On this day 50 years ago (September 8, 1966, which happened to be a Thursday), Star Trek premiered on NBC with “The Man Trap.” If you were watching, you weren’t alone. Nearly half the TV sets powered up that night in America were tuned in to Star Trek. Don’t believe it? Read on.
|
50 years of folklore dispelled! Star Trek was not the failure when on NBC, as we have been told. Here is the Nielsen ratings for the series premiere episode, “The Man Trap”:
RATINGS / Nielsen National report for Thursday, September 8, 1966:
8:30 - 9 p.m., with 54% of U.S. TVs in use. Rating Audience Share
NBC: Star Trek (first half) 25.2 46.7%
ABC: The Tammy Grimes Show 14.1 26.1% CBS: My Three Sons 9.4 17.4% Local independent stations: No data 9.8% 9 - 9:30 p.m., with 57.3% of U.S. TVs in use.
|
|
NBC: Star Trek (second half) 24.2 42.2%
ABC: Bewitched 15.8 27.6% CBS: Thursday Night Movie 10.7 18.7% Local independent stations: No data 11.5% |
The day after this ratings report was loaned to Desilu by Nielsen Media Research, Lucille Ball -- who had gambled her studio on the expensive and groundbreaking sci-fi series -- sent a telegram to the Star Trek production offices. It read:
|
Dear Gene and the rest of you hardworking people...
Just heard the good news and want you to know how proud and happy I am. Looks like you really have a hit on your hands, and we all appreciate your efforts. Love, Lucy. |
And we love Lucy, too! Without her, there would never have been a Star Trek.
You can see the ratings reports for every single episode of the original Star Trek: TOS (The Original Series) in the new Saturn Award winning book series, These Are the Voyages – TOS, by Marc Cushman.
Season One and Season Two and Season Three available now.
Season One and Season Two and Season Three available now.
