The crew of the starship Enterprise began their 5 year mission to boldly go where no man has gone before on 8 September 1966. To the delight of Star Trek fans everywhere, this mission did not end after just 5 years. Here we are 51 years later and still going strong with the new series ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ scheduled to debut at the end of the month. Take a look at these 10 facts about one of the most popular sci-fi series of all time that every trekkie probably already knows.
10. These are the Voyages of the Starship Enterprise
NASA renamed the first vessel that was capable of landing and relaunching to Enterprise in honour of the show. It was originally intended to be named Constitution and to be unveiled on Constitution Day, however trekkies organised a letter-writing campaign and flooded the white house with requests to change the name. President Gerald R. Ford conceded, admitting that he was partial to the new name.
9. Turn that Frown Upside Down
Actor Michael Dorn who played Worf appeared in the most episodes (281), however he was surpassed in movie appearances by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (1932-2008) who was a part of every series and movie in the Star Trek franchise during her lifetime. Not only was she the recognisable voice of the computer interface, she also appeared as characters such as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original series and Lwaxana Troi in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
8. Split Personality
Jeffrey Combs can boast playing the most characters across the various Star Trek series. In Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, he played a total of 9 aliens, often with recurring roles. When he was finally slated to become a full crew member as the Andorian Shran, ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ was cancelled.
7. Beyond the Stars
After the cancellation of the original series, Nichelle Nichols became a NASA recruiter. She recruited the first and second American female astronauts, as well as the first and second African-American astronauts. During her time portraying Lt. Uhura, she wanted to quit, however was convinced by a fan to stay on the show. That fan was none other than Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a good thing she stuck it out, because her role was an inspiration for actress Whoopi Goldberg, who went on to star in The Next Generation as Guinan.
6. Fact is Stranger than Fiction
Star Trek has been accurately predicting the future of technology since the beginning. Just a few technologies that were predicted and inspired by Star Trek include tablet computers, touch screens, flip phones, voice interface computers, teleconferencing, and real-time universal translators. In fact, real-world tech is now surpassing that shown in the show.
5. The Trouble with Tribbles
The cast of The Next Generation wore slippers to muffle the sound of footsteps during production. In fact, you can catch a glimpse of a pair of pink fuzzy slippers in season 6, episode 16, during the final scene with Data and Dr. Bashir.
4. Beam me up, Scotty
The phrase “beam me up, Scotty” which has become so associated with Star Trek, was never actually said in any of the episodes or films. Similar commands had been given such as “Scotty, beam us up”, but never the specific phrase that nearly everyone can quote. It was, however, chosen by actor James Doohan (1920-2005) as the title for his biography.
3. Is this a Captain which I see Before me?
William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks and Kate Mulgrew were all Shakespearean actors before taking their seats in the captain’s chairs. This means that the captains in the first four series of Star Trek were all from the same pedigree. The trend was broken with Star Trek: Enterprise, however Scott Bakula did have an impressive start as Broadway actor and later the star of Quantum Leap before commanding the Enterprise.
2. The Only Logical Solution
Zachary Quinto couldn’t quite manage to do the Vulcan salute for the filming of the 2009 Star Trek movie. He did finally manage it, but only after director JJ Abrams glued his fingers together.
1. Pushing Boundaries
Star Trek is widely considered to have shown the first interracial kiss on American television shared between actors William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols. The debate continues as to whether this was actually the first, and if their lips even touched. It is clear however, that they wanted this kiss to be aired as they purposefully ruined each take of the alternate scene sans kiss. The franchise continues to shatter taboos and boldly bring television and cinema to where it has never been before.
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