Star Trek fans have plenty to be thankful for as the beloved science fiction franchise created by the late Gene Roddenberry celebrates its Diamond anniversary today (Tuesday, Sept. 8). And the fandom has even more to be excited about now because The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World documentary’s trailer has finally been released online.
Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the Star Trek documentary’s official trailer is only available to watch through the trade, Variety. Even the production’s official website hasn’t dropped the footage yet. However, The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World does feature William Shatner as an executive producer on the project.
'The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World' Trailer: New Documentary Goes Deep on the History of the Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/6cJZP1rnQF
— Variety (@Variety) September 8, 2026
In the documentary’s footage, Star Trek: The Next Generation icons Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Jonathan Frakes (William Riker), and Brent Spiner (Data) can all be seen speaking to the legacy of the beloved science fiction franchise.
Even the creative trio (Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore), who killed off Captain James T. Kirk (Shatner) in the much-maligned Star Trek: Generations, are seen in the documentary’s official trailer. I hate that call they made in 1994. However, the hundreds of hours they created for Trek during the now iconic Berman Era far outweighs the one stupid decision they made three decades ago.
As reported back in April, The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World was written and directed by Mark A. Altman. And the filmmaker said upon the release of the documentary’s official trailer (per Variety):
“Star Trek has been celebrated countless times, but we wanted to make the film that goes beyond the mythology and asks why this unlikely television series survived, evolved, thrived and ultimately became an icon of popular culture."
Altman continued by saying in the same sit-down:
"The real story is full of extraordinary creative risks, battles, failures and breakthroughs. What emerged from all of that was something far bigger than a franchise. It became a cultural institution that has inspired millions of fans and defined a hopeful vision of the future for generations.”
In addition to Shatner and The Next Generation actors mentioned above, the new Star Trek documentary will also feature Simon Pegg (Scotty from the Kelvin Timeline films), Strange New Worlds’ Ethan Peck (Mr. Spock) and Christina Chong (La’an Noonien Singh), along with Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov), The Doctor (Robert Picardo), and even Discovery’s Rainn Wilson, who portrayed Harry Mudd.
The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World drops Friday, Oct. 9, but only in Regal Cinemas. Do you plan on making the trek to theaters to see the new documentary? Share your thoughts and comments on the official trailer with us via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Happy Star Trek Day! Live long and prosper, Trekkies.
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