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Star Trek began in the early 1960's as an idea in the mind of
Gene Roddenberry,
a World War II veteran and former L.A. policeman who had become an established television
writer/producer and was determined to bring his vision of a serious, thoughtful science
fiction drama to the air. Pitched as "Wagon Train to the stars," Star Trek,
after a few false starts, became a reality in 1966 in primetime on NBC.
The show was only
a minor hit and was threatened with cancellation after its second year, but a surprisingly
strong letter-writing campaign from fans convinced the network to keep the show on for
another year. But the ratings were unspectacular, and Star Trek was terminated with
little hope of any future.
Fortunately, after three years enough episodes were produced
that the show could enter syndication, and it was in the after-school market during the
early 1970's that the show found its audience. Fan conventions sprang up, merchandising
blossomed, an animated series with the original cast was produced, and it became apparent
that Star Trek was a force that would refuse to die.
Today, the franchise first
conceived by Gene Roddenberry four decades ago has spawned four more television series,
10 theatrical movies, hundreds of books and magazines, and innumerable Internet fan sites.
The Star Trek Series Timeline
shows when each of the series and movies were released, and places each of the series within
the timeframe of the fictional Star Trek universe.
The following articles provide an introduction to each of the Star Trek series (live-action
and animated), in the order in which they appeared. Overviews of the ten motion pictures are next,
concluding with a discussion of the phenomenon that is Star Trek.
NEXT: Where it all began... Star Trek
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