This is a re-broadcast of Episode 8, Desilu to Paramount.
Star Trek has these little, unique stories that surround its production. Little things that happened that didn’t happen on other shows. This week, we’ve got another one of those stories. But rather than being a small story, this one’s a little bigger deal.
Co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto discuss the studio that produced Star Trek, Desilu. When the show first went into production, the studio was owned by Hollywood and TV great, Lucille Ball.
Desilu
Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were a power couple before anyone ever came up with the phrase. After the success of I Love Lucy, Desi and Lucy were able to purchase the old RKO Studios and renamed it Desilu. Under Desi’s guidance, the studio became a powerhouse in television production.
However, after their divorce, Lucy retained ownership of the studio and became the first female studio executive in Hollywood.
Star Trek
Lucy was looking to develop hour-long dramas in the mid 1960s, a new format for TV that was more profitable than the 30-minute sitcom. So studio execs were seeking new concepts when Gene Roddenberry pitched Star Trek.
While she didn’t quite understand the idea behind the show at first, thinking it was about a group of World War II USO troup journeying through the South Pacific, she liked Star Trek and ended up saving the show on several occasions. A great example of her loyalty came on the last day of production on the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before. Sand was accumulating on the camera dolly tracks and needed swept away after each take. Lucy grabbed a broom and began sweeping the sand away to keep the production moving forward.
Paramount Buys Desilu
In 1967 Lucy decided to sell Desilu to Paramount which was owned by Gulf+ Western. While it was the end of Desilu, this sale was necessary for the rebirth of Star Trek in the 1970s. Only a studio the size of Paramount had the capital, the vision and the ability to invest in multiple development projects in 1975, ’76 and ’77 and then be able to see it through to the opening of The Motion Picture in 1979.
Legacy
Even though Desilu is gone now, it’s legacy as a leader in television production in the 1960s is secure. In fact, it was Desilu’s expertise that provided Paramount with a Television division, something ti didn’t have before it bought Lucy’s studio.
But Desilu’s involvement is just another example of how special Star Trek was, even thought no one saw it at the time. The fact that Lucille Ball was involved with the show, perhaps the most famous female comedic actor of her time and the most powerful woman in Hollywood, makes Trek just a little more special.
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