Star Trek's Original Series Could've Been A Lot Different Had One Suggested Change Been Used, And I'm Thrilled Another Show Did It Decades Later

Though Star Trek: Section 31 is out and stream-worthy for those with Paramount+ subscriptions, there's a bit of a lull until the next upcoming Trek series arrives, making a good time to revisit past efforts such as the beloved original series. While there's no shortage of fans who would describe the series as perfect, one significant change discussed during its production could have made it a completely different show from the one we know.

Fortunately, Star Trek is always good at fixing the mistakes of the past, and the franchise at last reached a place where a modern-day series can embrace the change the original series never made. While it's better late than never, I do have to wonder how different the original show might've been had they moved forward with a shift in approach to episode formats. Let's explore.

Deforest Kelley Shared A Change Star Trek Considered But Never Made

In a 1995 interview with Star Trek Communicator, Deforest Kelley noted that he felt Star Trek could've gone further narratively with Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy than in the episodes that were produced (via Redshirts Always Die). In particular, he mentioned a suggestion made during either Season 2 or Season 3 that could have allowed such additional development, with episodes that would zero in on other bridge crew members rather than just Captain Kirk. According to Kelley:

Unfortunately, Star Trek never pulled the phaser trigger on that idea, though Bones did have a memorable cameo in The Next Generation decades later. But even if it wasn't utilized at the time, the general idea stuck around throughout the years, and another live-action series has taken that mantle in order to spotlight members of the OS crew before they were officially part of "Kirk's Enterprise."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Gives O.G. Characters A Chance To Shine

Strange New Worlds may take place before the original series in the timeline, but the show's cast of characters were also featured on the original series. Through this new show, we continue to learn more about key characters we didn't get much time with in the original, and even some stuff about Kirk before he joined the Enterprise. Paul Wesley's version of the character is confirmed to return for Season 4, so expect the Kirk updates to continue well into the future.

While Dr. McCoy has yet to appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it does seem likely he'll show up before the series is up. Scotty "beamed" his way onto the ship in Season 2, and we've even gotten more about Spock's former fiancé T'Pring. While it might've been nice for the original Star Trek to alter its storytelling in a way successive shows in the franchise did, at least we're getting a chance to see these characters get their stories told elsewhere.

Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is expected to arrive at some point in 2025, and this Trekkie is thrilled to see it return. I would love to see Bones pop up in this season, though I can't help but worry about what it would mean for the series' endgame for him to show up.