Star Trek: The Original series "has been in almost constant reruns for over 15 years in over 140 markets across the US the package of 79 episodes is resold every 2 years. The first 3 films have sold over 900,000 video cassettes and the 79 television episodes have sold anywhere from 15,000 to 40,000 copies each pocket books have sold more than 300,000 copies of each of the Star Trek novels and Paramount has entered into as many as 400 licensing and merchandising agreements." It is no exaggeration that it is a series that has enjoyed wild popularity for over 20 years. The members of this group would like to offer a few reasons why this is so.
The series came amidst the time of the Cold War where people were living in an environment full of conflict and change. Global empires were collapsing. Racial theories that were long upheld and supported are suddenly torn down. Liberation movements among colored races were gaining momentum. It was a time that saw the assassination of such historical figures such as John F. Kennedy and Malcolm X. .
First, in this time of chaos, people were searching for a glimmer of hope. The show presented a uniquely utopian scenario of our science and technology in the future. This was a future where everyone of any color was treated equally and fairly, where their own planet Earth was finally at peace. The classic Kennedy era of liberalism found its expression in Spock's ideal of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC). It was a future that everyone wanted to live in. "In its world, science and technology enjoyed the highest official approval, economic affairs between worlds were rarely major problems, and brilliant creativity was instantly rewarded." The ideal that the series espoused was a bright spot in the lives of people living in the constant fear and uncertainty. It was a reminder that things could be better. .
Second, the series provided common ground for its audiences.