The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek

It all began when Gene Roddenberry convinced Desilu to foot the bill for not one, but two "Star Trek" pilots; thanks to Desilu's boss, America's darling Lucille Ball, the world met Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

Didn't realize there was a cartoon version of Star Trek in the early 1970s? Not only was it great, but with original series creator Gene Roddenberry, writer D.C. Fontana, and the series' original stars on board, it is the fourth season of the original show.

Paramount wanted to launch a fourth network with the new Star Trek series Phase II as its flagship. When the network proved unworkable, Phase II appeared doomed - until Star Wars and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind proved box office hits. Phase II became the 1979 blockbuster Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The 1980s saw Paramount release three linked Star Trek movies to huge box-office success. The first, The Wrath Of Khan, saw Ricardo Montalban as Khan, a villain from the original series, return. It was followed by The Search For Spock, directed by Leonard Nimoy. He returned to the director's chair for The Voyage Home, the biggest Star Trek success yet.

In 1987 Paramount decided Trek should return to its roots - television. ST: The Next Generation would become the first hour-long scripted show sold directly to the syndicated television market. Paramount's gamble paid off. Who hasn't heard of Picard, Data, and Worf?

After Gene Roddenberry's death, Trek ventured into yet another incarnation. Deep Space Nine was different from its predecessor, set on a space station. Its 1993 debut featured an African American Captain and heavily serialized story arcs - both firsts. This was new Trek.