10 TV Episodes That Broke All The Rules
2. Plato’s Stepchildren - Star Trek
Whilst we're on the topic of controversial kisses on TV, let's go back to one of the most famous lip locks of all time.
Whilst dealing with a race of telekinetic aliens in this third season episode of the original Star Trek series, Captain Kirk and Uhura take some time out to share a passionate smooch.
This was quite a big deal as William Shatner (Kirk) was White and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) was Black. Although not the first interracial kiss on TV, this was certainly the most high-profile one when the episode aired in 1968.
Network executives freaked out at the possibility of upsetting TV viewers in the Deep South, but the response to the kiss was roundly positive. Nichols herself stated in an interview that the episode received huge amounts of fan mail and that all of it was good.
The episode is still remembered fondly by Star Trek fans and this moment has earned its place in pop culture mythology, even if some people do wrongly call it the first interracial kiss on TV.
It broke new ground for a series that was already revolutionary and set the standards for TV romances for decades to come.