Cancelled After Thirteen Weeks?

[BillJ]

So I'm reading the forward by Norman Spinrad from Star Trek: The Classic Episodes, a collection of some of the Blish episode novelizations. In it, he says that NBC told Paramount and Roddenberry that they would order no new episodes after the original thirteen, effectively cancelling the series. He goes on to say that, at that point, is when the letter writing campaign to save the show began. With Roddenberry asking permission to put Spinrad's and other sci-fi authors names on the letterhead of letters to save the show.

Is he misremembering events? Did Roddenberry lie to him? This is a version of the cancellation story that I've never heard before.

 

[Spock's Barber]

That is interesting, if it true. If TOS was cancelled in mid-1st season, that would more than likely have ended the ST phenomena as we know it now. Bummer.

 

[Nerys Myk]

So I'm reading the forward by Norman Spinrad from Star Trek: The Classic Episodes, a collection of some of the Blish episode novelizations. In it, he says that NBC told Paramount and Roddenberry that they would order no new episodes after the original thirteen, effectively cancelling the series. He goes on to say that, at that point, is when the letter writing campaign to save the show began. With Roddenberry asking permission to put Spinrad's and other sci-fi authors names on the letterhead of letters to save the show.

Is he misremembering events? Did Roddenberry lie to him? This is a version of the cancellation story that I've never heard before.

Probably,since Paramount didn't buy Desilu until the summer of 1967.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

So I'm reading the forward by Norman Spinrad from Star Trek: The Classic Episodes, a collection of some of the Blish episode novelizations. In it, he says that NBC told Paramount and Roddenberry that they would order no new episodes after the original thirteen, effectively cancelling the series. He goes on to say that, at that point, is when the letter writing campaign to save the show began. With Roddenberry asking permission to put Spinrad's and other sci-fi authors names on the letterhead of letters to save the show.

Is he misremembering events? Did Roddenberry lie to him? This is a version of the cancellation story that I've never heard before.

He's conflating two incidents — the Bjo Trimble campaign during the second season and Roddenberry asking Science Fiction writers to urge World Science Fiction Convention members to write NBC in support of STAR TREK in the first season to save the show.

Asimov, Ellison and others participated in the so-called "Committee." Ellison organized it. And tons of science-fiction fans wrote into NBC.

You can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_on_the_Edge_of_Forever#Ellison.2FRoddenberry_feud

And here: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

 

[Harvey]

Th show's original order from NBC was for 16, not 13 episodes.

They picked it up for an extra ten shows by October 12, 1966, per Weekly Variety.

Otherwise, what @Ryan Thomas Riddle said!

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Th show's original order from NBC was for 16, not 13 episodes.

They picked it up for an extra ten shows by October 12, 1966, per Weekly Variety.

Otherwise, what @Ryan Thomas Riddle said!

And this is why I leave the Trek fact checking to you, Harvey. You keep us all honest!

 

[Indysolo]

This is all nonsense! Star Trek was a ratings success. The network didn't like Roddenberry!

Neil

 

[Harvey]

Did someone say "Cash"?

 

[BillJ]

Th show's original order from NBC was for 16, not 13 episodes.

They picked it up for an extra ten shows by October 12, 1966, per Weekly Variety.

So that makes 26. There were 28, not counting "Where No Man...", when did the extra two get the go ahead?

 

[Harvey]

So that makes 26. There were 28, not counting "Where No Man...", when did the extra two get the go ahead?

There was an additional pick-up late in the season. I'd have to scour Variety for the exact date.

 

[BillJ]

There was an additional pick-up late in the season. I'd have to scour Variety for the exact date.

No worries. Just was interested in how they came to be. You answered that.

 

[J.T.B.]

There was an additional pick-up late in the season. I'd have to scour Variety for the exact date.

Now that's interesting, I did not know that. I always assumed it was 26 ordered after the (second) pilot, adding WNMHGB to make 27 and Menagerie part 2 for 28 total.

 

[Harvey]

Now that's interesting, I did not know that. I always assumed it was 26 ordered after the (second) pilot, adding WNMHGB to make 27 and Menagerie part 2 for 28 total.

I just checked. Star Trek received an additional pickup of four episodes per the December 12, 1966 issue of Daily Variety.

NBC changed their mind and cut that order down to 3 by December 30. Because this was so last minute, and against the terms of their agreement with Desilu, NBC had to eat $4500 (for the script and story to episode 30).

 

[J.T.B.]

Wow, great info. Thanks a lot!

 

[KirkusOveractus]

The process NBC used in ordering the episodes that way fits with how network shows are even seen today. You'll sometimes see mid-season replacements shown in January, because a network has cancelled a series after that initial order (about half a season).