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user14111 commented in another question about a story which I'm unfamiliar with, but would like to read:

Reminds me of a sci-fi story I read where earth is contacted in the future by powerful space aliens, and they've been watching all of our old Star Trek shows, and the shows have stopped coming, and the aliens are here to demand that we produce more of them, or else.

I believe I read it in a magazine, like F&SF or Galaxy maybe, sometime in the 60s or 70s. In the story, the Outer Space Trekkies' ultimatum causes frantic research into TV history, because Star Trek is long forgotten on earth.

While it reminds me of elements of Galaxy Quest, I don't have any other ideas on where to look for this story.

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  • 27
    There was a Futurama episode, When Aliens Attack, with the same plot, but nothing in the Wikipedia page states that it was based on any other works.
    – Anthony Grist
    Mar 24, 2014 at 14:30
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    There's also the South Park episode, Cancelled.
    – phantom42
    Mar 24, 2014 at 14:32
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    Screw uncancelling Star Trek -- I want the Xenos to uncancel Firefly!
    – Codes with Hammer
    Mar 24, 2014 at 15:33
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    Good question, I thought about asking it myself. I'd change "TV show" to "Star Trek" in the title, to avoid confusion with the similar-themed but much later Futurama episode. It was definitely Star Trek in the story I remember. I believe I read it in a magazine, like F&SF or Galaxy maybe, sometime in the 60s or 70s. In the story, the Outer Space Trekkies' ultimatum causes frantic research into TV history, because Star Trek is long forgotten on earth.
    – user14111
    Mar 24, 2014 at 23:15
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    Not what your looking for, but you may seriously enjoy RedShirts by John Scalzi. It postulates the characters in a Star Trek like show are real and getting screwed by the writers! Great stuff.
    – MAW74656
    Oct 8, 2014 at 18:06

1 Answer 1

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It sounds like "Distant Signals," but the program wasn't STAR TREK. Link to a discussion of the TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE adaptation of the story.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0716935/reviews

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    Was the episode of Tales From The Darkside based on a short story? The question was searching for a story, not a TV episode or movie.
    – phantom42
    Feb 11, 2015 at 6:07
  • Yes, according to the ISFDB, "Distant Signals" was a short story by Andrew Weiner. I don't think this is the story I remember reading because (1) I still think the show was Star Trek and (2) 1984 seems too recent and (3) it doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere where I would have been likely to see it. I could be wrong. I didn't ask the question so I'm absolved from deciding whether to accept your answer. Anyway, +1 and thanks.
    – user14111
    Feb 11, 2015 at 6:35

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