Masterpiece Science-Fiction Theater

In this episode:

This is an audio version of my essay, The Enterprise is not a White Space: why minority representation on Star Trek was so radical and risky in the 1960s.

Much of American society, including genre TV and film, has historically been cordoned off into white spaces, which is a term coined by Sociologist Elijah Anderson to describe spaces predominantly filled with white people and where Black people are treated as outsiders. In its earliest years, Star Trek showed its audience that it was not a white space, but a diverse and inclusive space.

To prove the point, my article is a deep dive into casting choices and the creative input of Black actors in Star Trek’s first season. There is more to the story than Uhura and Sulu, as important as those iconic roles are. People of color were chosen as background extras, small speaking roles, and guest stars. Using analysis and many images, my article celebrates unheralded roles like these:

They all made an impact since even the smallest role kept the Enterprise from being considered a white space. Every week of the 1966-67 television season except for one, you would have tuned in to see Black and brown people in uniform on board a starship.

Sections:

Explanation of Anderson’s thesis on white and Black spaces; brief survey of Jim Crow laws that were being passed in the 1960s
Background Extras
Speaking Guest Roles
Guest Stars

In this episode: A complete analysis of World Building in Season One of Star Trek The Original Series:

A Survey of all strange new worlds (30) and all new life forms and civilizations (25)
A breakdown of categories for each, from barren desolate planets to advanced ones, and primitive aliens to evolved non-corporeals
The State of the Star Trek Universe after only one season: it truly is the final frontier, visiting no member worlds and only 5 Federation colonies–four of which ended in bloodshed and disaster!

In this episode:

The first part of our post-season 1 analysis of Star Trek: The Original Series, with a focus on trends in narrative structure.

Antagonist Type: There are more monster episodes than you might think, but the monsters and the villains are depicted in unconventional ways.

Monster: 11/28 (39.2%)

Villain: 9/28 (32.1%)

Computer: 4/28 (14.2%)

Other: 6/28 (21.4%)

Science Fiction Element Spectrum: Only a quarter of episodes are heavy science-fiction; while more than a third have only one notable Sci-fi element

Above Average (4+ elements)

1. Where No Man Has Gone Before (4)

9. What are Little Girls Made of? (4)

29. Operation Annihilate (4)

20.The Alternative Factor (5)

28. The City on the Edge of Forever (5)

15-16. The Menagerie (6)

22.The Return of the Archons (8)

Below Average (1-2 elements)

3. Mudd’s Women(1)

10. Dagger of the Mind (1)

12 The Conscience of the King(1)

14. Court Martial(1)

27. Errand of Mercy(1)

4. The Enemy Within (2)

6. The Naked Time (2)

7. Charlie X (2)

21.Tomorrow is Yesterday(2)

26. The Devil in the Dark(2)

Average (3 elements)

2. The Corbomite Maneuver

5. The Man Trap

8. Balance of Terror

11. Miri

13. The Galileo Seven

17. Shore Leave

18. The Squire of Gothos

19.Arena

23. Space Seed

24. A Taste of Armageddon

25. This Side of Paradise

Conflict Resolution: A strong majority of the episodes end with the character coming up with clever solutions to get them out of their problem

Wits: 12 (43%) (75%)

Wits & Fists: 9 (32%)

Fists: 4 (14.2%)

Other: 3 (10%)

In this episode:

an analysis of “Operation: Annihilate!” the last aired episode of Season One of Star Trek
a fitting season finale (even though 60s TV did not really do those as we understand them) because it has a grand scale and important character development for all three leads–Kirk, Spock and McCoy–which is unusual
a strong science-fiction outing with an alien that spreads “mass insanity” throughout the galaxy–and they look like flying jellyfish.

In this episode:

An analysis of The City on the Edge of Forever:

How the episode still lives up to the hype five decades later

Edith Keillor voices Star Trek’s Mission Statement, and is a stand in for all Star Trek fans
A comparison with Ellison’s script–the good, the bad and the ugly–especially Keillor, whom Ellison wrote as a Pentecostal evangelical crossed with L. Ron Hubbard. Hint: the filmed version is better.