The Star Trek Format | The Star Trek Guide | 60 Years of Star Trek

 Written By Ken Hulsey

AND SO, IN EVERY SCENE OF OUR STAR TREK STORY... 

...translate it into a real life situation. Or, sometimes as useful, try it in your mind as a scene in GUNSMOKE, NAKED CITY, or some similar show. Would you believe the people and the scene if it happened there? 

 IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE WHO ANSWERS: "THE CHARACTER ACTS THAT WAY BECAUSE IT'S SCIENCE FICTION", DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU.

 - The Star Trek Guide: Third Revision - April 17, 1967

2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the airing of the first season of *Star Trek*. Like many science fiction fans, my lifelong love for the genre began with watching *Star Trek*. I didn’t discover the series on my own; I was encouraged to watch it by my older cousin Rick, who was an avid fan. The first episode I ever saw was "Arena," which featured Captain Kirk in a fight to the death against the lizard-man captain of the Gorn species, orchestrated by an unseen alien force. 

As a young boy fascinated with dinosaurs, the reptilian Gorn instantly captured my interest. However, it was the intelligent and well-crafted storyline that brought me back for more episodes. My youthful spirit of adventure, combined with a longing to travel beyond the boundaries of my own backyard, perfectly aligned with the series' exploration storylines and charismatic characters. What six-year-old boy doesn’t dream of piloting a starship across the vast, unexplored regions of infinite space? Thus, I became a Trekkie and a lifelong sci-fi fan.

A few years ago, I purchased a copy of David Gerrold's excellent book "The World of Star Trek," which serves as the definitive guide to everything related to the Star Trek series. As the author of the classic Star Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles," Gerrold offers valuable insights throughout the book. He frequently references "The Star Trek Guide," a 34-page outline provided to every writer who considered creating a script for Star Trek by Paramount. The information Gerrold shares includes fascinating details about the show's development. 

Copies of this guide occasionally come up for auction, but fortunately for fans, Boston University has made a copy available online in PDF format. I will be referencing this online guide in this article and future ones. Before delving deeper, I want to share an excerpt that appeared in Gerrold's original copy of the Star Trek Guide but was omitted from the third revision now available online.

(Excerpted from orders to Captain James T. Kirk)

III. You are therefore posted, effective immediately, to command the following: The U.S.S. ENTERPRISE

Cruiser Class - Gross 190,000 tons.
Crew Compliment - 430 persons
Drive - space-warp
Range - 18 years at light-year velocity
Registry - Earth, United Space Ship

IV. Nature and duration of mission:

Galaxy exploration and investigation: 5 years

V. Where possible, you will confine your landings and contacts to Class "M" planets approximating Earth-Mars conditions.

VI. You will conduct this patrol to accomplish primarily:

(a) Earth security, via explorations of intelligence and social systems capable of galaxial threat, and
(b) Scientific investigation to add to the Earth's body of knowledge of alien life forms and social systems, and
(c) any required assistance to the several Earth colonies in your quadrant, and the enforcement of appropriate statutes affecting such Federated commerce vessels and traders as you may contact in the course of your mission.

I found it fascinating that someone, likely Gene Roddenberry, actually wrote down Captain Kirk's original orders from Starfleet.

Interestingly enough, the Star Trek Guide begins with a test for all writers who are considering writing a Star Trek script. This test is not only informative but also quite humorous. I believe that many Star Trek fans would enjoy reading through it, so I plan to feature it in a future article. 

Today, however, I want to highlight an excerpt about what Paramount referred to as "The Star Trek Format." This outline, when followed correctly, would result in an episode worthy of a Roddenberry blessing and, ideally, keep viewers entertained enough to prevent them from switching over to "Bewitched" on ABC or "My Three Sons" on CBS.

THE STAR TREK FORMAT... 

 A CAPTAIN - Jim Kirk 

 A FIRST OFFICER - Mister Spock

 A GROUP OF REGULARS - who make up our "television family" (Doctor McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Nurse Christine, and others as detailed later).

 GUEST STARS - if the story demands it, but with a story which also emphasizes our Series Leads. 

 ON A GIANT STARSHIP - a familiar "television home base" (The U.S.S. Enterprise). 

 ON PATROL OF A SECTION OF OUR GALAXY - our vessel representing Earth and the Federation (assisting colonists, aiding in scientific exploration, putting down conflicts, helping those in distress, regulating trade, engaging in diplomatic missions., and so on.) 

YES, THE STAR TREK FORMAT IS ACTUALLY THAT SIMPLE.

 IF YOU'RE A TV PROFESSIONAL, YOU ALREADY KNOW THE FOLLOWING SEVEN RULES:

 I. Build your episode on an action-adventure frame- work. We must reach out, hold and entertain a mass audience of some 20.,000,000 people or we simply don't stay on the air. 

 II. Tell your story about people, not about science and gadgetry. Joe Friday doesn't stop to explain the mechanics of his .38 before he uses it; Kildare never did a monologue about the theory of anes- thetics; Matt Dillon never identifies and dis- cusses the breed of his horse before he rides off on it. 

 III. Keep in mind that science fiction is not a separate field of literature with rules of its own, but, indeed, needs the same ingredients as any story -- including a jeopardy of some type to someone we learn to care about, climactic build, sound motivitation, you know the list. 

 IV. Then, with that firm foundation established, inter- weave in it any statement to be made about man, society and so on. Yes, we want you to have some- thing to say, but say it entertainingly as you do on any other show. We don't need essays, how- ever brilliant. 

V. Remember always that STAR TREK is never fantasy; whatever happens, no matter how unusual or bizarre, must have some basis in either fact or theory and stay true to that premise (don't give the enemy Starflight capability and then have them engage our vessel with grappling hooks and drawn swords.) 

 VI. Don't try to tell a story about whole civilizations . We've never yet been able to get a usable story from a writer who began... "I see the strange civilization which...". VII. Stop worrying about not being a scientist. How many cowboys, police officers and doctors wrote westerns, detective and hospital shows?

6. THE STAR TREK SCRIPT FORMAT. 

 THE TEASER 

 We open with action, always establishing a strong jeopardy, need, or other “hook". It is not necessary to establish all the back story in the teaser. Instead, we tantalize the audience with a promise of excitement to come. For example, it can be as simple as everyone tense on the bridge, hunting down a marauding enemy ship... then a tale-telling blip is sighted on the screen. and the Captain orders “ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS." Fade out, that's enough. 

 THE ACTS 

 Four acts in length. Act One usually begins with Captain's VOICE OVER, Captain Kirk dictating his log. Necessary back story should be laid in here, not in the teaser. The Captain's log should be succinct and crisp... in ship commander "log" language. 

 Opening Act One, we need some form of orbit, establishing or other silent shot to give us time for both Captain's log and opening credits. 

 We must have a strong ending to Act Two, something that will keep the audience tuned to our channel.

 STYLE 

 We maintain a fast pace ... avoid long philosophical exchanges or tedious explanations of equipmentt. 

And note that our cutting technique is to use the shortest possible time between idea and execution of it .., like, for instance, Kirk decides that a landing party will transport down to a planet ... HARD CUT to lights blinking on the Transporter console, PULL BACK to REVEAL the landing party stepping into the Transporter. 

 PAGE COUNT First drafts can run up to 70 pages, if you intend to trim and tighten later. But for final polished draft absolutely no more than 65 pages, please. 

 ANOTHER PLEASE 

 Cast and set lists with your draft. Thank you.

It's clear that cowboys didn’t write episodes of *Bonanza*, police officers weren’t the ones behind *Car 54, Where Are You?*, and Klingons didn’t narrate their conquests in *Star Trek* scripts. Science belongs to scientists, while science fiction is open to anyone with an imagination and a typewriter.

I want to leave you with this excerpt from the Q and A section of the Star Trek Guide:

What about comedy and/or humor? 

 We hope STAR TREK and its characters are human enough and varied enough to be capable of humor. We have no objection to believable characters whose presence and attitudes create legitimate opportunities for humor.