LOSE YOURSELF IN 1968
PLATO’S STEPCHILDREN
The tenth episode of Star Trek’s third season, broadcast in the US on 22 November, boldly went where few other TV programmes had gone before. For Plato’s Stepchildren featured an interracial kiss between Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). While it’s often cited as the first such snog on US TV, there had actually been previous ones, but it was still significant and daring for such a high-profile show.
The NBC network wasn’t keen on the idea, fearing a backlash from viewers in America’s Deep South, thus it was also scripted so the kiss wasn’t voluntary, but caused by aliens with telekinetic powers. However, there was surprisingly little protest – the kiss generally met with approval. The BBC initially didn’t screen the episode in the UK – not because of the kiss but due to violence deemed unsuitable for its teatime timeslot.
RESIGNED TO HIS FATE
British foreign secretaries have always had a tendency to resign, but the departure of George Brown in March was more curious than most. Brown was a Labour politician known to be fond of a tipple or two. During Harold Wilson’s government of 1964-1970, the PM wanted to declare an emergency Bank Holiday during a currency crisis, but because Brown – then the foreign secretary – couldn’t be ‘found’, a Privy Council meeting was convened without him.
When Brown got wind of the meeting, he showed up, seemingly very drunk, and a huge shouting match ensued between him and the PM. Brown eventually stormed out.
The following day, he sent a letter saying ‘I think it better that we should part company’, but didn’t actually resign. However, Wilson interpreted it as such and gave him halfan-hour to clarify things. That didn’t happen, so Brown left the Cabinet, whether he’d intended to or not.