The Original Star Trek TV Show Was Partly Inspired By Wagon Train!
There are not too many people around (if any, thinking about it!), who would be unfamiliar with the Star Trek TV Show. The original TV series hit the screens in 1966 and ran on the NBC Network for three seasons.
It's difficult to comprehend the original idea for the Star Trek TV Show, as apparently the show's creator Gene Roddenberry started out marketing the show calling it an outer space Western. His source of inspiration in creating the show actually came from three different sources, all combined and wrapped up into one.
The main one was a very popular cowboy series that even made it across the pond to the UK, called Wagon Train. This he combined with the fictional character Horatio Hornblower, a Royal Navy Officer during the Napoleonic Wars era, created by the novelist C.S.Forester. Finally there was the novel Gulliver's Travels written by Jonathan Swift with its fictional city of Maldonada, the main port in the Bainibarbi kingdom. One can only marvel at the creative process of bringing this whole idea together, all under one Star Trek roof!
Star Trek was to follow the intergalactic adventures of captain James T. Kirk along with his crew of the starship Enterprise; a 23rd century exploration vessel operating in conjunction with the interplanetary "United Federation of Planets". Roddenberry told friends privately his intention was for each episode to be played out on two different levels. An adventure story full of suspense and a tale that embraced sound morals.
Most of the stories would depict the exploits of the aliens and the humans who served in Starfleet, the United Federation of Planets peacekeeping taskforce. These " Good Guys" with their altruistic values, would frequently have to pit their wits and apply their high ideals, as they encountered series of difficult dilemmas.
It has to be said Roddenberry's ideas for the Star Trek TV Show series were highly commendable. In each show, the message was one of anti-war and he wanted to show humanity how things might develop if only everyone would learn from their mistakes and learn the lessons of life. What a subtle way to get across his point, Good things never die. Neither will Star Trek!