How Gene Roddenberry first sold Star Trek

When Gene attempted to get Star Trek on the air he didn't succeed. In part because he was, at times, almost tongue tied. He didn't learn to be glib and didn't learn to be voluble until some time after we begun the series and he became accustomed to dealing with the press and with others other than himself. We all have that problem.

His first attempt was a failure. It was I think at MGM � he first pitched Star Trek to them and they � they passed on it having had experience with Gene and not wanting any more.

He then came, eventually, to Desilu Studios with a wrinkled sheet of paper and read from it his idea of a science fiction series that went into outer space. And Desilu went for it.