Guest Blogger: Mark Clark, author of Star Trek FAQ (Applause Books)

In an otherwise favorable critique of my book Star Trek FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise, reviewer Reed Farrington of the Film Junk web site, takes me to task for failing to address a simple question: Is Star Trek really that good? “The Star Trek books I have read all seem to be written by fans,” Farrington notes. “So I often wonder if Star Trek really deserves all the accolades heaped on it. And I wonder if fans have exaggerated the importance of the show.”

Farrington is correct that I never directly address this question within the pages of the book, mostly because the answer seemed to be self-evident. The original Trek has so far spawned another 647 TV episodes and 11 feature films (soon to be 12), as well as more than 600 published works of fiction. Star Trek changed the economics of television and altered the course of popular culture by changing perceptions of science fiction. Once dismissed as juvenile drivel, the genre is now the stuff of blockbuster movies, smash TV shows and best-selling novels, as well as university curriculums and museum exhibits. (And given that Star Trek counted Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke among its fans, it must be quality science fiction.) Perhaps most importantly, the series enriched the lives of generations of fans, inspiring them to take up careers in science, engineering, medicine, and show business, and to work for political social change, to help bring about the utopian future creator Gene Roddenberry imagined. No other television show has such a massive, profound and enduring legacy. All this sets Star Trek apart.

Still, for the sake of argument, let’s compare Star Trek to the other most popular and critically acclaimed dramas of its era.

The mid- to late-1960s were a surprisingly conservative era in television history. Few shows overtly addressed the social and political upheavals of the day. The dramas that performed best were those that served the television equivalent of comfort food – old fashioned Westerns, escapist adventures and warm-and-fuzzy family fare. During the 1966-67 season, when Star Trek made its debut, the top-rated dramas on television were Bonanza (Number 1 overall), Daktari (Number 7), and The Virginian (Number 11) – two Western war horses and a cozy adventure series about an American veterinarian working in Africa. These were the only three dramas among the Nielsen Top 20. The following season, the highest-rated dramas were Gunsmoke (Number 4), Bonanza (Number 6), The Virginian (Number 14) and Gentle Ben (Number 19), about a family living in the Everglades with a cuddly, 650-pound black bear. During Star Trek’s final season, Bonanza (Number 3) and Gunsmoke (Number 6) finished in the Top 10, while Mission: Impossible, Ironside, The Virginian and Dragnet all landed in the Top 20. Today, Star Trek is much more popular than any of those higher-rated programs. Only Mission: Impossible (the Desilu-produced sister series of Trek) retains any significant cultural currency.

Star Trek’s critical reception was mixed. It was panned by most critics upon its debut but earned back-to-back Emmy nominations as Outstanding Drama following its first two seasons (losing both times to Mission: Impossible). During its first season, the other Emmy nominees (besides Trek and M:I) were the lighthearted spy-fi series The Avengers and I Spy, and Run for Your Life, about a terminally ill man (Ben Gazzara) who decides to live to the fullest during his final months. Trek’s Season Two Emmy competitors also included those same four shows, as well as NET Playhouse, an anthology series broadcast on public television. Star Trek failed to earn an Emmy nomination following its troubled final season. That year, NET Playhouse won the Emmy, beating The F.B.I., Mission: Impossible, Judd for the Defense, and The Name of the Game, a glitzy, big-budget series about the staff of a large magazine publisher. The short-lived Judd for the Defense remains notable as one of the few shows on television that were more overtly socially conscious than Star Trek, and as one of the few series the lowly rated Trek outperformed in the Nielsen ratings. The Emmy nominees of the era are a diverse and intriguing assortment of programs, but Star Trek, at least during its first two seasons, was certainly as thoughtful, ambitious and well-crafted as any of the other honored series. This much, at least, was reflected by Emmy voters. However, given the many production and screenwriting challenges created by its sci-fi format, Star Trek’s achievements, arguably, were even more impressive.

In his review of my book, Mr. Farrington suggests, “Of course, maybe Star Trek is simply awesome.” It is.

Star Trek FAQ tells the complete story of Star Trek, from the before the beginning (the books, films, and TV shows that inspired producer Gene Roddenberry to create Star Trek) until after the end (when the show emerged as a cultural phenomenon in syndication), and including dramatic behind-the-scenes stories (e.g., Leonard Nimoy’s struggle with alcoholism and actress Grace Lee Whitney’s controversial firing) often omitted from “authorized” histories of the program. Along with in-depth looks at the pre- and post-Trek careers of the show’s iconic leads, Star Trek FAQ includes profiles of guest stars and “redshirt” extras alike, as well as the many writers, technicians, and artisans whose efforts enabled Star Trek to take flight. The book also explores the show’s unprecedented resurgence in the 1970s with chapters devoted to early Star Trek fiction, merchandising, and the short-lived animated series. Combining a wealth of fascinating information about every facet of the show’s production with original analysis of Star Trek‘s enduring appeal and cultural influence, Star Trek FAQ goes where no Star Trek book has gone before.