courtesy of StarTrek.com William Shatner as James T. Kirk in “Star Trek.”

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship 'Enterprise.' Its five-year mission: To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before."

Almost everybody has heard this famous introduction. It is much more than simply an introduction, however, for the thousands of science-fiction fans around the United States who flocked to movie theaters, including Seattle's Pacific Place AMC cinemas, on Nov. 13 and 15to view a high-definition, re-mastered cut of an episode from a classic TV series. It stirs up passionate feelings and nostalgia coupled with an exhilarating sense of exploration that all started with a little series called "Star Trek" back in 1966.

Star Trek originally ran for three years before networks pulled the plug. It seemed, to many fans, as if the show were doomed to roam the vastness of cancellation space forever. However, due in large part to the efforts of passionate Star Trek fans Betty Jo "Bjo" and John Trimble, along with a growing cult following, the series was revived almost 20 years later with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987.

Since then, it has morphed into three more spin-off shows and10 feature films, creating an entire "Trekkie" universe that is arguably even larger in scope than that of Star Wars. The latest TV outing of Star Trek, "Enterprise," was cancelled in 2004 due to low viewership and critical disappointment, but Star Trek fandom lives on to drive continuing book sales, re-runs of the shows on Cable television and even a movie slated for 2008, directed by J.J. Abrams of "Lost" and "Alias" fame.

Local Puget Sound "Trekkies" came out to the Pacific Place screening to share in that fandom on Nov. 15.

"[You] don't get to do that in the real world," Jonathan Freeman, a student at South Seattle Community College, said of Star Trek's thrill of exploration.

David Ginsberg of Redmond said he attended a Star Trek convention in 1978 and heard Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry speak. Since then, he has become a self-proclaimed "Trekkie" and now works at Boeing. Star Trek "had no small part" in his career choice, Ginsberg said.

Tom Larson, who works for IBM and lives in Renton, said he saw the original "Star Trek" film at Seattle's Cinerama. Larson even heard James Doohan, who played Scotty in the original series and films, speak at the opening of the second Star Trek film, "The Wrath of Khan," in Southcenter.

Star Trek has a long, rich history, as does the two-part episode "The Menagerie," which was shown in high-definition at the Pacific Place cinemas. "The Menagerie" was originally shot to be the pilot for the series, but network executives rejected it because it did not fit their target audience. The creators shot another episode and ran it as the pilot. When the time came for a season finale, Roddenberry shot a few extra scenes and combined them with "The Menagerie" to form a two-part episode.

"The Menagerie" is now considered by many Star Trek fans, including Ginsberg, to be the best episode of Star Trek ever made.

The episode's transfer to high-definition only makes it that much more beautiful. Before the showing, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, son of the series' creator, popped onscreen to explain to the audience that great care was taken in transferring the beloved series to the big screen, and it shows.

The original USS Enterprise has now been replaced with fantastic CGI that transports viewers much more vividly into the story. The music and sound effects have also been redone and are resoundingly clear and vivid. All of these changes have been made without ruining the original prints and score of the series. The characters bounce out at the viewer with startling clarity, and the episode's carefully woven storyline of political intrigue, twists and turns, deep moral questions and spectacular special effects for its time stand out even 40 years later.

As fans filed out of the theater on the Nov. 15 showing, there was a general murmur of approval. The filmmakers have successfully beamed Star Trek into the 21st century, and, though it won't be back on the big screen until Abrams' adaptation hits theaters next year, the first season of the original series is now available on HD DVD with the next two on their way.

When asked what he thought of a new movie being made, Freeman, a fan of the TV show "Heroes," said he looks forward to seeing Zachary Quinto, who plays Sylar in "Heroes," as a young Spock in the new Star Trek film.

Larson was also optimistic. He said that every 20 years the series seems to recycle itself, and now seems to be just the right time.