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Star Trek: The Original Series
Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek: The Original Series after years of picking up great ideas and storing them for later. Roddenberry was a prolific, award-winning writer who had a vision for what the future could look like for humanity. In Roddenberry’s future, there was no hunger, no racism, no sexism… and no money. In the 23rd Century, humanity had changed, thanks to technology and by pushing itself to the brink of destruction (with the struggles over eugenics and a third world war). Humanity matured, and our mission was beyond Earth. In Roddenberry’s vision, we worked to learn and better ourselves, rather than for riches or things.

When Star Trek debuted in 1966, it was a thunderbolt. Something which television audiences had never seen before, and would only enjoy for three short seasons. Heavily influenced by the film The Forbidden Planet and science fiction in novels, Star Trek gave audiences a view of the future where humans could travel faster than light; they had weapons that could disintegrate enemies; there were alien species who they encountered regularly; and they had access to scientific knowledge and technology beyond a layman in the 1960s wildest dreams.

Captain James T. Kirk was a passionate young leader, not unlike President John F. Kennedy. Though Kirk (artfully played by the great William Shatner) is accused of bedding more aliens than he negotiated with, the captain proved time and again that he was a capable leader for his crew of 400. His first mate, too, became a star. Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, might have seemed devilish back when Trek debuted, but now he is a mainstay of popular culture.

Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek's creator. Courtesy of CBS / Paramount
Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek’s creator. Courtesy of CBS / Paramount

The gadgets and ships, however, were just props. What made Star Trek truly different was the sharp contrast of the makeup of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and the morality tales each episode wove. Without making a fuss, Roddenberry placed an African American female and an Asian male as part of the bridge crew. And gosh, they seemed normal compared to the alien with the ears. To have Uhura and Sulu (and later Chekov) interact with all the rest of the crew without a second thought was a huge deal.

For three years, and 79 episodes, Star Trek thrilled audiences the world over. When it aired its last show, Roddenberry moved on and swore that he was done with the show. But thanks to persistent fans and letter writing campaigns, Trek came back for a while as an animated series, then permanently with The Motion Picture in 1979. For the next 40 years, fans have enjoyed an almost uninterrupted stream of Trek on television, in film, on paper (comics and novels), in video games and even in real life.

The Original Series

Check out our archive of reviews and rankings of each of The Original Series episodes.

Season 1Season 2Season 3
No. Episode Name Air Date
1 The Man Trap Sept. 8, 1966
2 Charlie X Sept. 15, 1966
3 Where No Man Has Gone Before Sept. 22, 1966
4 The Naked Time Sept. 29, 1966
5 The Enemy Within Oct. 6, 1966
6 Mudd’s Women Oct. 13, 1966
7 What Are Little Girls Made Of? Oct. 20, 1966
8 Miri Oct. 27, 1966
9 Dagger of the Mind Nov. 3, 1966
10 The Corbomite Maneuver Nov. 10, 1966
11 The Menagerie, Part 1 Nov. 17, 1966
12 The Menagerie, Part 2 Nov. 24, 1966
13 The Conscience of the King Dec. 8, 1966
14 Balance of Terror Dec. 15, 1966
15 Shore Leave Dec. 29, 1966
16 The Galileo Seven Jan. 5, 1967
17 The Squire of Gothos Jan. 12, 1967
18 Arena Jan. 19, 1967
19 Tomorrow Is Yesterday Jan. 26, 1967
20 Court Martial Feb. 2, 1967
21 The Return of the Archons Feb. 9, 1967
22 Space Seed Feb. 16, 1967
23 A Taste of Armageddon Feb. 23, 1967
24 This Side of Paradise Mar. 2, 1967
25 The Devil in the Dark Mar. 9, 1967
26 Errand of Mercy Mar. 23, 1967
27 The Alternative Factor Mar. 30, 1967
28 The City on the Edge of Forever Apr. 6, 1967
29 Operation: Annihilate! Apr. 13, 1967
No. Episode Name Air Date
30 Amok Time Sept. 15, 1967
31 Who Mourns for Adonais? Sept. 22, 1967
32 The Changeling Sept. 29, 1967
33 Mirror, Mirror Oct. 6, 1967
34 The Apple Oct. 13, 1967
35 The Doomsday Machine Oct. 20, 1967
36 Catspaw Oct. 27, 1967
37 I, Mudd Nov. 3, 1967
38 Metamorphosis Nov. 10, 1967
39 Journey to Babel Nov. 17, 1967
40 Friday’s Child Dec. 1, 1967
41 The Deadly Years Dec. 8, 1967
42 Obsession Dec. 15, 1967
43 Wolf in the Fold Dec. 22, 1967
44 The Trouble with Tribbles Dec. 29, 1967
45 The Gamesters of Triskelion Jan. 5, 1968
46 A Piece of the Action Jan. 12, 1968
47 The Immunity Syndrome Jan. 19, 1968
48 A Private Little War Feb. 2, 1968
49 Return to Tomorrow Feb. 9, 1968
50 Patterns of Force Feb. 16, 1968
51 By Any Other Name Feb. 23, 1968
52 The Omega Glory Mar. 1, 1968
53 The Ultimate Computer Mar. 8, 1968
54 Bread and Circuses Mar. 15, 1968 
55 Assignment: Earth Mar. 29, 1968

No. Episode Name Air date
56 Spock’s Brain Sept. 20, 1968
57 The Enterprise Incident Sept. 27, 1968
58 The Paradise Syndrome Oct. 4, 1968
59 And the Children Shall Lead Oct. 11, 1968
60 Is There in Truth No Beauty? Oct. 18, 1968
61 Spectre of the Gun Oct. 25, 1968
62 Day of the Dove Nov. 1, 1968
63 For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky Nov. 8, 1968
64 The Tholian Web Nov. 15, 1968 
65 Plato’s Stepchildren Nov. 22, 1968
66 Wink of an Eye Nov. 29, 1968
67 The Empath Dec. 6, 1968
68 Elaan of Troyius Dec. 20, 1968
69 Whom Gods Destroy Jan. 3, 1969
70 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield Jan. 10, 1969
71 The Mark of Gideon Jan. 17, 1969
72 That Which Survives Jan. 24, 1969
73 The Lights of Zetar Jan. 31, 1969
74 Requiem for Methuselah Feb. 14, 1969
75 The Way to Eden Feb. 21, 1969
76 The Cloud Minders Feb. 28, 1969
77 The Savage Curtain Mar. 7, 1969 
78 All Our Yesterdays Mar. 14, 1969 
79 Turnabout Intruder June 3, 1969

News from The Original Series

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