Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future

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 Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future

Archive on 4: Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future

Kevin Fong boldly goes in search of Star Trek's 50-year-old vision of the future.

4 Extra Debut. Kevin Fong asks what became of Star Trek’s inspiring TV vision of society and space? Can it ever happen? From 2016.

The first episode of Star Trek aired on 8th September 1966. 

Space medic and broadcaster Kevin Fong asks what happened to the progressive and optimistic vision of future that the iconic TV series promised him? 

In 1964, Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry repeatedly failed to convince US studios and networks to buy his idea for a new kind of sci-fi series. Eventually he sold NBC the concept of a story in which the human race explored space, united in racial harmony and with benign global purpose. 

This was the era of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the western world: mutual nuclear annihilation had almost happened in 1963. The US and USSR were engaged in the Space race. 

Yet in Star Trek, American captain James Kirk had a Russian, Pavel Chekov, in charge of the Enterprise's weapon systems. 

The battle for civil rights in the USA was also coming to ahead. Roddenberry cast a black woman as fourth in command - Lieutenant Uhura, the ship's communications officer.

The Vietnam War was ramping up and relations between Mao's China and the USA were at a low. Yet another senior figure on the Enterprise's bridge was Mr Sulu, who Gene wanted to represent  Asia.

How far have we voyaged towards Star Trek's vision of the future and what of it is likely to be fulfilled or remain undiscovered in the next 50 years?

Featuring archive material of Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) talking about the inception and filming of the original series, and their thoughts about Roddenberry's vision of the future and its impact in the USA at the time. 

For a perspective from today, Kevin also talks to George Takei who played Sulu. He also meets Charles Bolden - the first African American to both command a shuttle mission and lead NASA as its chief administrator. Samira Ahmed about the sexual and racial politics of the Original Star Trek series.

Rod Roddenberry, the TV producer son of Gene talks about his father, his politics and creative vision, and why Star Trek still endures, even though its future remains unattained.

Producers: Andrew Luck-Baker and Jennifer Whyntie.

Credits/copyright:  Audio footage from 'Star Trek'' was courtesy of CBS Television Studios. / Some segments of interview with Nichelle Nichols courtesy of the Television Academy's Archives of American TV.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2016.

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