Star Trek turns 45: Fun facts about the series
My recent blog post “What would MacGyver do?” about relying on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills to recover from Hurricane Irene got some interesting comments that I was not expecting. I had thought, given the headline, that there would be comments on MacGyver. That seemed like a reasonable assumption. While there are comments on the 1980’s TV show and its lead character, the comment string starts out with points on characters from Star Trek. In the string, Shadow Doug commented:
I love all the references to science fiction shows. I tell people I’ve been Trekking since 1957 (ST started in 1967). We’re engineers; we understand zero-origin addressing–the movie is Forbidden Planet (some of us call it Star Trek #0) in 1957, very much like a Star Trek movie.
Thanks for the comment, Shadow Doug, but one correction. Star Trek TOS (the original series) premiered in 1966, not 1967. In fact it was 45 years ago this week that TV boldly went where no man had gone before when on Sept 8, 1966, Star Trek took to the NBC airwaves.
In honor of the sci-fi series created by Gene Roddenberry, here are a few fun facts related to Star Trek and its 45 year history.
- While Shatner’s voice-over introduction during each TOS episode’s opening credits states that the Enterprise’s five-year mission is ‘to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before,” Star Trek TOS was killed by NBC on June 3, 1969, less than three years after its premier and not even close to its five-year mission.
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Klingons consider Tribbles to be “mortal enemies” of the Klingon Empire. - After bringing Spock to human-Vulcan life in 1966 and post TOS’ cancellation in 1969, Leonard Simon Nimoy recorded a handful of albums, which included Trek-related songs such as “Highly Illogical.”
- Roddenberry first presented Star Trek to CBS. CBS turned it down and went with Lost in Space instead.
- Brent Jay Spiner, the actor who played android Lieutenant Commander Data, appeared in seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and four movies. He voluntarily retired the character when he decided he was “too old” to continue playing the part of a never-aging android with child-like innocence.
- A tombstone in the second pilot intended for James T. Kirk reads “James R. Kirk.”
- Star Trek TOS was rated as the greatest cult show ever by TV Guide in 2004. TOS maintained its top placement when the magazine redid the ranking in 2007.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987 and was set approximately 100 years after the events of TOS.
- The catchphrase “Beam me up, Scotty” was never actually uttered on TOS, although, Kirk did say “Scotty, beam us up” in two TOS episodes.
- According to blueprints released by Paramount in 1973, the Enterprise had a six lane bowling alley located on deck 21.
Share your comments on the series below. Live long and prosper.
Muhammad AsLam Bahu~ commented:
Dear M@m ,
..... I read about a " Canadian WebSite Qik.com " , they Produce free Live Video Broad Cast on every Camera Mobile Phone , according to your information ,what is the Scope of that teck in the future .....?
mc^2 commented:
The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss - A terrific read for techie trekies
Wayne's world commented:
We who have been called by God’s Great Commission should share Jesus with others. This includes Muslims who also need to know Him as Savior and final hope for eternal life.
Like the Jews of Jesus and Paul’s days, Muslims are very zealous for their religion and laws but they too have to know that Jesus ‘is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes’ (Romans 10:3).
Muhammad AsLam Bahu~ ( Bahu~ is the Sur Name of Our Historic FoLk Poet of the 17venteenth Century , Who was Known as the Architect of the Snow PayraMid " Taj MahiL " , The Eighth Wonder of the WorLd ! commented:
My Sweet M@m Suzanne Deffree ,
. . . . . tonight I went to bed ealry and during my Sweet Dreams I met with " Two Famous Prphets of God Mighty ALLah " , Which are 1) Hazrit Noah ( EL - iSLaam ) with whom the Historic FLood of " Noah " Came ...... 2) the Second Known Prophet is " Hazrit Lout ( EL - iSLaam ) the known Prophet , who is famous for Bringing the Earth Quakes to his nation's Enimies , Countries etc !
LordZob commented:
Much Startrek technology of TOS is in fact almost in existance.
In the show, the tap a badge on thier chest and voice dial anywhere in the know universe - we do that today with a Bluetooth headset and 3G phone (ok so you tap the ear now)
Universal translator - my Android phone supports voice recognition and translation via google translate it can even speak what I translate to the other party - 90% there already.
Computer locate Mr Spock...= computer locate my phone we have this now
Computer with a voice interface - got it
Inanimate object teleport - a 3D Scanner + 3D printer allows me to copy objects and send remotely to another location - we have this now (although it is sloooow)
So really we only have to invent FTL and Teleport of animate objects...
Rose commented:
And wow! Kirk was a hottie! They all were! I thought all science dudes were geeks with pocket protectors until I watched that show. Never mind Uhura's short skirt! How did Kirk get his shirt ripped every episode? And Spock with his detached yet very sensitive attitude. Even I wanted to go where no `man` had gone before.
Sam commented:
@Tom Tom: What do you mean we don't have tricorders? I think Fluke's thermal imagers are pretty much there. If only they included an RGA (residual gas analyzer) in the unit... ;-)
Dave commented:
For a bit of fun you need to watch a special by Shatner which is I think titled How Star Trek Changed the world. It might actually be How Bill Shatner Changed the world but not sure. It does cover things like the communicators influencing flip cell phones and what is interesting it shows some of the research that was directly influenced by the show. Anti matter, transports and so on all seriously being researched. Just occurred to me that aside from the flip phones the designer of a medical monitoring company credited McCoy's gadgets for the inspiration on a few devices now in use. And that hour it was on every Thursday was definitely do not disturb or else.
TomTom commented:
I think Shatner was earlier on a Twilight Zone (or was it Outer Limits), and maybe Nimoy too. I think in the 60's if you were cool you were Truckin', not Trekking. Oh, yeah, I said cool. (Which would have been "hip" in the 60's. "Cool" in the early 70's meant you could be trusted not to "narc" on someone.)
And the newer and movie Star Treks weren't as good as the original.
And OK, we got the "communicator" but it doesn't actually transmit 1000 miles into space directly or otherwise. But we don't have Warp Speed, TriCorders, anti-matter engines, and transporters, or even mind melds.
Bill Furch commented:
When I was in engineering school in the 60's, all the engineers studied every evening, usually until about 3 am. EXCEPT on Thursday evening as I remember, when Star Trek came on. For one hour we paused to watch the show. That was the only show that brought studying to a standstill.
Farmer Pete commented:
Engineer Scotty and the brilliant Spock were the ones that always were able to get Captain Kirk out of a jam. But alas, the dashing, handsome captain was the one that received all the credit for the success of the Enterprise as it took risks in the unknown. Sound familiar to you engineers?
WA2TQI commented:
I still love the series and I like seeing some of the than far out there teckno become reality today. One of my best birthday presents in past years was Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual. It was such a detailed write about such a fictional set of things.
jaybird2005 commented:
The bathrooms on the blueprints are labeled 'WC' and there was one behind the main view screen, beside the emergency stairs (that were never used).
As for the cell phones/communicator. Motorola made the 'StarTac' - the first flip style cell phone. Coincidence?
The Star Fleet Technical Manual includes a schematic of the communicators, it seems they were multichannel crystal controlled Citizens Band (CB). Hard to imagine Klingons saying "Breaker Breaker".
rcwithlime commented:
Hey, you just can't beat the outfit that that the bad Ohura wore in the alternate reality episode, when both good and bad versions traded places....Would have been nice to see the version Janise Rand...
Rich der tech commented:
I also watched Star Trek and still take it in these days from time to time. In regard to blueprints of the Enterprise, I understand there is no indication of rest rooms on board. Perhaps the reason the series only lasted 3 years, instead of 5, is because they couldn't hold it any longer.
John from Cape Town commented:
I was a radio ham back in the 60s, and remember telling my Dad that it would be impossible to get a transmitter and receiver inside a unit the size of their communicators ! As Jim says, we now have celphones and can talk around the world !
Chuckles commented:
Why CBS chose Lost in Space over Star Trek and NBC cancelled the show? Their management were Tribbles. And that is the trouble with Tribbles.
Jim, Yorktown, VA commented:
What I find interesting to think about is that back in the day, we thought their communicators were quite amazing and probably unlikely yet today we have the iPhone... vastly more impressive! What other technologies of Star Trek will we meet/exceed?... teleportation? warp travel?.. don't be surprised!
Astronut commented:
I've been trekkin' since the very beginning! Spock was a desperately needed role model for geeky high school kids. I spent countless hours inventing screenplays where I was a crew member.
(C'mon, you did that too, admit it!)
Gretchen commented:
I highly recommend that every tech-savvy trekker read "The Physics of Star Trek" by Krauss. It's a bit dated, but still a good brain trip.
MurthyJN commented:
Star Track was a family show which used to come on Sundays in 1980's. Our entire family members used to wait for theta one hour in a week. We used to enjoy the comics and had the collection for quite a long time. Thank you Captain and Mr. Spock and all the rest of Star Track crew.
Bill from Dracut commented:
CBS chose Lost in Space over Star Trek???
And lost in Space was in black and white!
And Star Trek had mini skirts! What was CBS thinking?
