Nichols – who played communications officer Nyota Uhura in the original series – passed away last year.
The first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 has been dedicated to franchise legend Nichelle Nichols.
Nichols, who played communications officer Nyota Uhura in the original series, passed away aged 90 in July 2022, leading to a flood of tributes from the sci-fi show’s fans and cast members.
And a dedication at the end of the new episode – the first to broadcast since her death – reads: “For Nichelle who was first through the door and showed us the stars. Hailing frequencies forever open…”
Nichols starred in all three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series between 1966 and 1969, and went on to reprise her role in six feature films, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 and ending with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 12 years later.
Following her death, William Shatner wrote on Twitter that “she was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world”.
Read more:
And George Takei called her “trailblazing [and] incomparable”, adding: “My heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among.”
Her iconic character Nyota Uhura features prominently in Strange New Worlds, now played by Celia Rose Gooding.
The second run of Strange New Worlds has just begun on Paramount Plus and has so far received positive reviews from critics.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 begins streaming on Paramount Plus today (15th June). Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.