Old Television Shows

Old television shows, like M*A*S*H, The Jeffersons, Bonanza, and others, have made a resurgence in popularity thanks to programming by TV stations like TV Land and the internet. Classic television shows have endured thanks to their timeless appeal, nostalgia value, and clever writing.

One old television show that has long been popular and also changed TV programming was the science fiction program Star Trek: The Original Series. The series was nominated for numerous Emmy awards, but never actually won any. The episode that did win an award was the acclaimed "City on the Edge of Forever," which received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Teleplay. Star Trek lasted only three seasons, but was very popular in syndication in the 1970s. It starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock, and DeForest Kelley as "Bones" McCoy, the Starship Enterprise's doctor.

In addition to these three main characters, Nichelle Nichols had the role of Lieutenant Uhura, the ship's communications officer. Nichols's recognizable role was considered groundbreaking at the time, as she was one of the first black women to have a major role in a television show in which she was not a servant. She also shared a controversial kiss with William Shatner during the show's third season. As a whole, the series also fought boundaries for decency, as many of its stars often wore relatively skimpy clothing, and Shatner famously lost his shirt in many episodes.

Star Trek has been brought back to society's attention due to the remastering of the Original Series for television, DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as the release of the new film, Star Trek. The new film is set in an alternate universe and reintroduces the main characters from the original films.