There's no party. There's no big reunion of the casts. There's no huge cake in the shape of the U.S.S. Enterprise. There isn't even a day marked on NBC's calendar.



Sept. 8 of every year is celebrated by Trekkies everywhere as "Star Trek Day," marking the anniversary of when "The Man Trap" first aired on NBC, marking the beginning of iconic history. And Sept. 8, 2001, has special meaning ... because it marks the 35th anniversary of "Star Trek."



Just five years ago, a young United Paramount Network marked this occasion with a huge gala, reuniting everyone from the original "Star Trek," as well as the casts from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager." Everyone was there ... William Shatner, the now late DeForest Kelley, Jonathan Frakes, Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton, Kate Mulgrew, Tim Russ. Hell, even Joan Collins from the original episode "City on the Edge of Forever" stopped by, to prove that she's not really that "bitch from Dynasty."



The only two people that didn't show up (because of conflicting schedules) were Leonard Nimoy (Spock, TOS) and Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, TNG), who still took the time to express their gratitude to the franchise that made them virtual superstars.



But where is all that this year? Was it more important for Rick Berman and Brannon Braga to get their golf game in this morning than celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original product that is paying for that golf game this morning? Do they even know it's the anniversary? It makes you wonder.



Maybe it's too much that we keep celebrating the anniversary every five years. I mean, seriously, how many times can we keep celebrating it and not make it stale? When Star Trek turned 20 in 1986, it was a huge deal, because quite frankly, most wondered how many more of these birthdays the series would have. "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" had opened a few years before to smaller audiences than "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and there looked to be little on the horizon for the franchise, except for another movie directed by Nimoy and the concept for a new series that was in pre-production to be launched into first-run syndication.



But, just a year later, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" was a blockbuster hit, and while the new series, "The Next Generation," got a slow start, it was slowly becoming the new powerhouse of syndicated drama. Star Trek saw a rebirth during that time 15 years ago, and no one knew it would produce two more movies with the original cast, three more with the cast from that new series, plus three new series, including "Enterprise" which launches at the end of the month on UPN.



Star Trek has a storied history, and could be quite interesting depending on who you talk to. There were to biographies written about Gene Roddenberry, which both agree on one thing -- Gene liked to tell stories, and even Trek's history had a bit of a dramatized past.



But the facts were simple. Roddenberry was an ex-Los Angeles Police Department officer who wanted to be a screenwriter and found work with different television shows of the time like "Have Gun Will Travel." But in the back of his mind, he had this series that he felt could be a "Wagon Train to the stars" that would be the future of television, by bringing the future of television.



So began Roddenberry's near vain attempt to sell this series. It would be expensive to produce -- it's not like Roddenberry could use already existing props, costumes and sets. Plus, there was a need to create a realistic starship and make people believe that this could all actually happen.



Roddenberry was turned down by all three networks. The only one who really seemed interested was CBS, and according to Roddenberry, they eagerly took notes during a series pitch about how he could produce a show like this on a shoestring budget, and later used those notes to later create "Lost In Space."



But there was a studio that was interested in picking up some new series, and it was led by the then most powerful woman in Hollywood -- Lucille Ball.



She was given a hand in creating Desilu, a production studio that would offer new and different series for television. While it's debatable on whether or not Ball really knew what the concept of "Star Trek" was before she picked up the rights to it (there are some reports that Ball thought the series was about celebrities who visit troops during war time), when it was assured she knew what "Star Trek" was about, she tood behind the series, and used some of her own clout to make sure NBC picked up the series.



So after a "failed" pilot, a major cast shifting, and constant battles with NBC and with Desilu for budgeting, "Star Trek" finally aired for the first time on Sept. 8, 1966.



It's not easy in a heavy entertainment industry to have anything have a shelf-life of more than five years or so. Why do you think "Star Trek" was a five-year mission to begin with?



So what makes "Star Trek" survive? It's not like it was the first science fiction show ever. I mean, so it can't be the space battles or the genre itself. But something made it stand out for all these years, something that has seemed somewhat forgotten by Braga and Berman who apparently are on a roll now.



There is a message in "Star Trek" ... a message that was made quite subtle in the original series. IDIC. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.



To me, Star Trek just isn't a show ... it's reassurance, that if we can look upon others and respect them for who they are just as we would expect them to respect us for who we are, the possibilities of knowledge and happiness are endless.



However you celebrate today, "Star Trek Day," keep in mind what Star Trek is really about, and use it to make your life -- and the lives of those around you -- better.



So, happy birthday, Star Trek. And 35 years from now, when I am 60, let us still be marking this day for not only a cultural phenomenon, but a societal phenomenon as well.