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Every episode of the original series of “Star Trek” opened with the voice of Captain James T. Kirk, welcoming viewers to the U.S.S. Enterprise’s mission “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” And once the grammar fanatics got past that split infinitive, pretty much everyone could agree this was one of the most iconic monologues in television history. While Captain Kirk’s “Star Trek” introduction has now achieved legendary status, it almost sounded very different — and the version fans are familiar with was written only at the very last minute.
The reference book “Inside Star Trek: The Real Story,” by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, revealed that not only did “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry delay writing Kirk’s opening voiceover until just a few days before it would be recorded, but his original draft was noticeably flat when compared to the final version. “This is the story of the United Space Ship Enterprise,” Roddenberry’s original draft read. “Assigned a five year patrol of our galaxy, the giant starship visits Earth colonies, regulates commerce, and explores strange new worlds and civilizations. These are its voyages… and its adventures.”
Far from igniting the audience’s excitement, this first draft reads a little more like a matter-of-fact summary of the Enterprise’s duties. The mention of regulating commerce surely would have done little to inspire awe. A string of memos exchanged between Roddenberry and the series’ other producers saw this first draft gradually reshaped into the intro “Star Trek” fans know today.
William Shatner’s Star Trek intro came together at the last minute
Writing in “Inside Star Trek: The Real Story,” Robert H. Justman, who was an associate producer and assistant director on “Star Trek,” revealed that it was common for Gene Roddenberry to procrastinate when it came to writing duties. By the time Roddenberry wrote his first rough draft of Kirk’s opening narration, Justman recalled that there were “only a few days left to ship the premiere episode to NBC for broadcast.” The voiceover had been deemed a necessary expository component for the show and was a “long-promised element.”
Roddenberry produced two initial drafts of the voiceover that was to be recorded by William Shatner as Captain Kirk (our favorite “Star Trek” captain). Justman and his fellow producer John D.F. Black then provided their own suggested revisions of Roddenberry’s drafts. It was Black who told Roddenberry, “The narration needs more drama.”
When Roddenberry finally submitted the version of the voiceover that would be used on “Star Trek,” Justman got in touch with Shatner minutes later. Justman recalled, “I told him to ‘drop everything,’ and then I ran across the street to the dubbing stage. … His delivery was excellent—but the narration sounded too contemporary. There was something lacking; it didn’t seem to ‘ring out.’ I asked the sound mixer to add reverberation to Shatner’s voice. We made another take and the results were perfect.” That take would make TV history, welcoming viewers to space — the final frontier.
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