Celebrating the never-ending final frontier

September 10, 1996
Web posted at: 5:20 a.m. EDT

HOLLYWOOD, California (CNN) -- This week the future celebrates the past.

"Star Trek" got its start 30 years ago this week as a very shaky new adventure TV series on NBC. It barely survived three seasons before cancellation, but now three decades later it's still going strong.

To celebrate the television show-turned American cultural icon, a 30th anniversary gala was recently held at the NASA center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The show's creator, the late Gene Roddenberry, was honored at the anniversary celebration, which was attended by his widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

"These are Gene's own words, 'Why are we now traveling into space? Well, why indeed, do we trouble to look beyond the next mountain? Our prime obligation to ourselves is to make the unknown known. We're on a journey to keep an appointment with whatever we are,'" said Mrs. Roddenberry.

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"Space ... the final frontier" went the popular "Star Trek" introduction.

"Frontier' was the key word. "Star Trek" was at first a western in funny clothes, described by its creator as "Wagon Train to the Stars." But over the course of its transformation from TV show to cultural phenomenon, it became much more.

The television series did just what it said it would, "to boldly go where no one has gone before."

"Star Trek" yielded a series of films, a successful "Next Generation" television series and the spin-offs "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager". In all, seven movies and 15 seasons of television.

"The themes involved are durable. Very durable. They've been around for a long time and they will continue to be around for a long time, and I think when 'Star Trek' is at its best, it's when its dealing with very current, always current themes," said Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the character "Mr. Spock."

While the characters often braced themselves for trouble aboard the Starship Enterprise, an even greater impact from "Star Trek" was created throughout American culture.

"It's hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't know what a phaser is or 'beam me up' means or 'warp speed' means or what a Klingon is. These are things that are part of American mythology, American nomenclature," said executive producer Rick Berman.

But it isn't cool special effects or zippy action sequences that keeps "Star Trek" a viable franchise. According to Star Fleet's newest captain, Kate Mulgrew, it's an attitude.

"'Star Trek' is about hope. There's a responsibility here. There's a cachet here that exists nowhere else. The franchise notwithstanding, it's the deep morality, the essence of hope. The rich and wonderful and keen imagination that pervades... and the fact that it's survived for 30 years says, I think, a great deal about its intelligence," said Mulgrew.

Nimoy agrees: "I think that all of it has been good entertainment, and enlightening and illuminating about our lives. Given us some insight into the human condition and about who we are and who we strive to be, and what we are at our best."

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