It all began when Gene Roddenberry convinced Desilu to foot the bill for not one, but two Star Trek pilots. Thanks to Desilu's boss--America's darling Lucille Ball--the world met Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

Didn't realize there was a cartoon version of Star Trek in the early 1970s? Not only was it great, but with original series creator Gene Roddenberry, writer D.C. Fontana, and the series' original stars on board, it is the fourth season of the original show.

Paramount wanted to launch a fourth network with the new Star Trek series Phase II as its flagship. When the network proved unworkable, Phase II appeared doomed--until Star Wars and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind proved box office hits. Phase II became the 1979 blockbuster Star Trek: The Motion Picture.