Bjo and John Trimble are the reason you’re a Trekkie today. Here's their story.
If you’ve ever tried to speak Klingon, wanted a pet Tribble, or made the Vulcan “live long and prosper” sign your official greeting, you already know you have Gene Roddenberry to thank.
But you must not forget Bjo and John Trimble. Without them, the Starship Enterprise may not have explored the final frontier for more than two seasons.
Bjo (Betty Jo) Trimble ended up on board the Enterprise by accident. She was running a Futuristic Fashion Show at Tricon 1966, when at the last minute she was told by the con committee that a Hollywood producer was desperate to fit three of his show’s costumes into the event. He was debuting a trio of episodes from his not-yet-aired sci-fi TV series at the con and needed the exposure. Trimble made a late exception for him. That producer was Gene Roddenberry.
From that moment, Trimble’s involvement with Star Trekzoomed forward at warp 9. Two years later, rumor had it that NBC was ready to cancel the series after its second season due to poor ratings. So Bjo and her husband, John, aimed their phasers at NBC and decided to unleash a letter-writing campaign upon the network.
In 1968, the internet was as much a fantasy as the Enterprise’s transport deck, yet the Trimbles still managed to mobilize legions of fans. With just a typewriter and a mimeograph machine, they sent out newsletters that urged devoted Trekkies to write letters to NBC and pass the information on to at least ten more people. Together, fans sent thousands of letters in defense of Star Trek.
NBC finally made a primetime voiceover plea for the asteroid shower of letters to stop. Star Trek was not being blasted.
Bjo and John Trimble’s efforts managed to keep the Enterprise airborne for another season—but the far-reaching effects of their success proved to be astronomical. Only shows that had run for at least three seasons were shown in reruns back in the sixties. Sci-fi junkies who tuned in to the reruns saw the fandom’s popularity skyrocket, which led to movies starring members of the original cast, and later The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, leading up to the more recent J.J. Abrams films.
After securing the fate of Star Trek: TOS, the Trimbles went on to campaign for the first U.S. space shuttle to be called Enterprise (which it was). Bjo also had a cameo in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and wrote On the Good Ship Enterprise, which recounted her experiences with Gene Roddenberry and The Original Series, and Star Trek Concordance, which was the only Star Trekreference guide that existed for years.
Whether you’re roaming the galaxy in Starfleet cosplay or even jeans and a t-shirt, watching the first season on Netflix between panels, or adjusting your Spock ears for a photo op, pay a visit to Bjo and John Trimble, who are special guests at San Diego Comic Con this year. They made your fandom live long and prosper.
Don't forget to read Den of Geek's SDCC special edition magazine. Get a print copy on the show floor or read the digital version below:
