The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield

This book did just that, it is part how to write for TV book and part Star Trek history. While spin-off merchandising was still unexplored territory so too was opening up the behind the scenes story of how to create a hit TV show. This book first released in 1968 helped establish everything we now take for granted in Star Trek. The second spin-off item available to fans while the show was still in its first run was the book The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. This was one way Gene Roddenberry was able to finance the vision he wanted for the cash-strapped show. Some of these first AMT models can be seen in episodes, “The Doomsday Machine” and the popular “The Trouble with Tribbles.” AMT models most significant contribution to the show was building the now iconic shuttlecraft, first seen in the episode “Galileo 7.” AMT designed and built not only the model kit to be devoured by these early fans, they built the full-scale prop used in the episode itself. Part of AMT’s licencing fee included providing models for the show. Model Kits are obviously not unique, but the licencing deal that Gene Roddenberry cut with AMT certainly was. Two spin-off products that were available while the show was finding its way during its original run are unique even until today. Nothing says Star Trek like a parachuting Spock. While these examples did not come out until the early 70s, some examples of these early toy spin-offs, include a parachuting Kirk and Spock rubber “figures” and guns that looked nothing like the iconic Phasers seen in the show. Besides the quick-to-produce t-shirts and buttons, the first merchandise was the usual “Rack Toys.” Rack Toys are those cheap toys that are found in dollar stores (traditionally grocery stores, drug stores, and dime stores) these toys bear little resemblance to the property that they are tied to.

Those first Star Trek fans that witnessed the birth of a cultural phenomenon were offered very little that they could bring home to show their love of the iconic show. This expectation came much later, thanks to Star Wars which fully cemented and realized the spin-off juggernaut that we see today. This was due in part by the fact that television properties, unlike today, were not considered good candidates for spin-offs in any form. Spin-offs started extremely modestly compared to the warp speed we see today.ĭuring the shows, original run spin-off merchandise was hard to come by for early fans. From cereal to bedsheets Star Trek is everywhere. It is hard to imagine a time when every department store aisle was not filled with Star Trek spin-offs. We sit at the edge of over 20 new Star Trek spin-offs, everything from the second season of Star Trek: Discovery to a yet unnamed Star Trek Picard series.

The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield