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For the unfamiliar: As the head of Desilu Productions, she was the one responsible for giving TOS a second pilot.
Vigorously defended by Solow, and despite the fact that Star Trek series was already ordered by NBC, after the second pilot episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, had been produced, virtually the entire Desilu Board of Directors voted to cancel Star Trek in February 1966 nevertheless, board member Bernard Weitzman being the sole exception. Yet, as Chairwoman of the Board, Lucille Ball had the power to override her board, and this she did with a mere nod of her head towards Solow. “That was all Star Trek needed,” as author Marc Cushman had succinctly put it, “A nod of Lucille Ball.” One of the nay-sayers on the board, studio accountant Edwin “Ed” Holly, later conceded, “If it were not for Lucy, there would be no ‘Star Trek’ today.”
Not only that, unless my memory fails me, it was Lucy who basically funded both pilots with little to no external financial assistance.
They should name entire systems and fleets of ships to her name in the Trek universe
What class would the U.S.S. Ball be?
“USS Désirée” would sound better … this is her middle name … and it wouldn’t matter what class, just make it a memorable ship that everyone references often just to keep everyone reminded of her contributions to Star Trek
Battleship, for sure
Such a legend. During covid lockdown I dove into “I Love Lucy” (streaming on Paramount+™) and was surprised by the quality. When we think of old sitcoms there are a lot of cheesy tropes that come to mind, like “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Brady Bunch” but Lucy had hardly any of them. It was very original and funny, you can tell a lot of thought and heart was put into it. I’d recommend it to anyone!
Lucy was a baller, having saved Trek from cancelation and forming her own studio.
I always loved reading her story … everyone who saw her on TV just passed her off as a dunce, a silly woman or a goofball … when in reality she was a powerhouse.
It’s the same with Marilyn Monroe, everyone just sees her as a dumb sex bomb … when in reality she was a smart, shrewd and intelligent, everything you need to navigate your way into that world and survive long enough for everyone to remember you.
Risa Remembers Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball is a hero: Star Trek, scifi, and I’d even argue the civil rights movement all owe her a debt of gratitude.
Also, Martin Luther King Jr was a fan of the show, saying it was the only show his kids would be allowed to watch.
Wasn’t that the famous story with Nichelle Nichols … she had wanted to leave the show at some point but Dr King persuaded her to stay as just her mere presence on the show was far more an important statement.
In her autobiography, she writes that he told her she couldn’t leave because she was a role model for millions of young girls and women – the only African-American on TV in a role worth having.
I believe so. I am not certain, but I do think that is how that came out
From the source herself: https://youtu.be/u0nUOPq31Ug?t=1595
It’s so true… that lady was such a boss.
Theodore Sturgeon, Harlan Ellison, Jerome Bixby, and some other sci-fi authors all contributed to the first couple of seasons… TV’s first interracial kiss between Kirk and Urura… a third thing… We’d have missed out on a lot of good stuff if “Lucy” hadn’t insisted on producing the show!
People also forget that a white woman kissing a Cuban man on TV also wasn’t exactly cool with alot of people in the 50s. Could technically be considered the first interracial kiss 🤷🏻
Oh fair, I didn’t think about that… I’d just always heard that the first was Shatner and Nichols, but you could be right
In reality it was a gradual thing that kind of crept up over time. I said technically earlier because Desi Arnaz is “Technically” white, idk who decides where these lines are drawn, it’s definitely not me lol. William Shatner(cause that’s how he rolls I guess) also kissed actress France Nuyen (half white/half Chinese) on TV, which could also be considered first.
The kiss between Shatner and Nichols is the first kiss between a white and black person on TV. Which if you’re a racist would probably upset you the most so it gets mentioned as the first I guess.
Lucy’s name appears on Enterprise’s hull in the SNW episode “Spock Amok,” when Una and La’an go on an EVA to “sign the scorch.”
Can anyone spot it?
