10 Moments That Almost Killed Star Trek
6. Movie Misfire
In 1977 Paramount execs saw Star Wars and asked, 'what have we got that's like that?' (thanks Star Wars). Star Trek: The Motion Picture was greenlit, and this one was no low budget TV movie. Star Wars changed everything. Suddenly sci-fi projects commanded big budgets and big releases.
Unfortunately, The Motion Picture was so plodding that it felt like it was happening in real-time. Some of it actually did, like the solid five minute sequence of Kirk and Scotty taking the slowest shuttle in the Alpha Quadrant from the space dock to the Enterprise.
Fans have a real soft spot for The Motion Picture these days, but for years it was among the least loved entries to the Star Trek cannon. Mockingly dubbed The Motionless Picture, the slow pace, lengthy run time and beige colour palate left audiences anaesthetised and once again the future of Star Trek was uncertain. Paramount had to think carefully about what to do next.