Gene's original pitch to the network.

[Pauln6]

It's another issue about the original pitch evolving. In the early Trek episodes the Enterprise's military missions were not really the focus but I think Christopher's quotes show that it was always in the background (and sometimes in the foreground). Let's not forget that our Joan had to die just so the military arm of Starfleet could exist. You bas***ds!

 

[Christopher]

If you look at the original premise, the portion containing "orders to Captain Robert M. April," it describes the duties of the Yorktown/Enterprise as, first, serving "Earth security" by the identification of "systems capable of a galaxial threat"; second, "Scientific investigation"; and third, "Any required assistance to the several earth [sic] colonies in this quadrant." So those orders put military responsibilities above scientific ones. But in the TNG series bible, the first listed mission priority is "To expand the body of human knowledge"; "To provide assistance as required to Earth/Federation colonies" is second; and "To provide for Earth/Federation security" is third. So the defense/combat aspect of Starfleet was much more downplayed in the TNG era.

 

[Pauln6]

To a certain extent I think that's why the early Enterprise episodes were a disappointment. Despite a transparent attempt to replicate the troika it failed to recapture the dynamism of the TOS era because it adopted the TNG vibe. You can imagine Archer sitting on the bridge smoking his pipe with his slippers on and the dog on his lap instead of slamming his fist into the arm of his chair and leering at Yeoman Rand when she delivered his coffee.

 

[nightwind1]

Being an ex-Coast Guardsman, I've always view Starfleet much like the Coast Guard-

In time of peace, we fell under the Department of Transportation and enforce laws and treaties, border patrol, search and rescue, fisheries, scientific research. We also take care of aids to navigation and communications.

In times of war, we serve with the navy in various capacities, such as port security, etc.

This was '88-'93, not sure how different USCG is now that they are part of Homeland Security.

 

[Christopher]

^That's a good analogy, but the difference is that there isn't any distinct Federation Navy. Starfleet is sort of an amalgam of the two branches -- in peacetime, it acts like the Coast Guard, and in wartime, it acts like the Navy.

 

[Anticitizen]

Let's just admit it - there are no accurate real-world analogies for Starfleet. Nor should there be. It's a 'what if' future, setting the vastness of the cosmos as its playground, which calls for a different set of rules than any heretofore-employed organization. Part astronaut, part Coast Guard, part Navy, part Magellan, etc. It's futile to attempt to compartmentalize.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Quite so.

 

[scotpens]

. . . In the original proposal to the network, the crew was 50% men, 50% women, which prompted another visit from the executives. There was no way, no how they were going to go along with a 50/50 crew. In answer to the question of “why the hell not?” their response was, “Because, don't you see, it'll look like there's a lot of fooling around going on up there.”

A few days went by, and the exec came back with a one-time offer: They could have 30% women.

Roddenberry thought, “Well, hell, thirty percent healthy young women should be able to handle the ship, so...”

Is that from The Making of Star Trek? It sounds like another heavily-exaggerated Roddenberry-told tale to me.

The Making of Star Trek only says that approximately one-third of the Enterprise crew are female. That was a radical idea at a time when the only women serving aboard naval vessels were nurses on hospital ships.

As for the whole “Is Starfleet military?” thing:

 

[Harvey]

. . . In the original proposal to the network, the crew was 50% men, 50% women, which prompted another visit from the executives. There was no way, no how they were going to go along with a 50/50 crew. In answer to the question of “why the hell not?” their response was, “Because, don't you see, it'll look like there's a lot of fooling around going on up there.”

A few days went by, and the exec came back with a one-time offer: They could have 30% women.

Roddenberry thought, “Well, hell, thirty percent healthy young women should be able to handle the ship, so...”

Is that from The Making of Star Trek? It sounds like another heavily-exaggerated Roddenberry-told tale to me.

The Making of Star Trek only says that approximately one-third of the Enterprise crew are female. That was a radical idea at a time when the only women serving aboard naval vessels were nurses on hospital ships.

I recall the number from the book, but I was wondering about the executive story, which sounds like a typical G.R. exaggeration.

 

[Captain Robert April]

It was from his lectures in the '70s (see the "Inside Star Trek" record/CD).

 

[Harvey]

Ah, okay, I have that CD lying around somewhere. Sounds like a Roddenberry myth to me, especially since, in that case, he's playing to a crowd (which always tended to make his stories grander).

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Ditto for Nichelle Nichols, too.

 

[plynch]

Me too.

 

[Mondragon]

A friend on my facebook thingy posted this link to a pdf or the original pitch for Star Trek.

http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/1_Original_Series/Star_Trek_Pitch.pdf

Anyone have an active, or alternative link where this is still currently available online?

Or a screen cap of the original lead character/concept bios page.

Thanks!

 

[1001001]

Anyone have an active, or alternative link where this is still currently available online?

Or a screen cap of the original lead character/concept bios page.

Thanks!

This thread has been dead for over 14 years!

Please take some time to review the posting rules.

And if anyone has ideas they can PM you.

Thanks