The Woman Who Saved Star Trek From Cancellation Appeared In The Franchise's First Movie

Many Trekkies know all about the marvelous fan accomplishments of Bjo Trimble, often called the Woman Who Saved "Star Trek." Trimble is a sci-fi fan going back to childhood, and became involved in nascent sci-fi fan communities back in the 1950s. She used to tool around with noted sci-fi authors like Robert Bloch, August Derleth, and Harlan Ellison. She says that she met her husband, John, while attending a particularly crowded nerd party at the home of the vaunted Forrest J. Ackerman. The pair had to hide underneath Ackerman's piano, and bonded amidst the chaos. 

When "Star Trek" debuted in 1966, Trimble immediately latched onto it, and saw a fandom emerge immediately. She was the one who managed to get early photos of the show's uniforms to show at an early sci-fi convention. Modern fandom wouldn't be quite the same shape without Trimble's contributions. Most famously, Bjo and John Trimble were once given the inside track that "Star Trek" was poised to be canceled at the end of its second season. They hastily arranged a massive letter-writing campaign, which overwhelmed NBC, and forced them to give "Star Trek" its third season. Because "Star Trek" was given a third season, it accrued enough episodes to be sold into syndication. It remained in reruns, and it was only then that its fandom exploded in numbers. The Trimbles saved "Star Trek." 

"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry knew the Trimbles well, and, as thanks, invited them both to appear as extras in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1979. John had to turn down the opportunity (he was busy with his day job), but Bjo leaped at the opportunity. She talked about her time on the "Motion Picture" set in a 2011 interview with StarTrek.com. 

Trimble immediately noted that her husband (who passed in 2024) regrets going to his day job instead of appearing in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," as he was to be fired shortly thereafter. She, however, got the full experience. It seems that many notable Trekkies had been invited to appear as extras in "Motion Picture," all as a gesture of gratitude from Roddenberry; the movie wouldn't have been made if "Star Trek" didn't surge in popularity throughout the 1970s, and the Trimbles — and other massive Trekkies — were responsible for that. 

Of course, being a dizzy, excited fan made a lot of the professional film actors a little annoyed. As Trimble recalls: 

"It was a real thrill to see all the excited fans and to meet the unfailingly polite and patient director, Robert Wise. Many fans framed their paychecks, throwing the Paramount accounting department into a real tizzy. I cashed my check; we had two small children to care for. The fans had a wonderful time on the recreation deck, playing with the games that were subsequently removed as not being useful to the plot. The professional extras were not particularly amused, but then, fans weren't worrying about where our next job and next paycheck was coming from in the film industry."

The "game room" was only glimpsed in a few shots in "The Motion Picture," so it's comforting to hear that it fulfilled a practical function as well. There are, sadly, no clear shots of Trimble in "The Motion Picture," as she was relegated mostly to the background of crowd shots. She may be in the photo above, but I couldn't say which one she is.

The group of specially hired Trekkies was supposed to be on set for only two days, but the shooting schedule was swift and everything went smoothly. Trimble's best memories are of little details, as she described: 

"We did so well that the planned two days of shooting was crammed into one long day. We are all in white, tan, or pale gray uniforms. So what did they serve us for lunch? BBQ chicken and watermelon! Most of the fans on the set enjoyed the organized chaos of being in a movie. There was one heart-stopping moment when an alien mask went missing, but it was found in the hands of a fan who was trying to find out where to give it back." 

And that was that. Trimble got to play around on the set of the very first "Star Trek" movie for a single day, had a nice lunch, played some games, and got to wear a Starfleet uniform. That day sounds like heaven for a Trekkie. 

The Trimbles remained a big part of the Trekkie community in perpetuity, and Bjo's 1969 book "Star Trek Concordance" remains the gold standard for fandom-based sourcebooks. When John passed in April of 2024, there was an outpouring of goodwill toward his efforts. Bjo, meanwhile, is still alive and still watching "Star Trek." Back in 1999, she commented that Gene Roddenberry might have liked "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," a series that he didn't create, although he would have been turned off by its reliance on war and battle. She didn't seem fond of the more recent movies like "Star Trek: Insurrection," which came out in 1998, and she definitely didn't like "Star Trek: Voyager." Trimble hasn't commented on the newer, Paramount+-era "Star Trek" shows.