I accepted any babysitting job offered me on a Friday night because I wanted to watch Star Trek. WHY? We didn't have a TV at home & my parents believed having one would result in fights between my sisters & I over what programs to watch; but, more importantly our grades would be adversely affected. I don't even remember how I learned about the show; however, once I saw it, I wanted to see it any time I possibly could. Although, an avid reader, I wasn't a great fan of science fiction; but, there was something compelling about Star Trek that "hooked" me. Years later, when Star Trek The Next Generation was created, there were adults I knew that would leave gatherings or parties so they could get home in time to watch it.
I saw ST from the start. It was interesting to see how actors dealt with ST as part of their Resume... Most were kind of embarrassed but came to embrace their characters doing a 180 .. . Many movie stars still looked down on TV and SF at the time and it was seen by many as a kinda child like subject... and at least held in lower esteem .
My bedtime was before the show aired but then one night, maybe around ten episodes in, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and walked past the living room and Mom was sitting there glued to the TV and I turned and looked and found out why. I think I was around six or seven at the time and I just sat down and watched and Mom didn't notice. Mom and I bonded over Star Trek for almost two years and then beyond when it went into syndication. Every week that show became the exception to my otherwise strictly enforced bedtime routine. I came to realized that Mom had a crush on Mr. Spock. Fast forward to after Dad died and after Mom died and I was going through a box of family photos I inherited and I found a few dozen photos in which a young boy appeared who bore an uncanny resemblance to Leonard Nimoy. I found two with writing on the back in my grandmother's handwriting. One photo depicted Dad age about 15 and the other boy around 16 and the caption said "Leonard tutoring ***** in algebra" The date was 1947. Then Nimoy passed away and I was reading his obituary and learned he attended the same high school my Dad did. I have a total of 57 photos that Nimoy as a teenager appears in all taken by one of my grandparents except for the one my Dad took of him at a violin recital on state at Boston English High School. Nimoy was 18 at the time I believe. I was shocked that my Dad did not once, knowing what a fan I was of the show, ever mention he was friends with the shows most iconic co-star. Not a peep. Later I was reading my Mom's diaries, something I now regret doing. Seems mom had more than just a schoolgirl crush on the guy. It seems Dad was most likely jealous so decided not to mention his friendship and Mom it seems never noticed all his photos of the young man from his childhood. Then again, I inherited roughly sixty thousand photos going back to before the Civil War so it is understandable that Mom never bothered to look at every single one, especially since then were her husband's family and not hers as she would have looked at it. I am hoping to publish these photos and what I can glean from various sources in a book some day.
That stuff about Roddenberry being sexist was actually news to me. But it unfortunately tracks when you step back and think about it. Changes my perception of how he and the creator of Dirty Pair were friends to the point Roddenbarry used the Dirty Pair costume design in the first episode of Next Generation.
I think the biggest unnoticed thing in the star trek series was every time the enterprise was in some kind of battle and they were hit, the bridge would show damage and sparks and there was tons of steam pouring onto the set, ( i guess maybe it was supposed to be smoke but steam is not smoke ) and #5 boiler has been hit and there will be no saunas tonight ! If you're watching reruns every time they show the steam, everybody has to take a drink !
I heard about the reason that 'they can't have two blondes (Rand and Chapel) in the series' story before, I was amazed at the time, and I always thought that was why she left.....until now. I had a huge crush on Janice Rand, it was wonderful to see her in The Motionless Picture...
It was pure luck (or very smart and careful decision) they've avoided showing sick gay relationships in ST. It would've destroyed the series forever. Even today this causes a huge decline in ST fans. See what's going on in the very bad ST Discovery, and such. The ST fan base are regular normal-but-brilliant kids that don't want to see any PC junk in their favorite franchise ! If you continue in this idiotic path - there will be no fans left ! Stop it now. There is no need to show these distorted and unnatural relationships in the franchise. Do not fall for today's sick sick Hollywood PC requirements if you want to stay in business !
Hearing most of this is a first for me, (parts are old news) and it's FASCINATING! PRETTIEST/MOST SULTRY & JUST FREAKIN' DOWNRIGHT HOTTEST BABE(S) GRACE LEE WHITNEY & MARINA SIRTIS. Man, so many mistakes made; politics played. The orig series has plenty of gas in the tank to run longer, but stupidity prevailed. After Star Trek Next Generation, I mostly lost sight & interest, save for the Staar Trek movies w/the orig cast. I LOST a TREMENDOUS amount of TV time/show continuity after I'd joined the USAF in Jan 1975, especially when I went overseas. No computers, Inet, STREAMing "This & That".
