Star Trek really did live long and prosper as nearly 1,000 episodes spanning 13 series over six decades would most certainly attest. After its US debut on September 8, 1966, the sci-fi show received mixed reviews from the critics.
But they were largely in agreement about the talents of its cast members, who would soon become household names and over the years spawn generations of cosplay and conventions worldwide. And ahead of its 60th birthday, the original series’ main man William Shatner believes he knows why it has stood the test of time.
He tells the Mirror: “What’s the secret to Star Trek? It’s pure TV magic. If anybody had the real answer to that, they’d write another show that would last 60 years.
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“It was well written, and many of the episodes were really extraordinary. But the fact that it was so positive about the future made people fall in love with it. There were several science-fiction writers who were themselves scientists, who delved into scientific possibilities and made them fictional realities. And so people got a glimpse of what might happen in the future.
