Star Trek: Metamorphosis
The 38th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. Glenn Corbett guest stars as Zefram Cochrane, the man who invented warp drive (and shouldn’t, in the 23rd century, still be alive), a portrayal very different from what is shown in future Star Trek series.
Star Trek: I, Mudd
The 37th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. Roger C. Carmel returns – the only recurring singular villain character of the original series – in the role of interplanetary rogue Harry Mudd.
Star Trek: Catspaw
The 36th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. It’s the only episode of the original series themed to a specific holiday (in this case, Halloween, in which it airs in close proximity), complete with a “giant” black cat, a Macbeth-esque trio of witches, and a script by Psycho novelist Robert Bloch.
Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine
The 35th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. In one of the series’ most critically-acclaimed episodes, the Enterprise goes up against a monstrous device designed to devour entire worlds, and Commodore Matt Decker goes nuts.
Star Trek: The Apple
The 34th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. Once again, the Enterprise crew dismantles a machine maintaining a superstitious belief system on a backward world. David Soul guest stars.
Star Trek: Mirror, Mirror
The 33rd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. This is the first appearance of the “Mirror universe” plotline that recurs through the Deep Space Nine and Enterprise spinoff series, and remains a fan favorite. Barbara Luna guest stars.
Star Trek: The Changeling
The 32nd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. Captain Kirk continues his winning streak of logically talking sentient computers into self-destructing, impressing Mr. Spock to no end. Scotty becomes the latest senior Enterprise officer to die in the line of duty, and by the end of the episode becomes the latest senior officer to miraculously come back to life.
Star Trek: Who Mourns For Adonis?
The 31st episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC. The Enterprise once again trumps mythology with technology after encountering a powerful entity who gives the Enterprise a big hand.
Star Trek: Amok Time
The 30th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek premieres on NBC, kicking off the show’s second season with its first-ever glimpse of Spock’s home planet, Vulcan, as well as one of the best-known (and most parodied) fight scenes in the history of television, accompanied by some of the best-known TV soundtrack music ever.
Star Trek: Operation: Annihilate!
The 29th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. This episode concludes the series’ first season, and introduces numerous “fascinating” differences between human and Vulcan physiology.
Star Trek: City On The Edge Of Forever
The 28th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Joan Collins guest stars in an episode written by legendary science fiction writer Harlan Ellison; rewrites performed on the script prior to filming later become a major point of contention between Ellison and Roddenberry (and, by extension, between Ellison and Desilu Studios/Paramount).
The Spock v2.0?
During otherwise typical contract negotiations in preparation for the second season of Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy’s agent demands a significant raise for his client – a raise that could well break the back of the series’ already-struggling budget. In response, Gene Roddenberry, Desilu Studios and the show’s producers play hardball, firmly suggesting that Nimoy be satisfied with a normal raise, and they prepare to recast Spock or create a new Vulcan character to replace him. The show’s casting director suggests numerous potential replacements, including Mark Lenard, Lawrence Montaigne, David Carradine (Kung Fu), and Henry Darrow, among several others – all actors who are felt to have a “Vulcan look.” Nimoy – only later learning what demands his agent has made – negotiates his return to the series, while Montaigne is interestingly cast as Spock’s rival in the second season premiere, Amok Time. Henry Darrow will also don Vulcan ears, but not until Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season.
Star Trek: Errand Of Mercy
The 26th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. John Colicos guest stars in the first Star Trek episode to introduce the Federation’s arch rivals, the Klingons.
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Star Trek renewed
For the first time in the history of American TV, an announcer is heard over the closing credits of a network TV program, reassuring viewers that the show (in this case, Star Trek) has been picked up for a second season – and making a direct request that the series’ ardent fans bring their concentrated letter-writing campaign to an end. That campaign has actually been secretly organized by Gene Roddenberry with the help of several prominent SF writers and Star Trek fan Bjo Trimble.
Star Trek: Devil In The Dark
The 25th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. The Horta guest stars.
Star Trek: This Side Of Paradise
The 24th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Jill Ireland guest stars.
Star Trek: A Taste Of Armageddon
The 23rd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. David Opatoshu and Gene Lyons guest star.
Star Trek: Space Seed
The 22nd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Ricardo Montalban guest stars as Khan in the episode that sets up the events of 1982’s movie Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan.
Star Trek: Return Of The Archons
The 21st episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Harry Townes guest stars.
Star Trek: Court-Martial
The 20th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Percy Rodriguez and Elisha Cook guest star.
Star Trek: Tomorrow Is Yesterday
The 19th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. This is the first episode to introduce the concept of time travel via a slingshot maneuver around the sun to the Star Trek mythos (it will later be a vital plot point in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).
Star Trek: Arena
The 18th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. This episode, featuring the memorable reptilian Gorn and location shooting at Vasquez Rocks, is one of the best-remembered episodes of the series.
Star Trek: The Squire Of Gothos
The 17th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. William Campbell guest stars.
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Star Trek: The Galileo Seven
The 16th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Don Marshall guest stars. This is the first Star Trek episode to show the oft-mentioned shuttlecraft.
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Star Trek: Shore Leave
The 15th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Bruce Mars guest stars as Kirk’s Starfleet Academy nemesis, Finnegan.
Star Trek: Balance Of Terror
The 14th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Mark Lenard guest stars, though not in the familiar role of Spock’s father Sarek. This is the first episode of Star Trek to feature the Romulans.
Star Trek: The Conscience Of The King
The 13th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Arnold Moss and Barbara Anderson guest star.
Star Trek: The Menagerie, Part 2
The 12th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. In an effort to save costs, Gene Roddenberry devises a framing story – referred to behind the scenes as “the envelope” – allowing footage from the rejected 1964 pilot episode The Cage to be used within the context of Star Trek’s current cast as a flashback to a previous crew of the Enterprise. Malachi Throne guest stars in the new footage; Jeffrey Hunter and Susan Oliver are seen in the original footage from The Cage.
Star Trek: The Menagerie, Part 1
The 11th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. In an effort to save costs, Gene Roddenberry devises a framing story – referred to behind the scenes as “the envelope” – allowing footage from the rejected 1964 pilot episode The Cage to be used within the context of Star Trek’s current cast as a flashback to a previous crew of the Enterprise. Malachi Throne guest stars in the new footage; Jeffrey Hunter and Susan Oliver are seen in the original footage from The Cage for the first time.