It's hard to believe that the original series is now 50 years old.
Quote : Star Trek, a groundbreaking sci-fi series, premiered on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966, and used space exploration as a metaphor for peaceful coexistence at a tumultuous time in history. The original series, which starred William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and a diverse supporting cast, struggled and was cancelled after three seasons, but its impact lives on: Trek spawned six TV sequels (including a new one due in January), several films and countless fan gatherings and merchandising opportunities. Let’s celebrate its 50th anniversary!
http://www.usatoday.com/topic/star-trek/local
Many high tech gadgets we use today look very similar to the original star trek props. The flip up cell phones we used are very similar to the communicators used on the show.
There were a number of hokey episodes but one episode stands out as an example of the enormous potential this series had.
" A Balance of Terror "
The Enterprise under the command of a fairly new captain, James kirk, encounters a Romulan ship, which has attacked outposts near the " Neutral Zone ". The episode introduces a cloaking device which renders a ship " invisible " The new technology has some real world scince behind it such as the selective bending of light waves. The Romulans have had an isolationist period for a decade but sought to test federation resolve.
It end with the destruction of the Romulan ship. the episode is somewhat reminiscent of movies we have all seen that featured naval combat. " The enemy below " with Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum comes to mind "
The greatest feature of the series was that the cast was comprised of the collective talents of people from different countries. Hikaru Sulu as a Japanese Helsman, Pavel Chekov as the navigator and science officer. Montgomery Scott as the Scottish chief engineer and Uhura as a communications officer. It also included iconic science officer Spock from the planet Vulcan. Creator Gene Roddenberry had a vision of a future where everybody worked together.
Excerpts from " a balance of terror "
Happy Birthday and anniversary to Star trek and it's revolutionary themes.