60 years into its existence, “Star Trek” has wielded immense amounts of pop-culture staying power — but why? It’s a startling question for an IP we tend to take for granted these days. Ever since “The Original Series” first arrived in the mid-1960s, the property has remained a constant on either television or film throughout the subsequent decades. Aside from a blip here (such as the 12-year gap between the end of “Enterprise” and the premiere of “Discovery”) or a period of uncertainty there (like the ongoing theatrical limbo as we wait for the next big-screen release following “Star Trek Beyond”), fans have been virtually assured of strange new worlds to visit on an unparalleled level of consistency.
There are countless theories to explain why this is the case, but who better to weigh in than the man who helped set all this in motion in the first place? At this year’s New York Comic Con, I was fortunate to have a few moments to pick the brain of living legend (and former /Film contributor) William Shatner himself. He appears in a new documentary that seeks to explore this very topic, titled “The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World,” from director Mark Altman. But when asked for his unique perspective on the longevity of “Trek,” the gregarious star had plenty to say:
“It is a phenomena. And as to why it has sustained 60 years of existence is as mystical as the question of life itself, I guess (…) I used to joke around and say, ‘Well, of course it’s me,’ fully realizing what a group effort it was: from the people who have been ascribed the talent, to the hidden people whose talents were fundamental. So, the known and the unknown.”
The one aspect of Star Trek William Shatner finds ‘encouraging’
After playing a character who always had the right answer throughout countless no-win scenarios, there’s something refreshing about hearing the larger-than-life figure behind Captain James T. Kirk admit that even he isn’t entirely sure why “Star Trek” has taken on a life of its own. “Every year that goes by enriches the history of ‘Star Trek.’ So I think if you say, ‘Hey, it’s been 60 years, what’s the answer to that?,’ nobody really has the answer,” as William Shatner matter-of-factly put it. “It is a wonderful mystery of show business. Why has ‘Star Trek’ been sustained and grown? It hasn’t just stood still, it has grown in popularity. Why? I don’t know.”
However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any theories of his own. As someone who’s lived through so many momentous events in American and human history — the Cold War, the atomic age, political assassinations, and more — Shatner knows a thing or two about the problems “Trek” hopes to solve. Singling out climate change and the rise of AI in particular as the most urgent threats we currently face, he points to one very specific aspect of “Trek” that provides hope in impossible circumstances:
“I think as that permeates the civilization, as that permeates America’s consciousness, that it’s possible that mankind could be wiped out (…) (that explains) why ‘Star Trek,’ with its emphasis on positive thinking, is relished. Because 400 years from now, ‘Star Trek’ posits that we’re alive and functioning. That’s really encouraging against so many of the dire predictions.”
Fittingly, Shatner saves his best insight for last. In his view, “What might be changing is not ‘Star Trek,’ but the appreciation of ‘Star Trek’s positiveness.” From Kirk’s lips to our ears.