20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Star Trek

2. There Was Going To Be A Seventies Spin-Off

Eventually, thanks to a cult following built up by endless re-runs in the decades after its cancellation, Star Trek returned first with a series of movies starring the original cast and then, a decade or so after that, with The Next Generation TV series which introduced the show to...well, a whole new generation of viewers. Neither was Gene Roddenberry's first attempt to bring the Enterprise back to screens. There had already been the rather fine animated series, and although the show's creator had been actively involved with that and has gone on the record as saying it isn't canon. Besides, he had plans of his own for a follow-up. Star Trek: Phase II was set to air in early 1978 and follow the original crew (well, Kirk and Bones at the very least, with Shatner and DeForest Kelley interested in reprising their roles) on another five-year mission. The twelve episode series would've aired on Paramount's mooted Television Service channel, which never actually happened. Instead, the pilot got turned into Star Trek: The Motion Picture.