50 years ago tonight, the world got an optimistic vision of the future that has delighted millions and millions of people ever since.

For the first time, we saw people we recognized … not just surviving, but thriving in a society 400 years from now.

Here’s my favorite episode from each of the various series that have been broadcast since.

Star Trek: The Original Pilot: The Cage

Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike in “The Cage”

Star Trek: TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever

Kirk and Spock in “The City on the Edge of Forever” by the incomparable Harlan Ellison

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Inner Light

Picard playing a flute recovered from the ship of a long-dead civilization in “The Inner Light”

Star Trek: DS9: Far Beyond the Stars

Captain Sisko of the Federation? Or a science fiction writer in 1950s New York? Watch “Far Beyond the Stars” and decide

Star Trek: Voyager: Distant Origin

Alleged remains of a human found by a Saurian scientist in “”Distant Origin”

Star Trek: Enterprise: In a Mirror, Darkly

A Tholian, not seen in ST since the original series,  from “In a Mirror, Darkly”

What are your favorite episodes?