Born in '63 and started watching before hitting 3 - first run. Addicted right off and found it hard to watch Lost in Space (hard to take that one seriously after Trek).
For Us Really Old Trekkers
- Thread starter Underfunded
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I'm just a year younger than the OP. I remember the original run, since my dad was a fan, but didn't get into Trek myself until a few years later, during 70's syndication. At first I was curious to see what Dad had found so interesting, but before long I was far more caught up in it than he had ever been.
By 1982, I had most of TOS memorized -- a favorite game for my sister was to time me when a teaser started, to see how long it would take me to name the episode. I amused a college literature professor once when I said Coleridge's line about "his flashing eyes, his floating hair" reminded me of Decker at the end of TMP. I cried in the theater when Spock died (much to my sister's embarrassment), and cried again when Scotty started playing "Amazing Grace." I didn't buy the comic books, but I had most of the pro books that were available, along with a modest collection of fanzines. (I still have a few of the latter, but they're in lousy condition -- I read them until they fell apart.)
So strange now to think that there was a time when I knew (and knew well!) all the Trek there was!
By 1982, I had most of TOS memorized -- a favorite game for my sister was to time me when a teaser started, to see how long it would take me to name the episode. I amused a college literature professor once when I said Coleridge's line about "his flashing eyes, his floating hair" reminded me of Decker at the end of TMP. I cried in the theater when Spock died (much to my sister's embarrassment), and cried again when Scotty started playing "Amazing Grace." I didn't buy the comic books, but I had most of the pro books that were available, along with a modest collection of fanzines. (I still have a few of the latter, but they're in lousy condition -- I read them until they fell apart.)
So strange now to think that there was a time when I knew (and knew well!) all the Trek there was!
1961 model here..prior to Trek, I was sat down before the first run of "Outer Limits" (my Mom was a huge fan) and covered my ears against the screams at the tender age of 3...On Sept 8, 1966, Mom sat me down and we watched "The Man Trap " together...scared the crap out of my 5 year old self...and was hooked ever since, My Mom and I watched most episodes of TOS on NBC first run..even the 3rd season "Death Time Slot" (being Friday, I was allowed since no school followed)...My favorite TV show of all...and I remembered it all and was creeped out over a few episodes..but kept watching again and again...favorite episode of the original 79..."Doomsday Machine"..sometimes I still hear the themes from that episode in my head..
I remember the later episodes of the original run, but my parents didn't like the show, so, I had to sneak it in or get lucky to catch them at my cousin's house. My cousin and I used to reenact our favorite scenes. He was usually Spock, and I was Scotty or the random red shirt. My death scenes were awesome. Neither of us were clever enough to be Kirk, so, he was imaginary in our scenes. My cousin made tribbles. During the 70's, I watched the reruns over and over, again.
Born in '61 and recall watching it first-run and being hooked.
I remember the mid-1970's when all we had were the 79 episodes in repeats - and no home video so you had to wait for your favorite episodes to come around in the rotation. TAS had come and gone. There was the Blish adaptations and the ADF TAS books, and a small handful of Trek novels (and a very mixed bag of then at that). No interwebs, so the only other Trek fans I knew or interacted with were the ones I knew in person from school. There were no movies or new TV series anywhere on the radar.
Simpler times.
I was jealous of a kid I went to School with because he had the entire set of those Star Trek Fotonovel books,closest thing to watching an actual episode back then.
May 7, 1968. I remember watching TOS in reruns when I was maybe four. I remember being uber-excited when the Animated Series was announced and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was only 9 but I remember '82. I don't remember exactly what year we got it but it was around then... My grandfather went with Betamax. I grew up in SW Ontario, near Lake Erie and I used to tape TOS episodes off of WUAB 43 out of Cleveland and WSEE 35 out of Erie, PA. And I devoured every Star Trek book by Bantam.
Blame the old Key comics. I picked up a few early on, and never looked at another Trek comic.
I do indeed remember what it was like in 1982. I was 12.
Agreed. It would be nice if we got full series reprints of those the way Dark Horse did with the original Marvel Star Wars run.You missed quite a run from DC in the mid-80's. Some memorable Trek there.
As the subject is similar to another here in the "general" section, I'll just transcribe what I stated there.
Born November 21, 1962, I was not quite 4 at the time the original series debuted and thus really not old enough to have any clear memories of the show.
It was late August 1972. My father and I had just moved into an apartment mega-complex. Returning to the two story "townhouse' he had rented, my father told me he had seen two boys roughly my age playing at the edge of the newest building, still under construction. He suggested I meet them.
The kids were playing with Tonka diecast metal vehicles upon a large sand pile. I introduced myself and quickly we were asking one another's favorite games, toys, activities and TV shows. One of the pair, Kyle, asked if I watched Star Trek. Being the early 70s, the series had recently hit the syndication market (where its popularity far outgrew the numbers it garnered during its initial primetime run). I confessed I was not that familiar with the series. For the last couple of years I was mesmerized by Irwin Allen's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
Obviously, Kyle had been watching Trek, hence his question. He liked to act the role of Kirk in backyard games of "let's pretend" and given my near black hair and ever so slightly taller stance, he thought I might do well in the role of Spock. I had little knowledge of the show's premise other than a crew of hundreds flew in space within a ship much larger that the Jupiter 2 from "Lost in Space". Oh, and this Spock fellow had pointed ears. But i reasoned if he would be willing to let me play with him, I'd better "educate" myself and start watching those early reruns.
After a few weeks of daily airings, I kinda' had the "basics". This Spock was supposedly very smart, a scientist and he let nothing get him frustrated or angry. That latter attribute really appealed to me as I did have issues trying to control my temper. Here was a character I could aspire to emulate.
Anyway, soon Kyle and I were running throughout the complex, pretending to be intrepid space explorers. the decorative weeping willow trees (the apartments were called "Willow Bend") became alien lifeforms with spindly, grasping tendrils. The 3 or 4 laundry-mat structures became strangely advanced computer centers (ala Landru). The sidewalk sections that had tall solid retaining walls (It was very hilly terrain) served as military trenches. The thematic hanging globe lamps (with dimmer switches) suspended in our respective domiciles could a Romulan cloaking device, Sargon's "receptacle", or even a strangely glowing planet or star around which we could "orbit" our AMT Enterprise model kits. Emptied makeup compacts were our flip lid communicators and a binocular case with a shoulder strap was my tricorder. Mind you, this was still 2 years before AMT released its "Exploration Set" model kit/play set of the phaser, communicator and tricorder. (We thought we were in hog heaven when we finally got and built those kits!)
Overly long anecdote cut short, I started watching 1972 to "win over" a new friend, but very quickly, it turned interesting unto itself.
Born November 21, 1962, I was not quite 4 at the time the original series debuted and thus really not old enough to have any clear memories of the show.
It was late August 1972. My father and I had just moved into an apartment mega-complex. Returning to the two story "townhouse' he had rented, my father told me he had seen two boys roughly my age playing at the edge of the newest building, still under construction. He suggested I meet them.
The kids were playing with Tonka diecast metal vehicles upon a large sand pile. I introduced myself and quickly we were asking one another's favorite games, toys, activities and TV shows. One of the pair, Kyle, asked if I watched Star Trek. Being the early 70s, the series had recently hit the syndication market (where its popularity far outgrew the numbers it garnered during its initial primetime run). I confessed I was not that familiar with the series. For the last couple of years I was mesmerized by Irwin Allen's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
Obviously, Kyle had been watching Trek, hence his question. He liked to act the role of Kirk in backyard games of "let's pretend" and given my near black hair and ever so slightly taller stance, he thought I might do well in the role of Spock. I had little knowledge of the show's premise other than a crew of hundreds flew in space within a ship much larger that the Jupiter 2 from "Lost in Space". Oh, and this Spock fellow had pointed ears. But i reasoned if he would be willing to let me play with him, I'd better "educate" myself and start watching those early reruns.
After a few weeks of daily airings, I kinda' had the "basics". This Spock was supposedly very smart, a scientist and he let nothing get him frustrated or angry. That latter attribute really appealed to me as I did have issues trying to control my temper. Here was a character I could aspire to emulate.
Anyway, soon Kyle and I were running throughout the complex, pretending to be intrepid space explorers. the decorative weeping willow trees (the apartments were called "Willow Bend") became alien lifeforms with spindly, grasping tendrils. The 3 or 4 laundry-mat structures became strangely advanced computer centers (ala Landru). The sidewalk sections that had tall solid retaining walls (It was very hilly terrain) served as military trenches. The thematic hanging globe lamps (with dimmer switches) suspended in our respective domiciles could a Romulan cloaking device, Sargon's "receptacle", or even a strangely glowing planet or star around which we could "orbit" our AMT Enterprise model kits. Emptied makeup compacts were our flip lid communicators and a binocular case with a shoulder strap was my tricorder. Mind you, this was still 2 years before AMT released its "Exploration Set" model kit/play set of the phaser, communicator and tricorder. (We thought we were in hog heaven when we finally got and built those kits!)
Overly long anecdote cut short, I started watching 1972 to "win over" a new friend, but very quickly, it turned interesting unto itself.
I turned three in 1982. My memories of 1982 are mostly vague and random, mostly playing around in and outside the house we had back then.
I don't think I truly knew Trek until I've accustomed to the caption decoder that became common late in the 80s. I do remember catching parts of some TOS episodes when I was little. I used to think Spock didn't speak, as Nimoy's lips hardly moved compared to Shatner's or Kelley's especially before we could have captions on the tv. I guess it's a Deaf trekkie thing
I don't think I truly knew Trek until I've accustomed to the caption decoder that became common late in the 80s. I do remember catching parts of some TOS episodes when I was little. I used to think Spock didn't speak, as Nimoy's lips hardly moved compared to Shatner's or Kelley's especially before we could have captions on the tv. I guess it's a Deaf trekkie thing
Not too much older than @Redfern (hi! 
)
I remember what was likely the second season in first run. There were few choices for TV and my father hated westerns. Or we could watch the Vietnam War (no lie).
I had a shirt with kind of a weird turtleneck with a v neck over it and that was my 'uniform'. But the only girl role was Uhura so I kind of played her when playing.
)I remember what was likely the second season in first run. There were few choices for TV and my father hated westerns. Or we could watch the Vietnam War (no lie).
I had a shirt with kind of a weird turtleneck with a v neck over it and that was my 'uniform'. But the only girl role was Uhura so I kind of played her when playing.
I'd feel bad for him then, in the late-'50s and early-'60s.
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