”Roddenberry came to Desilu with an idea for a pilot that would grow into Star Trek. Ball bought the series, even if she didn’t quite understand it; allegedly, she thought the title referred to a group of traveling USO performers during WWII. Author Marc Cushman wrote of the actress in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story that, “She may have initially misunderstood the Star Trek concept, but TV’s ‘wacky redhead,’ known for playing a character that had always had a harebrained scheme up her sleeve, had learned well from Desi Arnaz. He had been called crazy many times by Industry insiders, but always proved his critics wrong.”
Still, she supported his space western vision, even as some board members were resistant to the idea. It was thanks to her that “The Cage” was produced in the first place. Ball stood by the show through two pilots being shot and a massive budget, and the rest is history. A studio accountant named Edwin “Ed” Holly is on the record as saying “If it were not for Lucy, there would be no Star Trek today.”
Without the support of Ball, “The Cage” would have been the end of Star Trek. Second pilots are rarely commissioned, not without someone with some power backing them up. NBC could have passed on Star Trek overall, but Ball, who believed in the project, stepped in, and saved the day in a move that would’ve made every Starfleet captain proud. The comedian is one of many talented women who are among the many reasons that the Star Trek has endured into the 21st Century. Ball is simply one of the first.
Dear Gene and the rest of your hard-working people. . .
Just heard the good news,
and want you to know how proud and happy I am.Looks like you really have a hit on your hands,
and we all appreciate your efforts.Love, Lucy
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