Star Trek: The Classic Series

The enduring success of the original, or classic, STAR TREK series is largely due to the outstanding cast assembled to crew the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Next to Kirk and Spock in the line of command came ship's surgeon, Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy and Chief Engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott.

From the earliest pilot episodes the relationship between captain and medic was always a close one. However, McCoy's relationship with Spock was more complex, graduating from mocking incredulity, through grudging mutual respect, to a genuine friendship. DeForest Kelley, who portrayed McCoy, had earlier appeared in several Paramount motion pictures before making his television debut in STAR TREK. In addition to the classic series, Kelly appeared in other highly popular television shows, including,'Gunsmoke','Rawhide'and 'Bonanza'.

(18k) Classic profiles: Spock, Kirk 'Bones' and 'Scotty'.

Ironically, Canadian-born James Doohan studied to be an engineer before his talent in mimicking accents, and his now familiar brogue in particular, collided with Roddenberry's idea of casting the U.S.S. Enterprise's engineer as a Scot. A veteran of the classic series, and all seven STAR TREK motion pictures, Doohan has appeared in more than one hundred American films and television series.

Former dancer and singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the multi-talented Nichelle Nichols was cast in the role of Lieutenant Uhura, the beautiful Starfleet communications officer. She was joined on the bridge of the original U.S.S. Enterprise by Helmsman Hikaru Sulu, played by third-generation Japanese American George Takei, and, from the second season, by Ensign Pavel Chekov, played by the Chicago-born son of Lithuanian parents, Walter Koenig.

(14k) On the bridge of the original U.S.S, Enterprise.

Other recurring characters included Mark Lenard, who appeared in a number of different guises in addition to the role of Spock's father and Federation diplomat, Sarek. The role of Nurse Christine Chapel, and the voice of the U.S.S. Enterprise's computer, were both played by Majel Barrett. Her involvement in the series led to romance with its creator and she became Majei Barrett-Roddenberry. Grace Lee Whitney played Captain Kirk's personal assistant, Yeoman Janice Rand. The chemistry between them was obvious but their relationship was maintained on a professional level.

(10k) A scene from the classic series.

The original STAR TREK series made its regular television debut on Thursday 8 September 1966 on NBC, the American nation-wide network. While the initial reviews were less than generous, the ratings revealed that the first episode attracted more viewers than its rivals. A curious phenomenon began to develop, however, as the series began to settle down, the fan mail began to pour in. The episode which really drew the fans was 'Naked Time', the seventh episode of the first season, in which crew members were affected with a disease which brought their repressed desires and personalities to the surface. It was this episode in which Spock wept over his inability to tell his human mother that he loved her.

The growing band of fans was not reflected in the ratings and by the end of 1966 NBC let it be known that it was considering cancelling the show. This resulted in a massive write-in campaign and an impressed NBC agreed to commission a second season. The new season introduced a new crew regular in Pavel Chekov, and brought greater prominence to the role of Spock. Mid-way through the second season, however, NBC again suggested that the show might not be continued, and once again the letters of protest came flooding in. The network retreated for a second time but allocated the third season to 10pm on Friday evenings, a slot that guaranteed poor ratings and eventual cancellation.

Roddenberry withdrew his involvement in the series and cuts were made in the show's production budget. Despite these problems the third season contained some excellent episodes but in February 1969 NBC announced that the series definitely would be cancelled. Kennedy's 1961 launch of the space race had been central to the inspiration behind STAR TREK. Ironically, the final episode was aired less than six weeks prior to humans first setting foot on the moon.

The history of STAR TREK, beginning with the 79 episodes of the classic series, is the story of the future. The talent encapsulated in this intrepid band of space travellers has ensured that their work has stood the test of time, and their adventures still represent some of the best science fiction made for television.

Star Trek: The Exhibition Included:

Specially commissioned exhibition model of the U.S.S, Enterprise NCC-1701, the starship from the classic series.
Full-size set of the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Command rank uniform. Starfleet duty uniforms were colour-coded, and this mustard.gold tunic indicates that the wearer was in the command career path. Both Chekov and Sulu wore this colour of tunic.
Engineering uniform. Engineering and ships service officers wore red tunics. The uniform on display was worn by Uhura in the classic series.
The Phaser, or PHASed energy rectification weapon used as a sidearm by Starfleet personnel in the classic series. The energy beam from this weapon could be set to stun, heat or disrupt.
Phaser rifle, The rifle version of the more commonly used sidearm.
Flip communicator. Acted both as a communicator device and as a locator for determining the exact coordinates of a crew member waiting to be beamed aboard. The flip-up model used in the classic series prefigured the design of the cellular telephone.
The medical kit carried by Dr. McCoy in the classic series containing basic diagnostic and therapeutic instruments.
Electronic clipboard used by the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the classic series.
Protective Radiation Suit and Helmet worn by characters in the classic series episode 'The Naked Time'.
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Suit worn by Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Chekov in the classic series episode 'The Tholian Web'.