Love ‘Star Trek?’ Then Thank Lucille Ball

The enormous debt the venerated sci-fi franchise owes to a comedy and television legend

Star Trek is one of the most iconic science fiction franchises in the world. When the original series debuted on television in 1966, few — including the show’s creator and its cast — could have imagined the seismic cultural impact it continues to have over 50 years later.

An uncertain beginning

The show’s evolution from a low-rated science fiction series into a media empire spanning television spin-offs, hit motion pictures, novels, conventions, etc., is the stuff of Hollywood legend.

However, Star Trek nearly did not happen and had a very fraught journey to television.

Science fiction was not as in vogue on television in the 1960s as it is today. Hollywood executives were reluctant to take a chance on an ambitious drama set in outer space. At that time, the idea seemed preposterous and too risky to produce.

Star Trek may have never gotten made if not for the direct involvement of entertainment giant Lucille Ball.

A comedy legend’s crucial role in ‘Star Trek’

Ball was not only a gifted comedic actress, she was also an extremely savvy businesswoman.

She and her husband, Desi Arnaz, founded Desilu Productions (also simply known as “Desilu”) — the studio they created to launch their iconic situation comedy I Love Lucy in October of 1951. Desilu quickly gained a reputation for producing television shows of unparalleled quality.

Within a decade after opening its doors, it became one of the most prominent production studios in Hollywood.

After the cancellation of I Love Lucy in 1960, Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1962. Ball then bought out Arnaz’s stake in Desilu, becoming its sole owner.

This move resulted in her being the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio; she also became one of the most powerful women in television.

Under Ball’s leadership Desilu continued to prosper, producing a number of well-regarded television series, including The Lucy Show (1962), Mannix (1967), That Girl (1966), and Mission: Impossible (1966).

A few years after assuming control of Desilu, Ball began looking for high-concept television series to bolster the studio’s waning production slate. She was presented with a pilot script for a “space western” by a writer named Gene Roddenberry.

Ball was instantly intrigued by the script. Though she did not have prior experience with the genre of science fiction, she saw enormous potential in the series.

However, the Desilu board of directors vehemently disagreed with her. Their main concern was the great expense inherent in producing a series like Star Trek.

Undeterred, Ball bought the script and approved production. The television voyages of the starship USS Enterprise were set to begin.

Eventually, Desilu did buckle under the financial strain of producing the series. In 1967, Ball sold the studio to Paramount Television. The studio’s entire programming library, including the rights to Star Trek, was included in the sale.

In the decades since it first aired on television, Star Trek has evolved from a short-lived science fiction show into a global pop culture phenomenon.

Its idealistic vision of the future and the technological wonders it possesses continues to entertain, inspire, and bring joy to millions.

Still, what often gets overlooked in the celebrations of Star Trek’s extraordinary history is a very important truth: its legacy was made possible due to the vision and intervention of one extraordinary woman — Lucille Ball.

Fascinating.

Note: a version of this article was originally published in Blasting News.