Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 12, 1994 TAG: 9404120103
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ian Spelling
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
She's sorry her husband John hasn't been recognized for his role in devising the 1967-68 letter-writing campaign that led NBC to renew ``Trek''-classic for a third season and, quite possibly, launched the ongoing ``Trek'' phenomenon.
``People never credit John, probably because he's so quiet,'' the amiable Trimble says by phone from her Kingwood, Texas, home. ``I didn't do it all by myself.''
Trimble's association with ``Trek'' began at a 1966 science-fiction convention called Tricon, held in Cleveland. While there, she met Gene Roddenberry, who was introducing his two ``Trek'' pilots to fans.
Trimble and her husband ended up becoming close friends with Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett, and during ``Trek's'' run they often visited the set.
The Trimbles were on hand for the filming of the second-season episode, ``The Deadly Years.'' It was a somber set. Unofficial word was out: NBC was canceling ``Trek.''
``Heading home, John said those fateful words: `There ought to be something we can do about this,''' Trimble recalls. ``He's a dear man, but John never learned not to say something like that around me.''
Trimble sprang into action, spreading the word via convention mailing lists, fan clubs and the like. ``Write NBC,'' she urged fans. ``Tell them you support `Trek.'''
Though the number of letters the network received varies from 100,000 to 1 million, depending on whom you talk to, the campaign apparently worked. NBC renewed the show.
``Actually, we only saved it long enough for [third-season line producer] Fred Freiberger and his bunch to mess it up,'' Trimble says.
``Also, NBC was already mad at fans for daring to tell them what to do. They set about really killing the show - and did, by putting it in a bad time slot.''
After its low-rated, much-maligned third season, ``Trek'' was banished from the airwaves - but obviously not forever.
There's a good chance that, without the Trimbles' efforts, there might never have been a third season - or the ``Trek'' films or ``Next Gen'' or ``DS9.''
``There's also every chance Paramount would have dredged `Trek' out after `Star Wars' came along,'' Trimble says. ``But the letter campaign showed there was fan interest in science-fiction.''
These days, Trimble, who is 60 and the mother of three daughters, keeps busy by making convention appearances, updating her ``Trek''-classic source guide, ``Star Trek Concordance'' (Ballantine, 1976) and writing a column for the Official ``Trek'' Fan Club magazine. Her husband is a pollster for the Gallup organization.
In their spare time the Trimbles work on the bimonthly ``Space-Time Continuum'' (STC), a newsletter loaded with tidbits about ``Trek,'' ``Dr. Who'' and other science-fiction projects.
Bjo writes most of the copy, based on information from publicists, news clips and friends inside studios.
A year's subscription to ``STC'' costs $10 bulk rate and $15 first class; a sample copy is $1. Send checks to: STC, P.O. Box 6858, Kingwood, Texas 77325-6858.
Trek specs
Quark (Armin Shimerman) pops up via viewscreen on the ``Next Gen'' episode ``Firstborn,'' airing the week of April 25. ... All ``Next Gen'' regulars have been signed to appear in the feature film. ... In Simon Hawke's new ``Trek''-classic novel, ``The Patrician Transgression'' (Pocket Books), Kirk and his landing party encounter a telepathic police force on a planet where thoughts can be crimes and crime is punishable by death.
Con calendar
April 22-24
Avery Brooks will make his first convention appearance at the Greater Philadelphia ``Star Trek'' Expo, to be held at the Fort Washington (Penn.) Expo Center, April 23-24. Tickets obtained in advance are free; they will be $5 at the door. For more information, call 703-280-5373.)
Creature Feature at the Durham Civic Center in Durham, N.C., featuring Robert O'Reilly and Bjo Trimble. (Call 919-233-1143.)
Trek alert
If you have Trek news or trivia to share - or if you have questions relating to ``Star Trek'' - write to Ian Spelling, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. Be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like a reply.
by CNB