Dave, I think people tend to forget that Lucille Ball was so very influential in the production and decision making of and about other shows; because of her production company. It wasn't just her mega watt startum in some movies and obviously television which made her intrical and so influential to the entertainment industry. Thanks for the reminder.💯👍🙂
@@jdsundstrom Star Trek was nothing more than an idea written on paper, there was nothing to save. She help build Star Trek. Please edit and fix this video, it's dumb that you say she saved nothing.
Desi doesn't get the Credit he Deserves as the First Latin American Man to Head Up a Major Hollywood Movie and TV Production Company as Lucille Ball Herself said Many Years before Both there Deaths that all though She was a Part of Every Business Move there Production Company Made he was President and the Brains that Ran it for many Years Before her and he did a Danm fine job of it and together they Built an Empire.
A Mission Impossible anecdote: Barbara Bain went to audition for her part in Mission Impossible but was surprised when Lucy hired her on the spot. Lucille Ball just had a eye for talent.
@@jdsundstrom your right Susan Oliver had a fear of flying do to the fact she was on board Pan Am Flight 115, a Boeing 707 on a transatlantic flight from Paris to New York City when it dropped from 35,000 to 6,000 feet. It Happen on February 3, 1959, the same day Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson died in an airplane crash. she survived but for years was afraid to fly before she over came it.
Somewhere on this planet there is a video of her holding a meeting where she assess which projects are going to go on and which projects won't. And of course as we already know, Star Trek got her approval.
I remember my Mom told me that when I was a kid that Lucille Ball was the one The Reason that Star Trek was on TV she was one heck of a business woman not just a comedian 🤗 Thanx Dave for another Great Vlog 🤗💞😎
Sir, how was it even possible that your videos are getting even better! I mean with the surprises at the end... And the written blurbs in the middle of the videos, awesome sir. Thanks so much!
Excellent Dave! The Lucy bonus commercial was great! Two of my favourite shows ever Star Trek and Mission Impossible! Barney from Mission Impossible (Greg Morris ) was my favourite! He had all the gadgets and tech need for each mission! Imagine, in the 1960's, that a Black American actor could be the role model for a little English White boy! Thankyou Lucy and Desilu! and thanks too Dave!
I Love Lucy, Star Trek & Mission Impossible, I watched them every week. Plus many more, I was addicted to the TV when I was younger! Thank you Dave for this very interesting fact! I knew that they had introduced a new cast, but never knew that Lucy made the show happen! ❤
Thanks so much for doing this on the 55th anniversary of ST:TOS's premiere. You're right about what a titaness Lucy was, and it's fun to recall that Nimoy was able to land roles on Star Trek as well as Mission Impossible, or that Roddenberry tried to launch a kind of mix of the two shows called Assignment: Earth. It's wild to keep in mind that without Lucy stomping grapes, trying to package chocolates, or fighting to stay sober while advertising Vitavegewhatsit, we don't get to that Final Frontier. Thanks again.
I have mentioned that little fact to so many people that had absolutely no idea. I love the look on there face when they remember seeing the desilu production logo at the end of the episodes. She was an incredible woman.
I loved The Cage! It had a very Outer Limits feel. The Shatner pilot was great too. And Roddenberry did keep his brand of intellectual/weird yet he snuck it by with lots of action. Smart guy.
She was brought up though the depression and had to fight her way to her great success. I think it made her simpathic to other talented people struggling to catch their dreams. That and she was brilliant💡.
I had no idea Lucy saved star trek this is all new to me just learned something new glad she saved it I always loved the Lucy show to dave it's such a classic sitcom show star trek the original series is a classic I'm glad William Shatner took over the role captain Kirk he is and the only captain Kirk their both classic shows which I love thanks for sharing the info thanks too Lucy we are grateful love all three seasons of star trek classic Lucy show love it great video Dave 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Because she didn't. It was not made and never made it past the drawing board before she heard about it. there was nothing to save it was not a show being canceled because it wasn't a show yet. This channel just used the tittle as clickbait. I only clicked to inform y'all that you fell for it. Think about it wasn't a show yet, how could it be saved. That's like saying I saved a child that hadn't been conceived yet. lol Why are so many Trek fans this dopey that they don't know the difference.
Okay Dave, Jack Lord was originally approached about being Captain of the Enterprise but he made demands that the producers would not honor. They also looked at casting Martin Landau as Mr. Spock but he turned down the role. Both actors of course went on to helm two iconic tv shows. Hawaii Five-O and Mission Impossible.
There was another named David Canary who Gene really liked for Spock. I think because Nimoy was in some sort of contract dispute. Canary was on Bonanza.
They also asked Jeff and Beau Bridges dad, Lloyd, but he said hell no, he wanted to keep his feet on Terra Firma, so he started in Sea Hunt, where he was always under water, feet touching nothing.
The first time that I saw a picture of Lucille Ball, when she was in her twenties, without all of that makeup, I couldn't believe that it was her. I thought, why would someone want to hide natural beauty like that under all of that makeup?
@@jdsundstrom mst3k joke Crow (as the crypt keeper): "Tomorrow, we'll go for a ride in a squeal chair!" and "Eric went to the Build-A-Scare workshop!"😅
She did it for comedic purposes. She filmed her shows in front of a studio audience and felt people in the back bleachers could see her facial expressions better with the makeup. In private, she wore zero makeup.
I remember watching Star Trek with my father as a child along with Mission Impossible!!!!!!!!!!! There would be a DesiLu production at the end and i asked MY father what that meant and did it mean that Lucy had anything to do with Star Trek!!!!!!!!!! He simply told me the truth that Lucy WAS behind both shows and supported them personally!!!!!!!!!!! I simply said WOW and started to believe that this woman was smarter than others believed she was!!!!!!!! After I love Lucy SHE did two more shows and she became a real hero to me!!!!!!!!!! I asked my father years later about her and he admitted that she WAS a heroic person to him too and that she was a brilliant person in Hollywood back then TOO!!!!!!!!!!! May my father and mother both REST IN PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Along with Gene Roddenberry Leonard Nimoy AND Lucille Ball!!!!!!!!!!
I had a few of the Fotonovels. Infact, the "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Fotonovel, which is displayed here, I acted out with my Grandma playing the Gary Lockwood part and me playing Kirk.
I knew about the stories of how LB stood by these two groundbreaking shows!! Glad she got to see the ST films and at least one spinoff from her designs. Too bad she did not see MI films become as successful as ST films, but what an instinct she had for these two shows!
Good video, Dave. I knew the first pilot of Star Trek was rejected by NBC and the show faced cancellation most of the time it was on the air. The fact the Desilu logo is on the first two season episodes would imply Lucille Ball had to have had an important influence on the show's very existence. But I never understood why I almost never heard her name mentioned in any stories about the show until more recent years. I wonder if she wanted her influential role to be kept under wraps.
Hey Dave!! Marvelous video! Yeah, I knew Desilu produced the original Star Trek, but I didn't know Lucy herself was responsible for greenlighting the revamped second pilot with Shatter. Speaking of those fotonovels you mentioned, my sister's first husband was a complete Star Trek connoisseur. He had all the novels, Enterprise and other ships model kits, action figures, etc, all for the original series. They divorced in the late 70s, so I have no idea what became of him and his collection. That commercial was fun! Don't recall seeing it, but it looks about right for cheesy nostalgia.
1:18 Supposedly, at a meeting, she said something like, "Now, what about that show you were talking about where you travel around looking at movie stars' homes?"
Hello Dave, thank goodness Lucille had the vision of what Star Trek could be and in answer to your question I have six of the photo books you were asking about 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' is one of them.🖖
I wasn't around for the originals when they aired, I was the 2nd generation that got them in the 80s in syndication. But I can well imagine the novelty of color, the different uniforms, the stark contrast they had with the background and the variety of ethnicitys must really have been really exotic!
Dave I know you did a segment on the friendship between Lucy and Vivian Vance but she also had a great friendship with her other co star Gale Gordon. She knew him even longer than Vivian Vance. From radio in the 1940s on I Love Lucy as Rickys boss. They had a great friendship
Wow Dave...didn't know Lucy was involved with Star Trek. I loved I Love Lucy and Star Trek. I grew up watching a lot the shows of those days( you know...the good stuff ) and Mission Impossible was another block buster! Thanks for reminding us how influential Lucille Ball really was! Mary Tyler Moore ( my absolute idol) would later have her production company and had many hit TV series also. 😁
Great video and tribute to Star Trek and wise Hollywood icon and business woman Lucy. I was 9 years old and remember the debut date of Star Trek very well. Watched it on a small black and white TV on channel 2 NBC. We only had 8 channels total. I still I love and watch the original series and have got to meet some of the characters over the years. The characters were my childhood heroes and role models which is something the new Hollywood shows having ruined. I believe desilu made Hogans Hero’s too.
Another outside influence on "Star Trek": Did you notice how colorful the uniforms and the sets were in the pictures shown here for "Star Trek"? Grace Whitney explained in her autobiography, "The Longest Trek" that the NBC network showed "Star Trek." NBC was owned by RCA, which was manufacturing color televisions. To make color TV more appealing to more customers, the network encouraged the show to use brighter (if not radiant) colors. Notice that in later years the spinoff series had costumes and sets that were not so attention-getting, with more sedate colors. By then of course color TV was no longer a novelty.
For a show that only lasted two seasons, Star Trek spawned so many great offshoots. Didn’t know Lucy had anything to do with green lighting the series. Interesting stuff, Dave. Keep em coming.
Do you remember Lucy doing a commercial for a kind of miniature pool game where Lucy runs the table and calls herself Fast Lucy? I think it was called Pivot Pool. My wife and I still enjoy I Love Lucy and The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour, But knowing she saved Star Trek makes me love her even more.
Cool piece. I knew the basic story but not the details. Never even saw a fotonovel (wish I had, but I was only ten when Star Trek first aired), nor the Solotaire commercial. Great information.
Yup Dave I had all those Trek photo novels as well. And I know everyone here knows this but she even helped out Carroll Bernette as well and the two became very close friends. Also, let's not forget she even saved Hogan's Heroes as well. The only thing this woman had that was much bigger than her zany crazy comedic style was her heart.
Hello, Dave. I remember buying one of the Star Trek fotonovels from a book mobile that was on campus of my middle school. I bought All Our Yesterdays. It was the only one that the book mobile had, unfortunately, but it was a good read. I remember listening to a Star Trek audio story that followed up with Spock’s memory of the woman Zarabeth. Spock learned that he has a son with her. He traveled to the planet to see her but his son tells him that Zarabeth died. Spock takes his son and tries to teach him Vulcan ways but it doesn’t go well because like Spock, his son is half human, too. The audio story was read by James Doohan. You could’ve put in the Pivot Pool game commercial, also. Solotaire was interesting but I liked Pivot Pool better. You’re forgiven. No protest. Desilu Studio also produced an early show. That show was The Untouchables with Robert Stack. In one episode that also starred Robert Loggia, Leonard Nimoy appeared in that same episode as a hitman who was very eager to kill Robert Loggia’s character until he finds out the truth about his identity. Lucille Ball took a gamble with Star Trek and Mission: Impossible (in the first season, Steven Hill played Danny Briggs before Peter Graves’ Jim Phelps and even George Takei was on an episode called The Carriers, about a Russian plot to use spies trained in infiltration and infected with a lethal virus to spread in American cities). I’d say that next to Ida Lupino one first actresses to start her own production company, as well as direct episodes of shows on television like Gilligan’s Island and others. Mary Tyler Moore with her show, Rhoda, The White Shadow and Remington Steele, Lucille Ball still came out on top. Have a good day. Live long and prosper. 🖖😎
Unfortunately, Paramount coulden't accomodate Stephen Hill's strict Jewish faith, the part about not working on the Sabbath(Saturday) with the production frequently requiring shooting on Saturdays. That is why he left.
*Dave Sundsrum Lucille Ball saved Star Trek 2nd pilot Where no man went before Listening From MASS USA TYVM 💙 Dave also Mission impossible by Lucy too*
Read her autobiography Love Lucy. Its very well written. Her kids found the manuscript as no one knew she had written it! Lucy did not want it released until after she had passed. She wrote it when she was around 40 years old.
I found out quite a bit at the ST Set Tour. Apparently Lucy put her show on hiatus to raise money for the second pilot. Also when she say the title, she thought it was like a USO tour. Stars trekking around the world. When she was told the premise, she said, "That's better". Also in the court scenes in "Court Martial" one of the flags was the Cuban national flag (not communist Cuba) to honor Desi.
Being a Star Trek the original series fan, I knew about Lucy making a great decision as head exec of Desilu and saved Star Trek, but not in detail. But from what I understand, it never had big ratings and was almost canceled the second season. Still it had a big following and NBC was bombarded with letters from fans and was born the first trekies, and saved it for a third season. By that time NBC changed it's time slot and Roddenberry, tired of fightin with the studio heads, wasn't as involved creatively, and it kind of shows in the third season shows. Trek really didn't become the phenomenal it is today until the reruns were shown in the 70's. Then it devolped a new audience in masses. I didn't know there had been a test audience for the first pilot. From the story Gene Roddenberry told on an introduction to the Cage on a VHS tape I owned, way back in the 1800's when they had videos tapes, 😁😜,when the executives saw The Cage, they were not to happy, as Gene had promised them a western in space. It makes sense now that Gene wasn't giving the whole story about the fact the heads of the studio were going to scrap it, if it hadn't been for Lucy. He forgot to mention Miss Ball. Now the pieces fit. Nice upload Dave, really nice. As a Star Trek fan, I truly salute this one. Thank you so much.
The sad fact is that the Neilsen rating system underwent a shift from mere numbers to what are now known as demographics in 1970 and the "target audience" was young males 18-39 and Trek had a virtual lock on that number when it was in syndication. NBC wanted to bring it back but learned it would've been to expensive as all the sets had been destroyed and would cost about $2million so it wasn't.
I knew about Lucy saving Star Trek. She had a weird 6th sense about things like this. I didn’t know about “Mission Impossible”. Another show that Lucy took on was “Hogan’s Heroes”. Everyone thought that making a comedy about a WWII German prisoner of war camp was crazy. That show went for 6 great seasons.
Lucy is a Classic! Star Trek too, I never understood why it only lasted three seasons then, every episode is classic. I never cared for mission impossible though.
Lucy was a beautiful and talented comedic actress and must have learned some business skills from Desi because even after their divorce,she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
I didn't, but my older sister own that one and I think a couple of others. I don't think she still had any of them by the time she moved out of the house.
You know, I’ve always heard that Lucille Ball was the driving force behind getting Star Trek on the air but there was a show on the Smithsonian channel about how Star Trek was started and they never mentioned Lucy. They said it was the NBC executives that greenlighted the pilots.
I have that Solotaire game, but it’s just a fancy way of playing solitaire poker. You can play it without the game by just using a standard deck of cards and dealing them on a table. Thanks for another great video.
That is true; they were responsible for much of the quality entertainment on television, at that time; in spite of the sponsors, and network executives. In "The Making of Star Trek", Roddenberry details how he thought CBS was trying to "mine him" for ideas: At the end of his pitching "Star Trek"; CBS Executives said, "Thank you, but we already have another show, in mind." (Lost in Space). The commercial she made for Milton Bradley was interesting. I wonder who "Black Bart" was, and if "Solitare" is still around?
After 3 seasons of Star Trek, when the lunar landing occurred where millions of people, all over the world, watched on television, there was an explosive interest in scy-fy. They ran reruns of Star Trek that lead to an animation of Star Trek, followed by Star Wars and Star Trek movies.
Anyone remember about 12 years ago Sotheby's Auctions got all the props and auctioned them off. The studio kept everything in storage and I guess they felt it was time to sell. I remember the original uniforms were basically faded to gray. I liked The Cage it was interesting. It became available to the general public in 1986 I believe? I ended up renting it at West Coast Video. I mean it was a different crew for the most part. I did like the original doctor. Of course McCoy is the best.
To be clear I liked the rapport between Pike and Dr. Boyce. The scene with Pike saying he wanted to go home, maybe ride horses and take out a packed lunch everyday. LOL
Star Trek was the most expensive series at that time running about $1 million an episode. But Lucy backed it and when it was canceled, she made a ton of money on Star Trek in syndication. So, her faith in Star Trek paid off greatly for her. Start Trek was on NBC and at the time Lucy had a show on CBS. She had Leonard Nimoy appear on her show as Spock. Savvy woman.
I personally think that if a cast photo of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is to be used during a discussion about Desilu Studios, it should be with a photo of the ORIGINAL cast with Steven Hill (head of the IMF during Season One), Martin Landau and his wife Barbara Bain. I believe the show was under the aegis of Desilu during that FIRST season and under that of Paramount Studios from the Second Season on after the latter's takeover of Desilu in 1967.
I had the Taste of Armageddon fotonovel. I wanted the Where No Man Has Gone Before fotonovel so bad but could not find it, and now it is probably worth a small fortune tf you find one.
Dave, I think people tend to forget that Lucille Ball was so very influential in the production and decision making of and about other shows; because of her production company. It wasn't just her mega watt startum in some movies and obviously television which made her intrical and so influential to the entertainment industry. Thanks for the reminder.💯👍🙂
Great comment, John! And, as always, thank you for your support.
Yes! She saved the show Mannix as well...
You guys are confusing Desilu with a network. Desilu was not a network. They had zero to say with what NBC picked up.
@@jdsundstrom Star Trek was nothing more than an idea written on paper, there was nothing to save. She help build Star Trek. Please edit and fix this video, it's dumb that you say she saved nothing.
Lucy and Desi had so much to do with the success of others. As well known as she is,i still say she doesn't get the credit she deserves.
H.R. Pufnstuf: I've seen Popsicles in my day, but this is the first time that I've ever seen a WITCH-sicle!🤗
Desi doesn't get the Credit he Deserves as the First Latin American Man to Head Up a Major Hollywood Movie and TV Production Company as Lucille Ball Herself said Many Years before Both there Deaths that all though She was a Part of Every Business Move there Production Company Made he was President and the Brains that Ran it for many Years Before her and he did a Danm fine job of it and together they Built an Empire.
I agree!
A Mission Impossible anecdote: Barbara Bain went to audition for her part in Mission Impossible but was surprised when Lucy hired her on the spot. Lucille Ball just had a eye for talent.
I love that story! Thanks for sharing, Rafani.
I loved her too in Mission Impossible! And I loved her and her husband Martin Landau in Space 1999! Also one of my favourite shows!
@@mileshigh1321 Mission Impossible is my all time favorite TV series. Second place goes to Columbo.
@@jdsundstrom your right Susan Oliver had a fear of flying do to the fact she was on board Pan Am Flight 115, a Boeing 707 on a transatlantic flight from Paris to New York City when it dropped from 35,000 to 6,000 feet. It Happen on February 3, 1959, the same day Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson died in an airplane crash. she survived but for years was afraid to fly before she over came it.
Lucille Ball was an incredible woman, and so beautiful, as well! Thanks Dave
No doubt!
Somewhere on this planet there is a video of her holding a meeting where she assess which projects are going to go on and which projects won't.
And of course as we already know, Star Trek got her approval.
I remember my Mom told me that when I was a kid that Lucille Ball was the one The Reason that Star Trek was on TV she was one heck of a business woman not just a comedian 🤗 Thanx Dave for another Great Vlog 🤗💞😎
You're most welcome, SRM!
I’m there with you Dave, in that zone. I’m glad we’re from that time.
I love Star Trek and I love Lucy for seeing the potential of what Star Trek could be. She saw the future!
Thanks for sharing, SinCity Jim!
Sir, how was it even possible that your videos are getting even better! I mean with the surprises at the end... And the written blurbs in the middle of the videos, awesome sir. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much, John. I'm trying to continue to innovate. 🙂
I knew about her involvement with Star Trek. I'd read about it a long time ago. People didn't and still don't believe me.
Loved that commercial at the end. ♣️
I liked it to, the actor looks familiar.
@@tomv5988 Yeah he does look familiar. I wonder if he was in a western back in the day. I’ve never been a really big fan of westerns.🤔
Excellent Dave! The Lucy bonus commercial was great! Two of my favourite shows ever Star Trek and Mission Impossible! Barney from Mission Impossible (Greg Morris ) was my favourite! He had all the gadgets and tech need for each mission! Imagine, in the 1960's, that a Black American actor could be the role model for a little English White boy! Thankyou Lucy and Desilu! and thanks too Dave!
Great comments, Miles High!
I Love Lucy, Star Trek & Mission Impossible, I watched them every week. Plus many more, I was addicted to the TV when I was younger! Thank you Dave for this very interesting fact! I knew that they had introduced a new cast, but never knew that Lucy made the show happen! ❤
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Robert.
I'm a big fan of Star Trek and Mission Impossible.
Thanks so much for doing this on the 55th anniversary of ST:TOS's premiere. You're right about what a titaness Lucy was, and it's fun to recall that Nimoy was able to land roles on Star Trek as well as Mission Impossible, or that Roddenberry tried to launch a kind of mix of the two shows called Assignment: Earth. It's wild to keep in mind that without Lucy stomping grapes, trying to package chocolates, or fighting to stay sober while advertising Vitavegewhatsit, we don't get to that Final Frontier. Thanks again.
You're welcome, WBH! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
YESSSSSSSS!! I Loved Lucy my whole life. Knowing she is why we can be the Trekkies we love being.... ❤️🌟😎🐥✊🏼
The world would be a very different place if there hadn't been a Lucille Ball.
This looks awesome, never seen this one, but I can imagine it was great! Thanks!
I worked in Hollywood from 64 to the end of the 70s. I was eight years old when I started I did extra parts and a whole bunch more.
I have mentioned that little fact to so many people that had absolutely no idea. I love the look on there face when they remember seeing the desilu production logo at the end of the episodes. She was an incredible woman.
Yep. That Desilu logo...and before that the green Orion Slave girl (as played by Susan Oliver).
Ol' Dave is a like a fine wine!!!
Thanks Mike!
I loved The Cage! It had a very Outer Limits feel. The Shatner pilot was great too. And Roddenberry did keep his brand of intellectual/weird yet he snuck it by with lots of action. Smart guy.
Thanks for sharing, hankw69!
She was brought up though the depression and had to fight her way to her great success. I think it made her simpathic to other talented people struggling to catch their dreams. That and she was brilliant💡.
Well said, Robert!
I had no idea Lucy saved star trek this is all new to me just learned something new glad she saved it I always loved the Lucy show to dave it's such a classic sitcom show star trek the original series is a classic I'm glad William Shatner took over the role captain Kirk he is and the only captain Kirk their both classic shows which I love thanks for sharing the info thanks too Lucy we are grateful love all three seasons of star trek classic Lucy show love it great video Dave 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for sharing Marty appreciate it
Thanks Marty appreciate it you stay safe to take care as well
Because she didn't. It was not made and never made it past the drawing board before she heard about it. there was nothing to save it was not a show being canceled because it wasn't a show yet. This channel just used the tittle as clickbait. I only clicked to inform y'all that you fell for it.
Think about it wasn't a show yet, how could it be saved. That's like saying I saved a child that hadn't been conceived yet. lol Why are so many Trek fans this dopey that they don't know the difference.
Okay Dave, Jack Lord was originally approached about being Captain of the Enterprise but he made demands that the producers would not honor. They also looked at casting Martin Landau as Mr. Spock but he turned down the role. Both actors of course went on to helm two iconic tv shows. Hawaii Five-O and Mission Impossible.
Good stuff! Thanks for sharing, Raymond.
There was another named David Canary who Gene really liked for Spock. I think because Nimoy was in some sort of contract dispute. Canary was on Bonanza.
@@tomv5988 Yes, I remember him.
@@rino7789 i heard that jack wanted to have a production credit to the show
They also asked Jeff and Beau Bridges dad, Lloyd, but he said hell no, he wanted to keep his feet on Terra Firma, so he started in Sea Hunt, where he was always under water, feet touching nothing.
The first time that I saw a picture of Lucille Ball, when she was in her twenties, without all of that makeup, I couldn't believe that it was her. I thought, why would someone want to hide natural beauty like that under all of that makeup?
Lucy was a true beauty.
@@jdsundstrom mst3k joke Crow (as the crypt keeper): "Tomorrow, we'll go for a ride in a squeal chair!" and "Eric went to the Build-A-Scare workshop!"😅
She did it for comedic purposes. She filmed her shows in front of a studio audience and felt people in the back bleachers could see her facial expressions better with the makeup. In private, she wore zero makeup.
You're the best, Dave! Nothing I like more than rolling up the fat Woolford and getting all schmoked up while watching your videos.
Thank you so much for your most interesting tidbits of "fascinating" revelations! Your friendly, warm , insightful narrative is always a treat!
Wow, the way Lucy shuffled those cards in the air. We have Lucy to thank for Star Trek; the historical phenomena.
I thought I had heard this somewhere but I’m glad to see it’s been confirmed.🖖🏻
You strike me as a very gentle soul. You seem like a good guy and a nice guy. May God bless you with long life, health and happiness!
I remember watching Star Trek with my father as a child along with Mission Impossible!!!!!!!!!!! There would be a DesiLu production at the end and i asked MY father what that meant and did it mean that Lucy had anything to do with Star Trek!!!!!!!!!! He simply told me the truth that Lucy WAS behind both shows and supported them personally!!!!!!!!!!! I simply said WOW and started to believe that this woman was smarter than others believed she was!!!!!!!! After I love Lucy SHE did two more shows and she became a real hero to me!!!!!!!!!! I asked my father years later about her and he admitted that she WAS a heroic person to him too and that she was a brilliant person in Hollywood back then TOO!!!!!!!!!!! May my father and mother both REST IN PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Along with Gene Roddenberry Leonard Nimoy AND Lucille Ball!!!!!!!!!!
Love the classic ads tacked on after the main videos. Keep ‘em comin’. 😁
Glad you like them, Kevin!
Especially like them because I’d never seen them before. Thanks for putting these together Dave!
martin landau who was on mission impossible, was married to barbra bain. their daughter was on buffy the vampire slayer.
Who is their daughter, Kenneth?
@@jdsundstrom she played drucela on buffy the vampire slayer.
I had a few of the Fotonovels. Infact, the "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Fotonovel, which is displayed here, I acted out with my Grandma playing the Gary Lockwood part and me playing Kirk.
I knew about the stories of how LB stood by these two groundbreaking shows!! Glad she got to see the ST films and at least one spinoff from her designs. Too bad she did not see MI films become as successful as ST films, but what an instinct she had for these two shows!
Well said, Sandra!
More reasons to love Lucy! Thanks Dave!
You are very welcome, Jeff!
Good video, Dave. I knew the first pilot of Star Trek was rejected by NBC and the show faced cancellation most of the time it was on the air. The fact the Desilu logo is on the first two season episodes would imply Lucille Ball had to have had an important influence on the show's very existence. But I never understood why I almost never heard her name mentioned in any stories about the show until more recent years. I wonder if she wanted her influential role to be kept under wraps.
I love Lucy ,Star Trek and Mission Impossible. Lucille Ball was brilliant.
Totally agree!
Yes, I still have a few of these fotonovels in my collection :)
Nice!
OH MY GOODNESS. I had every Star Trek photonovel. What memories.
Hey Dave!! Marvelous video! Yeah, I knew Desilu produced the original Star Trek, but I didn't know Lucy herself was responsible for greenlighting the revamped second pilot with Shatter. Speaking of those fotonovels you mentioned, my sister's first husband was a complete Star Trek connoisseur. He had all the novels, Enterprise and other ships model kits, action figures, etc, all for the original series. They divorced in the late 70s, so I have no idea what became of him and his collection. That commercial was fun! Don't recall seeing it, but it looks about right for cheesy nostalgia.
1:18 Supposedly, at a meeting, she said something like, "Now, what about that show you were talking about where you travel around looking at movie stars' homes?"
Yep. Lucy had no idea what she'd signed off on originally. 🙂
Hello Dave, thank goodness Lucille had the vision of what Star Trek could be and in answer to your question I have six of the photo books you were asking about 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' is one of them.🖖
Love those photo novels!
I wasn't around for the originals when they aired, I was the 2nd generation that got them in the 80s in syndication. But I can well imagine the novelty of color, the different uniforms, the stark contrast they had with the background and the variety of ethnicitys must really have been really exotic!
You're really good at this! In case nobody has told you that lately.
Thank you!
Thanks for this info! Please do more shows like this.
Will do!
Dave I know you did a segment on the friendship between Lucy and Vivian Vance but she also had a great friendship with her other co star Gale Gordon. She knew him even longer than Vivian Vance. From radio in the 1940s on I Love Lucy as Rickys boss. They had a great friendship
Wow Dave...didn't know Lucy was involved with Star Trek. I loved I Love Lucy and Star Trek. I grew up watching a lot the shows of those days( you know...the good stuff ) and Mission Impossible was another block buster! Thanks for reminding us how influential Lucille Ball really was! Mary Tyler Moore ( my absolute idol) would later have her production company and had many hit TV series also. 😁
Great video and tribute to Star Trek and wise Hollywood icon and business woman Lucy. I was 9 years old and remember the debut date of Star Trek very well. Watched it on a small black and white TV on channel 2 NBC. We only had 8 channels total. I still I love and watch the original series and have got to meet some of the characters over the years. The characters were my childhood heroes and role models which is something the new Hollywood shows having ruined. I believe desilu made Hogans Hero’s too.
Thank you
Cool story, all new to me. Another reason I am grateful to Lucy.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kaninma!
Another outside influence on "Star Trek":
Did you notice how colorful the uniforms and the sets were in the pictures shown here for "Star Trek"? Grace Whitney explained in her autobiography, "The Longest Trek" that the NBC network showed "Star Trek." NBC was owned by RCA, which was manufacturing color televisions. To make color TV more appealing to more customers, the network encouraged the show to use brighter (if not radiant) colors. Notice that in later years the spinoff series had costumes and sets that were not so attention-getting, with more sedate colors. By then of course color TV was no longer a novelty.
For a show that only lasted two seasons, Star Trek spawned so many great offshoots. Didn’t know Lucy had anything to do with green lighting the series. Interesting stuff, Dave. Keep em coming.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Zeus1955!
ERROR,ERROR, ERROR, stated two when three was correct, ERROR, ERROR, MUST STERELIZE!
@@kurtsnyder4752 I stand corrected, and i am STERILIZED, had a vasectomy 20 years ago.
@@Zeus-wl2pl No! Mad?
Not at me I hope.
@@kurtsnyder4752 I hope you guys made up.
Do you remember Lucy doing a commercial for a kind of miniature pool game where Lucy runs the table and calls herself Fast Lucy? I think it was called Pivot Pool. My wife and I still enjoy I Love Lucy and The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour, But knowing she saved Star Trek makes me love her even more.
I had no idea. Excellent video.
Yes! Although not one of the best, the episode of I Love Lucy featuring Superman is one of my favorites. What an unlikely crossover!
Thanks for sharing, Michael!
Cool piece. I knew the basic story but not the details. Never even saw a fotonovel (wish I had, but I was only ten when Star Trek first aired), nor the Solotaire commercial. Great information.
Great tale! The rest is history!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, James!
2:56 August 17, 1966 was also an important day for me. It was my first one.
I really enjoyed this one, Dave. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
also, on the first night of filming the first ST episode Lucy called the set and wished them good luck
Lucille Ball was a phenomenon of the 20th century. She didn't invent television, but more importantly she gave us a reason to watch it.
Yup Dave I had all those Trek photo novels as well. And I know everyone here knows this but she even helped out Carroll Bernette as well and the two became very close friends. Also, let's not forget she even saved Hogan's Heroes as well. The only thing this woman had that was much bigger than her zany crazy comedic style was her heart.
Well said, Walter!
Hello, Dave. I remember buying one of the Star Trek fotonovels from a book mobile that was on campus of my middle school. I bought All Our Yesterdays. It was the only one that the book mobile had, unfortunately, but it was a good read. I remember listening to a Star Trek audio story that followed up with Spock’s memory of the woman Zarabeth. Spock learned that he has a son with her. He traveled to the planet to see her but his son tells him that Zarabeth died. Spock takes his son and tries to teach him Vulcan ways but it doesn’t go well because like Spock, his son is half human, too. The audio story was read by James Doohan.
You could’ve put in the Pivot Pool game commercial, also. Solotaire was interesting but I liked Pivot Pool better. You’re forgiven. No protest.
Desilu Studio also produced an early show. That show was The Untouchables with Robert Stack. In one episode that also starred Robert Loggia, Leonard Nimoy appeared in that same episode as a hitman who was very eager to kill Robert Loggia’s character until he finds out the truth about his identity.
Lucille Ball took a gamble with Star Trek and Mission: Impossible (in the first season, Steven Hill played Danny Briggs before Peter Graves’ Jim Phelps and even George Takei was on an episode called The Carriers, about a Russian plot to use spies trained in infiltration and infected with a lethal virus to spread in American cities).
I’d say that next to Ida Lupino one first actresses to start her own production company, as well as direct episodes of shows on television like Gilligan’s Island and others. Mary Tyler Moore with her show, Rhoda, The White Shadow and Remington Steele, Lucille Ball still came out on top.
Have a good day.
Live long and prosper.
🖖😎
Hey Gary! Great comments. BTW, we had Pivot Pool in the Sundstrom home. I loved that game!
Treasure the fotonovel and audiobook as those are virtually impossible to find and if you do $up for them.
Unfortunately, Paramount coulden't accomodate Stephen Hill's strict Jewish faith, the part about not working on the Sabbath(Saturday) with the production frequently requiring shooting on Saturdays. That is why he left.
@@kurtsnyder4752 Steven Hill was an Orthodox Jew and he couldn’t work on Saturdays. Then came Peter Graves as Jim Phelps.
@@garyreid6165 I believe I just stated that, other than identifying which branch of Judiasm and the Phelps part.
Lucille Ball went on to do several of those family game commercials through the 70s!
I remember!
I love Lucy and I love Star Trek, and this video was awesome!
I LOVE LUCY
*Dave Sundsrum Lucille Ball saved Star Trek 2nd pilot Where no man went before Listening From MASS USA TYVM 💙 Dave also Mission impossible by Lucy too*
Read her autobiography Love Lucy. Its very well written. Her kids found the manuscript as no one knew she had written it! Lucy did not want it released until after she had passed. She wrote it when she was around 40 years old.
I remember Lucy advertised back in the early 70's, a game called Pivot Pool.
I found out quite a bit at the ST Set Tour. Apparently Lucy put her show on hiatus to raise money for the second pilot. Also when she say the title, she thought it was like a USO tour. Stars trekking around the world. When she was told the premise, she said, "That's better".
Also in the court scenes in "Court Martial" one of the flags was the Cuban national flag (not communist Cuba) to honor Desi.
Being a Star Trek the original series fan, I knew about Lucy making a great decision as head exec of Desilu and saved Star Trek, but not in detail. But from what I understand, it never had big ratings and was almost canceled the second season. Still it had a big following and NBC was bombarded with letters from fans and was born the first trekies, and saved it for a third season. By that time NBC changed it's time slot and Roddenberry, tired of fightin with the studio heads, wasn't as involved creatively, and it kind of shows in the third season shows. Trek really didn't become the phenomenal it is today until the reruns were shown in the 70's. Then it devolped a new audience in masses.
I didn't know there had been a test audience for the first pilot. From the story Gene Roddenberry told on an introduction to the Cage on a VHS tape I owned, way back in the 1800's when they had videos tapes, 😁😜,when the executives saw The Cage, they were not to happy, as Gene had promised them a western in space. It makes sense now that Gene wasn't giving the whole story about the fact the heads of the studio were going to scrap it, if it hadn't been for Lucy. He forgot to mention Miss Ball. Now the pieces fit.
Nice upload Dave, really nice. As a Star Trek fan, I truly salute this one. Thank you so much.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Larry!
The sad fact is that the Neilsen rating system underwent a shift from mere numbers to what are now known as demographics in 1970 and the "target audience" was young males 18-39 and Trek had a virtual lock on that number when it was in syndication. NBC wanted to bring it back but learned it would've been to expensive as all the sets had been destroyed and would cost about $2million so it wasn't.
I'm going to use your video and a speech class
👍
We have to say a lot of Thank yous to Lucille!
DESILU gave life to many shows . She believed in giving showsa chance. She said later on that networks didn't give shows a chance to survive
I knew about Lucy saving Star Trek. She had a weird 6th sense about things like this. I didn’t know about “Mission Impossible”. Another show that Lucy took on was “Hogan’s Heroes”. Everyone thought that making a comedy about a WWII German prisoner of war camp was crazy. That show went for 6 great seasons.
I also failed to mention she had a new sidekick on The Lucy Show when Vivian Vance left and all the way to Here's Lucy
This gives new meaning to the words I--Love--Lucy (Lucille Ball).
Now that is a great video well done
Thank you very much!
Lucy is a Classic! Star Trek too, I never understood why it only lasted three seasons then, every episode is classic.
I never cared for mission impossible though.
There is a reason we love Lucy.
There certainly is, Glenn!
I too enjoyed these TV shows. Especially STAR TREK!😃❤️👋🏿
Lucy was a beautiful and talented comedic actress and must have learned some business skills from Desi because even after their divorce,she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
This is awesome love star trek 🤗
I'm glad you liked it, Mike!
@@jdsundstrom I did 😈
I didn't, but my older sister own that one and I think a couple of others. I don't think she still had any of them by the time she moved out of the house.
You know, I’ve always heard that Lucille Ball was the driving force behind getting Star Trek on the air but there was a show on the Smithsonian channel about how Star Trek was started and they never mentioned Lucy. They said it was the NBC executives that greenlighted the pilots.
Never saw that commercial before i gotta quit changing the channels.....lol
I vaguely remember it. But...the game wasn't a hit, so I don't think it played on TV very long.
I have that Solotaire game, but it’s just a fancy way of playing solitaire poker. You can play it without the game by just using a standard deck of cards and dealing them on a table.
Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for sharing, tirmyta!
@@tirmyta It kinda looked like solitaire holder with a fancy presentation....lol
Thanks Lucy I love you
Hey Dave u ok are you doing a live stream tomorrow night
I'm not sure yet. Look for a message tomorrow. Thanks for checking in, Lance.
Kind of surprised there isn't a character, ship, or at least a space station named after her in the franchise.
That is true; they were responsible for much of the quality entertainment on television, at that time; in spite of the sponsors, and network executives. In "The Making of Star Trek", Roddenberry details how he thought CBS was trying to "mine him" for ideas: At the end of his pitching "Star Trek"; CBS Executives said, "Thank you, but we already have another show, in mind." (Lost in Space).
The commercial she made for Milton Bradley was interesting. I wonder who "Black Bart" was, and if "Solitare" is still around?
After 3 seasons of Star Trek, when the lunar landing occurred where millions of people, all over the world, watched on television, there was an explosive interest in scy-fy. They ran reruns of Star Trek that lead to an animation of Star Trek, followed by Star Wars and Star Trek movies.
The 70s were a great time for science fiction, both on TV and in the movies.
And Lucy for the save!
Anyone remember about 12 years ago Sotheby's Auctions got all the props and auctioned them off. The studio kept everything in storage and I guess they felt it was time to sell. I remember the original uniforms were basically faded to gray. I liked The Cage it was interesting. It became available to the general public in 1986 I believe? I ended up renting it at West Coast Video. I mean it was a different crew for the most part. I did like the original doctor. Of course McCoy is the best.
To be clear I liked the rapport between Pike and Dr. Boyce. The scene with Pike saying he wanted to go home, maybe ride horses and take out a packed lunch everyday. LOL
Thanks for sharing, Tom V!
Star Trek was the most expensive series at that time running about $1 million an episode. But Lucy backed it and when it was canceled, she made a ton of money on Star Trek in syndication. So, her faith in Star Trek paid off greatly for her. Start Trek was on NBC and at the time Lucy had a show on CBS. She had Leonard Nimoy appear on her show as Spock. Savvy woman.
Lucille Ball was one hell of a woman, smart, savvy, talented, tough as nails, ol' Desi Sr. screwed up.
Well said!
Thanks Lucy 👍🖖
And this is why...I Love Lucy!
I enjoy star trek I'm glad Lucy Ball save the show she was a great funny actress she had a eye for what shows was worth saving?
Lucy was a pretty darn savvy business woman.
I personally think that if a cast photo of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is to be used during a discussion about Desilu Studios, it should be with a photo of the ORIGINAL cast with Steven Hill (head of the IMF during Season One), Martin Landau and his wife Barbara Bain. I believe the show was under the aegis of Desilu during that FIRST season and under that of Paramount Studios from the Second Season on after the latter's takeover of Desilu in 1967.
You're probably right...but I couldn't help using a photo with Nimoy in it.
I had the Taste of Armageddon fotonovel. I wanted the Where No Man Has Gone Before fotonovel so bad but could not find it, and now it is probably worth a small fortune tf you find one.