I purchased this in hardback edition, used, for pennies on the dollar through a third party on Amazon. It was a wonderful, insight read from start to finish. I was born in 76, so I grew up on reruns of TOS, and I got the privilege of seeing TNG in its initial broadcast run. Based on everything that went on behind the scenes, it's amazing that we got Star Trek, period, let alone three full seasons. Star Trek is one of that franchises that has, good episodes/movies or bad, has brought me far, far more joy over the years than disappointment. I'm grateful to all involved. It's rare that a person works on a job/project with such a legacy that has, and will continue, to touch so many generations for so long.
I remember purchasing and reading the thick paperback “The Making of Star Trek“ and being fascinated by all the details that went into creating the show. This recording is a great companion piece to that book and should be on every Star Trek fan’s playlist. Live long and prosper.
@@MrGchiasson I first read it from my local Library and loved it and then I got the hard covered book and still reading it the book for me never got old
I was 8 when star trek first aired, was the only night I could stay up past bed time. All these years later and all the stories and spinoffs I'm still a trekie. Thank you all for my off this world exploring. OH, AND SPOCK ROCKS!
I sat up till 3am to listening to the whole thing. My thanks to everyone who worked so hard to keep the original Star Trek going. I really loved hearing those who had so much involvement in creating the Star Trek that we all are such fans of.
After more than 50 years, "Star Trek" lives on in so many capacities; movies, TV, books, magazines, fan fiction, art, and productions. An incredibly huge cultural impact. These guy were in on the nuts and bolts, at the very beginning. We owe them so much. Thanks, guys.
You don't even have to look that far. You are walking around with a communicator (cell phone), which was inspired by ST. The Tazar was given that name because of the Phaser. The tablet laptop was inspired by the tablet on ST.
Lucy gave them the key to the asylum! Glad she did! I never realized how much work went into this! All the stage sets, props, photography, and just about everything! They really busted their humps to do this! Hats off!
One of the most important things about TOS is just how low budget it was, while simultaneously being HIGH budget for a TV show. These guys were GENIUSES at making it as cheaply as possible while still reading as real before the camera. The other thing that constantly blows my mind is that *everything* you see until the mid-1970s had to be a physical object placed before a camera and photographed!
@Oona Craig Every Hollywood studio has its own skeletons. Anyone would be a fool to take everything you’re saying here at face value, so please provide a link to your source. You’re comparing Lucille Ball to Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci. Your reference to Covid and Covid vaccines is a non sequitur. I believe you’re just jumping in to troll Star Trek fans. Are you perhaps a Star Wars fan? So am I. Your entire comment appears to be typical misinformation/propaganda, which leaves you hypocritical to be putting that label on Desilu.
Were you listening?? Lucy was clueless about the show . She thought it was about ww2 and a uso show . It was in the works before she knew what was going on .
It's amazing to hear how these guys talk. They are very matter-of-fact and things come down to dollars and cents and what talent happens to be available. They're not like, "Wow, dude! We're gonna fly rocket ships to other planets, you know?" They could just as easily have been doing a show about the Barbarian invasion of Rome. All they cared about was the practical nuts and bolts stuff: Who, how much, when, and where. You can also hear their comeraderie and their feeling they were all going to sink or swim in the same boat. These are the kind of guys you want on ANY start-up... smart, clever, thoughtful, and cooperative. My fav part of the whole monologue was when Shatner and Nimoy were arguing about who was the star of the show. Then, Roddenberry said, "It's you, Bill."
How did I miss this when it was published in 1996? If this is just an "executive summary" of the much larger book, it must be a treasurhouse of information. Now Mr. Solow and Mr. Justman are gone, passed into history. Bravo to both of them. I wish I had met either or both of them when they were alive.
In "Where no Man has Gone Before" those silver eyes for Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman were super effective, some special effects were actually great. Love the detail that Gary Lockwood had to tilt his head up to see through them, it gave him that arrogant appearance, worked perfectly for the episode.
One of the coolest things about shooting TV and movies are these kind of accidents. That the silver eyes caused Gary Lockwood to tip his head back and it came off as haughty and 'superior' and looked great on camera is a perfect example!
This is a really fascinating back view of Star Trek and Ive seen hundreds nay thousands of videos about Star Trek so it was worth sitting thru the 3 hours listening to these versions of events that few documentaries ever touched on. Thumbs up here.
After watching years of ST 'How it all began' videos, this is simply the best. Who better than the show runner and assistant director to tell us how it all began? Start with, this, *then* watch all the rest.
I remember sitting in front of the TV the very first night in 1966 to watch this. How little did I know this would become a very large part of my enjoyment and I would spend quite a bit in books, tech manuals, props, and uniforms - and was able to make a few conventions and meet, who I thought was the true hero of the show, James Doohan (Scotty), on three separate occasions. Thank You to all that was responsible for this great show! ! !
I was born in February of 1964 I’m as old as the original shows origin. So I’m a Star Trek baby. Granted I saw fresh episodes as I grew up. I remember watching reruns in the afternoon after school. Little did I know it was becoming an explosive iconic series which I laughed off as an old show that would be lost in a studio locker somewhere. It is an honor to hear this account of deep behind the scenes.
I was born the day it first aired. Thanks to all involved I grew up assuming women could do anything they wanted, and integration was de facto. Wish I could have thanked them.
Thanks, This is very interesting. I and my family were one of the early fans of Star Trek. We would all make sure to be there on Thursday night. I remember discussion going back and forth with my uncle and dad about how the equipment worked or could not work. I am also glad that you have given credit to those who penned some of my favorite shows. And I always enjoyed all of the shows, either drama driven or humor driven because that is how life is. Happy and Sad. Also, the fact that people should not be put on a pedestal because they and we all need help to get where we are going. That is part of what the idea of Star Trek was we all work together to overcome the obstacles in life. Thanks, Guys.
The Star Trek series is loved all over the world. I'm 74 years old now, remember the start. I am still a great fan. I hope it will go on for more generations to come. Live long and Stay Safe.
Incredible I ate this stuff up in High School "Making of Star Trek" and " World of Star Trek" and know this straight-shooting matter of fact info ! Outstanding!
So did I. I went to cons and met many of the people involved in this story. I drank booze with Roddenberry in November 1979 when he was showing the NATO trailer for STTMP.
I spotted a fellow student in high school with a copy of "Making of Star Trek" which had the same cover photo as this audio documentary. I promptly purchased my own and absorbed it.
I love Star Trek and it will always be my favorite of Sci-Fi series, one which brings hope for a better possible future. God bless all of those who are responsible for its success and especially those who are also behind the scenes, in helping into giving us a finished film or play....it takes everyone working hard and their cooperation to make it possible. I also thank everyone who helped make a Sci-Fi such as Star Trek become one of the most loved series throughout the generations, and which still has its beloved fans supporting it efforts, and to those who have been fans with it ever since its 1st debut onto the TV era....it helped bring hope and something to look forward to, including a possible future of co-existence for humanity....a respect for all life. I already knew how much went into the series, lots of work and effort into making it all possible. Once in my younger years, I was fortunate in helping out with some small plays, being involved with sets and other duties with costumes, etc, and was lots of work for everyone concerned in order to keep the play flowing smoothly. It was also a lot of fun for me to do....God bless all those who are hidden behind the scenes and help make films and plays become a part of our lives and/or history.
I remember seeing the first Cel 'flip phone' and thinking...Communicator! Little did I know that a motorola engineer invented the first portable phone 'the brick' was a trekkie.
Thank you for this. Never would have bothered before but after listening to it I have a greater appreciation for these two men, and the wonderful series they helped to create. This will be a part of my library soon. 🖖👽
Thank you for posting "Inside Star Trek The Real Story" by Herbert Solow and Robert Justman. I thoroughly enjoyed re-learning much that I already knew, having watched the TOS when it was first aired on Australian TV as a kid, I am now 55. Gene was a man, perhaps a man with human flaws, however isn't it said somewhere that the Victor writes the History Books? To all my fellow Trekies/Trekers out there I say, "Live Long and Prosper. Our time is yet to come, but when it does; it is going to be a doozy!"
Leonard Nimoy was, and even after his death, is the embodiment of why we should not fear the unknown. I loved Nimoy's ability to create a character unlike any having been seen before. He/Spock will live forever.
Nimoy as Mr. Spock was absolutely great! Particularly since he really didn't like playing the part of a "Vulcan" at the time. He was a good father to his kids, so he did a great job as Mr. Spock. A real pro!
@David Roberts Do you not have an imagination? The character of Spock was a breakthrough in the creation of characters. Most shows/movies showed aliens as fearsome creatures. Spock was most certainly not fearsome.
Esther Breslau. Klatu was not frightening. Now his big planet killing robot friend was, but Klatu was a logical and empathetic savior character. That was a decade before. Mingo of Daniel Boone was the logical and well educated gentleman Cherokee in a cast of emotional ruffians and the noble fort commander, Daniel with his emotional friend on his other shoulder. Sound familiar...came two years earlier on the same network. Oh did I mention that Mingo was the son of a Cherokee woman and the British Governor of Virginia. No similarities at all.
Heard many versions of this story before - including reading the book this is taken from - but was still hooked from start to finish. Never cared what Roddenberry was like in real life, any more than I cared about the real lives of the actors. A piece of work should be judged for itself, not the private lives of its creators. I saw the first (UK) aired episode of the show when it debuted back in the late sixties and was hooked. Still am. But I also know that to the people who had to get it out on a weekly basis, it was a product. Guys like Harlan Ellison are living in a fool's paradise and effectively biting the hand that (literally) feeds them. Nice to hear that with Star Trek, even the guys who were driven by the bottom line appreciated that they had a quality product on their hands and were proud of it.
Reading the book this is based on is highly recommended. Bob Justman kept this show going by improvising incredibly to save money. Roddenberry was something of a lovable rake who they didn't really harbour ill-feeling toward, despite his self-centredness (so the critical picture of him rings true). The book gives a fascinating picture how television was made in the 60's.
Thank you very much for this very refreshing reality. It confirms what I (sadly) discovered on my own. I am 61-years, and still remember sitting up late Thursday nights at 8:30pm at the neighbor's house watching STAR TREK. Decades later, being from Hollywood myself, I was finally forced to realize that everything in Hollywood was a lie. Any quality that comes out of that place is a miracle. I am sickened and saddened by the simple fact in was 48-yeasr old before I finally fled Southern California, never to return. The endless stories I could tell about that place? All I want to do is forget.
I still remember watching the first episode broadcast when I was 7 years old. My sister and I were at our grandparents house in Oyster Bay NY, and my sister, 3 years older than me knew it was going to be on this night. I was just a little kid, but I was hooked! Been a fan ever since!
The book is amazing. It represents the most authentic telling of the production and sale of the Original Series. Hundreds of facts, inside stories and detail. This is Star Trek as it really was by the people who made it. The best thing on Star Trek and, as a lifelong fan, one of my favorite books of all time.
I wrote a paper during my undergrad about Star Trek TOS and this book was not only a fascinating read in general but was also a godsend for aiding me with my research. Aced the paper too! :D
My brother and I LOVED Star Trek. We knew exactly when it came on and we flew in front of the TV set (black and white) to watch it. By the time the series was in syndication, my brother had purchased a used RCA color TV console and we watched Star Trek at supper time every weekday night on channel 19. It seems like only a few years ago but a lot pf time has passed since then. This was a very good presentation. I'm glad I listened to it.
Thanks to All involved in bringing Star Trek, to us. The night the promo came on local NZ TV, everyone in the room stopped & eyes glued to the screen. The night the first episode aired, I was working with a team & Star Trek, was all that was on our minds - 5 hours work, got done in 3 hours ( no skimping), all so we could see the whole story. It's the one show on TV at the time that would take my dads eyes off the aquarium ( he was war damaged & had just prior to the war, been orphaned via an earthquake). Dad liked all of the initial series, along with Next Generation, Deep Space 9 & Voyager. To my knowledge, the whole family stopped to watch & were fans till death took them, like so many of the crew : RIP you fine folks who brought us the world of Star Trek - films & television series. 👍 🙂 🙏 It's unfortunate that the broadcasters, decided on the wrong ratings and cancelled Star Trek. Had that not occurred, would we have got all of the follow on series in the Star Trek Franchise ? The efforts of the crew, at Desilu, & the tight budgets, are greatly appreciated, as the original Gene Rodenbury produced/directed episodes, involved so much hard physical work involved for each episode - I was aware of the "hot sets" = permanent were few, and often highly interactive in usage. The original Enterprise size, was a surprise, as I knew it to be large, just not as large as it came . While not a "Trekie", the majority of the storys, in all series, have been worth the effort of viewing ; Then, and, Now. Namaste 🙏 💟
The best time of your lives. This attitude showed up in the final product of your efforts and that work was marvelous. I’m proud to be among the First Fans.
Robert H. Justman passed away on May 28, 2008. Herbert Solow passed away on November 19, 2020. That means none of the original creative triumverate behind TOS is now left.
Oh yes!Absolutely!The James Blish novels make the character”s “live on”,too!That”s why,I’m keeping those book”s!I think,these were Star Trek was still being filmed?I did catch Leonard Nimoy giving the “Vulcan salute”on film.Wow?I”m sure glad that I caught that on You-tube to remember this!And,yes!I caught some “nice film history”of the show!And,all those rocks behind the actor”s(was it:Simi Valley,California?).That was “really effective!”It did look like they were “beaming down”on a planet!It took year”s to realize this!
Thanks so much for that, I really enjoyed it. I didn't know about Gene's cruel side, but then the part at the end when he was slipping away made me feel sad...
I loved this. Born in 1967. Some of my earliest memories are watching Star Trek. Amazing how Roddenberry not only had the brilliant ideas, but the chutzpah to push them into reality! Not just a dreamer, but a doer, and kind of an S.O.B. when balked. 🤩
Jeffrey Hunter, the story was told often, lost the role as Captain Pike of the Enterprise, because when executives did not love the captain and Jeffrey's wife said he was not a television actor but a movie actor, Willism Shatner got his shot.
Interesting to note that Hunter tried hard to get the role of the dad on Brady Bunch, but ultimately failed. Sad to hear what happened to him following that. I enjoyed seeing him as Captain Pike.
I'm of two minds by what is revealed in this story. I've already heard rumblings in the past about details regarding Gene but most of my behind the scenes Star Trek knowledge comes from the more positive and sanitized retrospectives that were shown on TV over the years. It wasn't until I saw Chaos on the Bridge that I learned there was more going on than I thought. This made me take a different look at Gene, one that I was reluctant to accept. Despite Gene's flaws, what came out of Star Trek was mostly good and many people have been influenced by it in a positive way, even in ways that the creators never imagined. In the end, that is what is important.
I definitely agree with you. It's true, Gene was no saint. Furthermore, he didn't create many of the details that went into "Trek" as we know it today and even hated some of them. However... Gene was still the starting point of this whole thing, and it's equally true that "Trek" wouldn't have happened without him. And like you, I feel that in the end, that's the most important thing of all - that it did happen, and that it still endures.
@@heavyarms01h i like the Ohurra thing, atleast he chose a good name... in essence almost calling her Lietenant Freedom... thats a beautiful name idea for a comic series in the future for a space heroin
This started playing after a fan fic Star Trek episode and it was late so I let it run as background noise while I tried to doze off, 2 hours, 54 minutes and 50 seconds later I am still awake. I have never given 2 shits about how a show is created, if its good I watch it if its not I dont ask why its not I move on. But somehow this story was absolutely enjoyable. I dont like Hollywood insider bullshit either, but this wasnt that, it was a genuine heart felt retelling of the hard work and drama and success and failure of peoples lives and I am grateful to all involved in its creation. Live long and prosper Star Trek.
Actually, I do "take the phone off its hook".... metaphorically. The iPhone has a little switch on the left side which, if activated, turns off all sounds. This is what the old trick of taking the phone off its hook used to do.... namely, quiet the annoying ringing of the phone.
. . . but his reading of Shatner's opening lines? Ouch!! Ugh! Why did you include that? Read like a grade schooler in his first play. What prevented using the actual opening? I need to stop now so I can recover . . .
I'm transfixed. The Solow/Justman first-hand anecdotes put me in their shoes at every phase of the show's development. And I thought I knew everything I could know abt Trek after all these years. Helluva time capsule.
With all that going on, it's a miracle that Star Trek turned out so good and eventually became my favorite TV series in the universe. That Russian newspaper was right and that's why I truly admire the creative minds behind this show, whoever they may be, who somehow found their way through the labyrinth of capitalism and boldly went where no one had ever gone before.
I never watched Star Trek growing up but after listening to Elena Danaan and her explaining how this is based on a true story, I might just go back and watch it. Can't wait actually ❤
My only reservation is most Netflix movies I've seen are bad. Even with a good cast they somehow manage to be forgettable. Maybe a decent studio could do it and sell it to Netflix
Thanks so much for bringing STAR TREK TOS to us. Call me a Trekkie or Trekker but in reality I’m just a true fan of the tv series. I hope that Star Trek will keep on Trekking well into the future and beyond !
I also appreciate that Roddenberry’s view of the future of humanity, was fundamentally hopeful and positive.Suggesting that mankind would outgrow its dangerous infancy, and go onto explore the stars, with money, greed, and selfishness being replaced by hope, faith in truth, science and human nature.
Thank you! I'll go ahead and re-archive this. I have the tapes still so I own this already! I wish it had been released on CD format but they were cheap when they released this and did audio cassette-only.
I didn't become a trekker until Star Trek went into 70's syndication because in the 60's we only had one television with no remote control in our home and I as a youngster had no real say regarding our prime time viewing choices. I recall one night catching a glimpse of the Enterprise for a few seconds as the channels were being flipped and safe to say I wanted to see more but my mother insisted that I go to bed. Eventually the afternoon and early evening reruns came along and I was hooked.
Take a look at the credits for "Here's Johnny!" Paul Anka gave Johnny Carson 50% of the composer credits to Johnny to make sure Anka's theme would be chosen. It was the smart choice for Anka.
_The Making of Star Trek_ by Stephen E Whitman and Gene Roddenberry was as fascinating to me as the series. This personal account is just as fascinating. Thank you, gentlemen.
Just came across this 6/26/22. I loved Star Trek. I have watched the original, and TNG, loved Voyager too and the movies, all of them. This was a great video. Thank you.
I still think my favorite Star Trek legend comes from Nichelle Nichols and her meeting of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The way she tells the story is not only funny, but compelling.
It's got exactly one sentence that "tells you how to write for TV." It says for the captain not to put his arm around a female character, which made air anyway.
Star Trek's emergence has been described from the point of view of the Artists, the Writers, from Gene Roddenberry, and now from the Corporate Production.
The thing is .. Solow Sold it, Ellison and DC Fontana, wrote a lot of it ..Gene did rewrites and wanted credit .. he just couldnt co-exist ..but for the most part Gene was able to get Nichelle Nichols, Nimoy on board personally to be casted. the writers just got most of the heavy lifting done. It wouldn't have happened without the Corporatists barely green lighting it.
Thank You for posting this. Always been a Star Trek Fan since childhood and still am. Excellently done. Thank You . Didn’t know Roddenberry did things like what he did to Alexander Courage.. Thank You
I love Star Trek, I really do! That said, there are things in this e-reading that.....opened my ey....ears. It is what it is, context 'an all that; set in the future, yet firmly planted in the then present.
I never got to meet Herb, which is my father's name as well. He sounds like my kind of exec...clear and crafty at the same time. I CAN picture Gene in that meeting, though! There are a lot of talented people with major flaws. I think Sandy Courage got a raw deal, and frankly, Gene needed to share the credits where due. But, you can't go home again.
@@richardrichard5409 Mine, too. It seems Hunter had a wife who controlled all aspects of his work, her demands would have had either the show cancelled after Season 2 pushing for salary demands or Hunter would have left the show after Season 1.
2:20: Water Koenig's terrible Russian accent: My wife got a bachelors degree in Russian language and was praised before the class by her professor for her uncannily good Russian, she had little 'English accent' in her Russian diction. Asked what her secret was, she said, "I just think of Chekov as I speak Russian." While Walter might not have had the best 'Russian-speaking-English' accent, when speaking in actual Russian, English speakers might improve their Russian by recalling Walter's performance as they speak!
In one of his books, Leonard Nimoy recalls packing up his stuff when Star Trek was cancelled, only to unpack it a short time later when he was hired onto Mission Impossible.
These tapes were super, thank you! 👍👍👏👏👏👏👏 What a story! What a struggle...and...miracle that ST ever got made. I loved the first series best, the scripts were great and Shatner in his prime. Paramount messed up many later episodes. Sad to hear how Roddenberry was, cheating on his wife and Majel even, claiming many ideas were his, ....disappointing.