Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 12:24pm

Star Trek 50 Years On

 

Time to refresh my chief geek of the blog credentials.

To observe the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, my favorite scene from all of Trek:  Commander Michael Eddington’s rejection of the Federation in the Deep Space Nine episode “For the Cause”.  It is remarkable that an entertainment phenomenon arising from something as ephemeral as a short-lived television show is still with us half a century later.  Partially this is due to the endless running of the original Trek series in syndication in the seventies that greatly expanded Star Trek from a small cult to a large enough audience to flourish.  If viewed with a cold eye Star Trek is a fairly routine space opera with often bad writing, cheap production values, concepts that strained credulity, (an alien race modeling itself on the human Roman Empire?), bad acting, (William Shatner take a bow), worse science and a ridiculous philosophy that seems to be an amalgam of socialism, militarism and sixties goofiness.

All true to an extent, but there is so much more to Trek than that.  It has provided an optimistic view of the future that flies in the face of the fashionable gloom that has engulfed the West.  Star Trek has served to inspire kids to embark on careers in real science, and sparked the imagination of many more children.  Along with the daffiness of Trek fandom, it has been the basis of the beginning of many friendships and has provided hundreds of hours of harmless, and occasionally edifying, entertainment.  I do not regret the time that I have spent on Trek over the years, and I trust that I will not see the end of this romance of the future.  Man always needs optimism and hope, and even a form of entertainment can sometimes appeal to the better angels of our nature.  May Star Trek and its offspring, you knew I was going to end with this, Live long and prosper!

 

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Penguins Fan
Penguins Fan
Thursday, September 8, AD 2016 9:13pm

I can watch The Trouble with Tribbles and A Piece of the Action anytime. For all its alleged faults, the creativity behind Star Trek is amazing a half century later. How many TV shows and movies since 1966 have been completely forgotten…or were popular for a time, but had no lasting impact? Almost all of them. Not Star Trek.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, September 9, AD 2016 4:01am

Because of Star Trek, I had planned as a youngster to become a submarine reactor operator, and then use that experience to become a reactor operator aboard a spacecraft heading to Mars. Sadly, that was not to be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b18HtG0DOCM

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Friday, September 9, AD 2016 6:13am

A toast to star trek. Long may the adventures continue.

Also, a toast to Darkwing Duck (who’s 25th birthday was yesterday too). Yeah that’s right, Don, I’m challenging your geekiness. What can I say, he was one of my favorite morning/afternoon cartoons.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Friday, September 9, AD 2016 6:45pm

Ok I guess all is forgiven. 😉

Foxfier
Admin
Friday, September 9, AD 2016 8:43pm

Chief O’Brien is at least partly to blame for my joining the Navy– which means meeting my husband, having our kids, and all the joy that came from that. 😀

J. Christian
J. Christian
Friday, September 9, AD 2016 11:54pm

But I don’t know anyone who voted to leave the EU, er, Federation.

reader
reader
Saturday, September 10, AD 2016 4:06am

Well, you know Star Trek premiered on tv (was “born”) on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept. 8th). I can’t think that was an accident. I’m watching the BBC America 5oth anniversary marathon right now (first two seasons).

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