My Favourite TV: Star Trek – Original Series

It is difficult to calculate just how important Star Trek: Original Series (ST:OS) was to me. Without it I doubt if I would be even remotely the same person I am today. In my personal mythology I credit it – and in particular Leonard Nimoy’s Spock – with quite possibly saving my life at least metaphorically if not actually. In the days I watched this show religiously, regardless if I had seen the particular episode repeatedly and could happily play any of the major roles faultlessly, my teenage emotions where in turmoil. I felt as if I was being torn apart as my adolescent brain was slowly poisoned by hormones I had no control over. I was convinced for far too long that I was going mad. My saviour was someone seemingly going through exactly the same thing - someone who struggled with strong emotions on a weekly basis and who showed how they could be tamed with logic and reason. That’s right – Spock saved my life or at least my sanity.

Feeling nostalgic of late I bought the ST:OS box-sets from Amazon and spent a happy few months watching all 79 episodes one after the other. I remembered all but one instantly. For the first 10-15 minutes I thought that I had actually missed the odd one out. Not so I discovered. It’s possible that I had simply missed the beginning or, more likely from the plot, that I had become bored and zoned out from a rather dull and plodding story mostly based in court. The rest of them however at least kept my attention which isn’t bad after repeated viewings and decades of memories piled on top. Some of them thrilled me just as much as they did back in the 70’s when I watched them on TV again and again and again. Star Trek is largely responsible – no doubt along with the numerous Gerry Anderson puppet shows – for making me a life long fan of Science Fiction (enough on its own to be grateful for I think) as well as for having a life long passion for Science and the application of reason to solve problems (thanks again Mr Spock).

One of the interesting things I found while watching the extra bits on the DVDs was just how lucky anyone was to see Star Trek. The studios hated the pilot (I could see why) but fortunately liked the next offering. In the years that followed budgets were steadily reduced and transmission times varied apparently randomly. Finally they got what they wanted and the series was cancelled part way through the third series. As with a few other cult shows the fans kept it alive in conventions and in the early Internet chat rooms. Finally we got Star Trek: The Next Generation which, overall, I was somewhat less than impressed with. For me, despite the better effects and larger budget, it never really had the presence of the original series. It did manage a few very good episodes and I liked Picard very much but he was no James T Kirk and no matter how much he tried Mr Data was no Mr Spock. I was never a fan of DS:9 but did warm to Voyager. I even, just before they canned it, started to like Enterprise. I wonder if the franchise will get a new lease of life now that the movies are packing them in. Maybe Star Trek isn’t dead quite yet. I hope not – despite its rather patchy history.