고등학교 영어Ⅱ (미래엔 김성연) 연계 글

When the science fiction series Star Trek first aired on NBC in September 1966, it soon gathered a loyal group of viewers who admired its thoughtful, grown-up stories. During its second season, however, NBC began to consider canceling it.

Partway through that season, Bjo and John Trimble, a married couple who had loved science fiction for many years, heard the news during a visit to the set. On their long drive home, they discussed how ordinary fans might change the network's mind, and by the time they arrived, they had planned a letter-writing campaign. The couple had so little money that they could not afford to have their letter printed; instead, they made copies on an old hand-cranked mimeograph and mailed them to fellow science fiction fans. Their message explained why even one more letter could decide the show's fate, and it offered simple guidelines for writing to NBC. Above all, it set out what the Trimbles called the Rule of Ten, which asked each reader to write to the network and then pass the request on to ten more people.

Fans passed the request along so eagerly that a flood of mail soon reached NBC. Network executives could not understand how two fans without fame or money had organized so many people. Nobody can say precisely how many letters arrived, and even the Trimbles were never sure of the total.

Early in 1968, during a prime-time broadcast, an NBC announcer told viewers that Star Trek would return in the fall. Networks rarely shared such news on the air, so the announcement was widely seen as a response to the fans' letters. The victory, however, was not complete. In its third season, the series was given a smaller budget and a late time slot, 10 p.m. on Fridays, and NBC canceled it in 1969. Even so, the extra season gave the series enough episodes to stay on television in reruns for many years. Through those reruns, it gained so many new fans that a feature film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, appeared in 1979, and many more films and series followed.

The Trimbles' campaign shows how much ordinary fans can achieve when they turn their passion into organized action. Their success came not from wealth or fame but from a clear request and the many fans who took the time to write.