LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, "Star Trek" is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The franchise is one of the most iconic series in sci-fi histories, the Trekkies or Trekkers as fans call themselves have been a huge part of bringing the franchise to success. In fact, when the show first came out it was canceled after just three seasons but because of a loyal cult following Star Trek is now a major hit with the books, games and movies that we all know today. Now, Richard Quest, spoke with William Shatner who played Captain Kirk, of course, about Star Trek's unexpected ability to live long when prosper.</s>RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When you were making that series, was there any feeling amongst you all that you were doing something different, something that would be become of iconic legend status?</s>WILLIAM SHATNER, PLAYED CAPTAIN KIRK, "STAR TREK": No more than you and I saying that this interview is going to be so special that 50 years from now they're going to hold it up as an example of a great interview. Does that sound a little far fetched?</s>QUEST: I think it is in the realms of impossibility.</s>SHATNER: And that's what we thought if somebody had suggested that 50 years from now we'd be talking about Star Trek. If that had been suggested back then, we would have considered them slightly addled.</s>LU STOUT: Now "Star Trek" actually lives on in space. The show inspired some who now work at NASA and NASA named the first space shuttle enterprise after the famous starship from the show. Now, here are some of the program casts standing in front of that shuttle. Now, to march Star Trek's birthday, NASA posted this new infrared image of the ant, stingray and hourglass nebula saying that they look like the USS Enterprise. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. That's all for NEWS STREAM. And I leave you with this simple message, "Live long, and prosper."
Celebrating 50 Years of 'Star Trek'.