That Iconic Star Trek Catchphrase Was Always a Lie

Summary:

• Star Trek is an American science fiction series created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966.
• The show ran for 3 seasons, contained 79 episodes and started one of the most successful sci-fi franchises in the world.
• The catchphrase ‘Beam me up, Scotty’ made its way into pop culture, although it is a misquotation and was never actually said on the show.

When a piece of media becomes so popular that just about everyone has seen it, or at least heard about it, it's not surprising that some quotes make their way into the public domain. What's more surprising, however, is to see people fall into the Mandela Effect trap when it comes to shows or movies that have been caught on tape.

Although our favorite characters and stories can stick with us and stay in our brains for quite a while, there are very few people who can actually quote some parts verbatim. Seemingly, there is no harm in getting the line wrong, but it is friendly conversation that ensures that the wrong line gets more traction than the original.

One of the most famous examples of this is the ‘Luke, I am your father’ line in Star Wars. But Star Trek also has a history of miscommunication among fans. Not to ruin your day, but at no point does any character in the original series say the words ‘Beam me up, Scotty’. And yet everyone seems to be obsessed with the phrase.

What Did Kirk Actually Say to Scott?

There were several variations of the phrase throughout the three seasons of the show, but they were never used in the same order. Most of the time, Captain Kirk's command sounded like ‘Scotty, beam us up’.

The only time he actually referred to himself alone was in the episode This Side of Paradise (S1E24), but then he didn't address Scott by name at all, so it doesn't fit as well. Also, none of the animated episodes or movies from the original series have the line in that exact order.

While we now have the means to go back to the footage at any point and hear the exact wording, viewers of the show in the 60s didn't, so it's no wonder the phrase made its way into pop culture in a form that just sounded better to the public.

Eventually, the phrase ‘Beam me up, Scotty’ took on its own meaning for different groups of people. While some still use it to connect with other Trekkies, others just use it to express a desire to be teleported somewhere else. In some circles, it has even been used to purchase certain types of drugs.

Unfortunately, the iconic NBC sci-fi hit isn't currently available for streaming. However, if you don't believe us and want to check it out for yourself, you can still buy all three seasons on Prime Video, Vudu or Apple TV.