Each year, members of the Television Critics Association (TCA) vote for the shows they recommend. This year, at the 36th Annual TCA Awards, Star Trek: The Original Series was honored with the coveted Heritage Award, which is awarded each year to a landmark television series.
According to their announcement: "The Television Critics Association (TCA) was proud to bestow the Heritage Award upon Gene Roddenberry’s landmark 1966 sci-fi epic Star Trek, in recognition of the groundbreaking series which brought the future to life — illustrating a unique vision that is equal parts hopeful and cautious as it explored issues such as bigotry, religion, politics, sexism, and human rights through timeless stories of love, war, intrigue, and adventure in outer space — with the help of a strong cast that was among the first to feature an African-American actress in a significant leading role.
The official award show was cancelled this year, but our buddy Rod Roddenberry recorded an acceptance speech - watch it HERE.
Past winners of the TCA Heritage Award include The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, The West Wing, The Sopranos, M*A*S*H, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
