List of Star Trek: The Original Series episodes
Encyclopedia
Created by Gene Roddenberry
, the science fiction
television series
Star Trek
(which eventually acquired the retronym
Star Trek: The Original Series) starred William Shatner
as Captain Kirk
, Leonard Nimoy
as Mr. Spock
, and DeForest Kelley
as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
aboard the fictional Federation
starship Enterprise
. The series originally aired from September 1966 through June 1969 on NBC
.
This is the first television program in the Star Trek franchise
, and comprises a total of 79 regular episodes over the show's three seasons, along with the show's original pilot episode
, "The Cage". The episodes are listed in chronological order by original air date, which match the episode order in each season's original, remastered, and Blu-ray
DVD box sets. The original, single-disc DVD releases placed the episodes by production order, with "The Cage" on the final disc. This list also includes the stardate
on which the events of each episode took place within the fictional Star Trek universe.
After the show's cancellation
, Paramount Television
released Star Trek to television stations as a syndication package, where the series' popularity grew to become a "major phenomenon within popular culture." This popularity would eventually lead the Star Trek franchise to expand its catalog to include five more television series and eleven Trek motion pictures.
In 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television
(now CBS Television Distribution
) announced that each Original Series episode would be re-syndicated in high definition
after undergoing digital remastering, including both new and enhanced visual effects
. (To date, the remastered episodes have only been broadcast in standard definition
, though all three seasons are now available on the high-definition Blu-ray Disc
format.) The remastered episodes began with "Balance of Terror
" (along with, in some markets, "Miri") during the weekend of September 16, 2006, and ended with "The Cage", which aired during the weekend of May 2, 2009. The remastered air dates listed below are based on the weekend each episode aired in syndication.
, "The Cage", was completed between November 1964 and January 1965, and starred Jeffrey Hunter
as Captain Christopher Pike
, Majel Barrett
as Number One
, and Leonard Nimoy
as Spock
. After the pilot was rejected by NBC
as being "too cerebral" (among other complaints), Jeffrey Hunter chose to withdraw from the role of Pike when creator Gene Roddenberry
was asked to produce a second pilot episode ("Where No Man Has Gone Before
") of which an edited version of the same name aired in 1966.
"The Cage" never aired during Star Trek's original run on NBC. It was presented by Roddenberry as a black-and-white workprint
at various science fiction convention
s over the years after Star Trek's cancellation, but was not released on home video
until 1986, when Paramount Home Video
produced a "restored" release of "The Cage" (a combination of the original black-and-white footage and color portions of the Season 1 episode "The Menagerie") complete with an introduction by Gene Roddenberry.
On October 4, 1988, Paramount Pictures aired a two-hour television special, hosted by Patrick Stewart
, called "The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation To The Next" which featured, for the first time, a full-color television presentation of "The Cage". In some markets, the special did not air until October 15, 1988. In the United States, "The Cage" was first released to DVD in December 2001. It was later included on the final disc in both the original and "remastered" Season 3 DVD box sets (listed with the original air date of October 15, 1988).
The also planned-as-pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" in its original form (production number 02a) had been forwarded to the NBC, but only a re-worked, re-edited, re-formatted, cut version was later aired under the same name not as a pilot but as the third episode of the series (production number 02b). Afterwards, over the years the original "alternate" version was thought to be lost, but later appeared as bootleg VHS tapes at conventions, until a print of it was discovered in 2009 and subsequently released on home video under the title "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" - The Restored, Unaired Alternate Pilot Episode as part of the TOS season 3 box set on Blu-ray; it has not been released on DVD, yet. This version remains unaired.
", received a more favorable response from NBC
, Star Trek finally aired its first episode - "The Man Trap" - at 8:30PM on September 8, 1966. "Where No Man...", which eventually aired in a re-edited format as the series' third episode, retained only Spock
as a character from "The Cage", but introduced William Shatner
as Captain Kirk
, James Doohan
as chief engineer Scotty
, and George Takei
as physicist (later, helmsman) Sulu
. DeForest Kelley
and Nichelle Nichols
joined the cast as ship's surgeon Dr. McCoy
and communications officer Uhura
in "The Man Trap", the first aired episode of the series.
Although her character of Number One was not retained from "The Cage", Majel Barrett
returned to the show as a new character, nurse Christine Chapel
, and made her first of many recurring appearances
in "The Naked Time". Grace Lee Whitney
appeared in eight episodes as yeoman Janice Rand
, beginning with "The Man Trap". Whitney left the series after "The Conscience of the King", but would later make minor appearances in the first
, third
, fourth
, and sixth
Trek films, as well as one episode of the sequel series Star Trek: Voyager
.
Star Trek's first season comprises 29 episodes, including the two-part episode "The Menagerie", which includes much of its footage from the original pilot, "The Cage". Other notable episodes include "Balance of Terror
", which introduces the Romulan
s; "Space Seed", which introduces Khan Noonien Singh
and serves as the basis for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
; "Errand of Mercy", in which the Klingon
s make their first appearance; and the critically acclaimed, Hugo-Award-winning
episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" which features Kirk, Spock, and McCoy traveling into the past through the Guardian of Forever
.
as Russia
n navigator Pavel Chekov
, and granted viewers the first glimpse of Spock's
homeworld, Vulcan. The season also includes such notable episodes as "Mirror, Mirror", which introduces the evil "mirror universe
"; "Journey to Babel", featuring the introduction of Spock's parents Sarek
and Amanda; and the light-hearted "The Trouble With Tribbles", which would later be revisited in a 1973 episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series
and a 1996 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
.
, Trek viewers inundated NBC with letters protesting the show's demise and pleading the network to renew the series for another year. After NBC agreed to produce a third season, the network promised Gene Roddenberry that the show would air in a favorable timeslot (Mondays at 7:30 PM), but later changed the schedule so that Trek would air in the so-called "death slot
" - Friday nights at 10:00PM. In addition to the "mismanaged" schedule, the show's budget was "seriously slashed" and Nichelle Nichols described the series' eventual cancellation as "a self-fulfilling prophecy
".
Star Trek's final, 24-episode season began in September 1968 with "Spock's Brain". The third season also includes "The Tholian Web", where Kirk becomes trapped between universes; this episode would later be revisited by two 2005 episodes of the prequel
series Star Trek: Enterprise
. The last episode of the series, "Turnabout Intruder", aired on June 3, 1969, but Star Trek would eventually return to television in animated form
when Star Trek: The Animated Series
debuted in September 1973.
Out of the series' 79 episodes, 29 aired on a Thursday, 49 aired on a Friday and "Turnabout Intruder" aired on a Tuesday.
, "The Cage". While the "complete season" DVD releases (listed above) follow the original broadcast order, the original episodic DVD releases are numbered by production order.
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
, the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
(which eventually acquired the retronym
Retronym
A retronym is a type of neologism that provides a new name for an object or concept to differentiate the original form or version of it from a more recent form or version. The original name is most often augmented with an adjective to account for later developments of the object or concept itself...
Star Trek: The Original Series) starred William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
as Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
as Mr. Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
, and DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley was an American actor known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek.-Early life:...
as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
aboard the fictional Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
starship Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
. The series originally aired from September 1966 through June 1969 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
This is the first television program in the Star Trek franchise
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, and comprises a total of 79 regular episodes over the show's three seasons, along with the show's original pilot episode
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, "The Cage". The episodes are listed in chronological order by original air date, which match the episode order in each season's original, remastered, and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
DVD box sets. The original, single-disc DVD releases placed the episodes by production order, with "The Cage" on the final disc. This list also includes the stardate
Stardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
on which the events of each episode took place within the fictional Star Trek universe.
After the show's cancellation
Cancellation (television)
In television, cancellation refers to the termination of a program by a network, typically because of low viewership and/or unfavourable critical reviews. Another reason why television programs can be cancelled is to make room for new television programs...
, Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
released Star Trek to television stations as a syndication package, where the series' popularity grew to become a "major phenomenon within popular culture." This popularity would eventually lead the Star Trek franchise to expand its catalog to include five more television series and eleven Trek motion pictures.
In 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television was an American television distribution company/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by CBS Corporation...
(now CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
) announced that each Original Series episode would be re-syndicated in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
after undergoing digital remastering, including both new and enhanced visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
. (To date, the remastered episodes have only been broadcast in standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
, though all three seasons are now available on the high-definition Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
format.) The remastered episodes began with "Balance of Terror
Balance of terror
The phrase "balance of terror" is usually used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War....
" (along with, in some markets, "Miri") during the weekend of September 16, 2006, and ended with "The Cage", which aired during the weekend of May 2, 2009. The remastered air dates listed below are based on the weekend each episode aired in syndication.
Seasons
| Season | |Episodes | | DVD releases | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region A | Region B | |||||||
| Individual discs | Original | Remastered | Original | Remastered | | Blu-ray (original + remastered) | |||||
| 1 | 29 | 1966 1966 in television The year 1966 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1966.For the American TV schedule, see: 1966-67 American network television schedule.-Events:... –1967 1967 in television The year 1967 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1967.For the American TV schedule, see: 1967-68 American network television schedule.-Events:... |
1999–2001 | August 31, 2004 | November 20, 2007 | August 30, 2004 | April 27, 2009 | April 28, 2009 | April 27, 2009 | |
| 2 | 26 | 1967 1967 in television The year 1967 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1967.For the American TV schedule, see: 1967-68 American network television schedule.-Events:... –1968 1968 in television The year 1968 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1968.For the American TV schedule, see: 1968-69 American network television schedule.-Events:... |
November 2, 2004 | August 5, 2008 | November 1, 2004 | April 27, 2009 | September 22, 2009 | November 16, 2009 | ||
| 3 | 24 | 1968 1968 in television The year 1968 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1968.For the American TV schedule, see: 1968-69 American network television schedule.-Events:... –1969 1969 in television The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1969.For the American TV schedule, see: 1969-70 American network television schedule.-Events:... |
December 14, 2004 | November 18, 2008 | December 6, 2004 | April 27, 2009 | December 15, 2009 | March 22, 2010 | ||
Pilots (1964–1965)
Star Trek's pilot episodeTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, "The Cage", was completed between November 1964 and January 1965, and starred Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
as Captain Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike (Star Trek)
Christopher Pike is a character in the Star Trek franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that...
, Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress and producer. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and for being the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series...
as Number One
Number One (Star Trek)
Number One, in "The Cage", the original pilot episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek, was the un-named intellectual, problem-solving second-in-command serving under Captain Christopher Pike. She performs the same role for Pike "as Spock later does for Kirk"...
, and Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
as Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
. After the pilot was rejected by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as being "too cerebral" (among other complaints), Jeffrey Hunter chose to withdraw from the role of Pike when creator Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
was asked to produce a second pilot episode ("Where No Man Has Gone Before
Where No Man Has Gone Before
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the second pilot episode of the television series Star Trek: The Original Series. It was produced in 1965 after the first pilot, "The Cage", had been rejected by NBC. The episode was eventually broadcast third in sequence on September 22, 1966, and was re-aired on...
") of which an edited version of the same name aired in 1966.
"The Cage" never aired during Star Trek's original run on NBC. It was presented by Roddenberry as a black-and-white workprint
Workprint
A workprint is a rough version of a motion picture, used by the film editor during the editing process. Such copies generally contain original recorded sound that will later be re-dubbed, stock footage as placeholders for missing shots or special effects, and animation tests for in-production...
at various science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
s over the years after Star Trek's cancellation, but was not released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
until 1986, when Paramount Home Video
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
produced a "restored" release of "The Cage" (a combination of the original black-and-white footage and color portions of the Season 1 episode "The Menagerie") complete with an introduction by Gene Roddenberry.
On October 4, 1988, Paramount Pictures aired a two-hour television special, hosted by Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
, called "The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation To The Next" which featured, for the first time, a full-color television presentation of "The Cage". In some markets, the special did not air until October 15, 1988. In the United States, "The Cage" was first released to DVD in December 2001. It was later included on the final disc in both the original and "remastered" Season 3 DVD box sets (listed with the original air date of October 15, 1988).
The also planned-as-pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" in its original form (production number 02a) had been forwarded to the NBC, but only a re-worked, re-edited, re-formatted, cut version was later aired under the same name not as a pilot but as the third episode of the series (production number 02b). Afterwards, over the years the original "alternate" version was thought to be lost, but later appeared as bootleg VHS tapes at conventions, until a print of it was discovered in 2009 and subsequently released on home video under the title "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" - The Restored, Unaired Alternate Pilot Episode as part of the TOS season 3 box set on Blu-ray; it has not been released on DVD, yet. This version remains unaired.
| # | Title | Stardate | Director | Writer(s) | Original airdate | Remastered airdate | Production # |
|---|
Season 1 (1966–1967)
After Roddenberry's second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone BeforeWhere No Man Has Gone Before
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the second pilot episode of the television series Star Trek: The Original Series. It was produced in 1965 after the first pilot, "The Cage", had been rejected by NBC. The episode was eventually broadcast third in sequence on September 22, 1966, and was re-aired on...
", received a more favorable response from NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Star Trek finally aired its first episode - "The Man Trap" - at 8:30PM on September 8, 1966. "Where No Man...", which eventually aired in a re-edited format as the series' third episode, retained only Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
as a character from "The Cage", but introduced William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
as Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
as chief engineer Scotty
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
, and George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
as physicist (later, helmsman) Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
. DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley was an American actor known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek.-Early life:...
and Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
joined the cast as ship's surgeon Dr. McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
and communications officer Uhura
Uhura
Nyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
in "The Man Trap", the first aired episode of the series.
Although her character of Number One was not retained from "The Cage", Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress and producer. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and for being the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series...
returned to the show as a new character, nurse Christine Chapel
Christine Chapel
Christine Chapel is a fictional character in the original Star Trek series, and in some of the films based on it. She was played by the late Majel Barrett....
, and made her first of many recurring appearances
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
in "The Naked Time". Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney, also known as Ruth Whitney and Lee Whitney is an American actress and entertainer. She is best known for playing the role of Janice Rand on the Star Trek television series and subsequent films.-Early life:...
appeared in eight episodes as yeoman Janice Rand
Janice Rand
Yeoman Janice Rand, played by Grace Lee Whitney, is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series. She subsequently appears in several Star Trek films and in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager.-Depiction:...
, beginning with "The Man Trap". Whitney left the series after "The Conscience of the King", but would later make minor appearances in the first
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
, third
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the third feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the center of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and concludes with Star Trek IV:...
, fourth
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The...
, and sixth
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the sixth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the last of the Star Trek films to include the entire main cast of the 1960s Star Trek television series. Released in 1991 by Paramount Pictures, it was directed by Nicholas Meyer and...
Trek films, as well as one episode of the sequel series Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
.
Star Trek's first season comprises 29 episodes, including the two-part episode "The Menagerie", which includes much of its footage from the original pilot, "The Cage". Other notable episodes include "Balance of Terror
Balance of terror
The phrase "balance of terror" is usually used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War....
", which introduces the Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
s; "Space Seed", which introduces Khan Noonien Singh
Khan Noonien Singh
Khan Noonien Singh, commonly shortened to Khan, is a villain in the fictional Star Trek universe. According to backstory given in the character's first appearance, the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" , Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman tyrant who once controlled more...
and serves as the basis for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
; "Errand of Mercy", in which the Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
s make their first appearance; and the critically acclaimed, Hugo-Award-winning
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" which features Kirk, Spock, and McCoy traveling into the past through the Guardian of Forever
Guardian of Forever
The Guardian of Forever is a time portal portrayed in the fictional universe of Star Trek.-Fictional origins:In the Star Trek universe, analysis of the ruins on the Guardian's home world suggests it may be billions of years old but no one knows who built the Guardian...
.
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Season 2 (1967–1968)
The show's 26-episode second season began in September 1967 with "Amok Time", which introduced actor Walter KoenigWalter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director, known for his roles as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He wrote the script for the 2008 science fiction legal thriller InAlienable.-Early life:...
as Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n navigator Pavel Chekov
Pavel Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
, and granted viewers the first glimpse of Spock's
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
homeworld, Vulcan. The season also includes such notable episodes as "Mirror, Mirror", which introduces the evil "mirror universe
Mirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...
"; "Journey to Babel", featuring the introduction of Spock's parents Sarek
Sarek
Sarek is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He is a Vulcan astrophysicist, the Vulcan ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, and father of Spock...
and Amanda; and the light-hearted "The Trouble With Tribbles", which would later be revisited in a 1973 episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
and a 1996 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
.
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Season 3 (1968–1969)
After Star Trek's second season, NBC was prepared to cancel the show due to low ratings. Led by fans Bjo and John TrimbleBjo Trimble
Betty Jo Trimble , universally known as Bjo ,is a significant figure in the history of science fiction fandom...
, Trek viewers inundated NBC with letters protesting the show's demise and pleading the network to renew the series for another year. After NBC agreed to produce a third season, the network promised Gene Roddenberry that the show would air in a favorable timeslot (Mondays at 7:30 PM), but later changed the schedule so that Trek would air in the so-called "death slot
Friday night death slot
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
" - Friday nights at 10:00PM. In addition to the "mismanaged" schedule, the show's budget was "seriously slashed" and Nichelle Nichols described the series' eventual cancellation as "a self-fulfilling prophecy
Self-fulfilling prophecy
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and...
".
Star Trek's final, 24-episode season began in September 1968 with "Spock's Brain". The third season also includes "The Tholian Web", where Kirk becomes trapped between universes; this episode would later be revisited by two 2005 episodes of the prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
series Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
. The last episode of the series, "Turnabout Intruder", aired on June 3, 1969, but Star Trek would eventually return to television in animated form
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
when Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
debuted in September 1973.
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Out of the series' 79 episodes, 29 aired on a Thursday, 49 aired on a Friday and "Turnabout Intruder" aired on a Tuesday.
Production order
The list below details the series' episodes in production order, including the original series pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, "The Cage". While the "complete season" DVD releases (listed above) follow the original broadcast order, the original episodic DVD releases are numbered by production order.
See also
- List of Star Trek characters
- List of Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes
- List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
- List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes
- List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes
- List of Star Trek: Enterprise episodes