Star Trek marks 60th anniversary; Canada aired The Man Trap on Sept 6, 1966

Star Trek: The Original Series marks its 60th anniversary; CTV in Canada broadcast episode one, "The Man Trap," on September 6, 1966, two days before NBC’s U.S. premiere on September 8, 1966. Philip "Pip" Wedge, then at CTV and now executive director of the Canadian Communications Foundation, says Murray Chercover likely acquired the series for CTV during a buying trip to Los Angeles. CTV scheduled the show at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, earlier than NBC, which Wedge credits for capturing a younger audience and stronger Canadian ratings. Wedge notes Star Trek performed better in Canada despite low U.S. rankings and barely reaching a third season in the United States. At the time CTV held pre-release rights to some U.S. shows to avoid scheduling conflicts, and simultaneous substitution rules did not exist until 1972, which helped Canada air American series earlier. The Sept. 6 Canadian broadcast is now cited when marking the program's true first airing date.