Earliest recollections of "discovering" Star Trek

[Jeff T]

Take a moment and share with us the magic moment of when you first encountered Star Trek.

Which series or movie?

Approximately what date/year?

How old were you?

What was the initial impact on you?

[Kheren]

One evening on our black and white TV set, I noticed my father watching a brand new English show where two men in colored shirts amidst stone ruins in a desert amazingly appeared  in a swirl of light. I was instantly drawn to it, even if at the time I didn't even understood what was being said; I was 8 years old with French being my native language.

Then I saw that incredibly beautiful and intriguing starship zooming accross the screen and, from then on, I was hooked to the wonders and promises of a better and exciting future.

The story was called "Man Trap."

The show was Star Trek... now known as TOS; The Original Series.

And yes, the year was 1966.

Even if it was not the actual first episode filmed, it was the first ever aired; producers of the time felt it was proper science-fiction as it had a monster and zap guns.  Fortunately, the following episodes (Where No Man Has Gone Before and the Corbomite Maneuver) were far better in all respects, already better showing the unique vision of the future that was to be the most prominent feature of this, the most groundbreaking TV series of those times; a future I have seen and embraced, from women equality to PCs, as it slowly became more real in me as well as around me while I grew up in the entire second half of the twentieth century and now the beginning of a new one... living  with a set of values and in a burgeoning world I had glimpsed since this one special evening.

By some happy turn of fate, I was there to see this great and wonderful imaginative vision being born. 

And to this very day, it never left me.

Obviously.

[Kalten]

Much like Kheren I first saw Star Trek on a black and white screen, though at the very start of the 80's at about the age of about 4 or 5.
Again, like Kheren, my dad was watching the show, which, obviously, turned out to be TOS (although a replay by that time).
I do not remember the episode, though I do remember loving the aliens in it...and Kirk was my instant hero!  I still love him today!

I was  afew years later when I first saw Star Trek in Colour, and by all the gods of infinate glory and colour....Star Trek has been with me solidly ever since!

[Hera]

I was a kid back in the 70's and Id sneak up to watch the shows that was 'too old' for me.  I didnt understand all of what I saw but the plot was laid out enough I coudl really get into Kirk vs Decker vs the Doomsday Machine.  But thinking back to the moment I knew I was hooked it was listening to the soaring music at the start.  id never heard anything like it and to this day the original music has a place in my heart.

[Jeff T]

I guess that it's time that I reply to my own inquiry.

In the fall of 1966 I was a mere child. (Yes... I'm old now LOL)
My father was a college professor. A new department member had just taken residence on the other side of town and I accompanied my parents as they went over to welcome them in their new home. During the course of the evening as they were conversing in one of the rooms, I wandered over to the television set in the living room because I saw what looked like some kind of space ship fly across the television screen. It was the introduction to Star Trek… apparently a new series on NBC. No one there knew anything about it nor paid any attention to it; except me. So after the commercials, the episode began and I just stood there sort of mesmerized until the next commercial break. Then I found a seat and awaited its return. I had never seen anything quite like it before and I was hooked. From that point on, I watched every episode that I could.

[Note:The first originally aired episode that I saw was ironically the first one filmed with the change in cast… the 2nd pilot… but was actually the 2nd one aired on Sept 22, 1966: "Where No Man Has Gone Before.” I never saw “The Man Trap” until syndication. (No great loss… certainly not a favorite of mine)]

Then sometime after the season began while roaming the aisles of a local Woolworths, I discovered an ERTL model of the Enterprise on a shelf. It was like finding the Holy Grail! Having no money with me, I carefully stuffed the  large box behind some less impressive models and stacked them up to conceal the prize lurking behind them and then I literally ran home and gathered up every nickel, dime and penny that I could find… I even resorted to begging for a few more coins from siblings to ensure that I had enough to cover the cost and the sales tax. I ran back the mile or so to the store, reached behind the façade that I built and carefully grabbed a hold of Enterprise box. I went up to the counter and paid for this coveted item with a pocket full of change; much to the chagrin of the impatient cashier. On the long walk home I stopped numerous times to pull the box out of the bag and just stared at it image and read through some of the information. I went home and began the construction process. I was amazed to realize that this was also a lighted model, so after procuring a couple of batteries and finalizing the construction process, I turned the switch and the model seemed to jump to life with its magical lighted glow. That was it… I was running through the darkened house with the lit Enterprise as if I was warping through space.  This literally went on for years.

I was totally unaware of the attempts to cancel the show during the second season but it was a real struggle for me to stay up and watch it during its third and final season because NBC had switched it to Friday nights at 10:00pm. Fortunately, my parents would often go out on Friday evenings for dinner and to socialize with friends… so that enabled me to sneak out of bed and into their bedroom and quietly watch it before they returned. I did however get busted a few times when they returned before the episode was over.

To say that I was heartbroken when Star Trek was cancelled would be an enormous understatement. Nevertheless, I still shuffled off to school with my little Star Trek lunch box that was banged and bruised from several years of daily use. No one else in school really related to the show and my older siblings used to tease me about it as well. It didn’t faze me at all. I also have to note: I never saw the original run of Star Trek in color. At the time we only had black & white TV’s… which was quite common back then. Then came our first color TV and the animated series. It wasn’t like having the original show back, but with the voice-overs by the majority of the original cast and some new species, planets and adventures introduced and others revisited,  it was like a lush little island oasis in a sea of mediocrity.

Then… syndication… reruns of the entire series… and in color! WOW I was eventually able to see all of the episodes, including some I missed when it was first aired and before I know it I could identify the title of every episode within 4-5 seconds after it began. I knew the names of planets they visited, and all of the characters and sequence of events, etc… I had collected the James Blish little books of the original episodes, a few sporadic Star Trek comics were released, rarely a few items were released, mostly models. This all changed when Star Trek the Motion picture was released in 1979 (I still have the original trading cards and such from this movie).

Over the years/decades, I attended multiple Star Trek Conventions along the east coast whenever I was able… mostly in Philadelphia but also in New York and Boston MA; including the 1986 20th Anniversary convention in which Gene Roddenberry himself announced the upcoming TNG series to an enormous and shocked audience. I attended every  Star Trek Movie premiere up through the 2009 Abrams version; in which I was invited to and attended a private screening several weeks before the movie was released.

And here we are 46 years later and the adventure continues... just as Gene had proclaimed those many years ago.

I will even somewhat reluctantly attend the next Abrams' Star Trek movie "Into Darkness" slated to be released May 17, 2013. I just hope that a new series follows soon afterward; but this time in the hands of someone more capable and truly a Star Trek fan at heart.   

[Jeff T]

It is staggering that 55 years has passed since the premiere of the original series.

At the time, there was nothing even remotely like it on television. The series was quite visionary, especially for its time.

Here's hoping that the original optimism and profound storytelling finds its way back into the franchise... somehow though more capable hands.

If there were ever a time that we could use a dose of authentic TREK it would certainly be now! 

[Kheren]

See you in 5 years Jeff... unless CBS again renew Kurtzman's contract... or Abrams is still pushing his crap...

Until then, this year, as it was since 2005, Star Trek Day will remain an In-Memoriam to something that was great, unique, significant and entertaining. Thanks the Great Bird of The Galaxy for VHS, DVDs and Blue Rays...

[Stryker]

My first memories of Star Trek were from the original series with William Shatner.  I was hooked the moment I watched my first episode and tuned in whenever I could after that.  It was probably early to mid 1980s the first time I watched an episode.  I also began watching the movies as soon as I was able to either in the theatre or on VHS for the ones I missed.  I too was disappointed once the series ended but I tuned in to every Star Trek series after the original and when I went to watch some original series episodes later on I was surprised despite the difference in technology and effects I still enjoyed watching the original. 
  I never had the chance to go to any conventions but was able to see a few Star Trek stars once the city I live in started having Comic Cons annually and they were able to attract Brent Spiner, James Doohan, Johnathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, John Billingsley and a few others.  Very cool to see these people in the flesh although I have to say it would be cooler if they were required to dress in their ST uniforms for these events. 
  While nowadays I prefer watching many of the newer series, the original Star Trek series will always hold a special place for me as it was what got me into the whole scifi genre and of course everything Star Trek thereafter.