October 13, 1966
"Mudd's Women"

    NBC was very worried about airing this episode of STAR TREK  in 1966. It was, after all, a story about “hookers in space,” as one staff memo described it, with a secondary plot point (and story theme) regarding drug use – both heavy topics and taboo subjects for primetime entertainment in 1966. NBC’s Broadcast Standards department had a network censor on set during the filming to be sure not too much skin was shown.  William Shatner said, “As for the drug angle, well, it’s possible the network executives weren’t aware of what was going on.  That NBC allowed ‘Mudd’s Women’ to be produced at all is still a minor miracle.”
    So how did this controversial episode do in the ratings when it first aired? Was NBC telling the truth when it said STAR TREK was a ratings failure?

    As documented with the publishing of all the A.C. Nielsen ratings reports for every STAR TREK, in the Saturn-award winning book series, These Are the Voyages – TOS (The Original Series), the series was not the ratings dud NBC and over 45 years of folklore would like to have us believe. “Mudd’s Women” was typical of many first season episodes when STAR TREK aired on Thursday nights over most NBC stations. Check out the results.
RATINGS / Nielsen 30-Market report for Thursday, October 13, 1966
8:30 - 9 p.m., with 60.5% of U.S. TVs in use.         Rating:           Audience Share:
NBC:  Star Trek (first half)                                                       19.0                     31.4%
ABC:   The Dating Game                                                         17.3                     28.6%
CBS:   My Three Sons                                                             17.4                     28.8%
Local independent stations:                                                       7.7                     11.2%

9 ‑ 9:30 p.m., with 60.4% of U.S. TVs in use.
NBC:   Star Trek (second half)                                                19.0                    31.5%
ABC:   Bewitched                                                                     18.2                    30.1%
CBS:   Thursday Night Movie                                                19.0                    31.5%
Local independent stations:                                                       6.2                      6.9%

Picture
    From 8:30 to 9 p.m., STAR TREK was No. 1. From 9:00 to 9:30, it tied for the top spot with The Victors, a 1963 war film on CBS starring George Hamilton and George Peppard. Bewitched, one of ABC’s biggest hits, came in third this night.
    The numbers were equally impressive when NBC repeated the episode.
RATINGS / Nielsen 30-City report for Thursday, May 4, 1967
8:30 - 9 p.m., with 57.5% of U.S. TVs in use.         Rating:           Audience Share:
NBC:   Star Trek (first half)                                                    17.1                      29.7%
ABC:   Bewitched                                                                 17.6                      30.6%
CBS:   My Three Sons                                                          12.5                      21.7%
Local independent stations:                                                  12.0                      18.2%

9 - 9:30 p.m., with 53.9% of U.S. TVs in use.
NBC:   Star Trek (second half)                                             20.5                     32.1%
ABC:   That Girl                                                                     14.9                     23.3%
CBS:   Thursday Night Movie                                               16.9                     26.4%
Local independent stations:                                                  13.4                     18.2%

    So much for folklore. Get the truth, finally, in These Are the Voyages – TOS: Season One, Season Two, and Season Three.
    For the best prices anywhere (buy them together as a “Collector Set” and save even more!), and  autographed by author Marc Cushman, click below: