Sep 8, 2011

Happy 45th Birthday Star Trek!

Welcome aboard the Bitter Trolley, and since I’ve collected your tickets and everyone is comfy, let’s get the Bitter Trolley underway.

I am sorry it has been so long since the Trolley has been in service. It seems life has a way of moving forward and sometimes I have to force myself to pull the handle overhead and slow down, but here we are again on another ride. So hello! Guten Tag! もし もし! Привет!

Today is Sept. 8, 2011 – it is also the 45th anniversary of the airing of the first Star Trek episode, “The Man Trap.” That day in 1966 changed not only televised sci-fi, but was the start of not only what is now known as a classic TV show, inspiring five other series bearing the name “Star Trek” and 11 feature films, as well as countless novels, fan written stories and productions, video games, etc.


It’s funny, Trekkies are such an easy target for people to make fun of, but I have to say, I am so proud to be one. We all share a love of the series, and I dare say no other television series has engendered that kind of love.

I had the great fortune and honor of attending the Star Trek Las Vegas Convention, and it was such an amazing experience being with 15,000 others and we all share the same passion. I said to my dear friend and G and T Show co-host Teri (and he wonderful husband Allen, a new BFF J ) that for all the acclaim and media talk when ER was a huge hit, or the West Wing, I don’t see conventions for those shows bringing people from around the world.

Why does Star Trek have such longevity and inspire such devotion? I am no PhD, but I think it’s simple. Good stories. It is just that simple. Yes, there are moral and social messages throughout Trek, it’s a staple of the show, but if the writing sucked (and let’s not kid ourselves fellow Trekkies, there have been some stinkers that make Steve Martin’s rebooted Pink Panther look like Raging Bull) the show would not have captured our imagination.

As a fan I have met so many amazing people, and if I started to name them I know two things:

1 – I could go on forever talking about my friends and how much they mean to me, and:

2 – I know I would leave someone out unintentionally and then feel like a Ceti Alpha eel, so I won’t do that.

Instead I will thank all the writers who got behind a typewriter/keyboard, all the interns and those who worked on a set, in the art and production departments, the actors, the unsung PAs...and most importantly, the late Gene Roddenberry for the journey they took us on.

Ok, I am going to break the vow I made in the paragraph above and give a distinct shout out. If there was no Star Trek, then there would not be a G and T Show, and I would not have the absolute pleasure of knowing my co-host Teri. So yeah, I am calling one person out, but I think you understand.

This Bitter Trolley ride is a short one, but I just wanted to say hello, and wish Star Trek a happy 45th birthday. I hope you all LLAP!

A reminder and shameless plug: if you haven’t tuned in during the live broadcast of The G and T Show on Sunday mornings (and because I am a shameless plug whore, that’s at 9 a.m. EST/6 a.m. PST/1400 GMT) – well, what are you waiting for?  You can find it at: http://www.livestream.com/cerberusfilms.

You can also hear our older shows at: www.gandtshow.com and also find our link to our iTunes archive.

Well, we are approaching the station, as always, thanks for reading. And as always, thanks for riding the Bitter Trolley, and please, remember us for your future travels. Jolan Tru.