Obscure Facts About the Original ‘Star Trek’ Series
Trekkies rejoice, the day is finally here! Sept. 8 celebrates Star Trek Day as it marks the anniversary of when the original series premiered on television in 1966. The very first episode was called “The Man Trap” and now over 50 years later, the love for Star Trek has never wavered and the original series’ success prompted tons of additional series, movies, merch, and more. To join in on the fun, let’s talk about some interesting facts about Star Trek: The Original Series.
There was originally a very different pilot episode
Everett Collection
At first, there was a pilot episode called “The Cage” that didn’t feature the famed Captain Kirk but a Captain Pike. Spock did appear but ultimately NBC turned down the pilot. The show was able to get a second chance and history was forever changed.
Nichelle Nichols made history on the show
Paramount TV/Everett Collection
Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and was one of the first Black women to play a major role in a TV show. Her kiss with William Shatner also changed history as one of the very first interracial kisses on television.
Lucille Ball saved the show
Everett Collection
Desilu Productions, owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, financed Star Trek. At one point, the show was almost canceled but Ball believed the show would be a success and convinced everyone else to continue to back it.
Leonard Nimoy answered fan mail as Spock
Everett Collection
People would write to Nimoy as Spock and ask questions or ask for advice. One notable exchange was by a teenage girl who asked for advice on how to deal with prejudice she faced because she was biracial. He wrote back, “[Spock] said to himself: ‘Not everyone will like me. But there will be those who will accept me just for who I am.’”
Can you think of Sulu’s first name?
Everett Collection
If you’re racking your brain right now, you can stop because Sulu actually never had a first name in the original series. Later on in Star Trek VI, the first name of Hikaru was introduced.
The show has broken tons of Guinness World Records
Paramount/Everett Collection
One of the most interesting Guinness World Records is that the fictional language in Star Trek called Klingon holds the record for the “most widely spoken fictional language.” Now tell us, how many words in Klingon do you know?
Happy Star Trek Day! How will you celebrate this evening?
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