Many will recognize the name of Lucille Ball, an actor and producer that paved the way for women in film from the 50s to the 80s. However, not many know that she financed not only the original pilot episode for the original series of Star Trek, but also the second after the first was rejected. Lucy’s production company, Desilu Productions, which she shared with her then ex-husband, Desi Arnaz, supplied the funds to support the show in its early days.

RELATED: Best TV Shows On Hulu Right Now

It is not just the amount that Lucy paid to get Star Trek started that was such a valuable contribution, it was the gesture of it as well, and the way that she demonstrated her belief in the idea. Many production companies will walk away from a project when it is not accepted by the market, but Lucy knew it was worth giving another try. Ball even went so far as to completely overrule her board of directors when they rejected the series over concerns around budget. It was her faith in what the series could become that pushed her to go through with the project — and the franchise’s success today shows that her faith was well-placed.

Last year’s documentary series, The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, shed some light on Lucille Ball’s involvement. The documentary insisted that she receive some credit, considering how her actions were responsible for the series existing in the first place. However, despite The Center Seat’s efforts, many people are still oblivious to Ball’s efforts for the show.

That being said, any science fiction fan that has not yet given Star Trek a watch, should do so because of what it represents. In fact, even those fans that have seen Star Trek, it’s worth a rewatch to appreciate how it paved the way for science fiction. Even at only three seasons long, this show made several bold moves that changed the way that TV functioned. It confronted some of the gender and racial prejudices of the time, meaning that the show had to constantly deflect objections to its progressive concepts. This fact truly illustrates what was at stake for Lucille Ball’s company while promoting this new series, and further shows how important it was that she stuck by the show she believed in.

One of the final motivating factors for Ball’s involvement with Star Trek was its ability to be shown on television as a rerun, much like her own television series, I Love Lucy. The ability to watch and rewatch a series contentedly spoke to its quality and worth as a show, and Lucy was looking for a series with this capability when Star Trek was presented to her. Again, though the show only ran for three seasons, it was rerun on TV from the 70’s through to today, making it one of the most beloved and historically relevant works in television.

While Lucille Ball’s career really came to fruition in the 50s, she had been acting since the 30s, which speaks to her immense wisdom and experience in the field. Her knowledge of the industry and her credibility among those who ran the show are likely a big part of why Star Trek was accepted. Science fiction was still a pretty novel concept for television at the time, and it’s likely that the show never would have been made if such a notable name wasn’t backing it.

Ball’s status in Hollywood was likely a strong asset in her fight for Star Trek to be made, but her personal drive to make it happen may have involved more than just business savvy. Any Lucille Ball fan knows that her first marriage with Desi Arnaz had several problems, and as much as she tried to make it work, their marriage ultimately ended in 1960. In 1962, a now remarried Ball bought back her half of Desilu Productions from Arnaz, making her one of the few women to completely own a successful production company. Her steps in moving on from her marriage to Arnaz and her repossession of his part of the company made her eager for success with a new television series.

It was her need to brand the company with her own success that drove Ball to begin searching for a series that would stand out and reflect her ability as a businesswoman in the film industry. Not only did she have a lot to prove now owning the company on her own, but she had something to prove being one of the few women in Hollywood to do it at the time.

If Lucille Ball had not believed that Star Trek was capable of becoming a well-loved and influential show, she would have been risking her company for nothing. Before any fan could fall in love with the Star Trek series, someone had to believe in it, and that’s exactly what Ball did. Though the range of fantastic shows that she brought to life through Desilu Productions is broad, Star Trek will always stand out among them, both for what it did for her business career and for what it did for television.

MORE: 7 Star Trek Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-offs

Source: Wikipedia - Lucille Ball