Did you know that Star Trek® almost didn't make the network? After a failed pilot, Lucille Ball not only advocated for a second pilot but circumvented the board of her production company, putting up her own money to ensure that the show had another chance.

Did Lucy finance Star Trek?

Star Trek coming to Fridays this fall on NBC. Contrary to any internet memes that you may have read, though, Lucy did not come out of pocket. to finance either pilot with her own money. That really wasn't necessary, but she did approve the financing of both pilots.

Did William Shatner know Lucille Ball?

Lucille Ball played a large part of William Shatner's career, and the two of them never met. Not once. Shatner played the nervous, terrified passenger of an airplane with a surprise guest on the wing that only he was privy to. This performance earned him an Emmy Nomination, and catapulted him into TV guest star heaven.

Did Lucille Ball Green Light Star Trek?

Not only did Lucille Ball green light Star Trek for Desilu when she took over the studio, she also green lit another show no one wanted: Mission Impossible.

Who was responsible for getting Star Trek on TV?

Desilu studio head Lucille Ball was instrumental in approving production of the series. The studio worked with Roddenberry to develop the treatment into a script, which was then pitched to NBC. NBC paid to make a pilot, "The Cage", starring Jeffrey Hunter as Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike.

Here's How LUCILLE BALL Saved Star Trek!

Why did Lucille Ball produce Star Trek?

Ball had risen to prominence thanks to I Love Lucy pioneering the rerun on broadcast television, and so to make a name for her studio she wanted a show that could do equally successfully with rerun rights. Star Trek was to be that show.

Who is the only person to have ever had a cameo in a Star Trek TV episode as themself?

Stephen Hawking - Scientist, who played a holodeck version of himself on the Next Generation episode "Descent" (thus becoming the only person in a Star Trek episode or film credited as "Himself").

Did Lucille Ball have anything to do with the original Star Trek?

Did you know that Star Trek® almost didn't make the network? After a failed pilot, Lucille Ball not only advocated for a second pilot but circumvented the board of her production company, putting up her own money to ensure that the show had another chance.

How much was Lucille Ball worth when she died?

Lucille had an estimated net worth of $60 million at the time of her death at age 77 in 1989, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The Emmy winner, born to Henry Durrell "Had" Ball and Désirée Evelyn "DeDe" Ball in 1911, earned her first credited acting role in 1935's I Dream Too Much.

Was the baby on I Love Lucy her real baby?

The "I Love Lucy" episode when Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky - later played by young drumming prodigy Keith Thibodeaux - aired on the same day that Lucille Ball had a Caesarian section to deliver Desi Arnaz Jr. It was all on purpose, Arnaz Jr.

What did Lucille Ball think of Star Trek?

Lucy believed in Gene Roddenberry's vision for Star Trek

Thankfully, Lucille Ball insisted the project go ahead — despite not understanding what the show was about (according to Business Insider, Ball thought it had something to do with traveling USO performers).

Who inherited Lucille Ball?

When she died in 1989, she split her estate between her two children, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., and her second husband, Gary Morton.

Who was the real Lucille Ball?

Born Lucille Désirée Ball on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York, the actress lived multiple lives as a model, showgirl and “queen of B-movies” before the success of her CBS Radio comedy “My Favorite Husband” led the network to invite her to develop the show for television.

How rich was Desi Arnaz when he died?

Desi Arnaz—whom she divorced in May 1960—was worth $20 million at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Arnaz, a regular cigarette smoker, died three years before Ball on December 2, 1986, from lung cancer.

Did the cast of Lucy get along?

Did the actors who played I Love Lucy get along in real life? Aside from the marital difficulties of Lucy and Desi, the actors who played the Mertzes, Vivian Vance and William Frawley, hated each other. For one thing, there was the 20-year age difference.

Why did Lucy get divorced?

In her 1989 memoir, Love, Lucy, Ball revealed that she filed for divorce from Arnaz due to his drinking problem and alleged infidelity. “Desi's nightlife had even blasé Hollywood talking,” she wrote.

How much older was Lucille Ball than her husband?

They weren't your typical Hollywood couple: Ball was nearly six years older than her husband (a gap so taboo at the time that she reportedly lied about her birth year on their marriage certificate); Arnaz was Cuban.

Does Desilu still exist?

Desilu Productions Inc. was reincorporated in Delaware in 1967, by Paramount Pictures and still exists as a legal entity.

Did Lucille Ball have a funeral?

Three memorial services were held for Ball. After her death, the body was cremated. The ashes were originally inurned in a columbarium niche at Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, where her mother was also buried.

Did Lucille Ball buy the rights to Star Trek?

Ball and Arnaz eventually divorced in 1960, but Ball ended up buying out the remaining shares of Desilu by 1962. This made her one of the first female producers to head her own studio, and she'd use her clout to secure the rights for Star Trek.

Where is the Scary Lucy statue now?

The Lucille Ball statues are located in the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celoron, New York. “Scary Lucy” is located just to the west of “Lovely Lucy.” Celoron is a village that sits on the western boundary of the city of Jamestown in southern Chautauqua County, New York.

Did Lucille Ball like Desi Arnaz?

Despite their hardships, they became America's favorite on- and off-screen couple when their sitcom 'I Love Lucy' aired in 1951. They had two kids together, Lucie and Desi Jr., before divorcing on May 4, 1960. While their marriage didn't last, their love and respect for each other continued until their deaths.

Did John Aniston play in Star Trek?

"Star Trek: Voyager" Workforce (TV Episode 2001) - John Aniston as Quarren Ambassador - IMDb.

Who was the bald actress in Star Trek?

Persis Khambatta(1948-1998)

When aged 16, as Femina Miss India, she entered Miss Universe 1965, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon. Her biggest acting break was getting the role of Lieutenant Ilia, the bald Deltan alien in.

What actor has the most Star Trek appearances?