William Shatner, the actor best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk, has been looking back on the unlikely six-decade lifespan of Star Trek as the franchise marks its 60th anniversary on 8 September. In an interview reported by USA TODAY, Shatner, now 95, described his surprise that a show which ran for only three seasons would become a global cultural phenomenon.
From cancellation to cultural cornerstone
The original Star Trek premiered on 8 September 1966 and ran from 1966 to 1969. NBC cancelled the series after three seasons, replacing it in the Friday-night schedule with the drama Bracken's World. Yet the series found a new lease on life through syndicated reruns and eventually spawned a vast universe of films, spin-off series and devoted fans.
Shatner expressed bemusement at the show's staying power. "If you polled the entire human population and asked, 'You know that mediocre, barely surviving television show on Friday nights at 10 o'clock with nobody watching?'" he said, adding that he doubted anyone would predict its continued presence in popular culture six decades on.
"If you polled the entire human population and asked, 'You know that mediocre, barely surviving television show on Friday nights at 10 o'clock with nobody watching?'"
Hard truths behind the glamour
Beyond nostalgia, Shatner also reflected on the business side of show business. He told USA TODAY that he missed out on residual payments, quipping that he was "famously poor." The comment underscores long-standing conversations about performers' rights and compensation in television's early years, when syndication and merchandising deals were far less lucrative for many actors than they are today.
The anniversary has been marked with a variety of fan and industry events, including movie screenings, telethons, a cast reading of the first episode dubbed "The Pitt" (with Noah Wyle as Kirk) and an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the most people simultaneously performing the Vulcan salute at the London Science Museum on 8 September.
Behind the Tribbles: a small revelation
One of the more playful revelations from Shatner concerns the classic Season 2 episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967). He confirmed an old fan theory — that several crew members were physically tossing the fast-breeding Tribbles at him during the scene in which Kirk is buried under the furry creatures. "They're tossing Tribbles at me, and you don't want to get hit by a Tribble," Shatner said, adding that it was all done in fun.
- Original run: 8 September 1966–1969 (three seasons)
- Anniversary: 60 years on 8 September 2026
- Notable episode: "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, 1967)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1966 | Original series premiere (8 September) |
| 1969 | Series cancelled after three seasons |
| 1967 | "The Trouble with Tribbles" airs (Season 2) |
| 2026 | 60th anniversary celebrations and events |
Shatner's reminiscences mix humour with a degree of ruefulness. He has long embraced his role in the franchise while also lampooning its most ardent devotees — famously delivering the "Get a life!" line in a 1986 Saturday Night Live sketch that poked fun at hardcore Trekkies. Yet even with that ambivalence he continues to participate in appearances and events connected to Star Trek, signalling the durable bond between the actor and the franchise he helped make iconic.
For South African fans and international audiences alike, the 60th anniversary is a reminder of how a modestly watched television show evolved into a sprawling cultural force — complete with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, enduring catchphrases and, yes, a few flying Tribbles.
