fans. The process of studying the results has begun, and the preliminary data is telling.

First, some caveats. These questionnaires are not a random sample of Star Trek fans. The summaries of the data here does not apply to all Star Trek fans for that reason, but rather the people who answered the questions. Yet, it is interesting to see what the 1743 Star Trek fans who completed the Star Trek questionnaire discuss. Also, the questionnaires are only from those fans who are 18 years of age or older. Younger fans may have very different experiences or view regarding Star Trek. They are not represented here. With these caveats, here is a few interesting facts about 1743 Star Trek fans.

TNG is still the fan favorite, but no consensus

why are star trek fans so weird

About the author: John Tenuto is a sociology instructor at the College of LakeCounty, Grayslake, Illinois. He teaches a class called ‘The Sociologyof Star Trek’. Professor Tenuto is currently on sabbatical comparing fans of Star Trek to other genres.You can help by filling out a questionnaire, available here

Star Trek is escapism.It’s like Dorothy for some people..”.somewhere over the rainbow happy little bluebirds fly,why can’t I (etc.)”.It’s something that happens in the human experience.When people are under stress,alienated or don’t fit in ,or view reality as painful or too mundane they create a place to go.That’s, why sorry to say ,that a lot of hardcore trekkers come off as social misfits.wrap it up with some kind of loosey goosey kind of philosophy ( Picard-In the future we overcame eathly problems by…etc.)and what you’ve got is a bit of a captive subculture.

Bravo! Now I have a study to back me up against the Marauding Bands of Trek-Haters (MBTH’s) that I so often encounter.

I think the various Star Trek spin-offs may represent Jon’s thesis, but as far as the original series goes, most of the fans I know are pretty normal, salt-of-the-earth people.

Trek seems to reach a broad range of viewers; certainly some (many?) who watch television do so because they have nothing better to do… but the majority look to it for simple entertainment. That ST entertains after 40 years of watching the same episodes is a testament to

(1) the pre-“liberated” era and its values that include respect for tradition etc (even as Roddenberry tried his best to smash them, he still operated within its contraints)

(2) the fact that Hollywood workers were seemingly in touch with “normal” people! Most of the Trek poobahs and many writers were, after all, WWII or Korean War veterans and had no time for the bullshit the current generation of Hollywood brat seems obsessed over… Heavy sigh. You can’t go home again but you can hold out, “PAX” like, waiting for Genesis II so to speak. Okay. That’s makes me a geek!

Everything the average fan already knew. I guess it take a professor to study it and write a report on it before it’s “official,” though.

Just because you like to watch an utopic vision of the future on TV, your own life mustn’t be cruel or hopeless. What a stereotyped rubbish!

Well done. Indeed, there are more female Star Trek fans than previously thought. I’m glad that’s been proven…

Another fallacy – that male Star Trek fans often live in their parnets’ basement and remain vigins all their lives…HAH! Yes, I have known such men, however, they follow uther interests far from Star Trek, Star Wars, and Superman. I have found that most of my Star Trek fan friends are married with children, living in their own homes, and working in satisfying careers.

I can’t wait to see the final data. :)

Greetings, This is a very interesting survey. Unlike the movie “Trekkies” it does not portray us, fans of Star Trek, as geeks and nerds. BTW: I was interviewed by them for that movie. The club I belonged to at that time was apparently not radical or off the wall enough for them. My interview wound up on the cutting room floor. Nor were they interested in the community service we do. Yes, for some of those events, we do wear costumes. For an event like William Shatner’s Hollywood Charity Horse Show; after helping with set-up in the morning, we would put on our costumes and help entertain around 2,000 children in the afternoon (in Burbank). We also dress in costume when we help at an outreach facility at the end of Oct. We help with a halloween party, we run their games and we also bring our own games (in San diego). But for the most part, we only wear club t-shirts. To be honest, I love Star Trek and what it stands/stood (TOS) for, but I have not seen a ST TV program in a long while (I hated “Enterprise”). I am now a big Stargate fan. : ) In order of preference, I like: Star Trek – All but Enterprise Stargate – both Battlestar Galactica – TOS Dead Like Me Eureka

I’m not to crazy about the new BSG or Star Wars.

In closing, I would kike to say that I find it very unfair that those of us who belong to Star Trek clubs are not recgonized for the good we do. We raise money for charity, help children, support our troops by sending coupons to them and boxes of needed items to those serving in Iraq, just to name a few. [BTW: I am 66]

FCapt Michael Witt Commanding Officer USS Nicolaus Copernicus NCC-1473 San Diego, CA

What exactly do you find unfair. Something Professor Tenuto wrote or the film ‘Trekkies’?

You can take anything too far.Now excuse me while I dress-up as Truely scrumptous for the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang convention.

I often hear comparisons between Star Trek and Star Wars. I even hear people get those two confused. (Waits while the uproar dies down). But I always have a calm and ready answer for people who want to argue, “Which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars?” My answer, simple but profound, you’ll agree, is, “Star Trek is better. Because, after all, Star Wars isn’t real.”

you know what’s weird about the characters on Star Trek?They were never married.It’s like they were designed for an audience of pre and adolescent boys to live vicariously through.Perhaps that also contributes to the theory that hardcore fans are in a state of emotional arrested development.

I think male Star Wars fans picked up on the Darth Vader /Luke Skywalker relationship as a metaphor for thier lack of nurture and approval they lack from emotionally unavailable authoritarian father figures.

I myself grew up watching first TOS than TNG. As other Trek series debuted on television I watched them as well, especially the last series Enterprise, which didn’t go over as well as most of us would’ve liked. I like science fiction in general, not just Star Trek and Star Wars, mind you, but just about anything having to do with little green men, flying saucers and the like. I don’t agree that all male trekkies live in their mom’s basements and remain lifelong virgins, that, in my opinion, IS fiction. I’m not surprised to hear that there are more female trek fans than male ones. I’ve known quite a few women who have raved about this trek series or that, and some aren’t just limited to Star Trek, either. I know a woman who is a very serious comic book enthusiast, and she’s not, by anyone’s definition, anyone’s idea of a typical geek. I’m of the opinion that Star Trek isn’t just for people who wish to escape from reality, although sometimes it helps to releive the stress and the day-to-day burdens of life. Star Trek was one man’s vision of what humanity could become if they all put aside their differences and worked together to achieve world-and eventually-galactic peace.

I grew up with Trek and and beong to a Star Trek Fan Club for over 15years. We do so much in our communities with charities, charity runs, adopt a highway. If it’s community related we’re part of it. We are all working people, in many different facets of life. You won’t find us always dressed in costumes or constantly talking Trek. But you will find we feel that Trek brought real life issues to the fore front long before it was politically correct to do so. It looked at people trying to bridge a gap not only on earth but with any other species they could. They gave women and minorities a place in the world that was important long before it was the correct thing to do. We hope that we can keep that concept alive; that is part of our world. Trek clubs give you a friend pretty much anywhere you go in the world. That’s a good thing. While it may be scifi, just look at all the things you use that have come from it…………..the cell phone (original Trek) and the list goes on. Yes I’m into Trek and I love the way it has touched my life and helped me to reach out and touch others. We support our troops, local hospitals, and each other. We are family no matter what state we live in. If that makes me different, well as the cowboys would say, “If you’re not the lead cow, then the scenery never changes.” And to this day, Star Trek has always been in the lead.

Vice Admiral Beryl Washington CO, USS Sovereign NCC-75000 Philadelphia, Pa.

#14 .Your giving a TV show waay too much credit.Anyone could write something like that about any tv show or for that matter anything.I think it’s unheathly for anyone to give some company’s TV francise that amount of space in your head.You might tell yourself “Star Trek taught me this or that”.But c’mon Bud.Who taught Star Trek?Come back to reality.This guy Gene Rodenberry got lucky ripping off “Forbidden Panet”then believed his own (delusion) fame and told these fans what to think so he could start making a star trek movie in 1978.Don’t be played .

#15 Jon — who are you to judge anyone’s life experience? You are giving yourself too much credit. Suck it up and listen to the man – respect it or turn away but spare the rest of us. Besides too much of anything is unhealthy — that includes reality.

Somewhere over the rainbow.la la- la la la.laCome back,come back Dorothy!

Jon, careful Pilgrim.

My experience of organized fandom is akin to my experirence of the Christian church. There is a common text that is subject to varied interpretations, a community aspect, veneration of saints (and debate over whether they should be so sanctified), supplicants who (over)emphasize one aspect (e.g. Romulan or Klingon culture) over another, etc.

Not a very original observation, but fandom speaks to very deep human needs, particularly to loneliness.

The new Battlestar Galactica series has started to generate its own organized fandom (Colonial Defense Force is largely based on Starfleet International) and is already suffering the same growing pains and dynamics as organized Trek fandom. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Unfortunately, for every ten or twenty fans who are cultured, literate and socially adept there’s one who’s profoundly socially challenged and who makes enough of a ruckus for the stereotype to be perceived as fact.

There are also those who confuse the author with the vision, who worship Gene Roddenberry for his ‘Dream’, and who stop just short of declaring their own form of holy war against those they perceive as being heretical or of lesser faith. Such pseudoreligionists seem to find fertile ground within organized fandom.

#20. Good points. At least one of the Roddenberry biographies (I forget which one) notes that the IDIC symbol introduced in the episode “Is There In Truth No Beauty?” was created by Roddenberry and Barrett as something to trademark and then sell via Lincoln Enterprises. That aside, the appeal of the so-called “Gene’s Dream” is attractive to many, esp. those who see them as marginalized for various reasons.

Whether IDIC was created for cynical or idealistic reasons (or even a little of both), this much is true: there are many if not more people who use that dream to manipulate fans, parallel to those in different faiths who use the tenets of those faiths to cynically manipulate followers.

[1] Jon sounds bitter. Why do you feel the need to belittle people for finding inspiration in a television show that they loved? One of the great things about that funky 1960’s TV show was the storytelling and the fact that it inspired people positively. Get over it, Jon.

Lot better than the junk that’s on nowadays. {ie. j@ck@$$ on MTV}

[2] Fandom is a subset of the culture in general. You will find the same variety of personalities in a club whether its Star Wars or Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica or Babylon 5 or Farscape or Stargate SG1…

For the record, its entertainment. People with some intelligence found things they liked about the shows. I see no problem with people with a common appreciation of said shows coming together because of their affiliation and performing positive activites.

I for one met my wife through a club and we have a firm grasp of reality. Sometimes escapism isn’t such a bad thing. Conversely, who wants to dwell on political scandals, terrorism, drug crime, school shootings, authority abuse, etcetera ad nauseum…

Hahah, you’re just upset because you’re Star Trek fag.

Has anyone looked around lately? If it wasn’t for TOS through to TNG, we wouldn’t have this “real-neat-technology” that we have today. Flip open phones (TOS) Hypodermic spray (TOS-mostly used by diabetics) Lap Tops (VOY) PC’s that shine the key board on your desk (TNG-not yet available to the public). If it wasn’t for the imagination of Mr. Roddenberry, with the help of NASA’s imaginitive group of people, I wouldn’t be able to be typing (badly) this blog. Some one did play around with a transporter one time, but it didn’t get off the ground. (pardon the pun) Traveling at the speed of light is theoretical now. We don’t have the materials to withstand the “G’s”. At least, not on this planet. The list goes on and on. Yeah, Star Trek and all Star Treks are television shows and movies. Entertainment. Yeah, some take it to an embarassing extreme. Some have used Trek “logic” in thier daily lives. Some have gone on to bigger and better things in thier life because of Star Trek. Some of us wish for a Star Trek future. Even though we will never see it. But, all and all, Star Trek and all the spin off’s are “great” escapes from reality. Entertainment. P.S.: Take a look at my e-mail address.

I think some people might take it to an unhealthy extreme, but not all fans are like that. Star Trek isn’t an escape from reality; on the contrary, it serves to remind us that the world we live in leaves a lot to be desired. Without reminders like that, wherever they might come from, we’d all get too caught up in our trivial daily affairs to sit back and try to change the world we live in.

I grew up watching Star Trek, and it really helped to shape the way I think. Though the problems and solutions they encounter are fictitious and often technologically absurd, they taught me, at an early stage, how valuable the ability to analyze a situation and improvise can really be. Just as Geordi La Forge always he bypasses some imaginary circuit using some other technobabble, I now look for unconventional solutions to problems I face in my every day life. That way of thinking gives me an enormous advantage over my coworkers, allowing me to solve problems in fields I know nothing about, based solely on how my questions are answered.

Star Trek also teaches tolerance and kindness, not just through instruction, but through example. The episodes often show how every person in a situation is affected when people are discriminated against, lied to, cheated, or otherwise harmed. You might think it’s corny or even complete hogwash, but taking the time to sit down and watch a few episodes with an open mind would quickly change your mind.

To be honest with you, I think that shows like Star Trek are more educational for children than sesame street. Children are much more receptive than we’d like to think, and we may be wasting their potential by subjecting them to a bunch of fat, colorful babies(teletubbies) that can’t even form a complete sentence. If we expose them to entertainment that guides them through the problem solving process, rather than simple memorization and rudamentary social drama, I think our future would be a much better place.

Now if you think I’ve put too much thought into that, or that my concerns are somehow based in fantasy land, I think it’s time you questioned your own affinity for the “real” world. It’s so much easier to pretend that the issues that Star Trek addresses don’t exist, isn’t it?

I think you’ve entirely missed the point of Star Trek. When people ask me why I love Trek, or why I devote the time necessary to be the captain of one of the largest clubs in the country, I explain it this way:

When Star Trek was originally aired, it was at a time in history when we really didn’t know how long the human race could survive. There was conflict in Viet Nam, social revolution, and a culture that was changing rapidly and disrupting the way people had been raised to view the world. Most fiction about the future, whether it was television or literature, showed us a universe where the human race didn’t fare very well. We either killed ourselves off with our ignorance, or we were overrun by aliens.

Star Trek, on the other hand, offered a positive view of the future. It showed a time when human beings had gotten over most of the crap, and actually made it. Ethnicity didn’t matter, and the world was at peace. Money wasn’t an issue, and nobody was hungry any more. Star Trek gave us an image of hope, and a common future.

It’s still true today that we’re not sure how long we’ve got. Why do you think people turn to fiction at all? We need something to distract us from the unfortunate truths of our world. Star Trek was merely ahead of its time, and this earned it the fan following that it still enjoys today.

I agree with #25 about the value of Star Trek in teaching children. I have two small children, and we frequently talk about the moral issues in Star Trek. Interestingly, I am rarely the instigator of these talks. For instance, my young son asked me at dinner the other night, “Mom, why would the Klingons develop a creature that would seek out and kill tribbles? Isn’t it wrong to kill for no reason?” You can imagine the discussion that followed. We have also talked many times about why Kirk would let someone go without killing him, why Picard talks and Kirk fights, and such matters. I see these as valuable teaching lessons.

I also agree with #25 about the value of out-of-the-box thinking. I am a trained scientist, and now a business woman. I have no doubt that Star Trek taught me at an early age how to question and to consider thoughtful alternatives.

I don’t know how old you are, Jon, but I’m guessing it’s pretty young. I am inferring this from the fact that you would presume to insult others for simply enjoying a TV show. I also get the impression that you haven’t yet learned that each person needs something to enjoy or they become angry and sad, and they lose hope.

Most of my friends envy me when I go off to a convention and get to wear a costume. I get (once or twice a year) to be a kid again, and laugh and smile, and it’s fun. They also envy me when I get to do all kinds of community service with my club, like volunteering for science fairs, telethons, halloween events and trash pickups, or walking in the MS or diabetes walks. It makes me feel happy and useful to do all of these things. I think you should give it a try.

Nice one, but as usual, you seem like an observer of SciFi and not a student of it. Or you were being sarcastic?

SciFi, or Science Fiction, is generally Science fact mixed with fictional situations and characters (but the backdrops, or McGuffuns, simetimes can be in fact characters or locations present or in history – even history revisited – at least one episode of TOS was openly acussed by some in the press as anti-semetic at worst, revisionist at best).

The science fact is 99% of the time based on either prototype, plausible by either hypothetical or theoretical extension, or already in production. The “flip phone” is a good example – the flip came first, not it’s “appearance” as a communicator on TOS!

That is Star Trek. Even the planets of Star Trek with a premise of reality – itself stemming from the 5-year Mission Statement.

Star Wars’, otoh, characters, situations, indeed its very premise (the “Force” and its interpreters, the Metachlorians (sp?) ) is Fantasy more than SciFi, but certianly mostly SciFi where ships and propulsions and military protocols (or its dissenters/foil, such as Han Solo who would rather negitiate through kissing than philosophical deabte with a princess).

And as far as plot goes, Rodenberry already knew that he was going to retell most, if not all, of the Bard’s work. Star Wars? It’s Cowboys & Indians meets Camelot. Not that that is a bad thing.

@ jon (or Jon ?)

There were enough characters on Star Trek (all versions and upgrades) who were indeed married. Kirk, at one time, was married – I believe twice, his second to Carol Marcus, and had a son to her – possibly out of wedlock (?) (who later dies at the blade delivered unceremoniuosly by a Klingon, in The Search for Spock, and just as father gets to know son! You Klignon bastard!)

Spock’s father and HUMAN mother were married (although perhaps not legally recognized in some planetary systems). I think even Spock went thorugh a ceremony on shore leave in the Spores episode and later (or earlier ?) was almost b’trothed to a Vulcan princess – if he would only fight a johnny-come-lately rival suitor.

So, jon: wherefore of you speaketh?

Incase y’all haven’t guessed….. jon is a heckler…. he’s trying to stir the pot and having fun doing it. How much of a geek is he if he has nothing better to do than to heckle star trek fans on-line?

While it’s easy to say “That’s not true, there were plenty of married people in Star Trek,” once you start listing examples you’ll notice that in most cases they had very little screentime as a married couple (the most notable exception being the O’Briens, who represented the healthy two-parent family on both TNG and DS9). Most likely the main casts were more or less kept single for the same reasons as on any other television show; to leave them open to a love interest of the week.

Hi….okay so i know theres like alot of argueing going on here….please feel free to continue after my little contribution…..i was just wondering….does your gender have anything to do with which Star Trek you enjoy most? Because as your data shows the majority of ST fans are male….and the most popular series are TNG and TOS….now i’m a 13 year girl….and i never really got TNG or TOS…is that just cos i’m female….or are there lots of guys who also just like VOY?……i dunno i was just wondering…..oh and please stop bashing fans of a TV show….it’s stupid to make people feel ashamed to watch something they enjoy….there shouldn’t be any labells in the first place….whether some fans are socially challenged or not is really not of any importance to you or anyone…it really gets you down once you tell people you watch ST and suddenly they look at you differently….just stop it okay….if you dont like it…dont watch it :) x

Ah you’re just saying all this complicated stuff because you ARE a fan, and you DID show up at the convention. For us to believe your wacky theories, is like some guy coming back from some commie convention and coming back an’ telling us “They aren’t THAT scary”

JON – September 24, 2006 Star Trek is escapism.It’s like Dorothy for some people..”.somewhere over the rainbow happy little bluebirds fly,why can’t I (etc.)”.

Sounds like JON’s suffering from a case of severe depression.

“Depressed people have distorted perceptions of themselves, their circumstances, and the people who affect their lives. Primary to these distortions is the emphasis placed on the negative.”

Don’t be such a downer Mr. Glass half empty. With more people like you in the world, there wouldn’t be a planet to live on anymore!

jon – September 27, 2006 “you know what’s weird about the characters on Star Trek?They were never married.It’s like they were designed for an audience of pre and adolescent boys to live vicariously through.Perhaps that also contributes to the theory that hardcore fans are in a state of emotional arrested development”

So I guess all those screaming girls waiting to meet Jonathan Frankes at the STG series finally were just adolescent boys pretending to be girls. Right.

P.S Hannah :) – August 29, 2009

My favorite is Voyager too. (grew up with STG). I find it suprising that they put 7 of 9 in the survey but not janeway or B’elanna. Completely weird since they didn’t mention the show at all. They need to make another trek show with a kick ass captain (male or female). So far the latest phenomena of that was Janeway!

Huh. Putting in that there’s a healthy little community of lesbian trekkies.

I found this very interesting that there are myth problems fandom. Change a few words this story can be said about the furry fandom. In addition it points back how the Media instead of reporting or portraying a fandom truthfully , molds the fandom to fit their preconceptions

Factable

30 Facts About 'Star Trek' That Even The Biggest Fans May Not Know

Posted: March 20, 2024 | Last updated: March 20, 2024

<p>The kiss between Captain Kirk and Uhura in <i>Star Trek</i> was first intended to be a kiss between Uhura and Spock. As fans probably remember from watching the episode, that kiss did not happen.</p> <p>William Shatner, who played Kirk, complained until the scene was rewritten for his character.</p>

Space, the final frontier. For over three decades, Star Trek has captivated audiences with its bold exploration of the unknown.

From the charismatic Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, to the logical Spock, portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, the original series ran from 1966 to 1969, sparking a devoted following of 'Trekkies' who gather at conventions to celebrate their beloved franchise. Keep clicking through this incredible list to learn some little-known facts about the beloved franchise.

<p>The original pilot for<i> Star Trek</i>, featuring Captain Christopher Pike, was rejected by NBC. </p> <p>Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of Spock was the only character retained for the second pilot, which introduced Captain Kirk, with William Shatner as the lead role. Jeffrey Hunter played the role of Pike in the initial pilot but did not continue with the series. </p>

Star Trek Had A Captain Before Kirk

The original pilot for Star Trek , featuring Captain Christopher Pike, was rejected by NBC.

Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of Spock was the only character retained for the second pilot, which introduced Captain Kirk, with William Shatner as the lead role. Jeffrey Hunter played the role of Pike in the initial pilot but did not continue with the series.

<p>Gene Roddenberry, the creator of <i>Star Trek</i>, envisioned Spock as a Martian with red skin. </p> <p>However, due to the lack of color TVs at the show's inception and the hassle of applying red makeup to Leonard Nimoy's skin in every episode, this idea was deemed more trouble than it was worth.</p>

Spock Almost Had Red Skin

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek , envisioned Spock as a Martian with red skin.

However, due to the lack of color TVs at the show's inception and the hassle of applying red makeup to Leonard Nimoy's skin in every episode, this idea was deemed more trouble than it was worth.

<p>While <i>Star Trek </i>aired its first episode in 1966, the fanbase and Trekkies people know today didn't really show up until after the series ended in 1969. </p> <p>In fact, it wasn't until the 1970s and the television reruns of the show that people began to become interested in the adventures of Spock, Captain Kurt, and the rest of the crew on the <i>USS Enterprise</i>.</p>

The Fanbase Didn't Arrive Until After The Show Ended

While Star Trek aired its first episode in 1966, the fanbase and Trekkies people know today didn't really show up until after the series ended in 1969.

In fact, it wasn't until the 1970s and the television reruns of the show that people began to become interested in the adventures of Spock, Captain Kurt, and the rest of the crew on the USS Enterprise .

<p>Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, rescinded her decision to depart after season one. A persuasive conversation with Martin Luther King Jr., a Trekky himself, swayed her. </p> <p>King Jr.'s belief in the significance of her character's representation inspired Nichols to continue in the portrayal of her ground-breaking role. </p>

Martin Luther King Jr. Was A Trekky And Convinced Nichols To Stay

Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, rescinded her decision to depart after season one. A persuasive conversation with Martin Luther King Jr., a Trekky himself, swayed her.

King Jr.'s belief in the significance of her character's representation inspired Nichols to continue in the portrayal of her ground-breaking role.

<p>The first <i>US Space Shuttle Enterprise</i> was named after the fictional starship from <i>Star Trek </i>and its widespread popularity, the <i>USS Enterprise</i>. The show's passionate fan base, which included NASA engineers, inspired the agency to choose the name. </p> <p>Enterprise symbolized the spirit of exploration and innovation, capturing the imagination of both science fiction enthusiasts and space professionals. </p>

The First Space Shuttle Was Inspired By Star Trek

The first US Space Shuttle Enterprise was named after the fictional starship from Star Trek and its widespread popularity, the USS Enterprise . The show's passionate fan base, which included NASA engineers, inspired the agency to choose the name.

Enterprise symbolized the spirit of exploration and innovation, capturing the imagination of both science fiction enthusiasts and space professionals.

<p>The line "I'm a doctor, not a..." originates from the 1933 film <i>The Kennel Murder Case</i>. It was later popularized in the <i>Star Trek</i> series and became a recurring catchphrase uttered by Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who would say the line when he was frustrated about being asked to do more than he could. </p> <p>The line was often completed with different endings, emphasizing the doctor's dedication to his medical profession.</p>

Bones' Line "I'm a doctor, not a..." Was From A 1933 Movie

The line "I'm a doctor, not a..." originates from the 1933 film The Kennel Murder Case . It was later popularized in the Star Trek series and became a recurring catchphrase uttered by Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who would say the line when he was frustrated about being asked to do more than he could.

The line was often completed with different endings, emphasizing the doctor's dedication to his medical profession.

<p>Starfleet, an international fan group, offers a $500 scholarship to <i>Star Trek</i> enthusiasts pursuing higher education. </p> <p>Their generous initiative supports students in their academic journey while celebrating their passion for the beloved sci-fi franchise. Starfleet's commitment to nurturing the next generation reflects the values of unity and exploration championed in <i>Star Trek</i>.</p>

Trekkies Can Get A $500 Scholarship For College

Starfleet, an international fan group, offers a $500 scholarship to Star Trek enthusiasts pursuing higher education.

Their generous initiative supports students in their academic journey while celebrating their passion for the beloved sci-fi franchise. Starfleet's commitment to nurturing the next generation reflects the values of unity and exploration championed in Star Trek .

<p>In the original <i>Star Trek</i> series, the ingenious use of teleportation during filming proved to be a cost-effective solution to showcase the futuristic technology of spaceships. </p> <p>With a limited budget, the production team creatively employed teleportation to depict crew members effortlessly moving between locations, giving the illusion of seamless transportation across the galaxy.</p>

Teleporting Was Cheaper To Film Than Spaceships Landing

In the original Star Trek series, the ingenious use of teleportation during filming proved to be a cost-effective solution to showcase the futuristic technology of spaceships.

With a limited budget, the production team creatively employed teleportation to depict crew members effortlessly moving between locations, giving the illusion of seamless transportation across the galaxy.

<p>The producers of <i>Star Trek</i> opted to progress with Spock instead of Number One after the pilot. They admired Spock's distinctive ears and eyebrows, which lent a more devilish appearance to the series. </p> <p>Although it was not easy, their choice eventually set the stage for Spock's enduring presence and the show's subsequent success. </p>

Spock Was Not Originally Star Trek's "Number One"

The producers of Star Trek opted to progress with Spock instead of Number One after the pilot. They admired Spock's distinctive ears and eyebrows, which lent a more devilish appearance to the series.

Although it was not easy, their choice eventually set the stage for Spock's enduring presence and the show's subsequent success.

<p>Originally, NBC had wanted the female cast members of Star Trek to don miniskirts, believing it would enhance the show's appeal. </p> <p>The network's suggestion was ultimately abandoned. Interestingly, the gold shirts the male characters wore were green, but due to the television's color rendering, they appeared gold to the viewers. </p>

Wardrobe: Miniskirts And Green Shirts

Originally, NBC had wanted the female cast members of Star Trek to don miniskirts, believing it would enhance the show's appeal.

The network's suggestion was ultimately abandoned. Interestingly, the gold shirts the male characters wore were green, but due to the television's color rendering, they appeared gold to the viewers.

<p>Off camera, William Shatner reportedly clashed with co-star Leonard Nimoy. Shatner's concern stemmed from not wanting other characters to appear more intelligent than Captain Kirk, leading him to steal Nimoy's lines occasionally. </p> <p>This alleged rivalry behind the scenes added tension to their on-screen dynamic. </p>

Shatner Became Petty With Nimoy

Off camera, William Shatner reportedly clashed with co-star Leonard Nimoy. Shatner's concern stemmed from not wanting other characters to appear more intelligent than Captain Kirk, leading him to steal Nimoy's lines occasionally.

This alleged rivalry behind the scenes added tension to their on-screen dynamic.

<p>Star Trek's original series set harbored delightful inside jokes cherished by the cast. Among them, the tubes on the ship flaunted inscriptions like "GNDN" with random numbers, teasingly translating to "Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing." </p> <p>This witty jest added a touch of amusement to the futuristic surroundings they inhabited and was included in future iterations of the series. </p>

Inside Jokes Were Built Into The Set

Star Trek's original series set harbored delightful inside jokes cherished by the cast. Among them, the tubes on the ship flaunted inscriptions like "GNDN" with random numbers, teasingly translating to "Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing."

This witty jest added a touch of amusement to the futuristic surroundings they inhabited and was included in future iterations of the series.

<p>The iconic communicators featured on <i>Star Trek</i> served as a source of inspiration for the design and technology behind flip cell phones. </p> <p>The first flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, was introduced in 1996 by Motorola in the United States. Its sleek, compact form factor and ability to flip open and close echoed the futuristic communication devices seen in the beloved science fiction series.</p>

Communicators On Star Trek Influenced The Flip Phone

The iconic communicators featured on Star Trek served as a source of inspiration for the design and technology behind flip cell phones.

The first flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, was introduced in 1996 by Motorola in the United States. Its sleek, compact form factor and ability to flip open and close echoed the futuristic communication devices seen in the beloved science fiction series.

<p>Leonard Nimoy was a method actor before his role as Spock in the TV series. Nimoy is credited with inventing the Vulcan grip. This maneuver, performed by joining the fingers in a specific pattern and applying pressure to the neck, swiftly immobilized opponents. </p> <p>Affectionately dubbed the "Vulcan nerve pinch," it became a trademark move synonymous with Spock's logical and formidable nature.</p>

Nimoy Invented The Vulcan Nerve Pinch

Leonard Nimoy was a method actor before his role as Spock in the TV series. Nimoy is credited with inventing the Vulcan grip. This maneuver, performed by joining the fingers in a specific pattern and applying pressure to the neck, swiftly immobilized opponents.

Affectionately dubbed the "Vulcan nerve pinch," it became a trademark move synonymous with Spock's logical and formidable nature.

<p>Actors Shatner and Nimoy, once competitive, formed a unique bond while performing together on screen. They frequently collaborated at <i>Star Trek</i> conventions, delighting fans in character. However, Shatner privately voiced his unease over Spock's popularity overshadowing Kirk. </p> <p>Despite this, their enduring friendship triumphed, showcasing the depth of their connection beyond on-screen rivalry.</p>

Shatner And Nimoy Were Rivals Turned Friends

Actors Shatner and Nimoy, once competitive, formed a unique bond while performing together on screen. They frequently collaborated at Star Trek conventions, delighting fans in character. However, Shatner privately voiced his unease over Spock's popularity overshadowing Kirk.

Despite this, their enduring friendship triumphed, showcasing the depth of their connection beyond on-screen rivalry.

<p>After producing the original <i>Star Trek</i> series, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's production company sold it to Paramount. The company then attempted to sell it to Roddenberry, the show's creator, who couldn't afford it, compelling them to retain ownership. </p> <p>Massive financial losses and a scarcity of syndication-worthy shows prompted their desire to sell the rights.</p>

Paramount Tried To Deep-Space Star Trek

After producing the original Star Trek series, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's production company sold it to Paramount. The company then attempted to sell it to Roddenberry, the show's creator, who couldn't afford it, compelling them to retain ownership.

Massive financial losses and a scarcity of syndication-worthy shows prompted their desire to sell the rights.

<p>The iconic phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" is widely associated with <i>Star Trek</i>, but interestingly, it's never actually spoken in the show. The character referred to as "Scotty" is Montgomery Scott, the skilled chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, played by James Doohan.</p> <p>The phrase has become a popular cultural reference nonetheless and has been used in subsequent <i>Star Trek </i>films.</p>

Kirk Never Asked Scotty To Beam Him Up

The iconic phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" is widely associated with Star Trek , but interestingly, it's never actually spoken in the show. The character referred to as "Scotty" is Montgomery Scott, the skilled chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, played by James Doohan.

The phrase has become a popular cultural reference nonetheless and has been used in subsequent Star Trek films.

<p>William Shatner's commanding presence on set was accompanied by special considerations that ensured his prominence. With a guaranteed abundance of lines, his dialogue took precedence even when others were cut. </p> <p>The hierarchy Shatner roamed the set with extended to the credits, granting him a higher placement, which added a palpable tension among the cast. </p>

Shatner's Superiority Complex Was Built Into The Script

William Shatner's commanding presence on set was accompanied by special considerations that ensured his prominence. With a guaranteed abundance of lines, his dialogue took precedence even when others were cut.

The hierarchy Shatner roamed the set with extended to the credits, granting him a higher placement, which added a palpable tension among the cast.

<p>The immense popularity of the show <i>Star Trek</i> transcended the screen, reaching Leonard Nimoy's own father, a barber. </p> <p>In his bustling barber shop, he delighted customers, often fans of the series, by offering them the opportunity to sport a haircut reminiscent of the iconic Spock. It was a testament to the show's lasting cultural impact. </p>

Nimoy's Dad Offered "Spock Haircuts"

The immense popularity of the show Star Trek transcended the screen, reaching Leonard Nimoy's own father, a barber.

In his bustling barber shop, he delighted customers, often fans of the series, by offering them the opportunity to sport a haircut reminiscent of the iconic Spock. It was a testament to the show's lasting cultural impact.

<p>The origin of Spock's iconic salute can be traced to Leonard Nimoy's creative inspiration. Drawing from his Jewish heritage, Nimoy crafted the distinctive gesture by adapting the hand sign used in a sacred Hebrew blessing. </p> <p>The open hand, with fingers separated in a "V" shape, became synonymous with Vulcan culture and a beloved symbol for <i>Star Trek</i> fans worldwide.</p>

Nimoy Created The Spock Salute

The origin of Spock's iconic salute can be traced to Leonard Nimoy's creative inspiration. Drawing from his Jewish heritage, Nimoy crafted the distinctive gesture by adapting the hand sign used in a sacred Hebrew blessing.

The open hand, with fingers separated in a "V" shape, became synonymous with Vulcan culture and a beloved symbol for Star Trek fans worldwide.

<p>William Shatner, despite his fame as a versatile actor, faced a physical challenge when it came to executing the iconic Spock salute. He couldn't do it.</p> <p>Stagehands resorted to clever tricks, using fishing lines to carefully tie his fingers apart, ensuring the desired hand gesture. This ingenious solution enabled Shatner to flawlessly showcase the Vulcan salute.</p>

Shatner Could Not Do The Vulkan Salute

William Shatner, despite his fame as a versatile actor, faced a physical challenge when it came to executing the iconic Spock salute. He couldn't do it.

Stagehands resorted to clever tricks, using fishing lines to carefully tie his fingers apart, ensuring the desired hand gesture. This ingenious solution enabled Shatner to flawlessly showcase the Vulcan salute.

<p>Leonard Nimoy, the brilliant mind behind the creation of Spock, received a modest payment of $2,000 per episode for his iconic portrayal. Despite the show's immense success, he yearned for greater financial recognition.</p> <p>Dealing with newfound fame was a daunting challenge for the talented actor. Nimoy preferred to stay in character even when not on screen. Shatner accused Nimoy of being Spock more than his natural self. </p>

Nimoy Thought He Was Spock

Leonard Nimoy, the brilliant mind behind the creation of Spock, received a modest payment of $2,000 per episode for his iconic portrayal. Despite the show's immense success, he yearned for greater financial recognition.

Dealing with newfound fame was a daunting challenge for the talented actor. Nimoy preferred to stay in character even when not on screen. Shatner accused Nimoy of being Spock more than his natural self.

<p>Initially intended to be female, Spock's character changed significantly before the show's executives decided to make the logical Vulcan a male.</p> <p>This alteration unknowingly would shape the beloved character we now know and remember fondly, portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, who brought intelligence, stoicism, and a unique perspective to the <i>Star Trek</i> universe.</p>

Spock Was Initially Supposed To Be Female

Initially intended to be female, Spock's character changed significantly before the show's executives decided to make the logical Vulcan a male.

This alteration unknowingly would shape the beloved character we now know and remember fondly, portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, who brought intelligence, stoicism, and a unique perspective to the Star Trek universe.

<p>Space, the final frontier. For over three decades, <i>Star Trek</i> has captivated audiences with its bold exploration of the unknown. </p> <p>From the charismatic Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, to the logical Spock, portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, the original series ran from 1966 to 1969, sparking a devoted following of 'Trekkies' who gather at conventions to celebrate their beloved franchise. Now, it is time to learn some little-known facts about the beloved franchise.</p>

Nimoy And Shatner Suffered Tinnitus From Explosions

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner have battled with persistent Tinnitus, a condition characterized by ringing in the ears, stemming from the explosive effects on set. The duo was standing too close to an explosion one day during filming, which caused their affliction.

Shatner resorted to utilizing a white noise-emitting device as a means to alleviate the issue.

<p>James Doohan, who portrayed "Scotty" in the <i>Star Trek </i>series, was a former soldier. He served in the Canadian military as a member of the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II. </p> <p>Doohan valiantly fought in several major battles, including the D-Day invasion.</p>

Scotty Was A Soldier Off Set

James Doohan, who portrayed "Scotty" in the Star Trek series, was a former soldier. He served in the Canadian military as a member of the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II.

Doohan valiantly fought in several major battles, including the D-Day invasion.

<p>Star Trek co-star George Takei had a widely publicized feud with William Shatner. Takei famously remarked that Shatner exhibited an attitude of superiority, acting as if he was larger than the show itself. </p> <p>This dynamic created tension between Takei, Shatner, and other cast members during their time in the series. According to Takei, "We all had problems with Bill on the set." </p>

Takei And Shatner Clashed Off Screen

Star Trek co-star George Takei had a widely publicized feud with William Shatner. Takei famously remarked that Shatner exhibited an attitude of superiority, acting as if he was larger than the show itself.

This dynamic created tension between Takei, Shatner, and other cast members during their time in the series. According to Takei, "We all had problems with Bill on the set."

<p>The signature Stardate, spoken at the start of each <i>Star Trek </i>episode, held a unique charm. Fans quickly noticed that the numbers had no discernible sequence or pattern. </p> <p>They soon realized what seemingly were arbitrary figures actually were made up, yet they embraced them as a beloved part of the show's immersive futuristic setting.</p>

Every Stardate Announced Was Completely Random

The signature Stardate, spoken at the start of each Star Trek episode, held a unique charm. Fans quickly noticed that the numbers had no discernible sequence or pattern.

They soon realized what seemingly were arbitrary figures actually were made up, yet they embraced them as a beloved part of the show's immersive futuristic setting.

<p>DeForest Kelley, known for his portrayal of the doctor in <i>Star Trek</i>, initially auditioned for the role of Spock but was rejected. However, he was later cast as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the ship's compassionate and often grumpy physician. </p> <p>His memorable performance made him an integral part of the beloved sci-fi series.</p>

DeForest Kelley "Bones" Auditioned For Spock Initially

DeForest Kelley, known for his portrayal of the doctor in Star Trek , initially auditioned for the role of Spock but was rejected. However, he was later cast as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the ship's compassionate and often grumpy physician.

His memorable performance made him an integral part of the beloved sci-fi series.

Spock Was Supposed To Kiss Uhura, Not Captain Kirk

The kiss between Captain Kirk and Uhura in Star Trek was first intended to be a kiss between Uhura and Spock. As fans probably remember from watching the episode, that kiss did not happen.

William Shatner, who played Kirk, complained until the scene was rewritten for his character.

<p>The original series of Star Trek has served as the inspiration for over 125 video games since 1971. These games have spanned across various gaming platforms, including Atari, Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, and Xbox. </p> <p>They have allowed fans to immerse themselves in the iconic universe of Star Trek in interactive and exciting ways.</p>

Star Trek Inspired Over 125 Video Games

The original series of Star Trek has served as the inspiration for over 125 video games since 1971. These games have spanned across various gaming platforms, including Atari, Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, and Xbox.

They have allowed fans to immerse themselves in the iconic universe of Star Trek in interactive and exciting ways.

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How Star Trek fans helped change TV forever

The original series was nowhere near an instant hit; early Trekkies saved it from obscurity to jumpstart the beloved franchise we know today.

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Star Trek

“The television writer-producer faces an almost impossible task when he attempts to create and produce a quality TV series. Assuming he conceived of a program of such meaning and importance that it could ultimately change the face of America, he probably could not keep it there.” — Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry

When Star Trek: Discovery made its long-awaited CBS All Access debut on Sunday, it entered on decidedly unsteady ground.

The outlook had hardly been sunny from the get-go: Though J.J. Abrams’s reboot films have seen overwhelming success under Viacom in recent years, Paramount Television and CBS Corporation’s last attempt at a TV series was a painful one. Star Trek: Enterprise held on for four seasons, but it brought the Trek universe’s Nielsen ratings, which had been falling steadily since the early ‘90s, to an all-time low . Since its cancellation in 2005, it has easily taken root at the bottom of even casual fans’ power rankings, below the original series, The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager (often outstripping even The Animated Series ).

Drama has plagued Discovery itself from the moment it was announced back in November 2015 . The caveat that it would only air on CBS’s new streaming platform, forcing audiences to pay for another subscription service, was the least of the show’s worries: As Discovery began production in early 2016, showrunner Bryan Fuller was onboard ; by October he was pulling back , and by December, he was out entirely . Meanwhile, production schedules almost immediately proved overly optimistic; by February 2017, when the show was originally slated to debut, the premiere had been pushed back twice , and its final date had still not been confirmed .

Then, earlier this summer, Fuller detailed the creative differences that forced his departure , painting a picture that would make fans of any franchise worry, let alone one with so much utopian, forward-thinking cachet, reemerging at a moment when its progressive ideals have become more urgent than ever, in Hollywood and beyond. CBS had insisted on a tight production schedule despite the fact that Fuller was already at work on Starz’s American Gods when Discovery was announced. On top of that, he said his wishes had been repeatedly denied — from his preference of directors, to his implied request for a more ambitious budget, to his desire to make the show an anthology series that would expand the Trek universe.

Yet since its beginnings on NBC half a century ago, a strained relationship between creator and network has practically been a cornerstone of Star Trek ’s very existence. Its history abounds with tales in which creator Gene Roddenberry, his showrunning successors, and the production studios that bankrolled them came up against objections and affronts from networks in their struggles to get what would become the franchise’s most successful entries to the small screen.

Indeed, if it hadn’t been for the original series’ modest yet industrious and deeply loyal fan base, Star Trek might have faded into obscurity within its first two years. Now, in this radically transformed era of television, their influence can still be seen everywhere, from Discovery ’s casting choices and writing staff to the cascades of Twitter reactions to last Sunday’s two-episode premiere. Just two episodes in, the showrunner-network-fan ecosystem has already made clear how it will ultimately shape Discovery ’s future, for better or worse.

How Trekkies helped birth the modern fandom era

Star Trek ’s unique relationship with its fans began as early as 1964, soon after Roddenberry first pitched his new show idea to Desilu Productions with a gross understatement: Star Trek , he said, was a “ Wagon Train concept ” — a Western set in space. Together, the studio and Roddenberry pitched the same idea to NBC, which was initially intrigued and commissioned a pilot.

What the network got was “The Cage,” a disturbing, bizarrely existential hour of television that was vastly more “cerebral” than the space Western that execs had anticipated. Nevertheless, they were interested enough to commission a rare do-over. The result, “Where No Man Had Gone Before,” featured a new star and an almost entirely new cast; the cool and collected Captain Christopher Pike was out, the more impulsive, cowboyish, relatable James T. Kirk was in. (A female first officer was also absent, after her presence was deemed too progressive for NBC audiences.)

After Star Trek debuted as part of NBC’s fall lineup in 1966, however, ratings remained fair at best, and by the end of the second season, NBC was ready to cancel the series and move on. Fans were devastated. As one, Betty Jo “Bjo” Trimble , has explained in the decades since, they knew that a two-season run meant the network would likely decline to air reruns, and Star Trek would be relegated to the dusty, forgotten coffers of TV history.

Together with her husband John, Trimble organized what is now recognized one of the first grassroots fan campaigns in Hollywood history : a letter-writing chain petitioning NBC to renew the series. The network received more than 110,000 postcards and letters (when I interviewed her in 2013, Trimble said an NBC employee told her that the final count was exponentially higher), and were ultimately swayed into ordering a third and final season.

While this sort of collective action is taken for granted today as just one thread in the fabric that is backlash culture , in an era when Hollywood had almost unrestrained power and audiences had such limited programming options, the idea that viewers could lobby a major television network — and win — was nothing short of revelatory.

Star Trek ’s journey to “crown jewel” status — and how it led to The Next Generation ’s one weird (syndication) trick

After that third of Star Trek season aired, the original series drew such excellent ratings in broadcast syndication for the next two decades, while subsequent films did so well at the box office, that by 1986, Paramount — having absorbed Desilu in 1967, just a year into Star Trek ’s existence — was proudly referring to the series as its “ crown jewel .” By the late 1970s, the studio was working with Roddenberry on a new Star Trek series; though that one ultimately failed due to budgetary and rights concerns, Star Trek remained a priority. A few years later, Roddenberry and Paramount developed Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Again, despite Star Trek ’s by then well-established profitability, networks were mysteriously reluctant to greenlight The Next Generation ; NBC and ABC wouldn’t order more than a pilot, while CBS and newcomer Fox each offered half-baked, partial commitments, like offering to try it as a miniseries first. Unsatisfied with their options, Paramount and Roddenberry finally opted to circumvent the networks entirely.

To do this, they constructed a unique distribution strategy : Traditionally, TV shows had been distributed by the Big Three networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — to smaller stations around the country, which would supplement them with local content or syndicated shows that independent stations could purchase at will. But Paramount and Roddenberry were able to capitalize on goodwill and an unusually high demand for Star Trek from individual network affiliates and independent stations, who were profiting from reruns of the original series, and sell The Next Generation directly to those stations. Effectively, they distributed the show straight to fans, based on known interest, while circumventing major broadcasting corporations entirely.

The move paid off handsomely. The Next Generation debuted in the fall of 1987 on 137 local stations nationwide, and in the end, it was the most successful Star Trek series of all, running seven seasons and maintaining massive ratings throughout, even after Roddenberry’s death in 1991.

Both of The Next Generation ’s successors — 1993’s Deep Space Nine and 1995’s Voyager — could have likely benefitted from riding its wave of success, but at that point, Paramount had already developed a penchant for cutting out the broadcast network middleman; Deep Space 9 took The Next Generation ’s straight-to-syndication path, while Voyager was designed to debut via Paramount’s new TV arm (and CW predecessor) UPN, eliminating the need to vie for network approval at all.

Meanwhile, the Star Trek convention culture had exploded; after the first-ever event in 1971 — a fan-programmed affair whose attendance far outstripped organizers’ expectations — convention companies like Creation Entertainment and other groups of industrious Trekkies had started hosting multiple events every year worldwide. Together with general sci-fi conventions, these events were pulling in millions from licensed Star Trek merchandise, to say nothing of the secondary income sources photo-ops and signings created for often underpaid or underemployed genre actors.

By the time Enterprise wrapped its second season in the spring of 2003, UPN was practically a network in its own right; though Paramount would ultimately shutter UPN just a year after Enterprise ’s eventual cancellation, UPN had assumed the position NBC had been in with the original series, facing down all-time-low ratings despite the existence of a loyal Star Trek fan base. But in this case, the studio decided to compromise: Rather than choose between granting one more season and canceling altogether, as NBC had done with the original series, Paramount allegedly threw fans a bone by giving Enterprise two final seasons — the last two seasons of Star Trek to have graced the small screen, pending Discovery ’s arrival — that aired at half the length of previous ones.

What Trek and its fans hath wrought, and what Discovery stands to gain — or lose

Though shortened final seasons are of course a lot more common today, the modern television landscape would be practically unrecognizable to the Gene Roddenberry of 1964. CBS Television — which absorbed Paramount Television when CBS and Viacom merged in 2000 — has maintained its usual control of the new Trek property, taking the strategy one step further by keeping it exclusively behind a CBS All Access paywall. The franchise may no longer have a conservative parental adversary in NBC, but CBS TV seems to have recreated that same dynamic with Fuller anyway; in a Hollywood that overflows with more serialized TV content than viewers or creators know what to do with, the Fullers of the world can afford to abandon projects, as precious as they may be, should their creative vision be threatened.

This entertainment world is one that might never have existed without Trek fans’ persistent haranguing — whether through letter-writing campaigns or the unusual amount of interaction they enjoyed with showrunners as the Star Trek convention scene grew. Audiences, through social media, have since established an increasingly direct feedback channel with TV studios and creators.

The creators’ firmament, meanwhile, grows more diverse by the day, intensifying competition but also softening the ironclad gatekeeping laws that governed Hollywood in the late ‘60s. If and when CBS pushes back against Trek productions now, it can’t defend regressive decisions with ratings fears or limited options for profitability. Whether they like it or not, showrunners and networks alike have a crystal-clear view of core audiences’ expectations for a beloved franchise rooted in hyper-progressivism — and of the consequences that come from getting it wrong in an era when those values are in jeopardy.

In a sense, Star Trek: Discovery was born under the most ideal circumstances the Star Trek universe has ever known, so the stakes have, in a sense, never been higher. As a franchise that, by nature, asks humankind to be better, Star Trek has demanded these power dynamics from its inception, regardless of whether its creators’ limited imaginations or resources were able to provide it. After all, what would a post-capitalist space exploration utopia be without at least a little institutional opposition?

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery are released each Sunday on CBS All Access.

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Star Trek Picard: Where did it all go wrong?

Opinion: The final frontier of quality

Picard

Paramount Plus' Star Trek series, Picard concluded its second season this week, and the 10-episode run has felt like a real slog. 

After announcing in 2018 that Paramount had tempted back Patrick Stewart to play Jean Luc Picard once again, there was a hope that we would not only see Picard in his twilight years to get the bad taste of Star Trek: Nemesis out of our mouths, but to see what that world has been up to since we last saw them.

While there have been some high points, mainly from the performances of all the actors, the majority of the series has been riddled with plot inconsistencies, jerky twists that don’t lead anywhere, and camera angles so silly they are reminiscent for Adam West's crash, bang, wallop days as Batman. 

With the finale of Season 2 wrapped up, we wanted to go into what’s missing from the show, alongside some thoughts of the viewers who have also been invested in Picard, and the series of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

A little bit of history...

Star Trek Voyager of Janeway and Seven

I first watched Star Trek on Sunday afternoons with my family in the late 1990s, where Voyager and Next Generation would play in marathons while others would watch the EastEnders omnibus on another channel.

I don’t class myself as a hardcore Star Trek fan - more of a casual watcher who enjoyed the serialized stories. But it seems as though there’s been a big misunderstanding as to why those Star Trek shows worked so well in the 90s.

I watched the remainder of Picard out of pure curiosity - to see just how more nonsensical the stories can become. In one episode we’re watching Picard and company look for ‘The Watcher’, but instead, we see the police, twice put Picard and Cristóbal Rios in jail with their missing comms link, which is the badges on all Trek uniforms.

We then get a younger Guinan, normally played by Whoopi Goldberg, advancing the plot, very slowly, over three episodes. Then followed by Dr. Soong, an ancestor of Soong who created the android Data and Lore, who is also making an early synthetic of his daughter. There’s also Q who appears to be dying. Also, the Borg Queen is involved with Agnes.

It’s a lot. The early Trek series had a more procedural feel, a new adventure each week with a much neater feeling, whereas with Picard, there’s an overarching story to save the future. That arc has made the show feel so long-winded and lacking the efficiency of the early series. This storyline could have easily been a two-parter if The Next Generation (TNG) was still going.

The advent of streaming services have been wonderful, but with a captive audience already in place and without the fiery breath of executives demanding high ratings to sell back to advertisers, you can start to see storylines become bloated.

The wrath of plot holes

Star Trek Picard

The first episode of Picard Season Two was a marked improvement - there was structure and a plot you could understand, with every character having a purpose. But once episode 2 arrived, we were brought to the many plot strands that yet again, made you care less for the characters.

While the finale tied up the many plots into a bow, even with Elnor having been resurrected by Q, as Rios decided to stay behind, I watched the credits with the same frustrations I had, rather than being moved.

I decided to ask a few viewers who had also been on the same journey as me, just to make sure that it wasn’t me thinking that I was becoming out of touch with television.

Richie Morgan is a freelance videographer and podcaster , and I asked him why he put up with watching it, regardless of knowing the show’s flaws. “I keep getting annoyed while watching it and yet I return every week. Maybe I love the characters and want to see them again?” Morgan wonders. “That might be the case if anyone remembered how to write or play those characters.  Maybe it's just because it's Star Trek, but it’s not with Picard here. Even at its darkest, whatever form it has taken, Star Trek was about optimism and utopian ideals either thriving or trying to thrive in the darkest places.” Morgan explains.

“Now I'm just tuning in every week to see returning characters tortured to death, or exploring their hideous retconned traumas, or in some cases committing actual murders.”

I’ve read high-praise of the show, but I can’t help but think that this is from wearing rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, in awe of the fact that Admiral Picard is back after 20 years. But without a coherent story, the series is already on course to be worse than Star Trek: Nemesis, the final film for The Next Generation crew.

Another viewer is a reader of TechRadar who got in touch after watching the penultimate episode of Picard towards the end of April. Ian Hicks sent in what he thought of Picard as a whole. “Whereas other Star Trek shows don’t hit the heights of TNG, it at least had all of the formulaic aspects of a typical star trek show. A thirst for discovery, a higher purpose and logic.” Hicks explains.

“Picard has none of these. It’s clear Sir Patrick Stewart can’t even himself recall what the character stood for. Where’s the unwavering authority, the moral righteousness, and virtue that made Picard such a beloved captain? It’s a hollow ensemble of lifeless hollowed-out Star Trek characters, that are thrown together into a story that makes no sense and goes off on so many confusing tangents, that it makes Season 1 look well-written.” Hicks continues. “Character traits flip flop to further the inane script rather than for development. It’s a show that tries to be everything and ends up being nothing.”

To boldly, go?

Star Trek Picard

Season 3 of Picard is not only commissioned, but already filmed, as it was in production soon after Season 2 had been filmed halfway. With the cast of TNG coming back, I asked Richie Morgan again as to what he’d like to see in this final series of Picard, with himself being a lifelong Trek fan.

“I'm telling myself now that I don't care what happens in the next season. I'll just be happy to see everyone again.” Morgan reveals. “In an ideal world, I'd love to see an exploration of late 24th century Trek again. Maybe a stop to Deep Space Nine - perhaps a plot as to how the Alpha Quadrant rebuilt itself after the Dominion war?” Morgan wonders. “Or what's happening with the Klingons, the Romulans, or even the Ferengi!  An exploration of what it is to be an intergalactic hero in the twilight years of your life. Let's acknowledge their age and really tell that story. I want to believe they can do it." Morgan hopes. "I want to believe every character won't return with a miserable back story. That Geordie LaForge married Leah Brahms and she didn't immediately die.”

As we head into a story where the Borg is part of the Federation, sudden plot points may rear their heads once again, as the third season hasn’t had the chance to breathe and look at the feedback of its fans.

But with this clearly being the final season of Picard, not just the series but the character, there could always be a glimmer of hope that we can say a proper goodbye to this part of Star Trek, and see what else the franchise can offer.

That said, with the lazy plotting and non-sensical decisions made in the show's second season, I'm not hopeful. 

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Daryl Baxter

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', alongside podcasting and usually found playing games old and new on his PC and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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30 Crazy Star Trek Fan Theories (We Cant Believe Are True)

These Star Trek fan theories make a whole lot of sense. Here are the best theories that the internet has to offer about the franchise.

With great fandom comes many a fan theory as well. With Star Trek , there’s little surprise that there have been several insane theories cooked up by the fans over the years. The show has been around since the late 1960s, with it becoming a revived cult hit that expanded into seven more TV shows and thirteen major feature films.

Over that time, there have been classics as well as forgotten ventures; there have been missteps as well as iconic moments. What is clear is that the years have a created an epic archive of lore that holds several deep-seated secrets, misinterpretations, or wild inconsistencies.

The Trek fan circles are highly studious when it comes to their passion, arguably more then Star Wars fans, they will not let one minor detail pass them by without some form of analysation. And so have the fan theories accumulated over the several decades of the shows existence—whether it be an attempt to fill in an epic plot-hole, or the discovering of a sly secret by the writers, or even just a bit of old fanboy wishful thinking—there are several great, if completely bonkers, fan theories out there that more then deserve to come to the forefront for observation.

And so this list will chart the many that stand out as the best, from large stretches to ones that have actually been confirmed to be accurate... yet they are all equally baffling.

30 Q Created The Mirror Universe

The Mirror Universe was a prevalent part of the original series of Star Trek where seemingly the sinister versions of your favourite characters exist—usually with added facial hair. In fact, Spock’s mirror-verse persona is something of an iconic moment of the Kirk and co’s adventures.

Later in TNG came the God-like trickster Q, who treated the vast galaxy as his playground; fans have boiled down that it could very well have been Q that created the mirror-verse all in name of his amusement and trolling the Federation on an epic scale—yeah, sounds like Q, alright.

29 Star Trek V Is All Just Kirk’s Nexus Dream?

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was a misguided mess of a movie that tethered on being a ‘so bad, it’s good’ type of deal. The plot twists were baffling with a finale were Kirk took on God himself.

It all sounds like some weird fever dream, so what if it actually was?

Trekkies have theorised that all the events of part V were from a living dream from when Kirk was trapped inside the Nexus purgatory-like state in Star Trek: Generations . It certainly helps excuse a lot of the ridiculous aspects, although Generations was conceived five years after Frontier .

28 The Enterprise Show Is Set In A Different Timeline

With several fans wishing that the prequel show never existed, this one goes hand-in-hand with the notion; mainly that all of its events occurred are a completely separate alternative timeline.

It presents that the Prime timeline is the series main thread that moves in parallel with the Enterprise plot until it hits the events of the Temporal Cold War. After that conflict's events wrap-up Enterprise diverges on a completely separate path.

It’s a worthy idea and not the first time timelines have explained differing changes to canon (just look at the current Kelvin Timeline).

27 It Was A Fake Khan In Star Trek: Into Darkness

Star Trek: Into Darkness is a sore spot for many a Trek fan. It basically made a mockery of Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan— the most championed Trek feature film to date.

Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role of Khan, and while his performance was good, the fast and loose re-imagining of Khan just left a bitter taste.

Fans have remedied this by implying that the character was never Khan at all, but a lower-rank soldier who lied about his identity to keep the ‘real’ leader safe in stasis.

26 Picard Was Switched Mid-Season 2 Of TNG

TNG is now considered a classic series, but for its first two seasons, it was a rough road. This theory weirdly coincides with the change in quality with season 2’s Time Squared episode.

In it, the Enterprise becomes stuck in a time-loop by a sinister wormhole entity, a future version of Picard comes in to save the day but fans have speculated what if that wasn’t the case and it the fabricated doppelganger emerged instead?

There’s certainly no solid evidence to back it up asides from Picard becoming a much more likeable and intriguing character in the show afterwards.

25 The Next-Gen Theme Song Is The Federation National Anthem

Jerry Goldsmith's epic Star Trek theme created for the movies was used as a series iconic mainstay theme when the show was continued with TNG . There’s no doubting that it’s a fantastic piece of musical work, but several fans have cooked up that it’s also an intricate part of the Trek universe as well.

It’s been speculated that the theme itself is the National Anthem for the Federation itself. Now, there’s been little to back this up asides from some rose-tinted musings—still, with Goldsmith’s landmark composition there’s very little reason for the Federation not to officially adopt it.

24 The Borg Are Really Farming Federation Technology

Ah, the Borg, the classic villains from TNG ; they were steadfastly determined to end anything that was unlucky enough to cross their paths—and held an undefeated record until tangling with the USS Enterprise.

But how come? The answer (via fan theory) is that the Borg were losing on purpose. 

In fact, the Borg let Enterprise defeat them so they could farm their fancy technology and advance their civilisation.

It certainly holds up in two aspects; it explains why the Borg were also more advanced and stronger on their next appearances—but more importantly, it solves a massive logic point in the Trek legacy.

23 The French Language Was Abolished On Earth

This stems from the fact that Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the TNG series is referred to as French man, but is played with an English accent by UK actor Patrick Stewart. Was this a case of American ignorance towards European accents or an actual plot point?

Fans speculated that the French language was eventually phased out during Earth’s timespan and thus replaced with the English language. Turns out it was validated even; in the episode Code Of Honour, a reference by Data and Picard is made that the French language is ‘obscure’ but ‘had’ represented Earth’s civilisation for centuries.

22 The Eugenics Wars Wasted India And China

Trek , from the jump, had always set the standard for diversity in its cast list, breaking ground for its zero discrimination policy when it came to having the Captain’s deck feature a multitude of all races.

But, most eagle-eyed fans have noticed actor’s either Indian or Chinese have been few and far between—is there a blatant reason for this?

Theorists have concluded that India and China were wiped by a Nuke during the Eugenics Wars (basically, WW3). It would soundly make sense and gives Khan another juicy piece of trivia.

21 Garak Is A Double Agent

The Cardassian character Garek from Deep Space Nine made for an interesting arc throughout the show; he appeared as a simple blue-collar worker, working as a respected tailor in the titular space station.

Later on the show, it’s revealed he used to be a spy for his native empire—but if that were the case, how did the federation not know?

And if they did, why would they give him a pass to live on DS9?

Fans have filled this plot-hole with an intriguing thought; he was really a double agent for the Federation all along. Nuff said.

20 Trip Tucker Never Perished

So, we’re mentioning Enterprise infamous finale again, yet this time it’s for a much more blatant reason: the passing of Trip Tucker.

The fan favourite had many fans up in arms when he bravely perished on the show, yet it is never confirmed if his passing was real or if it was just part of the holodeck scenario that went down over the course of an entire season.

Actor Connor Trinneer revealed the show continued he would’ve survived and the beta-canon novel Last Full Measures further confirmed this, as it was revealed that Trip survived and became a Section 31 agent.

19 The Federation Are Actually Not Very Nice

So this one is a bit of a stretch, since the deception of the Federation was a refreshing notion that our future would vastly improve for the better, with a benevolent, intellectual and thoughtful organization keeping our skies safe.

Some theorists argue that it is all a matter of perspective though, with the truth much more sinister.

The idea is that the Federation is actually an iron-fisted fascist regime that strong-arms planets into paying taxes for protection and even uses time-travelling technology to wipe their slates clean, MIB style. It’s all a bit of a stretch even though it’s quite an intriguing notion.

18 Trelane Is Actually A Q

In the original series, the crew tangled with the cheeky figure of Trelane in the episode The Squire of Gothos .

Through the story, he was omnipotent and even put the crew on trial in the third act. These were all distinct traits that were later taken on by the reoccurring character Q from The Next Generation series run.

It’s never confirmed that Trelane is part of the same god-like race that the later character is from, but fans have quite smartly joined the dots in a theory that holds together quite well.

17 Nick Locarno And Tom Paris Are The Same Person

On a TNG episode, we were introduced to the character Nick Locarno—played by actor Robert Duncan McNeil—who managed to get himself expelled from Starfleet Academy.

Years later, a navigation officer named Tom Paris appears in Voyager, also played by McNeil.

Was it a case of a hard-working TV actor landing too many jobs? Or was it a legitimate nod to the disgraced character changing his name so he could go on to succeed as a working Federation officer? Some small trivia nuggets lean that it’s the latter.

16 Lore Secretly Replaced Data

This one makes for an interesting side arc through-out the tail end of TNG and the following movies; in season seven, Data faces off with his evil twin brother Lore and finally defeats him—wrapping up the long reoccurring arc between them.

Fans have heavily speculated though that it was secretly the other way around; Lore defeated Data and then assumed his identity, therefore explaining the spontaneous shift in his arc throughout the following films.

It’s hardly confirmed but it does hold up if you want it to.

15 Adapting To Humanity Made The Borg Weak

Another theory that helps explain the unbeatable Borg’s downfall. The cyborgs don’t just mow down anything in their sights, they absorb and farm their victims, making their number grow and trudge on.

But if they absorb their victims there must be repercussions to that as well?

So is the theory that says that once the Borg came into contact with humans, it essentially lead to their downfall. Humans natural need to have individual interests and identities wore down the infallible hive mentality that had worked for the Borg for centuries.

14 The ‘Humanoid Figure’ Is Jonathan Archer

Most Trek fans would rather act like the prequel series never happened and it’s still the only Trek show that was cancelled without a chance of wrapping up its ongoing arcs. One of those arcs was the mysterious villain credited as ‘Humanoid Figure.’

His true identity will remain hidden since the show never got a chance to reveal it.

Fans have speculated a twist that it really was the hero protagonist Jonathan Archer all along—now that would’ve been a better OMG moment then the finale twist we ended up getting.

13 Sherlock Holmes And Spock Are Related?

Leonard Nimoy and Benedict Cumberbatch sort of share facial similarities, but what if they were connected on a more substantial level?

Spock in the original show had a penchant for quoting his great, great ancestor on occasion, with one definite quote taken right out of a Sherlock Holmes novel from the great detective's mouth himself—so what gives?

People have concluded that Spock and Holmes are related. Considering Spock is half-human it’s not such a far-reaching concept, yet should it be canon or just a cute little reference that the writing staff cooked up? That's up to you.

12 Blame Everything On Time-Travel

Here’s a wide-reaching one that not only attempts to explain one significant moment in Trek history—but absolutely all of them.

So bare with me...

Any plot-hole, continuity error, inconsistency, throughout the franchise's existence can be explained as the repercussions of time-travel side-effects.

Basically, unknown character travelled through time for unknown reasons and introduced a minor change that had butterfly effects on the greater storyline. Nonetheless, it’s a rich concept but one that really only works for fans wanting to give some of the crazy story road-bumps a pass.

11 All Of Trek Is A Holodeck Simulation

The holodeck is a centrepiece around all of the Trek shows across the years, with the concept being a fan favourite—but what if all the episodes (since its inception) were a virtual game played out within the confines of the holodeck? Surprisingly, it's been argued by several fans as accurate.

In the Voyager episode Protections, this notion was explored as well as in a TNG scenario where the crew face off against the Sherlock Holmes villain Dr Moriarty. Also, let’s not forget that infamous Enterprise twist ending—or actually better yet, let’s forget it.

Cause And Effect: Why The Infamous Star Trek TNG Episode Drove Fans To Complain

Riker talking

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" is packed to the brim with memorable episodes, but few can rival the cult status of Season 5, Episode 18: the infamous "Cause and Effect." This installment has it all, from an experimental time travel premise to a surprise cameo appearance from "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer , and it's widely considered to be one of the best outings of the entire series. However, not everyone was a fan of "Cause and Effect" when it first aired. In fact, the episode's premiere actually caused some viewers to call in and complain for an amusing reason.

As noted in various official sources like the documentary "Requiem — A Remembrance of Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Cause and Effect" originally confused many viewers with its structure. In order to show that the crew is stuck in a time loop, the episode often repeats scenes and dialogue, making for a pretty disorienting experience before the viewer knows what's going on. As a result, some fans thought that these repeated elements were the result of a technical error or glitch, and called into their local broadcast companies to complain about the perceived issue.

Cause and Effect's structure baffled the TNG team

The time loop structure of "Cause and Effect" may have caused many "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fans quite a bit of confusion on their first viewing, but they aren't the only ones who were initially baffled by the episode. As it turns out, Jonathan Frakes' ambitious directorial outing was boggling the minds of his "Star Trek: The Next Generation" castmates and the show's crew before it even premiered.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , "Star Trek: The Next Generation" writer Brannon Braga recalled that reading the episode's script was just as strange for some as watching the episode itself. "The early reactions to the script were similar to the reactions that the audience had when watching the episode, which was confusion," he said. "Because you're reading that script and you're like, 'Wait a second. There's got to be a mistake here. The acts just keep repeating. Is this a joke?'"

With the repetitive elements of the episode proving confusing, the crew sought ways to subtly clue viewers in on the time loop, such as placed an emphasis on shooting the same scene in a variety of angles. "We had a plan that we needed to shoot each scene more than one way ... we would shoot the master from either side of the room," Frakes recalled. "But I really enjoyed the challenge. Once I realized that [Brannon] wasn't f***ng with me, it was fun."

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Star Trek and Society’s Ridicule of its Early Fans

Star trek fans in mainstream culture.

Star Trek

Every year the entertainment world shifts its attention to sunny California for San Diego Comic-Con International. All sorts of people attend the event, from professional cosplayers to young children on a family vacation. On top of that, several high profile celebrities lead fans to wait hours on end in lines for Hall H that make the waits for Disney World attractions laughable. Top tier companies like Marvel and DC descend upon the San Diego Convention Center to take advantage of the abundance of consumers on site. Various media outlets cover the event, such as The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly , not to mention the countless vlogs and reactions from prominent YouTube channels. The event has become so popular that the 130,000 tickets for the 2014 convention were sold out within minutes of becoming available (Lieu).

While fan conventions like San Diego Comic-Con International carry a festival-like atmosphere celebrating fandoms across all genres, society was not always so accepting of this kind of fan culture. One only needs to look at what the fans of Star Trek have endured over the years to understand that fans used to be dismissed as “others.” This concept is hard to believe in the year 2016 as Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary. However, Star Trek fans faced constant ridicule when the series was first released to the point where they felt unwelcome in mainstream culture. Anti-fans spread the message that being classified as a Star Trek fan was undesirable, so people should avoid expressing any knowledge or appreciation of the show so as not to be labeled as outcasts. Though materials ridiculing Star Trek fans can be uncovered in a variety of media, this article will focus specifically on portrayals of Star Trek fans in television.

Star Trek Fans Versus Literary Science Fiction Fans

Before the birth of television, science fiction found its home in magazines and books. This landscape began to change in the 1960s, especially with the first screening of Star Trek for fans at Worldcon in 1966. Once Star Trek landed on television, it “struggled for ratings the entire time it was on the air, and perhaps this pushed its fans to become more vocal and participatory” (Copa). As a result, other science fiction fans took notice, and “many traditional fans, whose culture continued to be centered around professional science fiction magazines, dismissed Star Trek as science fiction for nonreaders” (Copa).

Traditional literary science fiction fans wanted to separate themselves from Star Trek fans so much that they unofficially banned them from science fiction conventions. In response, “ Star Trek fans, feeling unwelcome at science fiction conventions, would start holding their own conventions. The first of these was held in New York in 1972″ (Copa). This antagonism of Star Trek fans by literary science fiction traditionalists did not stop after this branching off, however. For example, literary science fiction fans created the “G.A.L.” (“Get a Life”) club for Star Trek fans and circulated fliers to join the club at science fiction conventions (Jenkins).

One might ask what the motives of these literary science fiction traditionalists were in ridiculing Star Trek fans. There were many reasons literary science fiction fans felt the need to distance themselves from Star Trek fans. People think fans “overvalue or overestimate the importance of their object of fandom” (Stanfill). People also envision fans as “extreme in their obsession with acquiring as much information about the object of fandom as possible. This intemperance and its associated lack of control sometimes takes a more sinister form, constructing fans as confused about the distinctions between fantasy and reality, which leads to connotations of insanity and lack of behavioral and affective boundaries” (Stanfill). Furthermore, “stereotypes about fans condemn who they are as people instead of what they do” (Stanfill). Because fans lack real relationships, they must create imaginary ones with the characters from their show. This paints a picture of immaturity and builds on the confusion between fantasy and reality. Finally, “fandom is often devalued as feminized — comprised of either insufficiently masculine men or hysterical women” (Stanfill).

Literary science fiction traditionalists wanted to avoid being characterized with these traits, so they took measures to ridicule and therefore distinguish themselves from people like Star Trek fans. In terms of visual signifiers, Star Trek fans are commonly identified as overweight and wearing large glasses and Vulcan ears, not to mention the colored shirts as seen on the show (Jenkins). One journalist even went as far as to describe Star Trek fans as “smelling of assembly-line junk food, hugely consumed; the look is of people who consume it, habitually and at length; overfed and undernourished, eruptive of skin and flaccid of form, from the merely soft to the grotesquely obese” (Hale). Anti-fans also regularly resort to name-calling, degrading Star Trek fans using words such as “gay” or “nerds.” All of these techniques serve to ridicule Star Trek fans and make them seem unappealing to other science fiction fans.

Television’s “Othering” of Star Trek Fans

One of the most popular examples of ridiculing Star Trek fans on television comes from William Shatner’s 1986 Saturday Night Live “Get a Life!” sketch . All of the common visual tropes of Star Trek fans are on full display, from the Vulcan ears to the glasses and colored shirts. The sketch propagates some of the familiar messages about Star Trek fans. They are portrayed as “brainless consumers who will buy anything associated with the program or its cast,” they “devote their lives to the cultivation of worthless knowledge,” they “place inappropriate importance on devalued cultural material,” they “are social misfits who have become so obsessed with the show that it forecloses other types of social experience,” they “are feminized and/or desexualized through their intimate engagement with mass culture,” they “are infantile, emotionally and intellectually immature,” and they “are unable to separate fiction from reality” (Jenkins). In the end, William Shatner, the actor who played Captain Kirk, becomes so exasperated from having to answer questions like confirming the combination used for a safe in a particular episode that he demands that the Star Trek fans at the convention “get a life!”

A similar portrayal of Star Trek fans can be seen in season seven episode eleven of Family Guy , “Not All Dogs Go to Heaven.” Two Star Trek fans bicker at a Star Trek convention over the specifics of plot points. Once again, the two fans appear to be middle-aged men, overweight, and wear glasses and the colored Star Trek shirts. They are even called “nerds” by two of the actors from Star Trek , who then proceed to beat up the two fans.

South Park - Star Trek Kids (Big Dong and Prosper)

In “Black Friday,” the seventh episode of the seventeenth season of South Park , Star Trek is parodied. The Star Trek fans are identifiable by their clothing and Vulcan ears, and they are characterized as “dorks.” Their sexuality even gets called into question as one of the characters says “they’re so gay.”

This stereotype dealing with the sexuality of Star Trek fans also appears in a clip from The Cleveland Show . In the clip, one of the characters complains that the decision he is facing is “harder than identifying a rapist at a Star Trek convention.” The scene then cuts away to two police officers interviewing a female rape victim. One of the officers asks the woman if she can describe the assailant. The woman says, “He was a white male, thirty-five to forty-five years old, glasses, bad skin, about fifty pounds overweight, smelled like Cheetos, and was carrying a poster with a Sharpie pen.” The shot expands to show a mass of Star Trek fans. The other officer declares that he knows what to do, and proceeds to ask who in the group is not a virgin. Only one hand is raised, and that person is placed under arrest.

The Cleveland Show - Star Trek Convention

Returning to the G.A.L. flyer referenced earlier, one can see a few of the Star Trek fan stereotypes that have been discussed. The flyer boasts “monthly laundry excursions,” learning how to speak Klingon, and memorizing every detail of the Starship Enterprise. This reinforces the perception of Star Trek fans compiling useless information and appearing unkempt.

This Get A Life Squad flyer promises "monthly laundry excursions," among other activities for Star Trek fans.

Mainstream culture’s acceptance of the Star Trek fandom has come a long way since Star Trek: The Original Series aired in 1966. One can argue that Star Trek really became a mainstream hit with the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation in September 1987. The two-hour pilot for The Next Generation , “Encounter at Farpoint,” attracted the attention of 27 million viewers (Vary). By early October 1987, more than 50 of the Big Three network affiliates preempted their own shows to broadcast “Encounter at Farpoint” (Harmetz). Viewers were not the only ones excited to board the Enterprise for a new adventure every episode. The Next Generation earned high critical praise as well. The show won 18 Emmy Awards, five Saturn Awards, two Hugo Awards, and the Peabody Award for excellence in television programming. In addition, it spawned three spin-off shows ( Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Enterprise ) thanks to its popularity and viewership.

In more recent years, J.J. Abrams has successfully rebooted the franchise, directing 2009’s Star Trek and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness and producing the latest release, Star Trek Beyond . Amid critical praise for Beyond , Abrams announced plans for a fourth film (Chitwood). If these new films are not enough for the Star Trek fandom, back in November 2015 CBS announced that Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman were creating a new Star Trek television series called Star Trek: Discovery , set to premiere in January 2017.

First Look - Test Flight of Star Trek&#039;s U.S.S. Discovery

Rather than being ridiculed, the Star Trek fandom is now celebrated in mainstream popular culture. Star Trek fans no longer have to isolate themselves at their own conventions. Instead, they can take center stage at the world’s biggest convention in San Diego. With a new film and television series on the horizon, Star Trek fans can confidently go boldly into the future. In short, it is a great time to be a Star Trek fan.

Works Cited

[1] Lieu, Lynn. “Comic-Con 2014: A feast for art and film fans.” The Desert Sun 21 July 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

[2] Copa, Francesca. “A Brief History of Media Fandom.” Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet . Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2006. Print.

[3] Jenkins, Henry. “‘Get a Life!’: Fans, Poachers, Nomads.” Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture . New York: Routledge, 1992. Print.

[4] Stanfill, Mel. “‘They’re Losers, but I Know Better’: Intra-Fandom Stereotyping and the Normalization of the Fan Subject.” Critical Studies in Media Communication 30.2 (2013). Print.

[5] Hale, Barrie. “Believing in Captain Kirk.” The Calgary Herald 26 April 1975: p. 10. Print.

[6] Vary, Adam B. “‘Star Trek: TNG’: An oral history.” Entertainment Weekly 24 September 2007. http://www.ew.com/article/2007/09/25/star-trek-tng-oral-history.

[7] Harmetz, Aljean. “Syndicated ‘Star Trek’ Puts Dent in Networks.” The New York Times 4 October 1987. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/04/arts/syndicated-star-trek-puts-dent-in-networks.html.

[8] Chitwood, Adam. “Is Chris Hemsworth Returning for ‘Star Trek 4’? J.J. Abrams Teases Next Sequel.” Collider.com 15 July 2016. http://collider.com/star-trek-4-chris-hemsworth-jj-abrams/.

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58 Comments

Tigey

I’m not a Star Trek fan – not that there’s anything wrong with that – so I was unaware of the stereotype. Thank you for this enlightening article.

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Thanks you! I’m glad I could shed some light on the history and portrayal of the fandom.

Here’s some good news for you: I mentioned your article today to a group of teenagers and they said, “No, you must be thinking of Star Wars fans.” So, not such good news for Star Wars fans if that attitude is widespread.

As a fellow Trekkie, I have to say “Bravo.” Thanks for revealing the “struggle” to those that may not be aware.

My pleasure! I really enjoyed writing this. Glad you liked it!

Munjeera

The backlash after Shatner’s SNL appearance was unbelievable! In the end we had the last laugh. Trek is mainstream now : )

You’ve got that right! Thank you for the comment.

I loved the twilight zone and The Outer limits, and every black & white late night horror movie that I could sneak out of bed to watch, but there always seemed to be something missing, these things were just “Not quite right” & then came “Lost in Space” this new genre was Science Fiction & I was Hooked,then when I was in primary school, I was about 10 There was a “New” show coming to TV in Australia, I did not care that it was a Re-Run, I had never seen the first run, Star Trek emblazoned our TV screen at 6;30 on Sunday Nights, it had edged out Disney World, & I was enthralled, the Original Series was shown over & over again going to later & later time slots until it disappeared.

Great stuff. I love The Twilight Zone too. Thanks for sharing!

I discovered “Star Trek” shortly after my family moved to Canada from Taiwan. Watching helped my English improve. The show was truly radical for its time. It was the first show to present a strong, and intelligent black female as a main character. It was also the first show to present a positive Asian lead character.

I first saw star trek in black and white when color came then things changed then came the next generation it got better from there both Gene and Leonard will be missed

That’s awesome that you used Star Trek to help you with your English. You’re right. Star Trek was indeed radical for its time. Thanks for sharing!

I still prefer Babylon 5.

It was Star Trek that was a key development moment for me. I decided to “out” myself as a Trekkie and SF fan with the view that people could like it or lump it. I know people have a lot tougher things to come out about, but this was a pivitol moment for me.

I was in my 30s before I was comfortable telling people I was a Trekkie. I think a lot of us were teased for years by the few that did know.

Spock Lives!

I am a PhD student in Folklore at a University. Last semester I had the opportunity to teach an undergraduate class on “FL and Star Trek” and bring a group of 13 students to a sci-fi convention. I found Star Trek to be an excellent way to teach basic methodological and theoretical principles in culture and ethnography.

That sounds like such an interesting class. Cons are a great place for learning about culture in a fun, lively environment.

Great piece on the Star Trek cultural phenomenon.

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

I look forward to attending my first convention this year.

They are loads of fun. Hope you enjoy it!

Science fiction fandom is a hugely varied phenomenon, from MIT Star Trek fans to the Gaylaxian pressure group, from academics to pupeteers and collectors.

Indeed, it is! Thanks for the comment!

In the 70s my dad made me watch star trek when his work patterns allowed us time together and in the 90’s/00s I sat and watched them with my son.

That’s so cool that it came full circle! I’m glad Star Trek gave you some great memories with your family.

My earliest tv memory (maybe 7 or 8) is rushing home to watch Star Trek on Thursday late afternoons. It must have been a re-run even then – and my first event tv.

I still have memories of rushing home from school to catch my television shows too. Thanks for the comment!

Star Trek was all about what i ever believed in from a moral point of view. A multicultural crew, including aliens like Spock, where religion long gone and liberal values and fairness reigned supreme. But the Nazi US supreme rich would have nothing to do with it; for them just war and more war, that’s where the mega big profits are to be made.

Thank you for an interesting and educational piece.

Thank you for your kind comment! I’m glad you found it informative.

Quite an interesting piece! Like any culture, the most extreme behaviors typically get the most attention.

You’ve got that right. Thanks for your comment!

The characterization of Science Fiction afficianados as Star Trek nerds is a pitiable travesty. Much of the most interesting,imaginative and, dare I say it, prescient fiction of the last 50 years has been Science Fiction.

“Afficianados”?

If only the America of today could follow the values of Star Trek, this very American legendary series…

I’m a fan from the 60’s and it has been my pasttime since then , but the people I knew are long gone . Having been in the online community , it has surprised me the number of young people involved , currently.

Star Trek was a secular guide to ethics and morality in an era when the western world was experimenting with outrageously libertine culture. It was more than a fictional universe. There are many people who I have met who learned their values from this TV series, in the absence of any other institutional (eg church) guidance.

I loved Star Trek 45 years ago as a kid, but it still seems progressively current as the show never shied away from confronting issues deemed less than humane. And, surprised that the comic book guy in the Simpsons was not mentioned as he has had many cameos that did not flatter Star Trek fans.

I am hoping future work on fandom continues to illuminate the true nature of this vast, global culture.

Agreed. I know certain colleges now have courses on fandom. It’s a fascinating subject that you can study and explore in a variety of disciplines.

I love the original Star Trek cast and only until recently refused to like the newer films. However I have to say I enjoyed the latest Star Trek Beyond. You could tell that the cast enjoyed the roles they were playing and it brought back the nostalgic qualities that I loved with the original show while bringing in all the action and excitement of modern filmmaking.

I was doubtful of Star Trek Beyond when I first saw the trailer, but it really surprised me. I felt like the cast really stepped up their game for this installment.

I’ve recently gotten into the original series (after simply being just a fan of the movies) and I think Star Trek is going to be my favourite for a long time, one that I’ll keep coming back to. I was unaware of how much ridicule fans of its early years went through, but then again elitism on fandoms always exist. At least the degrading connotation of being a nerd has decreased nowadays, and being a fan of fictional media is very much accepted.

Allie Anton

My family and I have been Star Trek nerds for years now, so encounter with the stereotypes of fans was inevitable (though I never encountered anything quite as hostile as you’ve chronicled here). Thanks for such a great analysis of nerd culture!

Thanks for your kind comment, Allie!

Great article. I first saw Star Trek in the late 60’s on AFN in Germany. I was a sophomore in high school and hooked. That show started my continuing love for fantasy and Sci-fi literature and movies. I’ve only recently ventured out to cons as an older adult. I love seeing the love for the original show. Just spent last weekend reveling in a BBC marathon of the show.i was in heaven. I guess we can all thumb our collective Trekkie noses at all the naysayers!

You’ve got that right. Thanks for the comment!

I grew up with the next generation, and while I was too young to participate as a Trekkie, I was well aware that only “geeks” liked those kinds of shows. It has been interesting to watch how popular culture has come to respect the geeks and the nerds. As computers have developed and technology has become the rule rather than the exception, it seems that all of the engineers and programmers are getting their much deserved moment in the sun.

I really like how this article tackles a real ideology for some people. I recently completed the finale series of Star Trek (Enterprise), and although this is more about the original (as any good article on the subject should be), I like the care that goes into the history of how this show that was cancelled and then 10 years latter resurrected in film became a cornerstone in science fiction, in the same way that Star Wars was for filming. Unlike Star Wars, people are more willing to accept fans of those than fans of Star Trek, which is why I felt this past 50th anniversary wasn’t as hyped up as Star Wars will be next year for it’s 50th anniversary (1977-2017).

Thanks for the comment! 2017 is going to be a big year for Star Wars. I can’t even imagine all of the celebrations and surprises Disney/Lucasfilm have in store. Can’t wait!

It is definitely an interesting contrast between the original fan base growth it has seen in recent years. The fact that this isolated culture has become so mainstream does make one wonder about what separated culture now will become the next popular culture.

Ben Hufbauer

An amusing and perceptive article. Thanks for your research and insights!

Thanks, Ben, glad you enjoyed it! It was a pleasure to write.

Star Trek fans are the most cited fans when scholars study fans in the early 20th century. They are so typical and so misunderstood. The image of fans changes a lot in the past 30 years.

L:Freire

An excellent perspective on a TV relic turned film franchise turned marketing behemoth. Especially when Mary Shelley’s contribution to the genre is nearing its anniversary in 2018 amid the latest 2015 rehash of the tale. Hope to see more renditions of the original Start Trek vision in years to follow.

Stephanie M.

It’s terribly sad how unfair society was to Star Trek fans. Actually, it downright makes me angry. My dad was (and still is) a Trekkie, but not your stereotypical version of one. Myself, I’m not a full-blown Trekkie but he and I do make Star Trek references or watch reruns now and then to bond. I have to wonder if that common interest would’ve been stronger if, back in Star Trek’s heyday, society had been kinder.

While we’re on the subject, you could say the same about other fandoms. For instance, I’m a Disney nerd and a blossoming Harry Potter fan (long story), but outside family and friends, not a lot of people know that. People who do know might think it’s weird for a 30-something woman to have these interests, or accuse me of being “obsessed.” But that’s the thing about fan culture–you don’t have to be obsessive about it. You don’t have to be a creepy fan, or childish, or a stereotypical nerd. It galls me that society at large is still having trouble accepting that, but only for certain interests. (I mean, have you *seen* diehard football fans lately)?

Joseph Cernik

A good essay. I remember when Star Trek was first on the air. I don’t think I had any idea back then that it would evolve and continue to be with us today.

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From Mythology to the MCU: Egyptian and Norse

'Star Trek: Discovery' Has Fans Riled Up For One Specific Reason

Fans are defending 'Star Trek: Discovery' and are upset for a specific reason.

When 'Star Trek: Discovery' first came out, viewers flooded in from all genres and eras and generations. Nothing can bring people together like a good inter-generational sci-fi drama, right? Even if some actors turned down roles in the franchise , plenty of pop culture heroes have emerged from it.

But, of course, 'Discovery' has divided viewers in one important way.

Why Are Fans Upset About 'Star Trek: Discovery'?

This season of 'Star Trek: Discovery' holds plenty of intrigue for fans. After the showrunner revealed some BTS secrets , there was even more to get excited about. But fans are also unhappy about one aspect of the show.

RELATED: How Much Did Chris Hemsworth Get Paid For 'Star Trek'?

Redditors agreed that there are a few genuine criticisms of 'Discovery,' in regard to the plot and pacing. The thing is, there's a significant complaint that some viewers have that true fans feel is not justified at all. And it has to do with the show's overall themes and, well, its legacy.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Critics Have Spoken

Some say 'Star Trek Discovery' is "too woke," pointed out one fan on Reddit . And that's the number one complaint that fans seem to hear when they talk about how great the reboot is.

Many people say that 'Discovery' is trying too hard to be progressive, explained one riled-up Redditor. The issue is that 'Star Trek' has  always been "woke" -- so this is nothing new, and it's definitely nothing to criticize 'Discovery' over.

Fans Disagree That 'Star Trek: Discovery' Is 'Too Woke'

The mega-fan of the franchise said it perfectly: "Did you sleep during all the episodes where Star Trek explored the very edges of religion, race, gender, sexuality, government, and capitalism as we understood them at the time?"

"Is the thesis of the entire franchise not 'Life and civilization exist in an infinite number of configurations and each of them are valid and worthy of understanding'?"

What Fans Think Of 'Star Trek: Discovery'

With all the emphasis on defending the series, this Redditor can also admit that there are plenty of reasons to criticize the show. For one thing, the writing is hailed as being... not so great.

But it's frustrating to hear people who loved the original series complain about today's 'modern' spin. Though to be fair, many commenters on Reddit point out that it's partly the poor writing/execution of the wokeness versus the wokeness itself.

After all, Trekkies everywhere can agree that the show's legacy is blatant open-minded, inclusiveness. It's a frustrating point to have to argue, say fans, and "the politics in 'Star Trek' have never been subtle."

Some viewers apparently just weren't paying attention -- or were distracted by the poorly-constructed plot points.

NEXT: 'Pulp Fiction In Space' - Are We Ever Going To See Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek Movie?

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William Shatner

William Shatner on His Biggest ‘Star Trek’ Regret – and Why He Cried With Bezos

From Captain Kirk to ‘Boston Legal’ lawyer Denny Crane, the 92-year-old THR Icon reflects on career reinvention and what could lure him back to the captain’s chair.

By Aaron Couch

Aaron Couch

Film Editor

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When writing about a legend who’s still working as a nonagenarian, it’s almost obligatory to include a line about how they are seemingly busier than ever. William Shatner , 92, may no longer be on set 12 hours a day for the roles that made him the first Comic-Con celebrity ( Star Trek ), or that transformed him into a late-career regular at the Emmys podium ( The Practice , Boston Legal ), but it’s difficult not to marvel at the pace at which he lives his life. 

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Now, Shatner is the subject of the crowdfunded documentary You Can Call Me Bill (in select theaters March 22, his 93rd birthday), a meditation on his life, career and mortality. 

The Montreal-born actor began performing at the age of 6 at camp and never stopped, transitioning from Canadian radio dramas to Broadway to 1950s TV Westerns. He’s been an omnipresent pop culture fixture since 1966, when he was cast as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek under unusual circumstances never seen again in Hollywood. NBC had a pilot that didn’t work, but the network wanted to try again with a mostly new cast. Where the original pilot was a somewhat dry affair, Shatner brought much-needed humor to the Enterprise. 

Though the show was canceled after just three seasons, it earned a cult following in syndication, and Shatner reprised the role for seven feature films. 

His comedic chops led him to the Saturday Night Live stage — 38 years later, people still ask him about a sketch in which he mocked Star Trek fans with the exasperated line “Get a life!” — as well as multiple Emmy wins playing lawyer Denny Crane on David E. Kelley’s ABC procedural The Practice and then Boston Legal , which concluded after four years in 2008. And he has penned books, released albums and directed documentaries.

During a Zoom conversation in early March, Shatner discussed why Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , his first and only theatrical feature as a director, was the biggest regret of his career; that history-making Star Trek kiss with Nichelle Nichols; and what could lure him back to the captain’s chair.

Some say acting is a way to find the love they aren’t getting elsewhere. Was that true for you?

I’m sure it’s true. I spent a very lonely life in my younger years. Being able to join a cast and be a part of a group of people, I’m sure that was an element in my starting to be an actor when I was very young.

Though you acted throughout childhood, you got a practical degree, a bachelor of commerce, from McGill University in Montreal. Was the plan to use that degree? 

But as an actor, you do have some control, right? You understudied for Christopher Plummer on Henry V in 1956, and he once said, “Where I stood up to make a speech, he sat down. He did the opposite of everything I did.”

I had no rehearsal. I didn’t know the people. And it was five days into the opening of the show [when Plummer got sick]. The choreography was one of the other things that I didn’t know. I was in a macabre state of mind. So that had nothing to do with “I stood where he sat.” [It was, rather], “I’ve got to move around the stage somewhere. I think I’ll sit down here, I’m exhausted!”

You worked with director Richard Donner on the classic Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which was in fact a nightmare for him, as it was technically complicated and the shooting days were halved. Did you sense the pressure he was under?

It’s complicated. When you get those science fiction choices: The guy is dressed in a furry little suit and you say, “Well, why isn’t the suit aerodynamic? Why is it a suit that’ll catch every breeze that blows?” What kind of logic do you use in any science fiction case? When I looked at the acrobat [Nick Cravat, who played a gremlin terrorizing Shatner’s character from the wing of a plane], I said to myself, “That isn’t something you’d wear on the wing of a 747,” but then again, what do you wear on the wing of a 747? So yeah, it was complicated in that way.

He was in the military, and he was a policeman. So there was this militaristic vision of “You don’t make out with a fellow soldier.” There are strict rules and you abide by the rules. Around that, [the writers] had to write the drama. But within that was the discipline of “This is the way a ship works.” Well, as Star Trek progressed, that ethos has been forgotten [in more recent shows]. I sometimes laugh and talk about the fact that I think Gene is twirling in his grave. “No, no, you can’t make out with the lady soldier!” 

The writers of Star Trek: The Next Generation butted heads with Gene when he was alive. 

The fights that went on, to my understanding, were big, because the writers had their difficulties. “We need some more material.” “We need to get out of here. It’s claustrophobic.” 

When you joke that Gene is twirling in his grave, you mean he wouldn’t approve of onscreen romances between crewmates on the later shows?

Yes, exactly. I haven’t watched the other Star Trek s very much, but what I’ve seen with glimpses of the Next Generation is yes, the difficulty in the beginning, between management, was all about Gene’s rules and obeying or not obeying those rules. 

You and Nichelle Nichols are credited with the first interracial kiss on TV. Is it true that you pushed to make every take real, despite the network asking for faked takes so they would have the option?

After three seasons, NBC cancels Star Trek in 1969, and you find yourself broke, doing summer stock theater on the East Coast. Did you think acting might be over at that point? 

I’m broke, living in a truck, sleeping in the back and trying to save that money so I could support my three kids and my [ex-]wife, who were living in Beverly Hills. The only thing that ever occurred to me was, “I can always go back to Toronto and make something of a living as an actor there.” I never thought, “Oh, I’ve got to become a salesman.” It never occurred to me from the age of 6 to do anything else. Which is weird because [today] I hear it all around me: “God, I can’t make a living anymore [as an actor].” And that’s true. People with names can’t make a living under the circumstances that the business has fallen into. 

In 1979, Paramount needed an answer to Star Wars , so it revived Trek in the form of movies. Then T.J. Hooker came along a few years later. What did you get out of the show?

It was a terrific show. It had all kinds of drama. I got to direct several of the episodes. And some of my shots are in the opening. I was totally involved, committed to the writing, committed to the directing. You’re running all the time. You’ve got to make decisions and you don’t have enough money.

I wish that I’d had the backing and the courage to do the things I felt I needed to do. My concept was, “ Star Trek goes in search of God,” and management said, “Well, who’s God? We’ll alienate the nonbeliever, so, no, we can’t do God.” And then somebody said, “What about an alien who thinks they’re God?” Then it was a series of my inabilities to deal with the management and the budget. I failed. In my mind, I failed horribly. When I’m asked, “What do you regret the most?,” I regret not being equipped emotionally to deal with a large motion picture. So in the absence of my power, the power vacuum filled with people that didn’t make the decisions I would’ve made.

You seem to take the blame, but outside observers might say, “Well, the budget wasn’t there. You didn’t get the backing you needed.” But in your mind, it’s on you.

Paramount+ is rumored to have tossed around ideas for you to reprise your role, à la Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard . Is that something you would entertain? 

Leonard [Nimoy] made his own decision on doing a cameo [in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek ]. He’s there for a moment, and it’s more a stunt that Spock appears in a future. If they wrote something that wasn’t a stunt that involved Kirk, who’s 50 years older now, and it was something that was genuinely added to the lore of Star Trek , I would definitely consider it.

Did hosting SNL feel like a breakthrough, in terms of showing what you could do with comedy? 

That was a new show then, it was a big sensation, and hosting it was good. They really wrote comedy for me. I played comedy since I was 7. There is a timing. There is a way of characterizing a line. It’s a kind of spiritual thing playing comedy, letting the audience know they’re open to laugh.

After decades in the industry, you achieved your greatest critical success in your 70s playing Denny Crane on Boston Legal . What was the genesis of Denny? 

In 2021, at age 90, you became the oldest person to go to space. Upon landing, you had a tearful exchange with Jeff Bezos. How have you processed that? 

I was weeping uncontrollably for reasons I didn’t know. It was my fear of what’s happening to Earth. I could see how small it was. It’s a rock with paper-thin air. You’ve got rock and 2 miles of air, and that’s all that we have, and we’re fucking it up. And, that dramatically, I saw it in that moment.

What are your thoughts on legacy? 

At Mar-a-Lago, I was asked to help raise funds with the Red Cross. I had to be at Mar-a-Lago Saturday night, and Leonard’s funeral was Sunday morning. I couldn’t make both. I chose the charity. It just occurred to me: Leonard died. They got a statue up. It’s not going to last. Say it lasts 50 years, 100. [Someone will say], “Who is that Leonard Nimoy? Tear the statue down, put somebody else up.” But what you can’t erase is helping somebody or something. That has its own energy and reverberation. That person got help — and then is able to help somebody else. You’ve continued an action that has no boundaries. That’s what a good deed does

This story first appeared in the March 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe .

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Why Star Trek: The Next Generation's Riker Sits Down So Specifically, According To Jonathan Frakes

Ryker Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the most beloved shows of the Star Trek franchise, thanks in no small part to the fantastic ensemble cast it featured over the years. These people poured so much into their characters, and as the epsiodes went on, added little quirks that made these characters on screen seem like actual people you'd see on the street.

With that being said, Riker's quirk of how he sat in chairs may have made some fans think he's secretly an android. For those that don't remember, check out this compilation of Riker's technique for sitting in a chair.

No matter the chair, or section of the ship, Riker would often swing a leg over the top and then sit down. It's an action similar to what one would do when riding a horse, but far from the way the average person plops down in a chair.

So then, why did Riker do it? Jonathan Frakes discussed the sitting tactic during a Q&A of Star Trek: First Contact with IGN , and also explained how it pertained to his character.

That started in "Ten Forward" because the backs of the chairs were so low, it was easy. And then I thought, ‘This is really a hotdog, asshole thing to do. Nobody’s going to let me do this.’ And then nobody stopped me! It’s such a cocky, unattractive, kind of bad cowboy move.

Jonathan Frakes did it once, and when no one yelled "cut" or told him he was being an idiot, proceeded to make that a part of Riker's personality on Star Trek: The Next Generation . It was a stunt that may have been harder for other actors to pull off consistently, but Frakes didn't seem to struggle too much with his 6'3 frame.

Riker's weird chair sitting deal isn't a thing most casual Star Trek: The Next Generation fans will immediately notice, mostly because there's a whole lot going on, like great stories, aliens, and Patrick Stewart acting his ass off . Those who browse the internet looking for stuff on the show will find out soon enough, though, thanks to the YouTube video above, which Jonathan Frakes gave a shout out to during the Q&A.

Whoever did the YouTube compilation of Riker sits down, it went viral and was even more embarrassing, and made me strangely even more proud.

Jonathan Frakes has been in the Star Trek news cycle a lot as of late , thanks in large part to his two-episode cameo in Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard . Frakes is also slated to direct upcoming episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, though it is unknown if he tries to sit in director's chairs the same way he sits on the Enterprise .

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Screen Rant

10 most bizarre star trek episodes of all time, ranked.

Star Trek goes to some weird and wonderful places, but these ten episodes skipped the 'wonderful' part.

Part of the magic of science fiction is making the wildest dreams of the creators come true, and Star Trek is a fabulous example of it. People meet aliens from far off world, explore the expanses of the universe, really challenge the fabric of reality. Where else can an android learn to love, or a bold Commander turn into a prophet?

RELATED: Star Trek: 15 Worst Things Captain Sisko Has Done

Not all of these crazy ideas land very well, though. They cross the line from being fantastical to being absolutely bizarre, so much so that they can visually haunt a fan or make them want to forget the episode ever happened.

TNG - Phantasms

Throughout TNG , there's a theme of Data trying to find ways to be a little more human. One of his more problematic ideas was giving himself dreams. While they were fine for a while, there was one day where Data got his first nightmare. Slowly, they started to get out of control and make Data act more and more irregularly, putting the crew in danger.

While the concept isn't crazy, the episode does include Troi's head on a cake, Dr. Crusher sipping Riker's brain through a straw, and tiny mouths everywhere.

It's a visual buffet of bizarre.

DS9 - Let He Who Is Without Sin

The bizarre doesn't just include weird imagery. One of the weirdest and worst DS9 episodes was actually about fan-favorite couple, Jadzia and Worf. The two struggle with Worf's jealousy issues and inability to relax. It puts a real strain on their relationship.

Instead of normally coping with it, though, Worf joins a very violent cult of men who hate the free-ness of Risa.

RELATED: Star Trek: Top 10 Worf Relationships, Ranked

Yeah, Worf basically became an incel.

Sure, he helped Jadzia in the end, but boy was it weird and no one talked about it ever again.

VOY - Spirit Folk

Voyager had a fair amount of weird holodeck episodes, since they were trapped in the Delta Quadrant with a lot of free time to create creative insanity. One of the most bizarre experiences happened in Fair Haven, though, Tom Paris' 24/7 Irish village simulator.

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Best Holodeck Characters

Somehow, the people of the town started to become aware of the inconsistencies of the Voyager crew, from their uniforms to the doors always opening and them disappearing. The village decided that meant they were witches basically and they tried to burn people at the stake. Even better, The Doctor tries to convince them to stop as a priest and it does not work out.

It's just a wild ride that comes out of left field and never feels quite sane.

ENT - Unexpected

As chronologically the first Star Trek , Enterprise had a lot of "firsts" to go through. In its first season it decided to go all out. Not only did Trip Tucker have a little flirtation with an alien woman, but they had her species version of sex without him knowing and she got him pregnant.

So yeah, the episode is bizarre on many levels, from the sexual coercion to the causal way his fling takes the little fetus off his hand and disappears into the galaxy.

And no one ever saw that half-Tucker ever again.

TNG - Genesis

Whether it's the science or the episode itself, Genesis is a weird one. After all, the premise of this TNG mini-horror is that something infected the ship and "devolved" the crew. In that case, one would think there were be a lot more monkeys running around. Instead, only Riker is a caveman, while Worf is a Cthulu venom beast and Troi a  frog lady. And it's not just because they're aliens. The very human Barclay somehow turns into a spider?

The idea behind the episode is bizarre and makes little sense, but the looks are even wilder. Sure, the effects seem cool, but it's really bizarre to see a soaked amphibious Troi with gills pop out of a bath tub.

TOS - Spock's Brain

Infamously one of the worst TOS episodes, Spock's Brain takes the fan-favorite character completely out of commission by having someone literally kidnap his brain so that the crew have to remote control him like a toy robot.

The logic and science behind that alone is bizarre at best, but the fact that there's also child-like full-grown women in caves and computers running a mentally deficient community, it's all a mess.

RELATED: Star Trek: 15 Things About Spock That Make No Sense

Let's just say when someone said, "what if someone heisted Spock's brain?" the answer should have been "absolutely not." Because some things can be too weird for even Trek .

ENT - Rogue Planet

So Captain Archer fell in love with a slug.

That sentence alone wins 'Rogue Planet' a spot on this list, but actually experiencing it is only weirder. Apparently, a sentient, psychic slug makes itself look like a beautiful young lady to make Archer fall in love with it to convince him to save its planet. Seduction was number one on this slug's "ways to get help and save my people". That isn't weird at all.

Because Star Trek captains have never saved anything just because someone asked them to. Definitely not.

VOY - Threshold

At first, this episode seems pretty tame. Infected with something, Tom Paris' physiology starts rapidly mutating to become something completely alien. So much so that near the end of his transformation, the Tom Paris fans knew is not there anymore and instead it's just a foreign being running on impulses and instinct.

And that part is where it gets weird. In a few scenes, it goes from tragic medical problem to Tom kidnapping, infecting, and impregnating Captain Janeway real quick. They even have a little brood of Salamander babies before the crew finds them.

As on par with the rest of this bizarre episode, they just leave the salamander babies on the planet and no one ever speaks of it again.

TOS - The Way To Eden

Ah yes, the space hippies.

This episode is weird, awkward, and has absolutely the worst costumes. It's hard to pinpoint what's the most bizarre thing about this when it feels like such a fever dream. Then it ends with an odd, cheesy statement about not being able to find Eden because one has to make their own.

Makes Star Trek sound like a weird self-help seminar. No wonder this episode is called one of the weirdest and worst from all of TOS .

TNG - Conspiracy

Aliens taking over humans is not at all a new science fiction concept. Of course TNG would have its own hand at it. They all end up being sort of bizarre. There were slimy body worms, weird neck nipples, and an entire Starfleet-wide conspiracy.

However, the truly bizarre part is the post-episode implications. After all, they discovered several members of leadership were casually slug-infected and executed them with phaser pistols. Then, nothing. No one talked about that ever again, the fact so many people lost their lives. Nor the fact they'd been running Starfleet for months.

What a Twilight Zone of an episode.

NEXT: The 10 Best Episodes In Star Trek TV History, Ranked

This Weird Star Trek: The Original Series Episode is Actually its Most Underrated

Star Trek: The Original Series could get very strange, especially in Season 3. But one weird episode turns that into an essential story about Spock.

  • Star Trek: The Original Series is known for its weird and over-the-top episodes, with concepts that pushed the boundaries of sci-fi television.
  • "All Our Yesterdays" stands out as a highly underrated episode with a strong story and character development, despite its odd trappings.
  • The episode showcases fan power with a heartfelt storyline, an innovative script from a fan-turned-writer, and new depths to Spock's character.

Even as a product of its time, Star Trek: The Original Series can be a very weird show. The show's creative forces were focused solely on delivering an hour of entertaining television each week, and without an established canon, things could get pretty over-the-top. Each episode was self-contained and focused on an entirely new planet or situation, which meant that zany concepts could actually reach the screen without any long-term ramifications. If it didn't work, the show simply zipped on to the next planet.

Over time, many of them have become beloved parts of Star Trek's legacy, and some of them are far better than their odd visuals or storylines suggest. Some of them even rank among the series' high points, including one that arrived just when The Original Series was wrapping up. Season 3, Episode 23, "All Our Yesterdays" evinces many of the qualities that mark Star Trek at its weirdest . Yet, not only does it work surprisingly well, it remains one of the most underrated episodes in the entire franchise. That includes a number of off-screen factors that demonstrate why Star Trek was such a special show, even as it appeared to be closing out its run.

"All Our Yesterdays" Arrives at the End of The Original Series

Star trek: what's the story behind every enterprise design.

The Original Series held no special status among network executives when it first aired, and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry famously had to fight just to get it greenlit. Ratings steadily declined between the first and the second season, which NBC exacerbated by moving the show from a solid Tuesday-night time slot to Friday nights. This was largely considered the kiss of death at the time, since people tended to go out rather than stay home and watch TV. It was expensive to produce as well, and the network looked to cancel the show at the end of Season 2. Star Trek fans responded with a massive letter-writing campaign that convinced NBC to green-light a third and final season.

Among fans, Season 3 is largely considered a step-down in quality compared to the first two seasons. Season 3 infamously featured bad episodes like "Spock's Brain" and "Plato's Stepchildren," as well as badly dated products of the 1960s such as "The Way to Eden." Despite that, it still found its share of memorable episodes, such as "The Tholian Web" and "The Enterprise Incident." Most of them feature a go-for-broke quality that resulted in some of the franchise's most memorably out-there moments. One example includes "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," which featured two characters with faces literally split between black and white. Another example is "The Savage Curtain," which opens with Abraham Lincoln floating in space in front of the Enterprise.

"All Our Yesterdays" is another example of weird content that includes Kirk fighting a 17th-century fop with a rapier and Spock falling in love with a "cavewoman" in furry boots. It was also the second-to-last episode to air, behind the justly maligned "Turnabout Intruder" which appeared to close the series out for good. It's also one of the series' strongest episodes in terms of character development, particularly when it comes to Spock's endless bickering with Dr. McCoy . Rather than coming out of nowhere as the likes of "The Way to Eden" did, it presents a compelling sci-fi concept to keep it all centered.

"All Our Yesterdays" Delivers a Strong Story with Weird Trappings

'we broke barriers': star trek: discovery star celebrates show's diversity.

"All Our Yesterdays" focuses on a formerly occupied planet, now empty, whose sun is about to go nova. The inhabitants lacked space travel despite numerous technical advancements. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to what appears to be a library, only to learn the truth of the population's vanishing act: they escaped the imminent destruction by journeying back in time to live out their lives in their planet's past. The trio inadvertently pass through the time portal before realizing the truth, which leaves Kirk trapped in the planet's version of Cromwell's England. Spock and McCoy are similarly trapped 5,000 years earlier in the planet's ice age.

The set-up is designed to cut corners in the effects department, which Star Trek often did by raiding existing props and costumes for their setting. Hence, Kirk ends up literally crossing swords with men in feathered hats and pantaloons, while his companions spend the bulk of their adventure in a cave that looks suspiciously similar to every other cave that appeared in the series. It also features the seemingly superfluous collection of duplicate librarians, as well as "doorways" into the past largely achieved by chintzy double-exposure. Kirk has to escape charges of witchcraft, while Spock and McCoy meet an exiled woman named Zarabeth -- a political dissident on the wrong side of a long-dead tyrant -- whom Spock actively falls in love with .

It's a concept that provides a suitable dilemma for the protagonists to work their way out of, and a novel way to escape impending doom. However, it delivers a brilliant piece of development for both Spock and McCoy. Their squabbling is a beloved trope of The Original Series , with Bones' fiery passions repeatedly clashing with Spock's emotionless logic. Here, Spock begins to revert to the wild passionate status that Vulcans evinced in their early history, leading him to eat meat, lust after Zarabeth, and threaten McCoy with active violence. Bones gets through to him in time for Kirk to effect a rescue, after a tearful good-bye to Zarabeth.

"All Our Yesterdays" Is a Testament to Star Trek's Fan Power

'i'm ready': star trek: strange new worlds actor teases captain kirk spinoff.

Actor Leonard Nimoy plays Spock's descent beautifully, creating a template that his successor Ethan Peck has used to similar effect in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . He and DeForest Kelley set a new standard for their characters' rivalry, this time with Spock playing the passionate firebrand and McCoy the pragmatic realist. Zarabeth suffers from a certain passivity typical of depictions of women in the media at the time, but actor Mariette Hartley conveys both her existential loneliness and quickly blossoming love for Spock in achingly sympathetic terms. Her reluctant goodbye at Spock's departure is legitimately heartbreaking.

The most memorable aspect of "All Our Yesterdays" comes from behind the scenes . Screenwriter Jean Lisette Aroeste was not a professional writer, just a literate fan who worked as a librarian at UCLA. She submitted an unsolicited script that was picked up (Season 3, Episode 5, "Is There in Truth No Beauty?") and followed it up with this one. It made Aroeste one of four writers with no previous screenwriting experience to have scripts produced for the show. Both of her episodes carry a freshness and exuberance that much of the rest of Season 3 lacks. It's a unique synergy between audience and series, heralding Star Trek's rebirth in the 1970s thanks to the passion of the fans. Here, it results in a strong, heartfelt episode that ends the series on a far stronger note than the moribund "Turnabout Intruder."

Most importantly, it shows a side to one of the franchise's most beloved characters that hadn't been seen before, as Spock grapples with his loss of logic while falling deeply in love at the same time. It's a big change for obvious reasons, and because the show was perceived to be on its way out, no one seemed worried about the possibility of the performance running against character. Nimoy artfully balanced it against Spock's well-established traits to reveal depths that The Original Series hadn't yet explored. With McCoy playing a far better foil than he ever has, and a strong plot hook to hold the action together, "All Our Yesterdays" is the farewell the show deserved, as well as helping to elevate a dodgy third season into something worthy of rememberance. It may be a weird little episode, but it also represents Star Trek at its very best.

Star Trek: The Original Series

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

3 weird things in Star Trek that fans just accept

By chad porto | feb 21, 2022.

LAS VEGAS - AUGUST 12: Actor Gary Graham, who played the Vulcan character Ambassador Soval on the television series "Enterprise," signs a banner at the Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton August 12, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

We love Star Trek but these three things are just weird.

Star Trek is awesome. It’s filled with so much uniqueness and intrigue. It’s filled to the brim with creative writing and dynamic acting. It’s really something special. It’s given so many of us such great times but man, if you start thinking about it, there are things in Star Trek that are just weird.

For starters, every biped alien is seemingly related? Thanks for that unnecessary story arc, Next Generation. Or despite having intergalactic travel, Bajorans just accept aliens as gods. Now, most things aren’t that weird or aren’t even something to take issue with.

Most things. Not all. Some are weird. Some are weird and stupid. Some need to be talked about and that’s what we’re doing.

These are three weird things that Star Trek fans just accept

Bloodwine is blood and everyone drinks it.

Calm down, yes, I know there is no official claim that Klingon Bloodwine is in fact made with real blood. Yet, it’s highly suspected to be. In an episode of Enterprise, when Jonathan Archer asked Kolos what Bloodwine was the blood of, Kolos didn’t answer him. Seems like a perfect place to shoot down a dirty rumor that Klingon drinks the blood of…something. Nope. To help further cement this argument, the Star Trek Cookbook from 1999 describes Bloodwine as fermented blood mixed with sugar. And non-Klingons actually drink it, voluntarily.

Ocampans have babies between 2-4 years olds

This one is just, yikes. Sometimes ideas should be punted out of the writer’s room. In Star Trek: Voyager, the series introduced us to the Ocampans, a race of aliens that live to be about seven or eight years old. They age rapidly, and basically have the same lifespan as a mid-size dog. Like dogs, Ocampans also start having babies around the same age as well, about two to four years old. In Voyager, Kes started her “cycle” if you will, when she was about three. She was dating a man in his 30s, but that’s for a different list. Ocampans have kids at like three years old. What? Why?

Vulcans need sex so badly they could die without it

The title says it all. Vulcans go through Pon Farr, a mating cycle every seven years. If a Vulcan doesn’t get “satiated” within eight days of the start of their Pon Farr, they could die. Even crazier, they can transfer the physical effects of the Pon Farr to another person, even an alien, and let them suffer instead.

Next. The Top 100 episodes in Star Trek franchise history according to metrics. dark

Ed Speleers Still Believes 'Star Trek: Legacy' Will Happen If Fans Stay "Noisy About It"

"When you have a group of fans that have followed a certain world or franchise for 60 years, it makes sense to listen to what they've got to say."

The Big Picture

  • Fans continuously support the potential Picard spin-off Star Trek: Legacy .
  • Actor Ed Speleers expresses gratitude for fans and optimism that the series will eventually happen.
  • Speleers envisions an exciting future for his character Jack Crusher in Star Trek , emphasizing the limitless possibilities.

It's been a year since Star Trek: Picard took the franchise by storm and delivered a spectacular final adventure for the Next Generation crew in its third and final season. Along with its satisfying conclusion, the Picard series finale also set up a tantilizing opportunity for a spin-off following the newly promoted Captain Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) and her crew, including Raffi ( Michelle Hurd ) as her first officer and Jack Crusher ( Ed Speleers ) as her special advisor. The spin-off, tentatively titled Star Trek: Legacy , has not yet been greenlit at Paramount+, but has seen an abundance of fan support, akin to the letterwriting campaign that saved the franchise from oblivion in the first place.

Despite a year with no updates, audiences are still hoping to see Star Trek: Legacy become a reality. And it's not just fans who want the spin-off to happen — during a conversation with Collider's Maggie Lovitt for his new Netflix movie Irish Wish , Speleers spoke at length about wanting tell more stories as Jack Crusher. "I absolutely loved playing that role and I think if I could do that for another 10, 15, 20 years, I hands down would ," he said. Speleers went on to say that he's so grateful for the outpouring of love from the fans, saying: "Sometimes I wake up with warmth and a great sense of appreciation towards that," but at the same time he feels "almost frustrated that we're not there. Because when you talk to the people that have been so enraptured by that final season, and the desire to tell more stories for Jack, I think the thing is there's still so many stories that can be told for Jack Crusher, and it’s teed up ."

Though he'd love to see things move more quickly, Speleers does seem confident that the series will happen eventually. He explained:

"I do believe it will happen at some point, and I feel that we will get there, but I think that people have just got to keep being noisy about it. [...] Everyone seems to want it to. We’ve just got to keep putting the noise out there. I mean, I would love it. I would absolutely love to play more. [...] Star Trek in many ways, I think “changing my life” is such a big phrase so I don't want to say that, but it definitely realigns things for me creatively. And actually, the run of work since then has been really interesting. But that part, I feel like I've still got so much to offer with him, and I really, really hope and want and believe that we will get that chance at some point."

The Legacy of 'Star Trek' Is Built on Its Fans

Though he's only been a part of this franchise for a short time Speleers has so much love and respect for the fans of the franchise. Having just recently returned from his first appearance on the Star Trek Cruise, Speleers stressed the importance of listening to the voices who've shown up for Star Trek for nearly 60 years . "I think it's important," he told Lovitt. "Look, people have all got their own ideas about what works, what doesn't, but I feel that it's important to listen to people. When you have a group of fans that have followed a certain world or franchise for 60 years, it makes sense to listen to what they've got to say. "

Whether or not Legacy ever gets the greenlight, Star Trek has gained another lifelong fan in Speleers. He said:

"I have the greatest deal of respect for Star Trek fans, and actually the shows in general. As a result of being a part of it, I'm hook, line and sinker because of what it's done historically in terms of pushing boundaries, pushing diversity, making sure everyone's inclusive. The general message of Starfleet is to bring people and species together. In the world we're living in right now, what is a more pertinent message? So I feel that there is so much more scope to be had. I would absolutely love it and I would welcome the opportunity with open arms."

The Sky's The Limit for Jack Crusher, Says Ed Speleers

When asked about what kind of future he sees for Jack, Speleers confessed that he visualizes "almost daily — what could be and the stories that we could tell, the adventures we can go on." While he didn't offer up any specifics on what he'd like to see Jack doing with his new role in Starfleet, he did share that he and Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas have envisioned a complex path for Jack. He said:

"And Terry Matalas and I have sort of waxed lyrical about it on many occasions. And I think that's the thing, there is so much scope within that and there's so much scope with other characters, as well, old and new. As I say, I often visualize where he can end up. The good thing is, I think the sky's the limit for Jack Crusher’s character. I think what would be really interesting, as Terry and I have talked about, is that it's not gonna be a straight, linear path to balance and success. I think for a character like that, he's always gonna have elements that are gonna torture him and I think he's gonna have things that are gonna veer him off course, and I think that'll be a really interesting psychological build-up and battle for him. "

While we wait for more updates on the potential Star Trek: Legacy series, you can watch all three seasons of Picard on Paramount+. Star Trek will next return to the small screen with Star Trek: Discovery on April 4. Stay tuned at Collider for Lovitt's full conversation with Speleers.

Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

WATCH ON PARAMOUNT+

COMMENTS

  1. Why people hate Startrek discovery? : r/startrek

    Pretty much every new Trek show got whined at by fans of the previous Trek shows. Picard was no Kirk, DS9 was too bleak, Janeway was a frigid bitch, Enterprise had a shitty theme song (that one's fair) etc. etc. For such a progressive franchise, a small but loud portion of the fanbase sure doesn't like change.

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    Star Trek is a global phenomenon. One of the largest, most popular, and most influential science fiction franchises in history, the short-lived 1960s television show has spawned not only seven spinoff shows and 13 motion pictures but possibly the most recognized fandom in the world. There are fans of the show in every country in the world and from every walk of life.

  4. Why are people so averse to Star Trek? : r/startrek

    In order to keep the franchise alive, you need a mix of die-hard fans and more casual watchers. That is also why I'm excited for Prodigy - Star Trek can start getting kids into the franchise and they are the life-blood of the series. 1. UnemployedCuzOfCovid.

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    The Borg don't want to destroy humanity. One of the most enduring fan theories in Star Trek fandom is that cyberzombie Borg were the race of "living machines" that transformed the NASA Voyager 6 probe into Star Trek I villain V'ger. The Shatnerverse novel The Return uses this interpretation too. However, we're not talking about that one.

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    30 Q Created The Mirror Universe. The Mirror Universe was a prevalent part of the original series of Star Trek where seemingly the sinister versions of your favourite characters exist—usually with added facial hair. In fact, Spock's mirror-verse persona is something of an iconic moment of the Kirk and co's adventures.

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    However, not everyone was a fan of "Cause and Effect" when it first aired. In fact, the episode's premiere actually caused some viewers to call in and complain for an amusing reason. As noted in ...

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    Saru's Danger Sense. Saru is a member of the Kelpien race and the only one in Starfleet. He assumed command of the Discovery several times in the first season. Members of Saru's species were periodically hunted down and sacrificed by the Ba'ul, a predatory race that was technologically far more advanced.

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    So why the hate. The problem with Enterprise is it pitched a unique premise and setting, and then from the start ran as fast as it could to conventional Star Trek. Sure it may have called phasers "phase cannons" and photon torpedoes "photonic torpedoes" but ultimately everything was back to status quo within two years.

  17. Star Trek and Society's Ridicule of its Early Fans

    Traditional literary science fiction fans wanted to separate themselves from Star Trek fans so much that they unofficially banned them from science fiction conventions. In response, " Star Trek fans, feeling unwelcome at science fiction conventions, would start holding their own conventions. The first of these was held in New York in 1972 ...

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  22. This Weird Star Trek: The Original Series Episode is Actually its ...

    Star Trek: The Original Series is known for its weird and over-the-top episodes, with concepts that pushed the boundaries of sci-fi television. "All Our Yesterdays" stands out as a highly underrated episode with a strong story and character development, despite its odd trappings. The episode showcases fan power with a heartfelt storyline, an ...

  23. Why do people hate Star Trek Enterprise so much? : r/startrek

    I personally love it because it feels almost reachable. So much more real than the other series. Seeing the federation develop along with many of the other plot points that lead into later series are fascinating too. I know the acting can be cheesy at times, but so is every other star trek series?

  24. 3 weird things in Star Trek tha we as fans just accept

    Star Trek is awesome. It's filled with so much uniqueness and intrigue. It's filled to the brim with creative writing and dynamic acting. It's really something special. It's given so many of us such great times but man, if you start thinking about it, there are things in Star Trek that are just weird.

  25. 'Star Trek: Legacy' Will Happen If Fans Stay "Noisy," Ed ...

    Star Trek in many ways, I think "changing my life" is such a big phrase so I don't want to say that, but it definitely realigns things for me creatively. And actually, the run of work since ...

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