It launched with a five-year mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before" – half a century later, Star Trek is a multi-billion-dollar cultural phenomenon adored by fans the world over.
When the show debuted on September 8, 1966, the idea was to follow the adventures of the crew of the starship Enterprise as they ventured out into the galaxy seeking out new life and new civilisations.
The five-year mission only lasted for three seasons before it was cancelled. Little did broadcaster NBC realise that this was only the beginning and the show would snowball into a touchstone in entertainment, spawning six TV shows with a combined 725 episodes (and a seventh coming early next year) and 13 movies. It also turned its stars – and characters – into household names.
"To be talking about the 50th anniversary is insane," filmmaker J J Abrams, the creative force behind the reboot of the franchise, which began with the 2009 film Star Trek, told a convention in Hollywood recently.
"I was born the same year that Star Trek was. I know how old I feel, so the idea that this thing endures is incredible."
The original series starred William Shatner, now 85, as the charming, roguish Enterprise captain James T Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy, who died last year at the age of 83, as his stilted second-in-command – a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer called Spock. DeForest Kelly completed the show’s central trio, as the ship’s doctor, Leonard “Bones” McCoy.
Gene Roddenberry wrote the pilot in 1965, the year of the first US spacewalk, and pitched the show as “a wagon train to the stars”, given that westerns were popular in Hollywood at the time.
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Roddenberry used the sci-fi setting to examine earthly social issues with an unparalleled sensitivity.
Among other things, Star Trek had TV's first truly multiracial cast, and featured the first televised interracial kiss, between Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).
Korean-American actor John Cho, who plays Hikaru Sulu in the rebooted films – including the upcoming 50th anniversary film Star Trek Beyond, which was partly filmed in Dubai – describes multiculturalism as one of the franchise's "defining features"'
“It’s a good cultural product, in my opinion,” he says. “I wanted to be a part of something I felt was an important, positive cultural contribution.”
Star Trek has attracted a devoted global following, unified by their affection for the Roddenberry vision – "Trekkies" is the only fan group listed by name in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Karl Urban, who plays Dr McCoy, says Beyond was more complex and yet more fun than the previous two films.
This is in part thanks to Simon Pegg, the British actor who plays engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the rebooted series – and who was behind numerous British comedy hits including 2004's Shaun of the Dead – who took on scriptwriting duties for the latest film.
“We wanted to make sure we got the balance right between paying respect and homage to what had been before – little inside jokes and references for long-term fans – and making it fresh and delivering new material that new audiences can appreciate,” says Urban.
He is one of the cast members who were big fans of the original series.
“I just remember being into it as a kid,” he says. “There were hot girls in short miniskirts – it was sexy, it was fun.”
Part of the enduring appeal of Star Trek, says Urban, is its commitment to a hopeful depiction of a humanity united in the future despite differences in race and creed.
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The latest film is due for release in July, while the new TV series is due in January on CBS.
"It's been around for 50 years and hopefully we can build something that can continue it for another 50 years," says Beyond director Justin Lin.
“What’s so fun about being a part of this is that with these characters and themes we can go anywhere, we can evolve and they are going to run into new challenges – and there should be no boundaries.”
artslife@thenational.ae