The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise

"The Last Voyage of the Starship ''Enterprise''" is a comedy sketch that first aired on May 29, 1976, during episode 22 of the first season of the NBC variety show, ''Saturday Night Live''. The twelve-minute sketch was written by Michael O'Donoghue during a month-long process consulting with actor John Belushi. The sketch is a satire of the 1969 cancellation of '' Star Trek''. The set design featured an effective replica of the bridge of the USS ''Enterprise''. Dress rehearsal was difficult, with the writer doubting whether Belushi was able to pull off an effective parody of William Shatner's performance as Captain James Kirk. However, the result was a success, and O'Donoghue immediately congratulated Belushi after his performance and reflected that he had perfectly parodied Shatner as Kirk.

The sketch became a cult classic hit among '' Star Trek'' and science fiction fans. The 1977 book ''Saturday Night Live'' edited by Anne Beatts and John Head included a copy of a note from ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry praising the comedic bit. The sketch was released on a 1985 ''Saturday Night Live'' compilation VHS that featured ''The Best of John Belushi'', and re-released with the same title in DVD format in 2011. In his book ''Metapop'' author Michael Dunne called the comedic bit among the most well-known of all ''Saturday Night Live'' routines. The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' referred to it as an intelligent satire of ''Star Trek''. The ''Los Angeles Times'' placed the parody among the program's top ten sketches of all-time. On the series' 40th anniversary, ''Tulsa World'' listed the sketch as one of the television show's most iconic.

''The New Yorker'' film critic Anthony Lane wrote that Belushi was flawless and captured Shatner's essence while adding simultaneously his own layer of weariness to the character. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' interviewed Tom Hanks and Elliott Gould in 2015; Gould called the sketch a favorite, while Hanks placed it among the best five of all time. In ranking every single ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member by talent in 2015, ''Rolling Stone'' called the Captain Kirk parody one of Belushi's most memorable and wrote that it was evidence of the actor's youthful innocence.

Plot synopsis

The sensors of the starship USS ''Enterprise'' pick up a strange alien spacecraft following it in hot pursuit. Mr. Spock, played by Chevy Chase, identifies it as a 1968 Chrysler Imperial with a tinted windshield and retractable headlights. The automobile is registered to NBC, a company that, according to Spock, used to make cookies.

Captain Kirk, played by John Belushi, orders the ship to outrun the strange craft. Unable to do so, he orders phasers and photon torpedoes to destroy the craft. Unfortunately, all of the ship's equipment fails for no reason and the ''Enterprise''s systems break down. Suddenly, Dr. Leonard McCoy, played by Dan Aykroyd, runs onto the bridge saying that the aliens are on the ship. He says they did not beam aboard, but merely walked out from behind the curtains.

It turns out that the aliens are NBC executive Herb Goodman, played by Elliott Gould, and his associate Curtis, played by Garrett Morris. They announce that the ''Star Trek'' series has been cancelled. Captain Kirk orders the crew to fire their hand phasers at the aliens but nothing happens. Mr. Spock assumes that the aliens have a type of weapons de-activator and tries to employ his famous Vulcan nerve pinch on him, but that does not work either. The executive confiscates Mr. Spock's pointed ears. Spock then mind-melds with Goodman only to discover that, as he describes it, "It was all dark and empty in there, and there were little mice in the corners. I kept bumping my head on the ceiling...!" Whereupon Kirk slaps him back to his senses.

Other NBC executives and staff show up and dismantle the ''Enterprise'' set.

Other crew members accept the cancellation, but Shatner and Nimoy try to hang on to their ''Star Trek'' personae as Kirk and Spock. However, Nimoy is eventually reduced to a sobbing, nervous wreck, and is carried off the set. Shatner remains defiantly in the Captain's chair, as Herb Goodman mentions to Shatner he got a phone call from a margarine company. Finally, the set is completely dismantled, and still in his chair, Shatner, as Captain Kirk, makes a final entry into his log recalling his previous three years of space exploration, concluding: "And except for one television network, we have found intelligence everywhere in the galaxy." Raising his hand in the Vulcan salute, he goes on, "Live long and prosper". Then he brings his fingers together, his hand still raised, and adds, "Promise".

Production

Writing

The twelve-minute sketch was written by Michael O'Donoghue who wanted to create a scene to showcase the acting talents of John Belushi.Woodward 1985, p. 97. O'Donoghue had been the one who had initially persuaded producer Lorne Michaels to hire Belushi for the new ''Saturday Night Live'' program.Young 1983, p. 48. O'Donoghue and Belushi recognized that the original ''Star Trek'' series itself was not a ratings success during its initial run, but had become much more successful during syndication. Belushi enjoyed the ''Star Trek'' series and wanted the part of Captain Kirk. He demonstrated his intense desire to get the role by trimming his sideburns to closely resemble Kirk's facial appearance in the original series. They worked together on the sketch for thirty-days and scheduled it for the final episode of the 1976 season of the show, hosted by Elliott Gould.

Cast

*John Belushi as Captain Kirk/William ShatnerGetty 2015
*Chevy Chase as Mr. Spock/Leonard Nimoy
* Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Leonard McCoy/ DeForest Kelley and the voice of Scotty on intercomPascale 2014
* Elliott Gould as Herb Goodman, NBC Executive
*Garrett Morris as Curtis, Head NBC stage crew
*Akira Yoshimura as Mr. Sulu/George TakeiSacks 2014, p. 258.
*Doris Powell as Lt. Uhura/Nichelle NicholsNavaroli 2015

Set design

The production staff had reproduced an effective-looking replica of the bridge of the USS ''Enterprise''. As the scene began, the viewscreen of the ship depicted the USS ''Enterprise'' being pursued by a type of automobile commonly manufactured in the United States and from the time period when ''Star Trek'' was cancelled.

Dress rehearsal

Dress rehearsal for the sketch went poorly. During rehearsal, Belushi was having difficulty correctly parodying the character of James T. Kirk as originally portrayed by actor William Shatner. Belushi had sat for several hours while being made up to look the part. Sketch writer O'Donoghue was worried that the sketch was too long and might not go over well with the audience. He knew that Belushi was a fan of ''Star Trek'', and had previously rescued sketches that others thought would flop, but O'Donoghue was nervous that Belushi was not able to pull off a comedic performance on this occasion.

O'Donoghue complained directly to Belushi that he thought his parody of Shatner during the dress rehearsals was inadequate and needed much improvement. Further, actor Chevy Chase was annoyed that he was satirizing Leonard Nimoy as Spock; he did not like the idea of playing second-fiddle to Belushi. During all of the rehearsals, Chase attempted to attract more attention to his character's role and dominate the scene. Just prior to the on-air performance of the sketch, O'Donoghue admonished Belushi and implored him to perform an effective parody. Belushi's dress rehearsal performance had worried executives so much that they had discussed canceling the entire sketch altogether.Schochet 2010, p. 25.

Release

"The Last Voyage of the Starship ''Enterprise''" first aired during episode 22 of the first season of The NBC variety show, ''Saturday Night Live'' on May 29, 1976.Sepinwall 2006

Immediately upon the conclusion of the sketch, writer Michael O'Donoghue knew it was a success.Woodward 1985, p. 98. He had been watching the ''Saturday Night Live'' performance from beside the set, off-camera. He felt that Belushi had performed his role as Captain Kirk perfectly. As soon as Belushi left the set, O'Donoghue went over to him and gave the actor a congratulatory hug. On reflection, after the live performance, O'Donoghue stated that Belushi had performed a perfect parody of Shatner as Kirk. Belushi felt it was one of his most satisfying performances.

In their book ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live'', authors Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad wrote that the sketch was writer Michael O'Donoghue's signature success on the television program.Hill 2011 In addition, they noted that the staff of ''Saturday Night Live'' felt the sketch was among the best routines on the program.

After Belushi's sudden death by drug overdose in 1982, Judith Jacklin Belushi, the actor's widow, began to think about putting together a video to commemorate him. The sketch was included on the 1985 ''Saturday Night Live'' release of 16 sketches featuring Belushi called ''The Best of John Belushi'', produced by Lorne Michaels and Judith Jacklin Belushi, sold by Warner Home Video in VHS format.Burditt 1985, p. 4.Ferretti 1985, p. 12C.

Together, Lorne Michaels, Belushi's brother Jim Belushi, and Judith Jacklin Belushi, reviewed the actor's comedic sketches from ''Saturday Night Live'' to select what were generally considered his best works. In an interview with the '' Los Angeles Daily News'' on the 1985 VHS release, Belushi's widow commented she was not sure if her husband had a particular sketch he liked the most, but that he considered the ''Star Trek'' parody among his favorites. ''The Best of John Belushi'' edition in VHS format sold approximately 200,000 copies.''Billboard'' 1986, p. V-86. It reached number three on ''Billboard''s Top Videocassettes Sales Chart in February 1986.McCullaugh 1986, p. V-68.

The DVD edition of the collected shorts video release by ''Saturday Night Live'' was released in 2011, again under the title ''The Best of John Belushi''.Corey 2011Hartel 2011

Themes

Writing for ''American Humor'', academic Robert G. Pielke observed that the sketch was a very well-done, and moving, reflection on NBC management's fealty to Nielsen ratings and profit.Pielke 1980, p. 6. Pielke went on to analyze the sketch and characterized it as an example of ''Saturday Night Live'' resisting conformist authority.Pielke 1980, p. 7. He commented that an injustice had been wrought by NBC the company, whereas the NBC executives who came to shut down ''Star Trek'' were simply pawns in the process. He posited that the USS ''Enterprise'' crew members were against cancelling the television program because their self-worth had become tied to it. Pielke noted that within the confines of the sketch's plot itself, as each crew member realized there was no option other than cancellation, they each showed their identity and humanity.

Pielke praised the final scene of the sketch as evocative of the original series and an indictment of capitalism. He wrote that Belushi finished off the sketch with a moving rendition of the introduction to the original ''Star Trek'' series, while modifying it slightly to emphasize that NBC's greed had ended the ''Enterprise'' mission.

''Mother Jones'' magazine additionally commented upon the key theme of satire over conflict between the critical success of ''Star Trek'' and the decision to cancel the program by the studio executives. The magazine noted that writer Michael O'Donoghue's work for the sketch was among the highest caliber scripts he had written for ''Saturday Night Live''. ''Mother Jones'' found it ironic that in the sketch the ''Enterprise'' was defeated not by its traditional enemies such as the Klingons, but by a stupid NBC executive in charge of the network's programming schedule.

Upon re-release of the sketch on the ''Saturday Night Live'' compilation DVD titled ''The Best of John Belushi'', Jon Corey wrote for ''Inside Pulse'' that the sketch was still one of ten best ever on ''Saturday Night Live''. He pointed out the irony that it was not Khan Noonien Singh or the Klingons that defeated the ''Enterprise'', but an enemy much more powerful — NBC executives. Nick Hartel reviewed the DVD release for ''DVD Talk'', and commented that the sketch's satire succeeded because it was a surreal form of meta-comedy that dared to criticize NBC management.

''The New Yorker'' film critic Anthony Lane reflected on the sketch and Belushi's performance in 2013. Lane thought that the sketch was an effective satire of the cancellation of the series and simultaneously served as a death knell for the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He felt that viewers watching the sketch in 1976 would be hard-pressed to imagine a future, thirty-seven-years later, where ''Star Trek'' was so thoroughly ensconced within popular culture. Lane wrote that Belushi was flawless in his role parodying Shatner playing Kirk. He observed that Belushi both performed an effective parody, while simultaneously injecting his own weariness into the Kirk character. Lane wondered how the ''Star Trek'' franchise could ever come back from the total deconstruction the ''SNL'' skit presented.Lane 2013

The sketch had one minor error. While breaking down the set, Herb Goodman (Gould) suggested, "How about it, Curtis? You think we can sell any of this junk to ''Lost in Space''?" Actually, CBS had cancelled ''Lost in Space'' in 1968, one year before NBC cancelled ''Star Trek''.

Impact on ''Star Trek''

The sketch became a cult classic hit among ''Star Trek'' and science fiction fans.Okamoto 1994 Captain Kirk actor William Shatner was asked which ''Star Trek'' parody was his favorite: Belushi's impression of himself, or the later satire wherein Shatner appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' in a sketch telling ''Star Trek'' fans known as Trekkies to "Get a life".Githens 1996 Shatner said he preferred Belushi's impression to his own later appearance on the comedy television program. Shatner commented: "I like Belushi's work as Kirk better than my own".

DeForest Kelley, the actor who portrayed physician Leonard McCoy on ''Star Trek'', was a personal favorite of John Belushi.Rioux 2005, pp. 255–256. Belushi had offices on the same lot as Kelley. Kelley overheard Belushi discussing the ''Saturday Night Live'' parody of ''Star Trek'' with William Shatner, and mentioned to both of them that he had not yet seen the sketch. Belushi immediately escorted Kelley to his office on the lot and had him watch it on videotape.

Kelley thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Belushi's impression of Captain Kirk. He later remarked that he had trouble going back to act on the ''Star Trek'' set in a scene opposite Shatner because he could not stop laughing remembering the ''Saturday Night Live'' parody and Belushi's portrayal. Belushi later gave Kelley a signed videotape of the sketch; he had written "Live Long and Prosper" on the tape. Kelley sent the videotape to close friends when Belushi died because he did not want to hold on to the memento which brought up sad memories of his loss.

The 1977 book ''Saturday Night Live'', edited by Anne Beatts and John Head, includes the complete script of the sketch, as well as a message from ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry in which he effusively praised the sketch.Chaires 2004, p. 61.Joseph 1992, p. 43.Beatts 1977, p. 94.

Roddenberry had sent a letter to Elliott Gould on June 3, 1976, in which he thanked the actor for the parody and said he would show it to members of the ''Star Trek'' cast. Roddenberry called the sketch creatively designed with the light comedic touch necessary to pull off an effective satire. Elliott Gould later told ''The Hollywood Reporter'' that the success of the sketch inspired Roddenberry to create the first feature film version of his series: '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture''.

Yoshimura, who has been a production designer on SNL for the entirety of its run, has been pressed into service to play Sulu whenever the show did a ''Star Trek'' spoof—most recently on the Season 42 episode that aired on May 6, 2017—a full 41 years after the original parody.

Reception

In reviewing ''The Best of John Belushi'' when ''Saturday Night Live'' released the compilation to VHS in 1985, ''The New York Times'' critic Fred Ferretti highlighted Belushi's role as Captain James Kirk among the actor's memorable performances. In his 1992 book, ''Metapop: Self-referentiality in Contemporary American Popular Culture'', author Michael Dunne called the comedic bit: "one of ''SNL's'' most famous sketches".Dunne 1992, p. 28. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called the sketch one of the television program's most noteworthy of all time.Liebenson 1999 In a 1999 article reflecting on the 25th anniversary of ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Los Angeles Times'' journalist Susan Keller placed the ''Star Trek'' parody at number eight on a list of the program's top ten all-time sketches.Susan Keller 1999, p. 2D.

In a contribution to the 2001 compilation book ''Faith, Reason, and Political Life Today'', Paul A. Cantor calls the sketch among the best of ''Star Trek'' parodies, saying it is "hysterical".Cantor 2001, p. 17.Cantor 2000, p. 158. A 2005 article by journalist Darel Jevens, writing for the ''Chicago Sun-Times,'' called the sketch an intelligent satire of ''Star Trek''.Jevens 2005 Reflecting on Belushi's impact 25 years after the actor's death, a 2007 Associated Press article noted that the parody of Captain Kirk, Bluto from ''Animal House'' and the Saturday Night Live Samurai were among the characters that illustrated his acting versatility.Associated Press 2007Elber 2007

In a 2008 article published by ''Huffpost TV'', columnist Richard Keller characterized the sketch as one of the most well-known satires of ''Star Trek''; the other being another ''Saturday Night Live'' episode where William Shatner appeared playing himself.Richard Keller 2008 ''Los Angeles Times'' film critic Betsy Sharkey wrote that Belushi's performance was so nuanced and full of depth, because he was able to skillfully rely upon the depth that William Shatner had given to the character's prior portrayals.Sharkey 2009Pascale 2009 It was described by TrekMovie.com founder Anthony Pascale as "one of the best ''Star Trek'' parody sketches of all time".Pascale 2010

Reflecting on the life of John Belushi for a 2012 article, WOMC placed the sketch among those regarded as the most well-remembered and loved performances by the actor.WOMC 2012 In his 2012 book ''Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History'', author Robert Greenberger called the piece a classic.Greenberger 2012, p. 51. In a September 2013 article for ''The A.V. Club'', Phil Dyess-Nugent described "The Last Voyage Of The Starship ''Enterprise''" as lovable in-depth satire of ''Star Trek'' with a touching impression of Shatner that was likely the best routine from the first year of ''Saturday Night Live''.Dyess-Nugent September 2013 In a subsequent review of the episode in an October 2013, Dyess-Nugent again praised the sketch, writing that it was an outstanding work both as a form of humor and a tribute to ''Star Trek'' fans.Dyess-Nugent October 2013

Writing for CNN in 2014, journalist Todd Leopold commented that he appreciated the sketch, but did not place it among the program's five all-time sketches.Leopold 2014 ''Time'' magazine included the sketch in a retrospective on classic ''Saturday Night Live'' works, placing the comedic bit among the most iconic from the program's first years on television.Time 2014 On the 40th anniversary of ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Tulsa World'' placed the sketch among "16 iconic skits".Sherrow 2014

In his 2015 book ''John Prine: In Spite of Himself'', author Eddie Huffman wrote that the Captain Kirk role, along with his portrayal of Samurai warrior, and Marlon Brando as the Godfather, helped John Belushi become famous and an acting sensation.Huffman 2015, p. 98. In a 2015 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' interview with actors Tom Hanks and Elliott Gould, Gould called the sketch one of his favorite, and Hanks remarked: "Oh, I think that's got to be one of the top five of all."Hunt 2015 ''Rolling Stone'' ranked every single one of the 141 cast members of ''Saturday Night Live'' in order of talent.Sheffield 2015 John Belushi was ranked at number one, with ''Rolling Stone'' citing his Captain Kirk parody as evidence of his youthful innocence among his often lunatic-like performances in a 2015 article. The website Rotten Tomatoes characterized the sketch as a satire that did not lose its effectiveness with age.Rotten Tomatoes 2015

See also

*''Galaxy Quest''
* The Man Who Came to Be Dinner
*Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?
*Where No Fan Has Gone Before

Footnotes

Notes

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise, The
Saturday Night Live sketches
Saturday Night Live in the 1970s
Parodies of Star Trek