Star Trek IV saved the franchise — and it's not the one you'd expect

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Though Star Trek is one of the most bankable franchises in the world today, Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966 to low ratings, and only avoided cancellation after its second season due to an organized letter-writing campaign . Local TV syndication of the original series' first three seasons led to a resurgence, which led to conventions, merchandising, and eventually, the promise of a new series: all the newfound fan interest prompted Paramount to announce Star Trek: Phase II in 1977, a new series with the original cast returning (except for Spock). But when that series never made it to air, the road for Star Trek: The Motion Picture opened up.