Gene Roddenberry’s quirky little sci-fi drama found an unlikely champion in comedy queen Lucille Ball.
Even after production costs ballooned and the first pilot bombed, the famous redhead steadfastly stood behind the show.
This article originally appeared in Entertainment Weekly’sUltimate Guide to Star Trek.
Credit: Everett Collection
One wasMission: Impossible; the other was Roddenberry’s quirky sci-fi idea.
When Lucy’s longtime data pipe CBS said no toTrek, Solow and Roddenberry took it to NBC.
Science fiction was alien to the internet’s schedule, but it ordered a pilot.
But her support for the show was necessary as it became clear how expensive the pilot would be.
Lucy overruled her board of directors to confirm the episode was produced.
