George Takei leads Comic-Con salute to 60 years of Star Trek

George Takei received a standing ovation at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday as fans and cast members marked the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, a franchise that began in 1966 and grew from a low-rated television series into one of the world's best-known science-fiction properties.

The 89-year-old actor, who played helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original series and several films, told the packed Hall H audience that the show's survival over six decades belonged to generations of viewers. He said its longevity was due to "all the people like you and your parents and your grandparents, because of their intelligence and their sensitivity and their vision" in backing Gene Roddenberry's idea. Echoing Mr Spock's famous line, Takei added, "We have lived long and endured for 60 years and going."

The celebration brought together performers from across the franchise, including Michael Dorn of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jerry O'Connell of the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks, Robert Picardo of Star Trek: Voyager, and Karim Diane, who appears in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as the franchise's first openly gay Klingon.

From 1966 debut to a vast screen universe

The first episode of Star Trek aired in September 1966. It followed the voyages of the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner, and presented a multiracial crew confronting moral and social questions through stories set in space.

The original run was followed by more than a dozen spin-offs, helping produce nearly 1,000 episodes. The franchise later spread into films, television series, video games, novels and comic books, becoming one of the highest-grossing and most recognizable media brands in entertainment.

Star Trek premiered on Canada's CTV network on September 6, 1966, before making its US debut on NBC on September 8, 1966. Its mission statement — "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before" — became one of the defining lines of modern television.

A legacy beyond science fiction

Rod Roddenberry, son of creator Gene Roddenberry and head of Roddenberry Entertainment, told the audience that the appeal of the series went beyond spaceships and aliens. He said, "It had spaceships. It had a laser gun, had strange planets, even had weird-looking aliens. But that was never really the point, was it? This show wasn't about science fiction. This show was about us." He added, "Star Trek is not just science fiction entertainment. It's a show that makes people believe in a better future."

The franchise also left a mark on television history. In 1968, Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura, shared one of the first interracial kisses shown on US television.

Comic-Con, which runs through Sunday, has given Star Trek a major presence this year through anniversary panels and fans appearing in costume as characters from across the franchise's long screen history.