70s Trek: Star Trek In The 1970s

She was not only a major contributor to The Original Series, but also broke new ground for women in the 1960s.   Dorothy Fontana went from Gene Roddenberry’s secretary to being the Script Consultant on the show in just a few months.  It was her story telling skill and intellect that made those stories she touched...memorable. She achieved what few women could in the mid-1960s.  Not only did she have a professional career, but she achieved a position that, at that time, was usually reserved only for men. And she did it before she was 30! So it seems fitting for our 100th episode that we’re talking about someone who had such a huge impact on Star Trek, while also being a ground-breaking figure.

It was the moment that many Star Trek fans thought would never happen. Production on The Motion Picture began on August 7, 1978. After being off the air for nine years and experiencing so many false starts, it seemed hard to believe that work on a Star Trek project was really happening! It had been 3,497 days since production ended on the last episode of Star Trek's original run, Turnabout Intruder.  That was the last time that live-action Star Trek had been in front of the cameras. That was way back on January 9, 1969.  And now some 9½ years later, a new Star Trek was finally in production.  This time, a major motion picture. Production took 125 days and wrapped on January 26, 1979. After that, it was time for the special effects and post-production team to work on the film. There was just 11 months before the premiere.

When Paramount decided to make Star Trek The Motion Picture, executives wanted to make sure that everything got updated from the 60s show. That included the Enterprise.  This week we tell you about how the starship was redesigned. The Origins The legendary Matt Jeffries designed the original Enterprise. And when Star Trek Phase II was in pre-production, Jeffries was asked to update his design. Jeffries began his work using a drawing he made back in 1964.  This was an alternate version of the ship that he created as a back up.  He wanted to make sure he had something ready just in case Gene Roddenberry didn’t like the Enterprise design that Jeffries pitched for the show. He also thought that if Star Trek lasted for several seasons, the Enterprise might need updating. So he saved these designs.  Jeffries thought that if anything would change on the ship, it would be the warp engines.  In those early drawings you can see the flatter engines and the swept back support pylons that would eventually show up on the E

One of the hallmarks of The Original Series was its use of color.  In the mid to late 60s, color TVs were finally available and Star Trek went out of its way to make use of that new technology with colorful uniforms, sets and lighting. But as pre-production was under way on The Motion Picture, director Robert Wise decided to take the film in a very different direction. He introduced a very monochromatic look. He used shades of gray and silver everywhere and played down bright colors.  He decided to do the same with the new Starfleet uniforms, as well. His view was that the multi-colored uniforms were OK for the small TV screen, but replicating that look on the big screen, might be unrealistic to moviegoers. He wanted the new uniforms to be simple and lack color.  What we ended up seeing on the screen showed up only once.  But they have become symbolic of this time in Star Trek’s history. Some people love them and some people hate them. But no matter how you felt about them they’ve become part of Star Trek’s h

Is there one episode from Star Trek, The Original Series that best exemplifies the show? Co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto believe there is and they tell you their choices on this episode of 70s Trek. Which Episode Is It? Pretend that you have a friend that has never seen Star Trek before. You want to recommend an episode that really exemplifies what the show is about so your friend will get it. What show would you suggest? Is it The City on the Edge of Forever? Or Space Seed? Maybe it’s The Tholian Web? It’s a debate that has raged for decades. What episode best exemplifies Star Trek?  And everyone has their own choice. To help us make our selections...logically...we compared the episodes against certain criteria before we making our choices. First, we define Star Trek as an action adventure drama that occasionally has a message or moral to share with the viewers.  We also considered classic Star Trek themes such as thinking their way out of a situation, Starfleet ideals, and even the friendship between th

The word “script” is defined as “the written text of a play, movie, or broadcast.”  Yet is so much more that that, too.  The script is also a road map that leads the actors, the production team and even the viewers through a story to a fulfilling end.   Good scripts leave you feeling satisfied.  Bad scripts make you confused. And in 1978, everyone was confused about the script for the Star Trek film project. What's Going On? In August 1977, Paramount CEO Michael Eisner decided to move the Star Trek property away from being a TV show, Phase II, and to instead make a blockbuster film, The Motion Picture. But it didn’t go easily. Gene Roddenberry and the production team didn’t have the main element in place needed to make a film: A good story. In fact, the idea for the Phase II TV pilot was still being shaped and developed when Eisner decided to make the Star Trek movie.  so while there was a concept, it was not a fully developed one. But Eisner wanted to shift gears to blockbuster film anyway. The challenge was

Their job is to die!  These characters serve the role of giving the writer someone to kill so the main characters don’t have to.  Of course we're talking about the "Redshirts." The term “Redshirt” in our culture has taken on the meaning of an unimportant person who can be sacrificed.  Of course, it originated on Star Trek as fans watched red-shirted security officers die over and over again. In fact, the idea of "redshirts" has become so popular that author John Scalzi wrote the book, Redshirts.  It was published in 2012.  It’s a spoof on Star Trek and tells the story of a low-ranking, red-shirted officer posted on a starship. He realizes his colleagues in security are all dying off on away missions.  He’s afraid he might be next. Sound familiar? The book was a New York Times bestseller. This week co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto take a tongue-in-cheek look at redshirts on the show.  For their purposes, they define “redshirts” as any insignificant character that gets killed as part of the story.  The color

He’s the person who brought Star Trek to the big screen.  Director Robert Wise had a long and notable career before coming to Star Trek. When producers were looking for a director, his name jumped off the page! The hiring of Wise was a sign that the project was legitimate and the power of Paramount was behind it. It's also a sign that Gene Roddenberry and the studio execs knew they needed an experienced filmmaker to get this movie going and get it finished by its premiere date. Robert Wise was a guy who could do that.  At this point in 1978, he had worked in the business for 44 years and as a director for 36. That’s a lot of experience. Hiring Robert Wise In August 1977, Paramount CEO Michael Eisner decided to cancel Star Trek Phase II and create a big budget film for Star Trek.  As we talked about back in Episode 89 of 70s Trek, director Robert Collins had been hired to direct the Phase II TV pilot, In Thy Image in the fall of 1977. But Paramount felt that the big budget film project needed a credible film d

The new Netflix documentary The Toys That Made Us is a gret way to look back at some of the toys you maight have played with as a child. The first Episode of season 2 is all about Star Trek toys.  The episode spends a considerable amount of time discussing the Mego Corporation.  that is the company that made, among other things, the Star Trek line of action figures during the 70s. The Mego Toy Corporation was able to purchase the rights for Star Trek for just $5,000! That line would eventually earn $50 million in sales in the 1970s! Co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto talk about Mego during the 70s in this episode.

In the 1970s, Star Trek’s return had taken many forms.  Multiple rejected movie ideas had finally led to one being green-lighted, The Planet of the Titans.  But ultimately, Paramount cancelled that project too. But In June 1977, Paramount announced its plans to create a 4th TV network with a new Star Trek show, Phase II, as the anchor. But just two months later, Paramount changed their plans and decided to take Star Trek to the big screen. Meanwhile, in the fall of 1977, production is continued on Phase II, and the crew of that show did’t yet know that the show had been secretly cancelled. On November 11, 1977, just two and a half weeks before production on Phase II was due to start, the studio announced that the television series had been cancelled in favor of a new feature film. Cast and crew who had been hired just that Monday were laid off by Friday, and construction on Phase II sets came to a halt.  These were the events that lead up to the start of pre-production on the project eventually called Star Tr

For many, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott is their favorite character.  He was a mix of old-world charm, a loving father to his engines, and an 18th century sailor - An old-salt. Yet when the ship was in danger, Scotty was always there to save the day, even when Kirk and Spock were not on board. Jimmy Doohan did an incredible job creating and portraying this character.  He instilled warmth, comedy, and leadership which all made Mr. Scott a complex character that fans loved! This week on 70s Trek co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto present their Top 5 Scotty Moments from the show.  What are your favorites?  Tell us at our Facebook page.

Today it's considered a science fiction classic. Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind was unlike any alien encounter film that came before it.  It ended on a positive note and did not portray the aliens as conquerors.   The film earned $492 million worldwide, or $1.2 Billion in 2018 dollars!  This phenomenal success played a role in the re-emergence of Star Trek.  It convinced Paramount executives that there was a permanent audience for quality science fiction movies and that their decision to make Star Trek The Motion Picture was the right one. After Close Encounters, the studio no longer second-guessed its decision.  It was "full speed ahead!" On this week's 70s Trek, we tell you about this Spielberg's sci-fi classic.

Even though Star Trek Phase II was officially cancelled by Paramount in August 1977 to make The Motion Picture instead, the production team working on the show didn’t know it.  Paramount decided to keep its decision a secret until it had all the business arrangements in order first.  So the Phase II team was kept in the dark, purposefully.  They continued on as if nothing had ever happened. Because as far as they knew, it hadn’t! So the production crew continued to hire actors, redesign the Enterprise and build new sets.  Of course, as the crew ramps up for a production that will never happen, the creative team also needed story ideas. Former Roddenberry assistant and new story editor Jon Povil listened to hundreds of pitches, trying to find just the right stories that fit Star Trek's unique requirements. On this episode of 70s trek, co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto tell you about the second group of stories that would have made up the first season of Star Trek Phase II.

Production was moving forward on the first Star Trek TV spin-off, Phase II, in the summer and fall of 1977.   Even though Paramount, in August 1977, had already decided that Phase II was dead.   To ensure that they had all of the cast contracts in place for the coming movie...and to make sure that this time, the production would move forward...the studio waited until March 1978 to tell the world about this new version of the production, Star Trek The Motion Picture. And of course during that time, between August ‘77 and March ‘78, nobody working on Phase II knew that it was dead.  They were kept in the dark. So work on the show continued.  Along with building the sets, signing the cast, and creating a new model for the Starship Enterprise...the production staff needed stories. In the book, Star Trek Phase II, the authors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens explain that Jon Povil, the story editor for the show, had to listen to hundreds of pitches from writers! From those pitches, 13 emerged as the best stories

In the summer of 1977, Gene Roddenberry was busy making plans for a new TV show that would be the first Star Trek spin-off. Star Trek Phase II would update the look and feel of the original series so it would fit the 1970s.  Of course, that included the look of the Enterprise, as well. Phase II Enterprise It's an intriguing idea: There was almost a Star Trek show in 1978 that would have featured a redesigned USS Enterprise.  The knowledge of Phase II stayed hidden from fans for decades.  But internet websites have brought this lost series to light in recent years. Now, when you search "Star Trek Phase II" on the internet, there’s a huge amount of content.  You can find a multitude of articles, videos and images.  There's even a pretty well-known fan film group that chose the name, "Star Trek Phase II" when they told the continuing adventures of the Starship Enterprise. On top of all of that, there’s been even more content in the last few months with the recent release of a starship model of the Phase II Enter

On this episode of 70s Trek we talk about the first Star Trek spin off.  And it is not The Next Generation. The first, planned, live-action sequel to The Original Series was actually a show called Star Trek Phase II. Phase II After spending two years looking for the right Star Trek film script in the mid 1970s, Paramount executives began to think that making a Trek movie might not work.  Thus, they began to shift their thinking, and started looking at Star Trek from the view point of its origins: A television property. While the Star Trek activity played itself out, Paramount was looking into creating a fourth television network. It was an idea the company had considered before.  Now with Trek moving back toward being a TV show, it seemed natural to move forward with the new network with a new Star Trek TV show as its anchor. Then on May 25, 1977, the movie Star Wars was released.  This convinced studio execs to move forward with Trek as a TV show.  The thinking by execs was that moviegoers had seen their sci

The Planet of the Apes was a true phenomenon during the decade. The 1968 film inspired four sequels, a television show, a Saturday morning cartoon and millions of dollars in merchandise during the 70s. Co-hosts Bob Turner and kelly Casto discuss the 1968 film and how its sequels influenced Star Trek's return.

In the 1970s, writer David Gerrold supported Star Trek with enthusiasm.  In fact, you might even say he was a cheerleader for the show. During the decade he wrote scripts for The Animated Series, voiced animated characters, appeared at conventions and wrote two books about Star Trek.  He even appeared in The Motion Picture in 1979. Between 1970 and 1973, just about everyone else who had been involved with Star Trek had moved on from the show.  Even Gene Roddenberry was producing other TV pilots.  But David Gerrold continued to rally the fans during those years and helped keep Trek alive for them.   He authored two non-fiction books about the show: The Trouble with Tribbles and The World of Star Trek.  He also penned two scripts The Animated Series, More Tribbles More Troubles and Bem, and even did voice work in two episodes.  

In 1977, Hollywood was shaken to its core when a little, independent film became a major hit. The movie was Star Wars and it directly impacted not only the future of the Star Trek franchise, but also the future of movie making. The film was something new and fresh and it came at a time when people needed something new and uplifting. America had been through some difficult times in the 70s.  The watergate scandal forced Richard Nixon to resign as president.  And in 1975, America pulled out of Vietnam in a less than victorious fashion.  Then came gas lines, the energy crisis and high inflation. It seemed like one problem after another was plaguing America.  Then in the middle of all of that, Star Wars was released. The film was different from most 70s-era sci-fi movies.  They were largely apocalyptic and took a negative view of the future.   Star Wars was a positive film with a positive message.

This week co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto talk about the actor who played the Captain of the Enterprise, William Shatner, on this episode of 70s Trek. His portrayal of the unflappable, heroic captain has become iconic.  While playing Kirk wasn't difficult for Shatner, working after the show went off the air was. Early Life. William Shatner grew up in Montreal, Canada and knew early on he wanted to be an actor.  After college, he worked extensively on Broadway and in early television.  During his early career, Bill Shatner was considered to be on the same career trajectory as Robert Redford. Star Trek When Star Trek's first captain, Jeffrey Hunter, decided not to return for the second pilot, Gene Roddenberry asked William Shatner to step in as the new skipper of the Enterprise. When the show was picked up and went into production, Shatner remembers that it didn't feel like work.  Instead, he considered the feeling that the cast and crew shared as being family. After Trek Shatner went through a lot around t