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would ever produce - but far from the last. It also brought together several actors (Leonard Nemoy, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett) who would later go on to join Roddenberry in "Star Trek", arguably his best known and most influential creation.

Yet "Star Trek" very nearly flopped before it even started. After several initial failures, the "Wagon Train to the Stars" was finally taken on by Desilu Studios, which itself had only recently come into existence after a very profitable contract renegotiation by Lucille Ball of "The Lucy Show". The original half-million dollar pilot was rejected, but NBC was intrigued enough to commission a second pilot. "Star Trek" would finally premier on September 8, 1966 - and struggle throughout, lasting only three seasons before it was cancelled due to low ratings. Its true staying power would only become evident later, in syndication: and it is in syndication that it has become one of the longest running television series ever.

Star Trek may also have cost Roddenberry his first marriage. Although Roddenberry's affair with Majel Barrett dates back through her stint in "The Lieutenant", it was not until 1969 that they were married in Japan; technically before the first marriage was officially dissolved, so a second wedding ceremony was held in the United States on 29 December, 1969. They had one son, Eugene Wesley, Jr.

After Star Trek, Roddenberry briefly joined MGM to produce the film "Pretty Maids in a Row" (1971), which turned out to barely break even at the box office. Other science fiction pilot movies pitched by Roddenberry were "The Questor Tapes", "Genesis II", "Planet Earth", and "Strange New World". When not one was picked up as a series, Roddenberry decided to take a break from the television industry. For a while he became a professional speaker, following in the footsteps of William Shatner: and so both discovered and reinforced a growing wave of Star Trek fandom.

In 1975, Paramount agreed to attempt the experiment of translating Star Trek to the movie screen. The resulting motion picture is one of the weakest of the Star Trek legacy, but still managed to provide what its fandom had been waiting decades for: a new Star Trek story. The high box office return ensured sequels, the first few of which had a much better critical reception as well as higher box office takes: but only the first film was directed by Roddenberry. For the rest, he remained on board as executive consultant. Interestingly, Roddenberry's rejected

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