On 8th Sep 1966, a TV show called Star Trek was aired nationwide in USA. This show created by Gene Roddenberry was based in the 23rd century, a future where Earth had developed into a peaceful Federation, with the exploration of the universe as its driving force. Interest in Star Trek initially was not very strong, however, viewership escalated rapidly after the first astronaut successfully landed on the Moon in 1969.

Star Trek became known as a show where social issues of the period could be discussed and shown. Officers on board the Enterprise were comprised of several different races other than the Whites, including the Asian-origin Lieutenant Sulu, a black Communication Officer Lieutenant Uhura, and a Russian-native Ensign Chekov. Gene Roddenberry believed that in the future, everyone would have the same equal opportunities regardless of race or gender.

The 79-episode Star Trek: The Original Series was so successful that Star Trek fans worldwide lobbied the US government to designate a Space Shuttle as the Enterprise, named after the famous Starship in the show.

Between the periods from 1970s to 1980s, a total of 6 Star Trek movies have been released, featuring the same cast from the original TV series. The influence and intensity of some Star Trek fans were so strong that the word Trekkies becomes an official word in the Oxford Pocket Dictionary!

In 1987, Paramount Pictures introduced a new Star Trek series known as Star Trek: The Next Generation based in the 24th-century future. This series created a new wave of success among the younger generation of viewers. The 178-episode series run for 7 years and ended in 1994.

However, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, nicknamed the "Great Bird of the Galaxy", died in 1991. NASA posthumously recognised his contribution to space exploration when his ashes were taken into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1992.

A spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was debuted in 1993, where the focus is now on a Starbase, rather than on a Starship, attempting to resolve threats and conflicts from the Gamma Quadrant. The series continuously run for 7 years before it was ended in 1999 with 175 episodes.

In the meantime, another spin-off titled Star Trek: Voyager was released in 1995, showing how a lonely starship survived in her journey home after being lost in the Delta Quadrant. The series also run for a period of 7 years and ended in 2001 with 174 episodes.

From the 1990s to 2000s, 4 more Star Trek movies were released, now featuring the cast from the Star Trek: The Next Generation, making a total of 10 Star Trek movies being produced so far.

In Sep 2001, Paramount Pictures produced the 5th Star Trek series titled Star Trek: Enterprise, based on the 22nd-century future, sort of a flash back from the past 4 series. The series is has recently ended with Season 4.

Paramount Pictures has also announced that the 11th Star Trek movie will be releasing in 2008.

Unlike other sci-fi action movies which adopted a darker story plots (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Terminator, Aliens, etc), Star Trek focus on a more brighter and positive side of Humanity. In each Star Trek episode, the story theme always incorporate a fruit of thought … from human morality, management philosophy, diplomatic resolutions, to technological foresightedness. Most notably, Star Trek creates a futuristic optimism in which the fans are looking forward to.

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