On this day September 8th 1966, a man named Gene Roddenbery created and launched one science fiction television show that dared to utter the words "Space... The Final Frontier" and chronicle the adventures of a crew that explored strange new worlds, lives and civilizations out in the cosmos. The audience would then be treated to three seasons of that weekly sci-fi adventure, featuring the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise and their mission to "Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before"...
That show was STAR TREK, and it has been 50 YEARS since it began and spawned an entire legion of dedicated fans that are affectionately known by many names - most commonly "Trekkies". From visiting alien homeworlds such as Vulcan to confronting hostile races such as the Klingons and Romulans, the show made great use what the imagination could create, as well as injecting human drama and adventure in a interstellar setting that held an untold number of dangers and mysteries. Following the exploits of Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer Spock, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise, the series had a cult following way after its cancellation and spawned its own set of feature films continuing the adventures of the legendary crew after their five-year mission in the series. Soon afterwards, spin-off shows were formed and led to the creation of the Star Trek franchise - which includes the other notable shows "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and "Star Trek: Voyager".
More spin-offs and explorations in media followed the Star Trek franchise through the years, but interest in the series was arguably renewed and peaked thanks to the "Abramverse" or "Kelvin Timeline" that was introduced with the 2009 Star Trek film - featuring an alternate reality of the Original Series created after an incident involving the original older Spock played by Leonard Nimoy.
The new movie timeline introduced new actors into the familiar roles of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise, and two sequels were released in 2013 and 2016 respectively. The latest one released last July was "Star Trek Beyond", which was directed by Justin Lin and featured a new adventure set in the middle of the rebooted five year mission of the Enterprise set in that alternate reality.
Finally, a new series called "Star Trek Discovery" is slated to debut on January 2017, set a decade or so before the events of the original series. What the future may hold for the Trek franchise is anyone's guess... But definitely the adventure continues for anyone who dares to explore the great unknown.
Happy 50th Anniversary, Star Trek!
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