From: jsavard@ecn.ab.ca   
      
   On Monday, August 15, 2016 at 12:12:54 AM UTC-6, Your Name wrote:   
   > In article , Mr. Man-wai Chang   
   >  wrote:   
      
   > > I think Star Trek the original TV drama forked if not created Star   
   Wars...:)   
      
   > Nope, absolutely nothing to do with Star Trek. Star Wars was George   
   > Lucas' attempt at making films like the old serials he saw in the   
   > cinema as a kid: Tarzan, Flash Gordon, etc.. He originally wanted to   
   > make a Flash Gordon movie, but couldn't get the rights.   
      
   Yes, that's true.   
      
   Before Star Trek, there were science-fiction TV shows. Voyage to the Bottom of   
   the Sea, Lost in Space, Doctor Who, Supercar, Captain Video... with one common   
   factor; they were for the kiddies.   
      
   For adults, there were anthology shows: The Outer Limits, One Step Beyond.   
      
   After Star Trek, the idea that a TV series that could be taken seriously by an   
   adult audience could be science fiction took hold. So we *could* say that Star   
   Trek had _something_ to do with, oh, say, Space: 1999, for example.   
      
   Because Star Trek did help boost the profile of science fiction in the mass   
   media, it may have contributed a little bit to it being possible for George   
   Lucas to make Star Wars, even though, as you quite correctly note, his   
   inspiration was things like the old Flash Gordon serials.   
      
   He wanted to do them right, to provide the sense of wonder that they originally   
   gave their young audience, but with modern special effects and production   
   values... and he very much succeeded.   
      
   John Savard   
      
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