The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek

It all began when Gene Roddenberry convinced Desilu to foot the bill for not one, but two "Star Trek" pilots; thanks to Desilus boss, Americas darling Lucille Ball, the world met Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

Paramount wanted to launch a fourth network with the new Star Trek series Phase II as its flagship. When the network proved unworkable, Phase II appeared doomed - until Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind proved box office hits. Phase II became the 1979 blockbuster Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

In 1987 Paramount decided Trek should return to its roots: television. ST: The Next Generation would become the first hour-long scripted show sold directly to the syndicated television market. Paramounts gamble paid off. Who hasnt heard of Picard, Data, and Worf?

1995 brought another Trek series. This one featured a new starship, a return to episodic storytelling, and Treks first female Captain, Kathryn Janeway. It was also the flagship for Paramounts new television network, United Paramount Network (UPN). Despite running seven seasons, the addition of Seven of Nine wasnt well-received by the entire cast.

Plagued by fledgling UPNs under-performance, Enterprises premise (a prequel about the Federations founding) was undercut by the decision to make the third season a reaction to 9/11. Lackluster ratings meant Captain Archer and his crew would only get four seasons.

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