1966 to 2006, Star Trek Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary In Grand Style

September 8th, 1966 - Kirk: 'Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.' (Cue Star Trek Theme)

Television and pop culture history would never be the same. Who knew after only three seasons, the show would be cancelled and then develop such a world wide following like it does right up to today, all during and up to 40 years later and beyond?

Star Trek's (the original series) last show was June 3rd, 1969 - just three days before I was born.

So, what's the latest with it all? We've got the books, the novels, the graphic novels, the comics, the "everything" they've made! But what is up with 2006? What are they going to do to celebrate 40 years of Star Trek? (In Lord of the Rings voice) - "What news from the Shire?" (OK, that's another movie!) Sorry, I couldn't resist. "What news from the Starship Enterprise?" OK, I think that's better.

2006 is going to be a big year for all Star Trek fans. With so many millions of fans all over the world, so many fan sites and so much going on this and going into next year to celebrate it, there is no way I can post it all here, so I will just give a few.

Star Trek main links:
Official website: startrek.com
Official magazine: startrekmagazine
SciFi Channel's Star Trek page: scifi/startrek
'The Mother of All Star Trek Sites': stwww.com
TVLand's Star Trek Special Tonight: tvland.com/startrek
Fan-Produced Star Trek series: startreknewvoyages
Starfleet Library: starfleetlibrary

The first syndication of Star Trek started in the 70s, so all growing up of course I and kids my age watched it. I think I was pretty much hooked from the beginning because it was sci-fi.

It wasn't until years later I found out this show only ran for three seasons but because of the way they ran it in syndication so much, I thought it had been around for a longer time and actually I thought as a kid they were still filming episodes in the 70s!

My best Star Trek episodes? It would take too long to list them though I do have some favorites, plus I am still seeing new ones (from the original series) I never saw before thanks to the likes over the years of our old local channels, UPN, The SciFi Channel, G4, TVLand, and it being out on DVD now.

OK, everyone has their opinion on Star Trek one way or the other and all in between too.

Here's 'LT's Breakdown of Star Trek!'

Star Trek: The Original Series (9.8.66 to 6.3.69) [80 Eps.] - Loved it. Still do. The whole cast was cool. So was the story writing and more.

Star Trek: The Original Series Cast Links:
williamshatner.com
leonardnimoyphotography.com
uhura.com
georgetakei.com
walterkoenigsite.com

Star Trek The Animated Series (9.8.73 to 10.12.74) [22 Eps.] - I honestly liked it that it was in cartoon form but I missed seeing most of them for whatever reasons during those years. The DVD for it will be out in November! ;)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (9.28.87 to 5.23.94) [178 Eps.] - Never missed an episode. Loved it. Still do. The 2nd season they started to gel as actors. This is when the magic began. Incredible writing, producing, direction, everything. Just got better and better over time. 87 to 94. These were good years for me too to really get into it as a young adult. The actors chemistry with each other on this show blew my mind and amazed me as it just kept getting better and better. Priceless. Cool Picard. "Make it so!" And don't forget to, "Engage!" LOL. Great actor. Dont forget he was also in Excalibur amongst many other movies and theater too way before he got to ST.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast Links:
patrickstewart.org
marinasirtis.tv
wilwheaton.net

Deep Space Nine (1.3.93 to 6.2.99) [176 Eps.] - I really got into DS9 and really liked Avery Brooks as the captain. I missed most of the later episodes though. I still have a lot of catching up to do with this series. Incredible actor! His stage and theater stuff is incredible too. They did a lot with this one and I wanted them to do even more with it. A good buddy of mine said he would like to see them do a big screen movie version of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, just because! I would like to see that too.

Voyager (1.16.95 to 5.23.01) [172 Eps.] - Captain Janeway. OK, can I be honest? Her voice irritated me. I mean, her voice irritated me to the point that it was hard to watch the show. I've seen her in other stuff and thought she was OK but as a Captain on ST? She just didn't work for me and I tried, folks, I really tried. LOL. But it wasn't just because of Janeway, I think it was the writing overall and the stories. It just felt like a weak series overall to me that never found it's center or it's gut. I knew they would have a woman as a Captain sooner or later and I thought it was past time they did. I was looking forward to seeing who it would be but I just never quite could get into her character. I didn't think she was the best choice to play a Captain. I think they could have chosen some other actresses who could have really knocked that role out and we still would be talking about.

As for the show? Voyager was OK but really more of a yawner series for me. I just couldn't find myself getting into it every week. Not a total failure, not incredibly bad, but just OK. If nothing else was going on I just might watch it. LOL!

Enterprise (9.26.01 to 5.13.05) [98 Eps.] - The timeline they chose here was interesting. I was curious to see where they would place this. Had a very promising beginning I thought and I did watch it as much as I could but overall I thought it was just OK and could have been better. I do give them kudos for trying some new things as they went on. Like Voyager, I think it runs better late at night in syndication now.

The movies over the years:
The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Voyage Home, Final Frontier, Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemisis, XI (working title). To me they have been filled with some hits and misses but I did see each one.

I love timelines in general. Check out this very well done Star Trek Timeline website: members.cox.net. It helps put things in order for the passing fans to the diehards to just the inquisitive.

Do I consider myself a Trekkie? Well, I know there are different levels of fandom for the show. I guess that would be subjective. Some fans are more into it all then others and I still do not know all the Star Trek facts and trivia like a lot of people I have met. I also have never been to a Star Trek Convention, though I thought about going here and there over the years (very expensive!) so I think I would consider myself as someone who digs the show and the series overall.

If something is mentioned as Star Trek, in general, or a Star Trek reference, I'd say you pretty much have my ear. LOL. There are a lot of things that I do love about it overall. If it comes on in general and I have the time, I will watch it!

I think that one of the smartest things they did was to take a break after the most recent Star Trek TV series, Star Trek: Enterprise and just take a long look at, "OK, Where do we go from here?" A lot of folks wanted them to keep it on though.

My overall hope for Star Trek for TV is that they go back to the Starfleet Academy and show a "young everybody." There are rumours that this is what the new 2008 movie will be by the look of the Star Trek 2008 Poster but I would like to see them do this for the series because they could stretch it out overtime starting with each crew.

They could go an easy 4 seasons for each show they've had. ST, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. Freshman, Sophmore, Junior and Senior Year for each one easy.

I can tell you off the top that the Star Trek:The Next Generation Starfleet Acadamy series would truly be great stuff if they do it right. They would have to get back the original writers from that show to make it fly the way it should be done.

Check out this opening sequence for Starfleet Academy, Interplay's CD-ROM videogame out I just found out about this week. I think it came out in 1996. Puts me in the mind for what I was talking about for a Starfleet Academy television series but once again, I would want the series to show a "young everybody"! ;) Watching this though does get me psyched!



Star Trek is one of those shows that will be here 50 years from now with people still talking about it.

Cellphones, personal communication devices, big screen tvs, personal computers, science, medicine and more - It was and continues to be ahead of its time.