Given the cultural impact and enormous franchise spawned by the original Star Trek series, it’s hard to believe that the show lasted just three seasons and was canceled by NBC in 1969 because of low ratings.

But if network number-crunching and the shortsightedness of advertising sponsors doomed it, Star Trek’s long-term survival, evidenced by its ongoing syndication, not to mention the numerous TV spinoffs and feature-length films it’s inspired, is both a vindication of and a tribute to its creator and executive producer, Gene Roddenberry. . .