Jerry Lewis Killed Trek!!!!

So says a new book on the series.

Lots more at the link.

Just based on that review alone, it appears the problem with Star Trek was Roddenberry himself.

Choosing The Grand Ole Opry over Trek? Damn...the mind boggles.
Maybe Trek needed an episode that would draw everyone in.
How about the Trek crew get bored and stage a pie eating contest?

I do seem to remember Laugh-In being previously connected to Trek's timeslot troubles . . . had no idea Jerry Lewis was on that show though.

Cushman makes the case that NBC hated Roddenberry's refusal to become a yes-man, his abrasiveness in dealings, and his insistence to follow his own vision for the show, and hence would be very happy to rid themselves of him. They had a much friendlier relationship with the producer of Laugh-In, so they were more likely to be nice to him than Gene. So Laugh-In got to keep it's Monday 7:30 spot, and Trek got the Death Slot (which is also a nickname I had for a girl I dated in high school).

Said it before, I'll say it again: the people who run network television are, and always have been, idiots.

This from the same industry which enable far worse behavior for their money-making stars.

"Laugh-In" was pretty iconic in its own right, launching Lily Tomlin's career ("One ringie-dingie ... two ringie-dingies") and giving us now-classic bits of pop culture like "Verrrry interrresting ... baht also stooopid."

he wasn't. Read more closely