Star Trek (1966)

Plot Summary

A 1960's science fiction action adventure series set in the 23rd century based around the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, representing the United Federation of Planets (including Earth) on a five-year mission in outer space to explore new worlds, seek new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no one has gone before. The Enterprise is commanded by handsome and brash American Captain James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk (William Shatner). Kirk is advised by his two best friends Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) (last name unpronounceable to humans) the ship's half-human/half-Vulcan Science Officer and First/Executive Officer (i.e. second-in-command) from the planet Vulcan, and American Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Spock uses logic to solve problems but because he is half-Vulcan he has no emotions whilst McCoy gives Kirk advice with his human emotional feelings. Kirk takes the logic of Spock and the emotions of McCoy uses them both in his decision making. The trio are joined by a crew of approximately 430, including the Asian-American helmsman Lieutenant Hikaru Kato Sulu (George Takei), Russian navigator Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov (Walter Koenig), Swahili communications officer Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Scotish chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) and Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney). The series follows them as they confront strange alien races, friendly and hostile alike, as they explore unknown worlds. We see the Enterprise and her crew battle aliens, megalomaniac computers, time paradoxes, psychotic murderers, and even Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban). The series is known for looking at then (1960's) hot topics such as sex, war, God, religion, politics, and racism and other things that make up the human condition (and what it means to be Human) through a lens of the future. The 79 (eighty if including The Cage (1966)) episode television series, which was produced from 1966 to 1969, has now cult characters and has fans all over the world.