Kevin's Watch

Bennett, 84, who is credited with saving that blockbuster movie franchise with his "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and then producing three more films in the series, died Feb. 25 at Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, Ore.

In the wake of the first "Star Trek" movie in 1979, producer Harve Bennett, who had a solid track record in TV with hits like "The Mod Squad" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," was called into a meeting with top Paramount Studio executives to talk about developing the second film in the series.

Asked what he thought of the first one, Bennett — never short of chutzpah — told the execs, "I thought it was boring."

Challenged to make a better movie, he watched every episode of the original TV series and spotted one guest-star creature that intrigued him. The name: Khan.

SoulBiter wrote:Somehow I missed this

Bennett, 84, who is credited with saving that blockbuster movie franchise with his "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and then producing three more films in the series, died Feb. 25 at Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, Ore.

In the wake of the first "Star Trek" movie in 1979, producer Harve Bennett, who had a solid track record in TV with hits like "The Mod Squad" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," was called into a meeting with top Paramount Studio executives to talk about developing the second film in the series.

Asked what he thought of the first one, Bennett — never short of chutzpah — told the execs, "I thought it was boring."

Challenged to make a better movie, he watched every episode of the original TV series and spotted one guest-star creature that intrigued him. The name: Khan.