Before the Trek

by Jesse Shanks

Before warp speed and photon torpedoes, the stars of Star Trek were working actors hustling for their big breaks. This fascinating book chronicles the early television roles of the talent that would later achieve sci-fi immortality.Through nearly 200 episodes across classic shows from the 1950s and 60s, follow the embryonic careers of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and other Trek icons. See Shatner as a smooth-talking attorney in The Defenders years before Captain Kirk. Witness Nimoy portraying Indians and cowboys in Westerns long before Spock. Behold Kelley as a country doctor in broken-down frontier towns, foreshadowing Dr. McCoy.The book also reveals the unsung performers whose talents helped launch the phenomenon, like pioneering actress Nichelle Nichols and writer D.C. Fontana. Their obscure appearances across anthology series, crime dramas, and wartime sagas provide an intriguing preamble to Star Trek.More than just a sci-fi curio, this exhaustively researched volume illuminates the Lost Years of actors who never achieved such fame again. Forgotten episodes and roles grant new appreciation for their artistry, tenacity and versatility. The epic scope also captures a bygone era in television's evolution, from live broadcasts to genre exploration. Included in the book are web links to each episode and more to episodes found online at free services.For devoted Trekkies, television history buffs, and classic TV aficionados alike, this is an essential guide to the early journeys of Kirk, Spock, and crew before destiny called them to go boldly. Their humble beginnings across the TV frontier reveal the hard work and talent that launched a cultural phenomenon.

238 pages, Paperback

Published November 8, 2023

Reviews

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers what the main stars of Star Trek (the original series) were doing before they became members of the cast. The book goes into the early days of television, discussing such shows as I Love Lucy, Dragnet, You Bet Your Life, Lassie, the Untouchables, Bonanza, Perry Mason, the Donna Reed show and various ot hers.

DeForest Kelly was a singer, for example, and was in various westerns and crime dramas. The book also covers Leonard Nimoy, Grace Lee Whitney, Gene Roddenberry and others.

There are descriptions of the various shows they were in, and this includes some photos of the various people in the shows.

It's rather complete and quite interesting.