Star Trek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Star Trek |
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Logo as it appears in The Original Series
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| Creator | Gene Roddenberry |
| Original work | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| Owner | ViacomCBS |
| Films and television | |
| Films | The Original Series films
The Next Generation films
Reboot (Kelvin Timeline) films
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| Television series | Broadcast television series
Streaming series
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| Animated series |
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| Games | |
| Traditional | List of games |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Theme park attractions |
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| Exhibits |
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Star Trek is a super popular science fiction story that includes many TV shows, movies, books, and games. It's like a huge collection of adventures set in outer space! Companies called Paramount and CBS own it.
The main parts of Star Trek are six TV shows (from 1966 to 2005) and thirteen movies (from 1980 to 2016). But there's much more! You can also find Star Trek books, comics, action figures, model toys, and video games.
Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek as a TV show in 1966. He and other writers built a whole fictional universe for it. This universe is set far in the future. It helps keep all the different TV shows and movies connected and make sense together.
Many people who love Star Trek are called Trekkies or Trekkers. They are huge fans of the series and the Star Trek Universe. There are even special meetings called conventions and newsletters just for these fans. Some fans even make their own movies!
Contents
Creating the Star Trek Universe
In the 1960s, a person named Gene Roddenberry came up with the idea for Star Trek. He described it as a western story, but set in space. He compared it to a TV show called Wagon Train. He also got ideas from the book Gulliver's Travels. After making two test episodes, Star Trek first appeared on TV in 1966.
The Future History of Star Trek
In the Star Trek story, a big event happened in 2053: World War III ended on Earth. Then, in 2063, a person named Zefram Cochrane invented the warp drive. This amazing invention allowed spaceships to travel faster than the speed of light.
Because of the warp drive, aliens from a planet called Vulcan came to Earth to meet humans. This important meeting is shown in the movie Star Trek: First Contact. The Vulcans helped humans with problems like sickness and hunger. By 2150, humans created one big government called the United Earth Government.
Later, a war between Earth and the Romulans made different species work together. This led to the creation of the Coalition of Planets in 2156. In 2161, the planets Vulcan, Earth, Andoria, and Tellar joined together to form the United Federation of Planets.
Main Star Trek TV Shows
The Original Series (1966–1969)
Star Trek: The Original Series is often called TOS for short. In this show, the starship Enterprise travels through space. Its mission is "to boldly go where no man has gone before" and discover new places. The stories take place in the 23rd century.
The main characters on the Enterprise are:
- Captain James Tiberius Kirk, played by William Shatner
- Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy
- Dr. Leonard McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley
- Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, played by James Doohan
- Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols
- Hikaru Sulu, played by George Takei
- Pavel Chekov, played by Walter Koenig
This show was on TV for three years. It ended in 1969.
The Animated Series (1973–1974)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (or TAS) is an animated version of The Original Series. The same crew members are in it. Most of them are voice-acted by the original actors. Because it was animated, the planets and alien species could look much more creative and interesting.
Gene Roddenberry originally said that the stories in TAS were not part of Star Trek's official history (called "canon"). People still discuss if they are canon or not. However, the official Star Trek website: http://www.startrek.com/ has added some things from TAS to its information library.
The Next Generation (1987–1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (or TNG) is set 70 years after The Original Series. It takes place in the 24th century. The crew travels on a new starship called the "Enterprise-D". The stories are still about exploring space. They also often involve fighting against hostile (unfriendly or violent) alien ships. The crew is made up of many different alien races.
The main characters on this Enterprise are:
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart
- Commander William Riker, played by Jonathon Frakes
- Data (an android robot), played by Brent Spiner
- Dr. Beverly Crusher, played by Gates McFadden
- Worf (a Klingon warrior), played by Michael Dorn
- Geordi La Forge, played by LeVar Burton
- Counselor Deanna Troi, played by Marina Sirtis
- Wesley Crusher, played by Wil Wheaton
This show was on TV for seven seasons, from 1987 to 1994.
Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (or DS9) is set in the late 24th century. Its timeline overlaps with the end of The Next Generation and the start of Voyager. Unlike TOS and TNG, this show is not about exploring space in a starship. Instead, it takes place on a space station. This means it has more stories about the characters' lives and relationships, like a soap opera. Many of the stories focus on the Cardassian alien race and a big war with the Dominion.
The main characters on Deep Space Nine are:
- Captain Benjamin Sisko (he was a Commander for the first three seasons), played by Avery Brooks
- Major Kira Nerys, played by Nana Visitor
- Odo, played by Rene Auberjonois
- Jadzia Dax, played by Terry Farrell
- Ezri Dax, played by Nicole de Boer
- Worf, played by Michael Dorn
- Miles O'Brien, played by Colm Meaney
- Quark, played by Armin Shimerman
This show was on TV for seven seasons, from 1993 to 1999.
Voyager (1995–2001)
Star Trek: Voyager is also set in the late 24th century. It is different from the other series because it takes place in a far-off part of space called the Delta Quadrant. The ship Voyager got stuck there after chasing some Starfleet rebels called the Maquis. The stories are about the crew trying to find their way home. This is a very long journey that would normally take them 75 years.
The main characters on the Voyager are:
- Captain Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew
- Chakotay, played by Robert Beltran
- Tuvok, played by Tim Russ
- B'Elanna Torres, played by Roxann Dawson
- Tom Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill
- Harry Kim, played by Garrett Wang
- The Doctor (a hologram), played by Robert Picardo
- Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan
This show was on TV for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2001. It was created to help launch a new television channel called UPN.
Enterprise (2001–2005)
Star Trek: Enterprise is the newest Star Trek series in the original group. It is set in the 22nd century, which means it happens before all the other series in the Star Trek timeline. It shows how humans and Vulcans start working together after their first meeting. The ship, Enterprise, was the first Warp 5 ship built by humans. Vulcans helped them with some of the technology. The first season had some small mistakes in the story that didn't quite match what happens in later series.
The main characters on this Enterprise are:
- Captain Jonathon Archer, played by Scott Bakula
- T'Pol, played by Jolene Blalock
- Charles "Trip" Tucker, played by Connor Trinneer
- Malcolm Reed, played by Dominic Keating
- Hoshi Sato, played by Linda Park
- Travis Mayweather, played by Anthony Montgomery
- Dr. Phlox, played by John Billingsley
This show was on TV for four seasons, from 2001 to 2005.
Star Trek Movies
| No. | Title | Year | Crew | Director |
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| I | The Motion Picture | 1979 | The Original Series | Robert Wise |
| II | The Wrath of Khan | 1982 | The Original Series | Nicholas Meyer |
| III | The Search for Spock | 1984 | The Original Series | Leonard Nimoy |
| IV | The Voyage Home | 1986 | The Original Series | Leonard Nimoy |
| V | The Final Frontier | 1989 | The Original Series | William Shatner |
| VI | The Undiscovered Country | 1991 | The Original Series | Nicholas Meyer |
| VII | Generations | 1994 | The Next Generation | David Carson |
| VIII | First Contact | 1996 | The Next Generation | Jonathan Frakes |
| IX | Insurrection | 1998 | The Next Generation | Jonathan Frakes |
| X | Nemesis | 2002 | The Next Generation | Stuart Baird |
| XI | Star Trek | 2009 | The Original Series | J.J. Abrams |
| XII | Star Trek Into Darkness | 2013 | The Original Series | J.J. Abrams |
| XIII | Star Trek Beyond | 2016 | The Original Series | Justin Lin |
Star Trek in Pop Culture
The Star Trek franchise is a huge business worth billions of dollars. It has had a big influence on many things in the real world.
All About Trekkies
Star Trek has a very large group of fans who are super enthusiastic about the show. They are usually called Trekkies. This name was first used in 1967 by Arthur W. Saha. He saw people wearing fake Vulcan ears at a special meeting (a convention) for fans. Some fans prefer to be called Trekkers instead.
Two documentaries (factual TV shows) have been made about these fans. They are called Trekkies and Trekkies 2.
The Space Shuttle Enterprise
In 1976, NASA (the space agency) built a test space shuttle. It was first going to be named Constitution. But Star Trek fans wrote many letters to NASA. They asked for it to be named Enterprise instead, after the famous starship. The Enterprise shuttle was used for flight tests. It never actually went into space. Today, you can see it on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
Funny Parodies and Tributes
The movie Galaxy Quest is a funny movie that makes fun of Star Trek. It's called a parody because it copies Star Trek in a humorous way.
There have also been Star Trek parodies in cartoons like Futurama, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.
The video games company Blizzard Entertainment often puts small references to Star Trek in its games. You can find them in games like Starcraft and World of Warcraft.
In 2013, fans of the show made a new episode called Pilgrim of Eternity. The people who made it were also professional film and TV workers.
Important Themes in Star Trek
Star Trek episodes often tell a story with a moral lesson. They frequently explore philosophical and moral questions. For example, in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Tuvix," a transporter accident mixes two characters, Tuvok and Neelix, into one new person named Tuvix. Tuvix has his own unique personality. The crew of the Voyager has to decide what to do. They can kill Tuvix to separate him back into Tuvok and Neelix. Or, they can let Tuvix live, which means Tuvok and Neelix would be gone forever. In the end, Captain Janeway chooses to save Tuvok and Neelix, even though the Doctor thinks it's wrong.
Star Trek episodes also often show things that are happening in the real world. One example is the episode "A Private Little War" from Star Trek: The Original Series. Many people say this episode is like the Vietnam War. In the episode, the Klingons are threatening innocent people. Captain Kirk has to decide if he should give the people guns so they can protect themselves. The episode makes you think: can you fight against bad things without doing bad things yourself?
A very important rule in all Star Trek shows is called "The Prime Directive." This is a law for the Federation. It says that advanced civilizations should not change less developed ones. Societies should be allowed to grow and develop on their own. The Prime Directive often creates a moral conflict. For example, it might stop the crew from using their advanced technology to save an intelligent alien race.
Images for kids
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Star Trek creator, producer and writer Gene Roddenberry
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Commander Spock and Captain James T. Kirk, played by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, pictured here in the original series
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The actors who played the Captains on the first five Star Trek series, together in London at Destination Star Trek
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A pinball machine themed for Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Testbed Space Shuttle Enterprise, named after the fictional starship with Star Trek television cast members and creator Gene Roddenberry in 1976
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ISS-42 astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti pays tribute to actor Leonard Nimoy, with a Vulcan salute in 2015 from space.
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An occupied Borg "alcove" prop on display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum
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Jeri Ryan, appearing at the Creation Star Trek convention in 2010; she was nominated for three Saturn awards and won for Best Supporting Actress in 2001
See also
In Spanish: Star Trek para niños
