The Surprising Connection Between ‘Star Trek’ and ‘I Love Lucy’

Most of us wouldn’t think that Star Trek and I Love Lucy have anything in common. After all, Star Trek aired in 1966—over a decade after the Emmy-winning sitcom starring real-life couple Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball first graced TV screens everywhere. Not only that, but Star Trek is science fiction, a genre that has about as much in common with I Love Lucy as a house cat does with an elephant. Believe it or not, the two shows share a very important commonality.

Neither would exist without Lucille Ball.

I Love Lucy was produced by Desilu, a company Ball formed with then-husband Arnaz. By the time Star Trek came around, Ball and Arnaz’s marriage had dissolved but their production company was still going strong. While known for playing a zany goofball on television, the real-life Lucy possessed unparalleled business acumen. She took her role as head of the company seriously and made several creative decisions that changed the course of American pop culture forever. Desilu produced both The Andy Griffith Show and The Untouchables. But that wasn’t the only show they took on.

Trekkies Should Love Lucy, Too!

Star Trek may have never seen the light were it not for one Lucille Ball. Desilu’s board of directors wasn’t impressed by the concept of Gene Roddenbury’s space opera. And while Ball didn’t exactly understand it herself, she gave the pilot the green light she thought it deserved.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Star Trek‘s original pilot, titled “The Cage”, was a spectacular failure, with NBC executives citing it “too cerebral” and demanding more action. Luckily for Roddenberry, executives decided to give him a second chance. So did Ball, who agreed to fund the reshoot. According to Hollywood insiders, Ball not only stood by Roddenberry; she truly believed in his vision. Now, Star Trek is one of the longest-running franchises in all of television history, spawning countless shows and movies. Shows and movies that we couldn’t enjoy today if a sharp redhead hadn’t dared to go boldly where no woman had gone before.