Well this is a surprise. We all know about the interracial kiss that rocked the world on Star Trek on November 22, 1968 but did you know that kiss was originally supposed to be between Uhura and Spock, not Uhura and Kirk?
In the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” from the original series, the crew land on a planet filled with telekenetic humanoids who had been living their lives as if they were in ancient Greece. When they ask that Dr. McCoy stay on their planet just in case they ever need a doctor, disagreements follow and the people use their powers to humiliate Kirk and the others by making them do silly dances and the like. They even make Spock express emotion. But the news-worthy bit came when they forced Kirk and Uhura to kiss.
As far as what we already know from history, the story was Kirk/Uhura was what was written in the script but after concerns from NBC executives, they thought to change the kiss to Spock/Uhura but William Shatner insisted they keep with what was written. But in a recent interview, Nichelle Nichols gave some details that cast a slightly different shade on this story.
[She] told The Vancouver Sun she was rehearsing her lip-lock with Leonard Nimoy (a.k.a. the Vulcan, Mr. Spock) when William Shatner (a.k.a. interstellar stud, Captain Kirk) saw the smooch. “Bill Shatner saw what was going on and he said, ‘Woah, woah, woah. If anybody is gonna get to kiss Lieutenant Uhura it’s gonna be me.’ And he had the whole thing changed so the first interracial kiss was with Lieutenant Uhura and Captain Kirk.”
Nichols laughs almost constantly as she recalls her most memorable Star Trek moment. “Bill wanted to rehearse all the time. He said he wanted to get this right! I said to him, “It’s right, it’s right. I promise you, it’s right.” And the camera was shaking and the director was laughing his head off. We really had a good time.”
Brings a whole new meaning to “Dammit, Jim” doesn’t it?
It all worked out in the end I suppose. Uhura and Spock get to live out a real relationship rather than a forced kiss thanks to J.J. Abrams.
(via Blastr)
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Published: Apr 20, 2013 04:00 pm