Star Trek has fueled our fascination with space and reaffirmed our faith in the future. TV Guide sniffed, “The sky’s not the limit on this trek.” Variety pronounced it dreary and confusing. It’s no small wonder that after its premiere broadcast, few expected Star Trek to “live long and prosper.” Certainly no one could have predicted the show’s profound effect on popular culture. Yet despite lukewarm ratings, Star Trek’s wildly loyal following was apparent right from the start. Rumors of cancellation brought the NBC network more than a million outraged fan letters and resulted in a renewal for a second and then a third season.

Star Trek soon went on to become a TV industry phenomenon when its reruns attracted audiences greater than their original network airing. Today the classic Star Trek episodes are syndicated in over 100 domestic markets and in over 75 countries. It remains the single most successful show in syndication history with its longevity brought on by its faithfulness to creator / producer Gene Roddenberry’s progressive vision of the future -- a 23rd century in which mankind is free of crime, disease, racism, poverty and war. Indeed, it was Star Trek that first depicted a black woman, Lieutenant Uhura, as an equal among the all-male command crew & showed Ensign Pavel Chekov, a Russian navigator, working alongside American officers.

The achievement was a television milestone that revealed our future as a collective mission in a galaxy of promise. A journey that requires us to boldly go where no man has gone before.