Star Trek and The 1970s - Episode 118

70s Trek: Star Trek in the 1970s

The tagline of 70s Trek has been, “The decade that built a franchise.” This week, we take a deep dive into the 1970s. The show has been about how Gene Roddenberry, Paramount Pictures and others worked in the 70s to bring Star Trek back.

But it’s also our contention that the decade itself was a major player in Trek’s return, too. So this week, we’re talking the 70s. And that could include anything from the Vietnam War to...The James Gang!

The Decade

So when we think about the 1970s, it’s a mashing of images and sounds. The 70s was this great blending of clothing styles, musical styles and colors.

The 70s started, obviously, where the 60s ended. So there is a carry over of what was happening in 1969. Things like The Vietnam War, protests about the war, the hippie culture, and student unrest were extended well into the 1970s.

But in the 70s, it seems like a harsh dose of reality kicked in and the psychedelic 60s came to an end. There is perhaps no event that symbolizes this idea more than the Kent State shootings in May 1970. Four students were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard after four days of riots and protests on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio.

That event was such a big deal that the band Crosby, Stills Nash and Young wrote a song about it called, ”Ohio.” It was getting national airplay just two weeks after the shootings.

This tragic event has been called, "The Day the 60s Died." And unfortunately, it typifies a lot of the sad events that happened during the decade.

While the decade had its share of rough times, there was plenty of fun, too. Listen to this episode of 70s Trek as we explore the 1970s.