Star Trek: The Original Series the 23rd century bearing a crew dedicated to exploring the Milky Way Galaxy. Roddenberry noted a number of influences on his idea, some of which includes A. E. van Vogt's tales of the spaceship "Space Beagle", Eric Frank Russell's "Marathon" series of stories, and the film "Forbidden Planet" (1956). Some have also drawn parallels with the television series "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" (1954), a space opera which included many of the elements that were integral to "Star Trek"—the organization, crew relationships, missions, part of the bridge layout, and some technology. Roddenberry also drew heavily from C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower
Cultural influence of Star Trek Cultural influence of Star Trek "Star Trek" is one of the most culturally-influential media franchises, and is often regarded as the most influential science fiction TV series in history. The original series, which aired in the late 1960s, has since spawned six successor series and thirteen movies , merchandise, and a multibillion-dollar industry collectively known as the "Star Trek" franchise. The franchise is owned by CBS Television Studios, which now owns television properties previously held by Paramount Pictures, the studio that produced "Star Trek" for many decades. CBS Paramount continues to hold DVD rights to the TV series, and the