Rating: - Groundbreaking Television
When the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966, it completely changed the face of television. Whereas shows in the 1950s and early 1960s focused on Western and Variety themes, Star Trek introduced mind-bending plots and alien (literally!) concepts to viewers.

For those of you new to the show, it is set hundreds of years in the future, when humans travel to distant worlds via spacecrafts in search of "new life forms and new civilizations". This show focuses on the mission of one ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise, and her crew as they explore the vast regions of the galaxies (or show creator Gene Roddenberry's very creative imagination!). The main characters include William Shatner as the swashbuckling Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as First Officer Spock (a human/Vulcan species mix) and Deforest Kelly as Chief Medical Officer Leonard "Bones McCoy. There also exists a strong ensemble cast (whom I will not mention here individually) that support the "main three" in various episodes.

As I mentioned earlier, by exploring the "distant reaches of the galaxy", Gene Roddenberry was able to introduce new and thought-provoking concepts into the minds of his viewers, who would then tune in again the next week to see what mind-bending adventure was in store for them. Though each individual episodes have their own supporters and critics, here are a few of my favorites of this First Season:

The Enemy Within: Kirk's consciousness is split into dual personalities...one evil, one docile. Which will ultimately prevail?

Shore Leave: Strange things begin to happen on the crew's vacation. (This episodes showcases the comedic presence of the entire cast brilliantly!).

Space Seed: The Enterprise encounters a ruthless dictator from another world.

The City On The Edge of Forever: When McCoy travels back in time and alters the entire course of history, the Enterprise crew must also go back and set things straight.

To conclude, as a kid I loved this show because of its action/adventure plotlines. As a more seasoned TV viewer, I can now appreciate the show for being the first vehicle in which certain plot devices were ever used in TV drama. If you are a seasoned sci-fi viewer who wants to relive the "good old days", or a sci-fi newbie who wants to start "from the beginning", this is the perfect show for you!