My home town of Tucson, Arizona -- with astronomy, telescopes and space science -- was always big on Star Trek, too. The article includes photos and a video of an interview with Gene from 1981, which I don't know if anyone outside Tucson is aware of.
Feature in today's Arizona Daily Star:
'Star Trek' repeats were a staple, rated a 24-hour marathon
By Bonnie Henry
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.31.2009
The original episodes ran for only three seasons in the late '60s. But when "Star Trek" went into syndication in the '70s, its new audience would launch it into the stratosphere.
"It was a big hit for us," says Ellen Adelstein, owner, along with her late husband, Gene, of KZAZ-TV, Channel 11, which ran "Star Trek" repeats for years.
In 1981, Gene Adelstein decided to run a 24-hour "Star Trek" marathon — the first in the country, says Ellen.
In conjunction with that, she and Gene asked "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry to pick his favorite episodes to include in the marathon.
Roddenberry did them one better. He invited them to his Beverly Hills home for an interview that would also be televised during the marathon, as well as for Ellen's show, "Talk It Over."
"We took the little remote truck that we used for all the basketball and football games to L.A.," says Ellen, who conducted the interview on June 16, 1981... (Cont.)
Feature in today's Arizona Daily Star:
'Star Trek' repeats were a staple, rated a 24-hour marathon
By Bonnie Henry
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.31.2009
The original episodes ran for only three seasons in the late '60s. But when "Star Trek" went into syndication in the '70s, its new audience would launch it into the stratosphere.
"It was a big hit for us," says Ellen Adelstein, owner, along with her late husband, Gene, of KZAZ-TV, Channel 11, which ran "Star Trek" repeats for years.
In 1981, Gene Adelstein decided to run a 24-hour "Star Trek" marathon — the first in the country, says Ellen.
In conjunction with that, she and Gene asked "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry to pick his favorite episodes to include in the marathon.
Roddenberry did them one better. He invited them to his Beverly Hills home for an interview that would also be televised during the marathon, as well as for Ellen's show, "Talk It Over."
"We took the little remote truck that we used for all the basketball and football games to L.A.," says Ellen, who conducted the interview on June 16, 1981... (Cont.)
