When the second season of Star Trek premiered in 1967, viewers got their first glimpse of a new and fresh face at the navigation station aboard Enterprise: Ensign Pavel A. Chekov. Roddenberry lore tells us that he wanted to bring a Russian onboard as a nod to the country’s achievements in the Space Race; however, a deeper look into the casting reveals much about why Chekov’s character was underutilized and often assassinated or abused during the series and in the original cast movie universe.

Casting a space Monkee

When The Monkees premiered on NBC in 1966, they quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Young people embraced them and the television show, and Gene Roddenberry took notice of this popularity. As a gambit to boost ratings and bring in some younger viewers to Star Trek, he wanted a new cast member who was young and good-looking, a Davy Jones type, if you will.