

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

Star Trek is... was the first draft proposal for Star Trek: The Original Series that Gene Roddenberry created on 11 March 1964 as a television series pitch. After being turned down by executives of other production studios, it was in early April 1964 presented to Desilu executives Oscar Katz and Herb Solow, who picked up the proposition on behalf of their employer. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, pp. 13-23) It ultimately led to the production of the first pilot "The Cage". According to the draft, Star Trek is...

"A one-hour dramatic television series. Action-Adventure-Science Fiction. The first such concept with strong central lead characters plus other continuing regulars."

The draft included the famous faux-Drake equation. It also described "Star Trek" as a " 'Wagon Train' concept," referring to the long-running western television series Wagon Train. This reference was recrafted by a writing pal from Roddenberry's early TV days, Samuel A. Peeples, who saw the draft proposal at a private dinner and coined the immortal phrase "Wagon Train to the Stars." Soon after, Roddenberry began pitching to production studios, and eventually appropriated Peebles' phrase as his own. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One, 1st ed, p. 23)

Incidentally, the draft proposal turned out to be both the template as well as the first draft of the internal document The Star Trek guide, famed in Star Trek-lore under its denominator "The Writer's Bible". After the second pilot episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was ordered by NBC, Roddenberry set to work compiling a heavily revised and expanded second draft which incorporated all the changes between the first and second pilot. It was the third draft of 17 April 1967, reflecting the changes between the second pilot and the first season of the regular series and compiled with the input of D.C. Fontana, which, unlike the second draft, was the one that was distributed in production circles at the start of second season, and which was the one that became ever known as "The Writer's Bible". (The Making of Star Trek)

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The setting

The transportation was the SS Yorktown (later renamed the USS Enterprise). The SS Yorktown was described as a "cruiser class" with a 190,000 ton gross. It had a crew complement of 203, and used space-warp drive ("maximum velocity .73 of one light year per hour"). It had a range of 18 years and was registered as a United Space Ship with Earth. The date was stated to be sometime in the future, possibly between 1995 and 2995. One of the key concepts of the show would be the "parallel worlds" concept. This stated that most of the planets would have a similar physical and social evolution to Earth. This concept was used in The Original Series as Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development. Because of the "parallel worlds" concept, they would be able to use existing studio sets, props, and costumes.

The characters

Many of the characters were used by TOS and "The Cage":

Robert M. April The 34-year-old "skipper" of the SS Yorktown. He was described as "a space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower." He was headstrong and believed in taking risks himself. However, unlike other great explorers he had great compassion for all, alien and Human alike. He evolved into Christopher Pike by the time of the first pilot, " The Cage ". James T. Kirk was also described as being a "Hornblower-type" personality.

José Ortegas The South American navigator. He was tall, handsome, about twenty five years old and maturing. Famous for his Latin temperament, he has trouble with the navigation equipment, and believes that life itself is in a conspiracy to make his life difficult. He also tries and mostly fails to keep up the historical repute of Latin men as "lovers." His character was adapted, loosely, into José Tyler in the first pilot.

Phillip Boyce The 51-year old ship's doctor, "Bones" Boyce is described as the only "realist" aboard the Yorktown. He's known for cynicism and worldliness. He is more annoyed than excited by the crew's adventures. His character was directly adapted into the first pilot, and indirectly adapted into Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the series.

Mr. Spock The alien "Mr. Spock" is the Yorktown's first lieutenant. He is the "working-level" commander in charge of overseeing and supervising the crewmen. His appearance is described as potentially frightening, with a heavy-lidded and somewhat "satanic" face, with a reddish hue and pointed ears. He might have been half-Martian. Despite his look, he had a quiet temperament. His only weakness would be his extreme curiosity to all things he considers "alien." His personality was combined with that of Number One in the second pilot and the series.

Yeoman Colt The captain's yeoman, she was a blonde with a very womanly body shape. She wasn't dumb, but she was "disturbingly female" (or, as the Talosian Keeper put it, as possessing "unusually strong female drives"). She appeared in the first pilot, and was adapted into Yeoman Rand for the series.

Captain's orders

Captain Robert M. April was assigned to the SS Yorktown, Cruiser-class, for a five-year mission of galactic exploration and class M investigation. He was to patrol the "ninth quadrant" which began at Alpha Centauri and extended to the "Pinial Galaxy Limit." The reasons for the patrol given were Earth security, scientific investigation, and assistance or aid to Earth colonies.

Technology

Landings could be done using a small "recon rocket vehicle," and the audience would view them through "telescreens." A "telecommunicator" device would be used for communication between alien species and Humans. The cruiser would be armed with laser beams. The crew would be armed with special rifles and pistols that shot simple bullets, explosive projectiles, or hypodermic pellets which stun or tranquilize.

The episodes

Many of the episodes evolved into the episodes used by TOS and later series:

Memorable quotes

Star Trek offers an almost infinite number of exciting science fiction stories.

Star Trek is a "Wagon Train" concept – built around characters who travel to worlds "similar" to our own, and meet the action-adventure-drama which becomes our stories.

…far enough into the future for galaxy travel to be thoroughly established (happily eliminating the need to encumber our stories with tiresome scientific explanation).

The "Parallel Worlds" concept is the key…"

…something like three million worlds with a chance of intelligent life

(referencing April) But, unlike most early explorers, he has an almost compulsive compssion [sic] for the plight of others, alien as well as human, must continually fight the temptation to risk many to save one.

His name is "Mr. Spock". And the first view of him can be almost frightening – a face so heavy-lidded and satanic you might almost expect him to have a forked tail.

Except for problems in naval parlance, "Colt" would be called a yeowoman; blonde and with a shape even a uniform could not hide.

(from April's orders) …and the enforcement of appropriate statutes affecting such Federated commerce vessels and traders as you might contact…

Where required, "alien" variations will be obtained via padding, wigs, and simpler makeup devices.

Now and then, of course, we may spring a surprise variation, such as a fairly advanced civilization which clings to feudal armor and swords as a way of life.

Crew uniforms are 'naval' in general appearance, attractively simplified and utilitarian.

References

1964; 1984; Alpha Centauri; airman; barbarism; Blair General Hospital; "Bones"; Bouganville, Louis Antoine de; bridge; Caesar, Julius; Capone, Al; Carry Nation; Chicago; Class M; communism; Cook, James; crew quarters; communication room; crucifixion; cruiser class; Dodge City; Drake equation; Drake, Francis; five-year mission; galaxy; Garden of Eden; gladiator; God; Gunsmoke; Hermes II; Hitler, Adolf; Hornblower, Horatio; hypodermic pellets; Isaac IV; Jefferson, Thomas; Kentucky; Khan, Genghis; Kildare; laser weapons; Bonaparte, Napoléon; Native American; Nile Valley; Nightingale, Florence; Old West; "Parallel Worlds"; pinial galaxy limit; police; quadrant; Regulus; robot; Roman; Satunii; Scott, Winfield; Sirius; Socrates; space-warp; telecommunicator; telescreen; two-way scrambler; Tyrannosaurus; United Space Ship; Viking