When Gene Roddenberry created "Star Trek" in the 1960s, he savvily pitched it as "'Wagon Train' to the stars." Television Westerns like "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," and "Rawhide" were all the rage at the time, so it was a masterstroke of broadcast salesmanship to suggest that a show about space exploration center on humankind pursuing its intergalactic manifest destiny. All of humankind. Which meant that the bridge of the Starship Enterprise would include the Asian helmsman Sulu and the Black communications officer Uhura. And a Vulcan named Spock.
This inclusiveness allowed the three-season run of "Star Trek" to palpably connect with viewers of various ethnic backgrounds. It was a show for everyone at a time when every person on the planet could suddenly look to the stars and say, "I might get there in my lifetime." The series inspired people to learn, to empathize, and to treat artificial intelligence with contempt. "Star Trek" speaks to the best parts of ourselves.
NBC famously failed to grok the appeal and potential of "Star Trek," but it found a robust audience via syndication. It became such a pop cultural sensation that Paramount, eager to capitalize on the game-changing blockbuster success of "Star Wars," poured a massive $44 million ($194 million adjusted for inflation) into a big-screen adventure starring the crew of the Enterprise. The Robert Wise-directed "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was a tad too reverent of the source material to connect with many mainstream moviegoers, but two years later, the pulpy and heartfelt "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" hit the commercial sweet spot.
"Star Trek" was never going to be a "Star Wars"-sized phenomenon, but it's a bankable and, in the right hands, principled franchise. Even the lesser installments are worth watching. And if you've somehow never boldly gone into the cosmos with our friends from Starfleet, Pluto TV is about to give you the grand tour free of charge.