While most of the cast in “Star Trek: The Original Series” were men, there were also important and vital women characters. Of them was Nichelle Nichols, who played Nyota Uhura, and Majel Barrett, who played Nurse Chapel. There would be various other female characters throughout the show’s three-year run — some as recurring and others made a one-time appearance. “Star Trek” stood out because as a show it demonstrated the TV industry’s ability to represent women and people of color during a time when diversity was far and few, and not the conversation that it is now. From the start and even to its revivals and films, “Star Trek” has always been a racially and multiculturally diverse series.

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the famous space themed sci-fi show, heavily championed diversity and famously said that humanity needed to accept each other’s differences on Earth if they wanted to explore other beings elsewhere (via Good Reads). The show was years ahead, says Space, but still there were some flaws here and there.

Star Trek creator's reaction to female-less episode

Keystone/Getty Images