Commentary: Why the original "Star Trek" still matters

The original Star Trek offered an Apollonian beacon of hope amid the darkness of '70s culture.

Its narrative ambition, its talky, theatrical density, its high-minded moral tone and its nerdy philosophizing, .... captures a great deal about what made "Star Trek" such a potent cultural force.

In his commentary for Salon.com, Andrew O'Hehir speaks on why Star Trek was such an important part of my and obviously his, childhood. As odd as some people might find the statement, Star Trek had a great deal to do with how I formed early, and admittedly simplistic, an adolescent moral high ground.

Mr. O'Hehir's commentary on what made Star Trek relevant still rings true 40 years later and in it's day set a good counterpoint to the 70s counter culture. As he puts it:

• Even if some of its flaws look more glaring 30-odd years later, I think the original "Star Trek" still has a passion and vitality that partly stem from its cheapness; the threadbare sets and effects created a coherent, suggestive atmosphere, and forced your attention onto the storytelling and the characters. It stands out, even after all this time, as something unique in television history.

read more of Andrew O'Hehir's commentary here

Thanks Nelson for the post