star trek the one

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The Q Continuum eventually erased The One's body from existence and banished The One behind the Great Barrier , where he remained for half a million years. ( TNG novel : Q-Strike )

In 2287 , The One (impersonating God ) manipulated Sybok into commandeering the USS Enterprise -A and taking it through the Great Barrier (and later, the shuttlecraft Copernicus through the atmosphere to Sha Ka Ree 's surface) in an attempt to gain freedom, but was defeated by James T. Kirk . ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Though disembodied, The One had such psionic energy power over the planet that he could alter readings, speed the passage of daylight and terraform the environment. He could construct rock -like minions from the crust of the planet, or take on the substance of it for "Him"self. ( TOS movie : Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

The One was still trapped within the barrier in 2374 . The malevolent entity 0 had set the USS Enterprise -E on a course to free The One, but was stopped by the combined efforts of Q and the Calamarain long before reaching the barrier. ( TNG novel : Q-Strike )

External link [ ]

• The One article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Intrepid class

A Short History Of Number One In The Star Trek Universe

If you're exploring the cosmos and going where no one has gone before, it makes sense to have someone reliable at your side. In "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," Captain Christopher Pike commands the classic Enterprise with Lieutenant Spock as his third. His second-in-command is the steadfast Number One.

But "Number One" is just a nickname. The character's real name is Commander Una Chin-Riley, with Rebecca Romjin reprising the role after her appearances in "Star Trek: Discovery." Like Pike himself and the ship's medical officer, Doctor M'Benga, "Strange New Worlds" has the chance to finally add some more color and life to characters that had only brief appearances in the original "Star Trek".

Trapped in the Cage

Number One first appeared in the original pilot episode of "Star Trek." Entitled "The Cage," the pilot introduces us to the crew of the starship Enterprise, though it's a slightly different iteration from the one most people know. At the helm of this ship is Captain Christopher Pike and his first officer a woman simply known as Number One.

The character was played by actress Majel Barrett, who would transition over to the original series as a different character, Nurse Christine Chapel. In the pilot episode, Number One is a stoic figure, betraying very little emotion and focusing entirely on the business at hand. When Pike is kidnapped on a mission to Talos IV, Number One elects to be a part of the landing party that goes to find him.

Things don't go as planned and Number One becomes kidnapped by the Talosians as well, with the aim of providing Pike with a selection of potential mates. The leader of the Talosians, the Keeper, even notes that Number One's professional demeanor is a shield over her feelings for Pike. Ultimately, Number One sets her weapon to overload in an attempt to stop the Talosians' plans.

Number One was never seen again in the original continuity, as Barrett was now playing Nurse Chapel. There's no indication whether she had a further career with Starfleet after the mission shown in "The Cage." Barrett would later marry series creator Gene Roddenberry, becoming Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and appear as Lwaxana Troi in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Discovering a new side of yourself

Number One returned later in "Star Trek: Discovery" and the adjoining "Short Treks" mini-series. In the "Short Treks" episode "Q&A," the newly-assigned Ensign Spock finds himself trapped in a turbolift with the Enterprise's first officer, giving him a chance to ask her about the Captain and the rest of the ship. It's a light episode, mostly played for laughs.

Writer Michael Chabon told Syfy Wire that he also used the episode to explain the differences between the more emotive Spock in the pilot and his later characterization in "Star Trek." The answer? He took after the first officer he met on his first day on the Enterprise — the impassive Number One.

Number One guest-starred on "Discovery" when Pike took over as Captain for the Discovery in season 2. In the episode "An Obol for Charon," the Enterprise itself is disabled and in spacedock, giving Number One and Pike the chance to discuss murder allegations against Spock. Number One comes across as fiercely protective of Spock, even noting that she did some sanctioned digging to find information about the case.

Number One appears again in the season finale for the second season of "Discovery," welcoming Pike and Spock back to the ship.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series (referred to as Star Trek prior to any spin-offs) is the first Star Trek series. The first episode of the show aired on 6 September 1966 on CTV in Canada, followed by a 8 September 1966 airing on NBC in America. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry as a " Wagon Train to the Stars". Star Trek was set in the 23rd century and featured the voyages of the starship USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk .

Star Trek was later informally dubbed The Original Series , or TOS, after several spin-offs aired. The show lasted three seasons until canceled in 1969 . When the show first aired on TV, and until lowering budget issues in its third season resulted in a noticable drop in quality episodes and placed in a 10 pm Friday night death slot by the network, Star Trek regularly performed respectably in its time slot. After it was canceled and went into syndication , however, its popularity exploded. It featured themes such as a Utopian society and racial equality, and the first African-American officer in a recurring role.

Ten years later, Star Trek: The Motion Picture reunited the cast on the big screen aboard a refurbished USS Enterprise . They appeared in five subsequent films, ending with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991, during production of the spin-off series Star Trek: The Next Generation and shortly before Gene Roddenberry's death. Several original series characters also appeared in the seventh movie, Star Trek Generations , and in other Star Trek productions.

• 1 Opening credits
• 2.1 Starring
• 2.2 Also starring
• 2.3 Co-stars
• 3 Production crew
• 4.1 First pilot
• 4.2 Season 1
• 4.3 Season 2
• 4.4 Season 3
• 5.1 Concept
• 5.2 The first pilot
• 5.3 The second pilot
• 5.4 The series begins
• 5.5 The first season
• 5.6 Syndication
• 5.7 Reception
• 5.8 Remastered
• 6 Related topics
• 8 External links

Opening credits [ ]

• Main Title Theme (Season 1)  file info (composed by Alexander Courage )
• Main Title Theme (Season 2-3)  file info (composed by Alexander Courage )

Main cast [ ]

Starring [ ].

• William Shatner as Captain Kirk

Also starring [ ]

• Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock
• DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Co-stars [ ]

• James Doohan as Scotty
• Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
• George Takei as Sulu
• Walter Koenig as Chekov ( 1967 - 1969 )
• Majel Barrett-Roddenberry as Christine Chapel
• Grace Lee Whitney as Janice Rand

Production crew [ ]

• Gene Roddenberry – Creator, Writer, Producer, Executive Producer
• Gene L. Coon – Writer, Producer
• John Meredyth Lucas – Writer, Producer, Director
• Fred Freiberger – Producer (1968-69)
• Robert H. Justman – Associate Producer (Season 1-2), Co-Producer (Season 3), First Assistant Director (two pilots)
• D.C. Fontana – Writer, Script Consultant (1967-68)
• Steven W. Carabatsos – Writer, Story Consultant (1966)
• John D.F. Black – Associate Producer, Writer, Story Editor (1966)
• Arthur H. Singer – Story Consultant (1968-69)
• Byron Haskin – Associate Producer (first pilot)
• Walter "Matt" Jefferies – Production Designer, Art Director
• William E. Snyder – Director of Photography (first pilot)
• Ernest Haller – Director of Photography (second pilot)
• Jerry Finnerman – Director of Photography (61 episodes, 1966-1968)
• Keith Smith – Director of Photography (1 episode, 1967)
• Al Francis – Director of Photography (16 episodes, 1968-1969), Camera Operator (61 episodes, 1966-1968)
• Jim Rugg – Supervisor of Special Effects
• Rolland M. Brooks – Art Director (34 episodes, 1965-1967)
• Fred B. Phillips – Make-up Artist
• Robert Dawn – Make-up Artist (second pilot)
• William Ware Theiss – Costume Designer
• Gregg Peters – First Assistant Director (Season 1), Unit Production Manager (Season 2-3), Associate Producer (Season 3)
• Claude Binyon, Jr. – Assistant Director (third season)

Episode list [ ]

• List of TOS episodes by airdate
• List of TOS remastered episodes by airdate

First pilot [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

TOS Season 1 , 29 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

TOS Season 2 , 26 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

TOS Season 3 , 24 episodes:

Behind the scenes [ ]

Concept [ ].

Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry, whose interest in science fiction dated back to the 1940s when he came into contact with Astounding Stories . Roddenberry's first produced science fiction story was The Secret Weapon of 117 , which aired in 1956 on the Chevron Theatre anthology show. By 1963 Roddenberry was producing his first television series, The Lieutenant , at MGM .

In 1963, MGM was of the opinion that "true-to-life" television dramas were becoming less popular and an action-adventure show would be more profitable (this prediction turned out to be right, and led to series such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E ). Roddenberry had already been working on a science fiction concept called Star Trek since 1960 , and when he told MGM about his ideas, they were willing to take a look at them. As the production of The Lieutenant came to an end, Roddenberry delivered his first Star Trek draft to MGM. The studio was, however, not enthusiastic about the concept, and a series was never produced.

Roddenberry tried to sell his " wagon train to the stars " format to several production studios afterward, but to no avail. In 1964 , it was rumored that Desilu was interested in buying a new television series. Desilu was a much smaller company than MGM, but Roddenberry took his chances, greatly aided with the help of Desilu Executive Herb Solow . This led to a three-year deal with Desilu in April 1964 .

The first attempt to sell the Star Trek format to broadcasting network CBS (Desilu had a first proposal deal with the network) failed. CBS chose another science fiction project, Irwin Allen 's more family-oriented Lost in Space instead of Roddenberry's more cerebral approach. But in May 1964 , NBC 's Vice-President of Programming Mort Werner agreed to give Roddenberry the chance to write three story outlines, one of which NBC would select to turn into a pilot.

One of the submitted story lines, dated 29 June 1964 , was an outline for " The Cage ", and this was the story picked up by NBC. Now, the daunting task that Roddenberry and his crew faced was to develop the Star Trek universe from scratch. Roddenberry recruited many people around him to help think up his version of the future. The RAND Corporation's Harvey P. Lynn acted as a scientific consultant, Pato Guzman was hired as art director, with Matt Jefferies as an assisting production designer. This phase of creativity and brainstorming lasted throughout the summer, until in the last week of September 1964 the final draft of the "The Cage" script was delivered to NBC, after which shooting of the pilot was approved.

The first pilot [ ]

In early October, preparations for shooting "The Cage" began. A few changes in the production crew were made: Roddenberry hired Morris Chapnick , who had worked with him on The Lieutenant , as his assistant. Pato Guzman left to return to Chile and was replaced by Franz Bachelin . Matt Jefferies finalized the design for the Enterprise and various props and interiors. By November 1964 , the sets were ready to be constructed on stages Culver Studios Stage 14 , 15 , and 16 . Roddenberry was not happy with the stages, since they had uneven floors and were not soundproof, as Culver Studios had been established in the silent movie era when soundproofing had not been an issue to consider. Eventually, in 1966 , the rest of the series was shot on Paramount stages 9 and 10 , which were in better shape.

Casting of the characters was not a problem, apart from the lead role of Captain Pike (still known as "Captain April " at this point, later renamed "Captain Winter" before finally choosing "Pike") who Roddenberry convinced Jeffrey Hunter to play. Leonard Nimoy ( Spock ) had worked with Roddenberry on The Lieutenant . Majel Barrett , also a familiar face from The Lieutenant , got the part of the ship's female first officer, Number One . Veteran character actor John Hoyt , who had worked on many science fiction and fantasy projects before, was chosen to play the role of Doctor Phil Boyce . Young Peter Duryea and Laurel Goodwin were hired as José Tyler and Yeoman J.M. Colt , respectively. The extras were cast from a diversity of ethnic groups, which was significant because integration was not a usual occurrence in 1960s television, and segregation was still a reality in the United States.

To produce the pilot episode, Robert H. Justman was hired as assistant director; he had worked on The Outer Limits shortly before. Makeup artist Fred Phillips was brought in as well, whose first job it was to create Spock's ears. Another veteran from The Outer Limits was producer-director Byron Haskin , who joined as associate producer. On 27 November 1964 , the first scenes of "The Cage" (or "The Menagerie," as it was briefly known), were shot. Filming was scheduled to be eleven days, however the production went highly over budget and over schedule, resulting in sixteen shooting days and US$164,248 plus expenses.

But there were still a lot of visual effects to be made. An eleven-foot filming model of the USS Enterprise , designed by Matt Jefferies, was built by Richard Datin , Mel Keys , and Vern Sion in Volmer Jensen 's model shop , and was delivered to the Howard Anderson Company on 29 December 1964 .

In February 1965 , the final version of "The Cage" was delivered at NBC and screened in New York City. NBC officials liked the first pilot. Desilu's Herb Solow says that NBC was surprised by how realistic it looked, and that it was "the most fantastic thing we've ever seen." The reason the pilot was rejected was because it was believed that it would attract only a small audience, and they wanted more action and adventure. They also had problems with the "satanic" Spock and the female first officer (Number One). However, NBC was convinced that Star Trek could be made into a television series, and that NBC itself had been at fault for choosing the "The Cage" script from the original three stories pitched. Also, after spending US$630,000 on "The Cage" (the most expensive TV pilot at the time), they didn't want to have their money wasted. NBC then made the unprecedented move to order a second pilot.

The second pilot [ ]

For the second pilot, NBC requested three story outlines again. These were " Where No Man Has Gone Before " by Samuel A. Peeples , and " Mudd's Women " and " The Omega Glory " by Roddenberry. Although it was the most expensive of the three, NBC chose " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", as it had the most action and most outer space spectacle. However, the other two premises were also made into episodes of the series later.

Filming the second pilot began in July 1965 , and took nine days to complete. The entire cast of " The Cage " was replaced except Spock. Jeffrey Hunter chose not to reprise his role as Captain Pike, mostly by the advice of his wife, who felt that "science fiction ruins her husband's career". Roddenberry wanted both Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lord for the role of the new captain, however both declined. Finally William Shatner , who had previous science fiction experience acting in episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits , was chosen. The new captain was named James R. Kirk (later renamed James T. Kirk).

For the role of the chief medical officer, Roddenberry chose veteran actor Paul Fix . Canadian actor James Doohan got the role of chief engineer Scott , and young Japanese-American George Takei was featured as ship's physicist Sulu . The latter two reprised their roles in the upcoming series, though Sulu was a helmsman in the series. Other actors considered for being regulars were Lloyd Haynes as communications officer Alden and Andrea Dromm as Yeoman Smith , but neither of them were re-hired after the pilot.

Many of the production staff were replaced. Robert Dawn served as head make-up artist, however Fred Phillips returned to the position in the series itself. Academy Award winner cinematographer Ernest Haller came out of semi-retirement to work as the director of photography. Associate producer Byron Haskin was replaced by Robert H. Justman , who now shared double duties as producer and assistant director.

The Enterprise model was updated for the second pilot, and many new outer space effects shots were made, most of which were reused in the series itself. The sets were also updated a bit, most notably the main bridge and the transporter room. Most of the uniforms, props, and sets were reused from " The Cage ", however some new props (including the never-seen-again phaser rifle ) and a brand new matte painting (the planet Delta Vega ) were made specially for this episode.

" Where No Man Has Gone Before " was accepted by NBC and the first season of a regular series was ordered for broadcasting in the 1966-67 television season. History was made.

The series begins [ ]

Preparation for the first regular season began in early 1966 . All the Enterprise interior sets were updated, as well as the introduction of brand new uniforms. The look of the show became more colorful and more vivid. The Enterprise model was also updated once more. Also, the entire production was moved from Desilu's Culver City studios to the main Gower Street studio's Stage 9 and 10 ( Paramount Stage 31 and 32 from 1967 onward) in Hollywood.

Kirk (Shatner) and Spock (Nimoy) were kept as the series stars, with Grace Lee Whitney joining the two as Yeoman Janice Rand (replacing Andrea Dromm as Yeoman Smith). Whitney had worked with Roddenberry a year before on an unsold pilot titled Police Story . Publicity photos promoting the new series were made at this time, with the three of them, mostly using props left from the two pilots (most notably the aforementioned phaser rifle). Shatner and Nimoy wore their new uniforms on these photographs, while Whitney had to wear an old, pilot version.

Scott (Doohan) and Sulu (Takei) were also kept, the latter becoming the ship's helmsman instead of physicist. Two additions made the Enterprise main crew complete: DeForest Kelley was hired to play the new chief medical officer, Leonard McCoy , as Roddenberry had known him from previous projects, including the aforementioned Police Story . Actress Nichelle Nichols got the role of communications officer Uhura , who became a symbol of the racial and gender diversity of the show. Nichols was a last minute addition, weeks before filming began on the first regular episode.

Jerry Finnerman became the new director of photography, while Fred Phillips, Matt Jefferies, and Rolland M. Brooks returned to their former positions. Writer John D.F. Black was brought in as the second associate producer (next to Justman). While Roddenberry and Black handled the script and story issues, Justman was in charge of the physical aspects of production.

Filming of the first regular episode, " The Corbomite Maneuver " began on 24 May 1966 . Finally Star Trek debuted on NBC with a "Sneak Preview" episode at 8:30 pm (EST) on 8 September 1966 . NBC chose " The Man Trap " (the fifth episode in production order) to air first, mainly because they felt it was more of a "traditional monster story" and featured more action.

The first season [ ]

In August 1966 , several changes were made in the Star Trek production staff. Roddenberry stepped down as line producer and became the executive producer. His replacement was Gene L. Coon , who also regularly contributed to the series as a writer. While Black had also left the series, story editor Steven W. Carabatsos came in, sharing story duties with Roddenberry and Coon. To handle post-production, Edward K. Milkis was brought in by Justman. Carabatsos had left Star Trek near the end of the season, and was replaced by D.C. Fontana , formerly Roddenberry's secretary and a writer for the series.

Syndication [ ]

• See : Syndication

Due to the overall length of the episodes of The Original Series , several minutes of each episode are frequently cut during the show's reruns, notably on the Sci-Fi Channel . Starting in April 2006 , the G4 network began airing the full length episodes in "Uncut Marathons" on Saturdays. G4 stopped airing these full-length versions in November 2006, and has discontinued its run of Star Trek 2.0 , which was a trivia-oriented and interactive version of the show for the viewers.

For current airings see Where to watch .

Reception [ ]

The Original Series has been nominated for and won a number of awards over the years. Some of the awards include:

• The series was nominated for thirteen Emmy Awards during its run, but did not win any.
• It was nominated eight times for the "Best Dramatic Presentation" Hugo Award , sweeping the nominees in 1968. It won twice, and Roddenberry won a special award in 1968.
• The 2003 "Pop Culture Award" in the TV Land Awards .
• The 2005 Saturn Award for "Best DVD Retro Television Release."

Aaron Harberts and James Frain cited TOS as their favorite Star Trek series. ( AT : " O Discovery, Where Art Thou? ")

Remastered [ ]

On 31 August 2006 , CBS Paramount Television announced that, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Star Trek , the show would return to broadcast syndication for the first time in sixteen years. The series' 79 episodes were digitally remastered with all new visual effects and music. The refurbished episodes have been converted from the original film to high-definition video, making it on par with modern television formats.

Related topics [ ]

• TOS directors
• TOS performers
• TOS recurring characters
• TOS writers
• Character crossover appearances
• Undeveloped TOS episodes
• Desilu Stage 9
• Desilu Stage 10
• Star Trek Writers/Directors Guide
• Star Trek: The Original Series novels
• Star Trek: The Original Series comics (DC)
• Star Trek: The Original Series comics (IDW)
• Star Trek: The Original Series soundtracks
• Star Trek: The Original Series on VHS
• Star Trek: The Original Series on Betamax
• Star Trek: The Original Series on CED
• Star Trek: The Original Series on LaserDisc
• Star Trek: The Original Series on DVD
• Star Trek: The Original Series on Blu-ray

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: The Original Series at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: The Original Series at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: The Original Series at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek: The Original Series at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Trek: The Original Series at the Movie and TV Wiki
• Public Radio Special: The Peace Message in Star Trek
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Apr 22, 2020

The One About the Whales

For Earth Day 2020, a look back at one of our favorite movies.

StarTrek.com

“Everybody remember where we parked,” is not exactly the kind of line you think you’re going to get in a Star Trek movie. You might also not expect to see Spock swimming underwater with a humpback whale or Kirk inventively cursing out a cab driver in 1980s San Francisco. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a wild ride, but really, it’s all about those whales.

Lately, I’ve found the movie to be very comforting, a sunny kind of balm in this new time of social distancing and uncertainty. With the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day this month, The Voyage Home ’s environmental philosophy is also particularly poignant. The message is a simple one of interconnectedness, that the extinction of one species affects every other species. There’s also a hospital chase scene and a legendary Punk on a Bus. In its humor and lightheartedness, sincerity and simplicity, Star Trek IV is the funny one, the quirky one, but also a reminder of what can be lost and the unexpected consequences along the way.

Released in 1986, The Voyage Home builds directly on the events of the previous two films in its opening, with Spock readjusting to life after being reborn on Genesis and the Enterprise crew preparing for an inglorious return to Starfleet after breaking all the rules to rescue him. Near Earth, the arrival of a mysterious probe of unknown origin wreaks havoc on Starfleet Command and the operations of the planet. On their way home in a jalopy of a Bird of Prey from Star Trek III , Kirk and company quickly piece together that the probe is trying to make contact with life forms on Earth—just not the life forms you’d expect.

The probe is trying to get in touch with humpback whales, except there are no more humpback whales on Earth in 2286. Recognizing that the giant space log isn’t going to stop until it hears some whale song, Kirk realizes that, naturally, time travel must be attempted. They will journey back to Earth of the past, before whales went extinct, and bring some back to their present time to communicate with and appease the massive space log. It’s a bonkers premise, but sublimely so in execution.

Environmentally themed movies today are still a bit of a niche category. But when Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and the Enterprise crew were suiting up for their fourth big-screen adventure, it had been little more than a decade since the passage of some of America’s most significant environmental legislation; things like the Clean Water Act the Endangered Species Act, and the 1970 formation of the EPA. Nimoy, pulling double duty as both director and co-star, had a strong vision for the film early on in the production process. Both he and producer Harve Bennett wanted to make what they termed a “nice” Star Trek movie, one free of villains and phaser fights. Paramount was on board, bringing Nimoy back to the directing chair for a second go-round after Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and fully investing in his environment-focused concepts for the movie.

Earth Day | Star Trek Cares for the Environment

An early story idea had not whales as the target of the probe, but the tiny snail darter — a fish roughly the length of two paper clips. It’d recently been discovered, and Bennett liked the very Star Trek -esque idea of something so small having such a big impact (as well as its potential for cost-savings in production). Humpback whales, though, were ultimately chosen. They’re grander and a better cinematic choice because of their size and elegance and distinctiveness from so many other sea creatures. They also play a critical role in the overall health of the marine ecosystem in their spot at the top of the oceanic food chain.

The vision of Nimoy and his co-creators was notable, especially compared to other studio films of the 1980s. What resulted was the both the least “Star Trek” Star Trek movie but also the most “Star Trek” Star Trek movie in terms of values and ethos. And it paid off, in Hollywood terms and for fans. The Voyage Home was the fifth-highest grossing movie of 1986 and remained the highest-grossing Star Trek film until 2009’s J.J. Abrams reboot. It earned four Academy Award nominations, including for its cinematography and score, and it remains a fan favorite, known more for its nickname than its official title.

Like Nimoy wanted, there are no phaser fights and no Klingons dropping out of cloak. The cast, free from bridge duty, shine in San Francisco subplots, providing forward action for the humpback search and also some of the best comedic moments in Star Trek (“Dialysis? My god, what is this, the Dark Ages?”). Uhura and Chekhov must find nuclear “wessels” to help repair the Bird of Prey but can’t find Alameda, while Dr. McCoy and Scotty go in search of whale tank materials and navigate a less-than-chatty desktop computer. Sulu seeks out a helicopter, leaving Kirk and Spock to play tourist at the Cetacean Institute, where they find humpback expert and Kirk-skeptic Dr. Gillian Taylor and two happy humpbacks, George and Gracie. Each sequence in IV contains the essence of Star Trek — teamwork, pursuit of the greater good, forward progress.

More than 30 years after Star Trek IV, and fifty years since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, forward progress is still the hope of so many. Around 20 million Americans took part in the inaugural Earth Day celebration, and the landmark legislation of the mid-1970s has proven vital. For instance, ninety-nine percent of the species protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 have been saved from extinction in the years since the law’s passage. Still, there is much progress yet to be made, even in the area of species conservation. Despite an international ban (instituted, ironically, in 1986), pockets of commercial whaling in places like Japan and Iceland persist. There are bright spots, though, and proof of the success of long-term conservation efforts: One distinct population of humpbacks (all originally classified as endangered under the ESA) has recently been starting to thrive once again.

Star Trek IV is a delightful exploration of that kind of forward-thinking hopefulness. It revels in both its un- Star Trek -ness and its own canon, with a message that is universal and still relevant today. Like a Star Trek movie with a Klingon ship crash-landing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and a trippy 3D exploration of time travel, this year’s Earth Day won’t look like what anybody would’ve expected. Instead of community events and large-scale gatherings, it’s going online, reimagining itself with 24 hours of digital activities. Star Trek is like that too, imagining how things might be —how they could be — and then reimagining itself again and again. Maybe humans can find a way. Maybe they have to slingshot around the sun. Maybe Kirk has to have dinner with Dr. Gillian for purely mission-related reasons.

It’s wacky and touching and funny and thematically important. The One About the Whales doesn’t fit any one mold, but it does boldy go in the hopeful direction that humans can find a way to save what we have in common above all else—life on Earth.

Catherine L. Hensley (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor. She’s the author of New York Dolls (goo.gl/WPQvMW) and thinks “double dumbass on you” is a pretty great turn of a phrase, in 1986 and today. Follow her on Twitter, @NYDollsTheNovel.

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As my Star Trek character commanded the weight of a starship, I was hours away from becoming a father

The lines between fiction and reality collided when i welcomed my child into the world.

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This First Person column is the experience of Patrick Kwok-Choon, who was born and raised in Montreal. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ .

I was on the set of Star Trek: Discovery and my character Gen Rhys had been thrust into the captain's chair, burdened with making life-and-death decisions for himself and his crew.

I can't believe this was happening to me.

It was a milestone for my character — the first time as acting captain on the Starship Discovery — but also an important moment for me as a lifelong fan of the franchise.

Sitting in that chair, I couldn't help but think of the iconic performances by Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks. The weight of their legacy was palpable, and being part of that tradition felt incredibly significant.

But my real concern wasn't the scene; it was the crisis unfolding at home.

At 3 a.m., my wife went into labour. When her contractions increased, we called our midwife at 9 a.m. Despite the unpredictability of childbirth, she assured me, based on her extensive experience, that it was OK for me to go to work. She mentioned that while it's not guaranteed, deliveries typically occur at night, offering me some peace of mind.

I was contractually obligated to go into work that day and my wife reassured me that her contractions were only uncomfortable, not painful. She insisted I go.

With a heavy heart, I asked my neighbour to watch over my wife and to call me if there was any emergency. I would come home immediately, regardless of the consequences.

When I arrived at work, my castmates greeted me with joy. The higher-ups were quickly informed and a production head came down to assure me that everything was being done to expedite my departure. The shooting schedule was rearranged so all my scenes would be filmed first. I immediately called my wife to share the news.

As I spoke with her, another production head approached, offering congratulations and reiterating the plan. But he added, "If things get too crazy at home and we haven't finished, just bail." I told him my wife felt we were still in the early phases of labour, and we should still have time. He leaned in, gave me a hug, and whispered in my ear, "Just bail."

All hands on deck

I was at a loss for words — studios aren't obligated to accommodate actors in such situations. I've heard terrible stories of actors unable to attend births, weddings and even funerals due to rigid shooting schedules. Yet here, amid the bustling set of a multimillion-dollar shoot, this person was giving me permission to prioritize my family. It was a heartfelt gesture that I'll never forget.

Returning to the chair, it felt like an actual "all hands on deck" moment straight out of Star Trek. Each department rallied together with precision and urgency, and I could feel their support willing me forward. Together, we navigated the challenges of the day, ensuring I could fulfill my duty as both actor and father-to-be.

After what felt like an eternity, the first assistant director called out, "That's a wrap on Patrick. He's free to leave."

I leaped out of my chair and shouted, "I'm going to have a baby!" to the applause of the cast and crew.

At this point, I had been at work for nine hours and it was 8 p.m. I rocketed out of that studio at warp speed. When I got home, my wife's contractions had reached the point where the midwife advised it was time to go to the hospital. I couldn't believe my luck. Despite the chaos of the day, I had made it just in time for the delivery.

Five hours later, as I held my newborn in my arms, I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and profound joy. The juxtaposition of the day's events felt surreal — acting out life-and-death stakes on set only to experience the miracle of life in reality.

My child is now 20 months old. Just this weekend, I had the luxury of taking my child out for a morning stroll, pushing them for what felt like an eternity on the swings, and sitting in silence together on a park bench as I watched them slowly gobble up a muffin, basking in the absolute wonder of this little miracle. A gift. My gift.

I am miles away from the fearful day on set and have come safely to the other side of things – just as I'm light-years from my youth when I feared becoming a parent because, in my naive mind, it meant getting trapped into something or sacrificing my career, time and energy.

But I think most parents would agree: what you gain is absolutely priceless. No longer do I find myself consumed with work or clinging desperately to career aspirations. I have reshaped my understanding of what's really important to me and my life is immensely richer for it.

The day I spent in the captain's chair on Discovery will forever be etched in my memory, not just for the professional milestone it represented but for the personal journey it paralleled. The lines between fiction and reality blurred, the weight of commanding a starship colliding with the anticipation of welcoming new life into the world.

It was a stark reminder of the beautiful, unpredictable nature of life, where our most significant moments often unfold in the most unexpected ways.

Do you have a compelling personal story that can bring understanding or help others? We want to hear from you. Here's  more info on how to pitch to us .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Freelance contributor

Patrick Kwok-Choon was born and raised in Montreal. He is best known for the five seasons he spent on the hit CBS/Paramount+ show Star Trek: Discovery.

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Star Trek's The Galileo Seven Was A 'Rip-Off' Of A Forgotten Lucille Ball Film

I n the "Star Trek" episode "The Galileo Seven" (January 5, 1967), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Lieutenant Commander Scott (James Doohan), and three specialists are assigned to take Enterprise's shuttlecraft, the Galileo, on a special survey to map the Murasaki-312 quasar. A mysterious spatial phenomenon pulls the shuttle off course, however, and it crash lands on a nearby world inhabited by vicious 10-foot-tall cavemen. 

The seven people on board the Galileo have to repair their ship and find a way to contact the Enterprise through the signal-scrambling mists of the quasar. Their job is made more difficult by the attacking cavemen, who want to murder them with spears. The collected and logical Spock attempts to scare off the brutes, while his more emotional, human counterparts encourage deadly force. When two of the Galileo Seven are killed, Spock discourages a memorial service. The episode is ultimately about how Spock's logic isn't always a practical tool when it comes to desperate command situations. Spock, we see, wouldn't necessarily be a good captain . At least not until he learns more about leading by instinct and intuiting what his crew requires of him.

Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, Kirk (William Shatner) wants to search for the downed Galileo but is discouraged by an uffish dignitary named Ferris (John Crawford). 

The teleplay for "The Galileo Seven" was written by Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-Davis, and it was based on an obscure 1939 feature film that few remember to this day. It's explained in the oral history book "Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross that the writers were inspired by "Five Came Back," a plane crash melodrama directed by John Farrow and co-written by Dalton Trumbo.

Read more: Celebrities You Didn't Know Were In Star Trek

But First, The Flight Of The Phoenix

In "Captains' Logs," longtime Trek writer David Gerrold points out that, for its first 10 episodes, "Star Trek" was still finding its footing and establishing an identity. As such, none of the writers had yet given the show its own voice and had to rely on borrowed plots from recent hit films. Gerrold noted that "The Galileo Seven" was at least partially taken from a 1965 Robert Aldrich film. He said: 

"If you look at the episodes that Roddenberry was responsible for in the beginning, [...] which was pretty much like the first 10 episodes, there's not a lot of [...] noble purpose there. There's bumbling around trying to find out what the show is about [...]. Because no one knew what 'Star Trek' was, they were continually inventing it. [...] They also a lot of rip-offs — 'The Galileo Seven' was 'Flight of the Phoenix,' 'Balance of Terror' was 'The Enemy Below' — and so they didn't really know what they could do with the show yet." 

"The Enemy Below" was, of course , a 1957 World War II submarine film with Robert Mitchum. Transpose submarine action into space, and you have "Balance of Terror." 

Aldritch's "The Flight of the Phoenix," meanwhile, was about an airplane that crashed in the Sahara, and the crew that had to survive the heat and get the plane working again. It was remade in 2004. One can see the blueprint of "The Galileo Seven" in "The Flight of the Phoenix." 

Screenwriter Oliver Crawford, however, admitted that "Galileo" was a direct ripoff of "Five Came Back," a film that predates "Phoenix" by 16 years. 

It Was Actually Inspired By 'Five Came Back'

"Five Came Back" is about a plane that, while en route from Los Angeles to Panama City, is blown far, far off course. It crashes somewhere in northern Brazil, and the passengers have to learn to survive. A lot of personal confessions begin to flow out of the terrified travelers. Lucille Ball plays a character named Peggy , a woman with a mysterious past. Chester Morgan and John Carradine also appear. Crawford admitted to being a fan of "Five Came Back," and deliberately used the film as the basis of "The Galileo Seven." Crawford said:

"Most of my approach as a writer had been to look at old movies and say, 'Gee, this would make a good "Star Trek" or a good western or a good detective story.' The foundation for 'The Galileo Seven' was actually an old motion picture called 'Five Came Back.' That was about a plane crash in the Andes and the survivors who have to deal with headhunters over the next hill. I remembered it because it was such a dramatic gimmick, a very tight one."

"Five Came Back" is more of a traditional Hollywood melodrama, while "The Galileo Seven" was more action-forward and survival-focused. That might have been the result of Crawford's co-screenwriter Shimon Wincelberg, credited as S. Bar David, who was called in to re-write the script independently. 

"The Galileo Seven" is, as Gerrold noted, classic "Star Trek" in that it doesn't quite feel like the heady, more sci-fi-oriented series that "Star Trek" would eventually become.

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Read the original article on SlashFilm .

'Star Trek: Prodigy' Cancelled After One Season at Paramount+

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The USS Protostar is about to shut its lights down, as Paramount+ has canceled Star Trek: Prodigy after a single season of adventures. The animated series focused on a crew of young aliens that returned to Earth five years after the events of Star Trek: Voyager , when they found the ship that would eventually take them into the stories that would define the rest of their lives. According to Deadline , the previously announced second season will complete their post-production and be shopped to a new home, as the creators seek to give the crew of the Protostar a way to continue their adventures.

When the season began, Dal R'El ( Brett Gray ) was stuck in a prison, dreaming about the chance of getting out and having the opportunity to live his life. An explosion gave him the chance he desired, but the course of his life changed when he got caught again before he could get away. That's when Gwyndala ( Ella Purnell ) interrogated him, giving him the mission of locating a problematic prisoner with the name of Zero ( Angus Imrie ). However, the target would be more dangerous than expected, setting the stage for the young crew to be assembled after being brought together by destiny.

By the time the final episode aired, things were much different for the main characters, as they had a much bigger mission in front of them. The crew has to escape from the USS Protostar , as it must be destroyed while being taken to proto-warp in order to create a wormhole to the future. The hologram version of Captain Kathryn Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) believes that crossing the wormhole might allow the current crew of the ship to establish contact with the original Protostar team. However, the young heroes are in trouble when they get back to Earth, and the series' cancelation means that the plot lines might not be resolved.

RELATED: See How 'Star Trek: Prodigy' Designed Hologram Janeway in New Featurette [Exclusive]

The Current Streaming Landscape

Alongside the cancelation of Star Trek: Prodigy , the studio announced that it would also terminate the runs of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies , The Game and other titles from their catalog. Added to that, there's a possibility for the shows to be removed from the platform entirely, even if some of them were added to the service merely a few months ago. Paramount+ is not the only streaming home taking aggressive measures towards their own content, as Disney+ recently removed Willow from their platform. The streaming landscape has never been as uncertain as it is now, as audiences and artists keep losing stories people worked really hard on.

Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming - for now - on Paramount+. Check out our interview with the creators below:

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Over the five decades since its inception, the Star Trek universe continues to inspire new generations of Trekkies. The original series that began in the mid-1960s has spawned countless spinoffs in television shows, as well as animation and feature films, some of which are still under production.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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• Trivia Almost everyone in the cast became life-long friends. At LeVar Burton 's 1992 wedding, Brent Spiner served as best man, and Sir Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , and Michael Dorn all served as ushers. Man of the People (1992) (#6.3) aired on that day.
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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