![]() ![]() It's easy to forget that the original "Trek" was also considered a failure in its day, constantly in danger of going over budget and never a ratings success. ![]() He did get one project off the ground, however, writing and producing the 1971 sexploitation film "Pretty Maids All in a Row." Widely reviled, the film did little to enhance either Roddenberry's earnings or his reputation. For Roddenberry, it was just one of many scripts he doctored - and one of many bridges he burned. ![]() So, Roddenberry ended up re-writing the entire thing, and the famously irascible Ellison never forgave him, becoming a "Trek" detractor from that day forward. The most notorious instance of this may have resulted in the best and most famous episode of the original "Trek": "The City on the Edge of Forever." Originally penned by sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison, the script was excellent - Ellison even won an award for it - but it would have been impossible to shoot on a television budget. Another part was that many of the "Trek" writers were published science fiction authors, and published science fiction authors don't always understand how to write for television. Part of the reason for this was his personal expertise in the universe he created, along with his obsession in maintaining control over that universe. Not only was he always around to keep track of the details of the "Trek" universe and make sure everything in the show felt consistent and realistic, he often re-wrote scripts entirely. ![]()
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