Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek, now generally known as Star Trek: The Original Series, is a science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired on NBC from September 1966 to June 1969, following the crew of the starship Enterprise on a mission of exploration. Though canceled after three seasons amid modest ratings, it found a much larger audience in syndication during the 1970s and grew into a media franchise that eventually included thirteen television series and fourteen feature films. Its original run drew an unusually well-educated, upper-income viewership, and the Smithsonian Institution requested a print of the series for its archives, the only television show to receive that honor; a fan letter-writing campaign that generated almost 116,000 letters helped keep the show on the air for its third season. It is now widely regarded as one of the most influential television series ever made.