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Here Be Dragons co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless - opens 13 July. Admission included with ticket to the Galleries

1001 Stories Collection

Star Trek

1001 Star Trek1
Added on 09th August 2020

Creator Gene Roddenberry
First shown 1966 Paramount Television, USA

Action and adventure Science fiction
1001

Join Captain James T Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise and boldly go where no man has gone before.

Story

Captain James T Kirk and his crew explore the galaxy in the starship Enterprise, discovering new civilisations, maintaining peace, and tackling complex moral dilemmas as they ‘boldly go where no man has gone before’.

The original television series of Star Trek was cancelled after three seasons but led to one of the most successful media franchises of all time.

Why we chose it

Star Trek uses adventurous storylines about encounters with alien life forms to explore issues like war, colonialism, racism, sexism and human rights. Kirk and his crew risk death and failure but always end on an optimistic note about the future of humanity.

Trekkies (or Trekkers, as fans are sometimes called) praise the interplay between the main characters: logical Commander Spock, the Vulcan Science Officer; emotional Dr McCoy, the Chief Medical Officer; and Captain Kirk, as he grapples with the challenges of leadership. Others enjoy the gadgets – transporters, universal translators, cloaking devices, communicators, and holodecks, many of which are becoming reality. The series prided itself on its multiracial cast . Famous fans include writer Malorie Blackman and President Obama.

Where it came from

Gene Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles and flew combat missions in the US Army Air Force before joining the LA Police Department. He wrote television scripts for westerns and police stories in his spare time. In 1964 he successfully pitched a proposal for a science fiction series. Although he described it as ‘a western in outer space’, he wanted Star Trek to show how the human race could develop if it learned from history.

Where it went next

The show began with high ratings which then dipped and, despite campaigns by loyal fans, was cancelled in 1969. During the 1970s these were successfully revived across the world, sparking an animated series, 6 spin off television series and 13 films, plus theme park rides, comics, games and merchandise, with more in development.

Associated stories

Trekkies recommend Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Added on 09th August 2020

Creator Gene Roddenberry
First shown 1966 Paramount Television, USA

Action and adventure Science fiction
1001