Fans flock to Las Vegas for Star Trek convention on show’s 50th anniversary

World Today

The annual Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas is underway. It’s the mecca for die-hard fans from around the world but this is an exceptional year. The science fiction phenomenon celebrates its 50th anniversary.

CCTV America’s May Lee reports.

* CORRECTION: Courtesy references in the video to NBC should be changed to CBS Studios.
Though NBC was the original broadcast network for the series, CBS purchased the distribution rights after it was cancelled.

If you’re a Star Trek fan, then there’s nowhere else you want to be then in Las Vegas to celebrate the franchise’s golden anniversary. 

Fifty years ago, the USS Enterprise captivated a small, but devoted television audience with its adventures in outer space. The series would have lasted just two seasons, but fans sent hundreds of thousands of letters to NBC studios demanding the show continue and it worked!

“Finally, they made an on-air announcement during one episode of Star Trek that Star Trek had been renewed for a third season, and so of course, they got tens of thousands of thank you letters,” Richard Arnold, a former assistant to Gene Roddenberry said. 

Gene Roddenberry was the mastermind behind Star Trek. The show was his vision of how the world should be. Themes included diversity, equality and peacemaking. 

George Takei was the original Sulu in Star Trek. He was very well aware of Roddenberry’s intentions. 

“He wanted to make some commentaries on contemporary society and he wanted to use science fiction as a metaphor for issues of the time,” Takei said, “He said this starship is a metaphor for starship earth. The strength of this starship lay in its diversity coming together and working in concert as a team.”

In an episode called “Let that be your last battlefield”, which aired in 1969, the issue of racism was addressed in a subtle but effective way. 

The Star Trek legacy is being carried on by the franchise’s new generation of talent on the big screen. 

John Cho, the actor of “Sulu” in the latest film, Star Trek Beyond, thought that Star Trek puts positivity in the world. It’s predicated on peace and seeking out knowledge so it’s a real honor to be associated with it.

And judging from the turn out here in Las Vegas for the convention, it’s pretty obvious that dedicated fans young and old are embracing the essence of Trek in every way possible. So, I think it’s safe to say, Star Trek will continue to live long and prosper.


FB LIVE: May Lee at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas