page_title: The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise
section_title: Impact on Star Trek
hierarchical_section_title: The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise / Impact on Star Trek
caption_attribution_description: English: Crop of Gene Roddenberry from File:The Shuttle Enterprise - GPN-2000-001363.jpg
context_page_description: "The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise" is a comedy sketch that first aired on May 29, 1976, during episode 22 of the first season of the NBC variety show, Saturday Night Live. The twelve-minute sketch was written by Michael O'Donoghue during a month-long process consulting with actor John Belushi. The sketch is a satire of the 1969 cancellation of Star Trek. The set design featured an effective replica of the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Dress rehearsal was difficult, with the writer doubting whether Belushi was able to pull off an effective parody of William Shatner's performance as Captain James Kirk. However, the result was a success, and O'Donoghue immediately congratulated Belushi after his performance and reflected that he had perfectly parodied Shatner as Kirk.
  The sketch became a cult classic hit among Star Trek and science fiction fans. The 1977 book Saturday Night Live edited by Anne Beatts and John Head included a copy of a note from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry praising the comedic bit. The sketch was released on a 1985 Saturday Night Live compilation VHS that featured The Best of John Belushi, and re-released with the same title in DVD format in 2011.
context_section_description: The sketch became a cult classic hit among Star Trek and science fiction fans. Captain Kirk actor William Shatner was asked which Star Trek parody was his favorite: Belushi's impression of himself, or the later satire wherein Shatner appeared on Saturday Night Live in a sketch telling Star Trek fans known as Trekkies to "Get a life". Shatner said he preferred Belushi's impression to his own later appearance on the comedy television program. Shatner commented: "I like Belushi's work as Kirk better than my own".
  DeForest Kelley, the actor who portrayed physician Leonard McCoy on Star Trek, was a personal favorite of John Belushi. Belushi had offices on the same lot as Kelley. Kelley overheard Belushi discussing the Saturday Night Live parody of Star Trek with William Shatner, and mentioned to both of them that he had not yet seen the sketch. Belushi immediately escorted Kelley to his office on the lot and had him watch it on videotape.
  Kelley thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Belushi's impression of Captain Kirk. He later remarked that he had trouble going back to act on the Star Trek set in a scene opposite Shatner because he could not stop laughing remembering the Saturday Night Live parody and Belushi's portrayal.  Belushi later gave Kelley a signed videotape of the sketch; he had written "Live Long and Prosper" on the tape. Kelley sent the videotape to close friends when Belushi died because he did not want to hold on to the memento which brought up sad memories of his loss.
  The 1977 book Saturday Night Live, edited by Anne Beatts and John Head, includes the complete script of the sketch, as well as a message from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in which he effusively praised the sketch.
  Roddenberry had sent a letter to Elliot Gould on June 3, 1976, in which he thanked the actor for the parody and said he would show it to members of the Star Trek cast. Roddenberry called the sketch creatively designed with the light comedic touch necessary to pull off an effective satire. Elliott Gould later told The Hollywood Reporter that the success of the sketch inspired Roddenberry to create the first feature film version of his series: Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
  Yoshimura, who has been a production designer on SNL for the entirety of its run, has been pressed into service to play Sulu whenever the show did a Star Trek spoof—most recently on the Season 42 episode that aired on May 6, 2017—a full 41 years after the original parody.
caption: Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wrote a letter to Elliott Gould in which he called the sketch "delicious".[27][28][29]
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