that fitted in with
the culture and the society.
We were there the day
they rolled out the first space shuttle.
Really?
In Mojave, California, when they...
This was the one that was mounted
piggy back on the 747
to practise landings.
And it was called the Enterprise.
And the Air Force band
played the Star Trek theme
as that thing came rolling out
of the hangar.
It was an amazing event.
Science in this country,
to a large degree,
has been inextricably linked
with Star Trek.
And many, many engineers would say
time and time again
that they had gone into their fields
because of viewing Star Trek,
and had become these renowned
engineers or scientists.
The other thing I wanted to ask you is,
now, you didn't grow up with Star Trek.
Right? This wasn't a show
you were aware of?
-Jonathan, did you come up...
-I didn't.
-... knowing about it?
-No.
-So, comes this script...
-But I knew about it,
but not to the point that my wife
had his picture on her wall.
-Genie had?
-Yeah. And then...
I was hoping you would say a body part.
-But no.
-No.
And then after I got this show
and I went home to visit my mother
in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
I've told you this story.
-Oh, yeah.
-The refrigerator
in my little house in Bethlehem
had his picture on it, you know.
-But he's not bitter about it.
-Not at all.
And now it's got Leonard's picture on it.
That's because I love you, Leonard,
and I wanted to include you.
-Wanted to include you.
-I'm grateful. I'm forever grateful.
So now you get this audition.
Somebody, your agent,
-says, "Here's this coming."
-I went out and got the tapes.
Because, I mean,
I was, as Patrick was...
Sci-fi was not our first love.
-Would you say that's fair?
-I think that's very fair.
-And certainly not...
-But we chose it.
What does that mean?
What do you mean?
I mean, what I would choose to read
would be
Updike or Cheever
or something like that.
-Something intellectual.
-Not even intellectual.
-It was esoteric.
-I'm surprised you know it. A little bit?
-Knowing him, it's definitely...
-I can see it in his face.
Do you think we're some lower form
of entertainment?
-What is? What is?
-No, it just wasn't...
I wasn't one of those guys who liked...
I watched Bonanza.
Okay.
It had nothing to do with intellect or...
But, boy, did I learn fast.
What a part of the popular culture
you all were, we were about to become.
That was the most
incredible awakening of all.
There's a marvellous story
about Robert Wise,
who was gonna direct...
The Motion Picture,
I think it was ultimately called.
And not knowing anything
about Star Trek, remember?
And it was his wife who said,
'cause he was offered
the job to direct it,
and his wife said, "You gotta take it."
He said, "I don't know
anything about Star Trek."
Well, he had done
The Day The Earth Stood Still,
which was a classic science fiction film.
But you're right. He did not know
anything about Star Trek.
And his wife knew all about Star Trek
and encouraged him to do it.
And I'm not sure whether he,
before he passed away,
regretted it for a time.
He may have, he may have.
He may well have.
I ask my children,
because they had watched it.
When I was working at Stratford
in the late '60s, '70s,
I used to come home between shows
and drive out into the country
to give my kids a bath,
read them a story, put them to bed.
And they were watching this show
with these guys
in their tight-fitting shirts and...
The washboard stomachs, and the...
No, that was a different show,
I think, altogether.
So, when this came up,
I had to say to them,
"You guys watch this show.
Tell me about it."
And here for the record,
I've a record, as you people say.
-Record is all right.
-It's all right.
-You sure?
-We did recognise that one.
-We know what you're talking about.
-Yes.
-We know what it meant.
-Because I just wanted to be clear
about this, but...
The first person to use the