Smithsonian Channel to Create ‘Star Trek’ Special

The Smithsonian Channel this September will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Star Trek TV series with a special focusing on the show’s influence on science and technology.

The two-hour special, Building Star Trek, will premiere Sept. 8 and will follow the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum conservation team as they attempt to restore and conserve the original 11-foot, 250-pound model of the U.S.S. Enterprise from the original series, said network officials. The two-hour special also profiles a new generation of engineers and scientists who are making Star Trek’s visionary technology real, said the network.

The original Star Trek series premiered on NBC Sept. 8, 1966 and has spawned a slew of spinoff TV series and movies.

Building Star Trek is produced by Yap Films for Smithsonian Channel and Discovery Canada, with Yap Films’ Elliott Halpern and Elizabeth Trojian serving as executive producers, along with Smithsonian Channel’s David Royle, Charles Poe and Tim Evans. 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.