Star Trek is turning 60, and Weigel Broadcasting is marking the milestone with a full month of themed programming across MeTV, Heroes & Icons, and MeTV Toons, streaming on Frndly TV and Philo. The celebration includes a special appearance by William Shatner on MeTV’s Toon In With Me, a complete original-series marathon on H&I, and a Star Trek: The Animated Series marathon on MeTV Toons.
Originally debuting on NBC on September 8, 1966, Star Trek lasted only three seasons, but it became one of television’s most enduring franchises through syndication, spinoffs, movies, and decades of loyal fandom. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the series helped define modern science fiction with its hopeful vision of the future and its focus on exploration, diversity, and humanity.
Today, the franchise includes 11 television series, an animated series, and 14 feature films. For cord cutters who still love classic TV, this is one of the bigger tribute events on free over-the-air television this fall.
William Shatner, Full Original Series And What to Know
The highlight of the celebration may be William Shatner’s guest appearance on MeTV’s weekday morning series Toon In With Me on Monday, September 8 at 7 a.m. ET/PT. Shatner will join host Bill Leff and Toony the Tuna to talk about his current projects and reflect on Star Trek’s lasting legacy.
Heroes & Icons is going all in on the franchise. Starting Sunday, September 6 at 11 a.m. ET/PT with “The Man Trap,” H&I will air all 79 episodes of the original Star Trek series over six consecutive days. The marathon wraps up Saturday, September 11 at 1 a.m. ET/PT with “Turnabout Intruder.”
H&I already features Star Trek heavily in its lineup, but this anniversary event gives fans a rare chance to watch the entire original run from beginning to end. And MeTV Toons will join the celebration with a Star Trek: The Animated Series marathon on Saturday, September 5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET/PT, featuring six back-to-back episodes.
MeTV’s Saturday Night Star Trek Block
MeTV is also airing themed late-night Star Trek programming every Saturday in September from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET/PT.
Here is the schedule by weekly theme:
- Sept. 5-6: Star Trek Specials: Includes Leonard Nimoy’s Star Trek Memories, Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier, Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special, Ultimate Star Trek’s Greatest Moments, and Star Trek: A Captain’s Log.
- Sept. 12-13: Crossovers: Features episodes and stories tied across the franchise, including “Journey to Babel,” The Next Generation’s “Unification” two-parter, “The Trouble With Tribbles,” Deep Space Nine’s “Trials & Tribble-ations,” “Mirror, Mirror,” and “Crossover.”
- Sept. 19-20: Cast Favorites: Spotlights signature episodes tied to major cast members, including “Devil in the Dark,” “This Side of Paradise,” “The Empath,” “Wolf in the Fold,” “Charlie X,” “The Naked Time,” and “The Spectre of Gun.”
- Sept. 26-27: Fan Favorites: Includes fan-favorite episodes such as “The City on the Edge of Forever,” “Balance of Terror,” “Amok Time,” “Space Seed,” “The Doomsday Machine,” “Arena,” and “The Enterprise Incident.”
How to Watch the 60 Years of Star Trek Celebration
You can stream the Star Trek 60th Celebration on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or any other compatible device with a live TV service that carries MeTV, H&I, and MeTV Toons.
- MeTV is available over the air in 98% of the country, along with select cable and satellite systems, and it streams on Frndly TV, Philo, and Fubo.
- H&I is also available over the air, on select cable and satellite systems, and through Frndly TV and Philo.
- MeTV Toons is available free with an antenna in many markets and streams on Frndly TV and Philo
For classic TV fans, September will be a big month. And for Star Trek fans, it is a chance to revisit the franchise that helped launch modern sci-fi television and never really left the conversation.
