The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek Episode Rating Graph

It all began when Gene Roddenberry convinced Desilu to foot the bill for not one, but two "Star Trek" pilots; thanks to Desilu's boss, America's darling Lucille Ball, the world met Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

A cartoon version of Star Trek in the early 1970s featured original series creator Gene Roddenberry, writer D.C. Fontana, and the series' original stars.

Paramount wanted to launch a fourth network with the new Star Trek series Phase II as its flagship. When the network proved unworkable, Phase II appeared doomed - until Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind proved box office hits. Phase II became the 1979 blockbuster Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The 1980s saw Paramount release three linked Star Trek movies to huge box-office success. The first, The Wrath of Khan, saw Ricardo Montalban as Khan, a villain from the original series, return. It was followed by The Search for Spock, directed by Leonard Nimoy. He returned to the director's chair for The Voyage Home, the biggest Star Trek success yet.

In 1987 Paramount decided Trek should return to its roots: television. ST: The Next Generation would become the first hour-long scripted show sold directly to the syndicated television market. Paramount's gamble paid off. Who hasn't heard of Picard, Data, and Worf?

After Gene Roddenberry's death, Trek ventured into yet another incarnation. Deep Space Nine was different from its predecessor, set on a space station. Its 1993 debut featured an African-American Captain and heavily serialized story arcs - both firsts. This was new Trek.

1995 brought another Trek series. This one featured a new starship, a return to episodic storytelling, and Trek's first female Captain, Kathryn Janeway. It was also the flagship for Paramount's new television network, United Paramount Network (UPN). Despite running seven seasons, the addition of Seven of Nine wasn't well-received by the entire cast.

Kirk, Spock, Picard, Data - the list of great Trek characters is incomplete without the Enterprise, Starfleet's flagship vessel. But Enterprise isn't alone - there's a whole list of Federation vessels that aren't appreciated enough. This episode ensures they are.

Plagued by fledgling UPN's under-performance, Enterprise's premise (a prequel about the Federation's founding) was undercut by the decision to make the third season a reaction to 9/11. Lackluster ratings meant Captain Archer and his crew would only get four seasons.

From the series regulars and recurring roles down to the folks who just did guest spots, thousands of actors have brought the characters of Star Trek to life. Hear them tell what it's like on their side of the camera lens.