All engines stop, Scotty

James Doohan passed away.

[edited]
Just got home, and saw that CNN and Faux News both had extensive pieces on his passing. George Takei and Walter Koenig were on Faux. Showed him unveiling a star at the Grauman.

I find it amazing, and quite a testament to the power of Gene Roddenberry's work. I don't think I saw much of the series first airing, I would have been seven or so, but it was on Friday nights. But it was shown nearly continuously in syndication at 4 PM, after school, so I quickly became quite committed to the series, reading the books and watching it every chance I got. It was my Harry Potter.

At the time, it was a decidedly geeky thing to do. It was the hallmark of the bookish sort, and openly showing affection for Star Trek was a good way to get beat up.

But it lasted. Looking back now, the sets were cheesy, the special effects primitive (although very cutting edge for the time) and the acting... But the show lasted, because the stories were well thought out for the most part, and didn't talk down to the audience. And the universe invented by Roddenberry and the writers was complex, and ultimately, optimistic. For all the battles and fighting that went on, it portrayed humans AND aliens as intelligent beings who are able to understand and work with others. It also portrayed people from Earth as having thrashed out our own petty differences, gotten beyond race, religion, gender and class to unite as... humans.

It was an optimistic and inclusive viewpoint, at the height of the Vietnam war when it seemed the news was only about how The Humans just couldn't get along, and nuclear destruction was terribly imminent. They showed humans of all races, as well as aliens, working together (also televised the first interracial kiss). It was the first TV show that was resurrected by a fan based campaign. It set the stage for nearly every Science fiction show and movie that followed.

And nearly forty years later, it has become a social touchstone; everyone says 'Beam me up Scotty' (Takei reminded us that the line was never used in the series); the show has inspired ten movies, and four additional series. It has been translated into every language, and is part of worldwide culture. The movies and episodes still inspire wonder and optimism.

If we manage to develop something similar to the Star Trek universe, it will be in no small part because of the imaginations and dreams sparked by Gene Roddenberry's little 'Wagon Train in space'. Roddenberry, Doohan, all the other actors, writers, artists can be proud of that.

Thank You, Scotty.