Could ‘Star Trek’ Tribbles Have Been Named Something Even Cuter?

STAR TREK, 1966-69, Ep.#42:
Paramount/Everett Collection
Paramount/Everett Collection

Unless you’re Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), it’s hard not to fall for the charm of Tribbles. These little alien furballs made their unforgettable debut on Dec. 29, 1967, in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series, in the hilariously chaotic episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

In the Star Trek universe, Tribbles are tiny, purring bundles of fluff that multiply faster than rabbits. These critters reproduce asexually and, incredibly, are born pregnant, ready to unleash a litter of ten equally pregnant offspring the moment they’re fed. Picture this: you give one Tribble a treat and suddenly, you’ve got an entire Tribble family.

STAR TREK, 1966-69, Ep.#42: "The Trouble With Tribbles," William Shatner, Whit Bissell, William Schallert, Leonard Nimoy, 12/29/67

Paramount/Everett Collection

While the Klingons, led by Worf (Michael Dorn), claim to have wiped them out in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Tribbles’ resilient spirit won. A deadly variant popped up in Star Trek: Picard, suggesting they’re still thriving somewhere in the galaxy. Sure, they can wreak havoc by clogging up vital systems. Still, Tribbles are practically harmless compared to the adorably deadly Moopsy from Star Trek: Lower Decks.

What were the Tribbles’ Original Names?

In the early days of Star Trek, Tribbles almost had a different and less memorable name. Writer David Gerrold, the mastermind behind “The Trouble with Tribbles,” revealed in an interview that these cuddly creatures were initially called “Fuzzies.”

Gerrold explained, “I made the name change, and in retrospect, Tribbles is a much better name because Fuzzies is too cute. I don’t think Fuzzies would have developed the same kind of cultural recognition. You wouldn’t have had people referring to Fuzzies the same way they refer to Tribbles. And I think because Tribbles was a neutral word – Here’s this nice little creature and it’s called a ‘Tribble’ – we added a word to the English language. I made a list of silly-sounding words you could call such a creature and cross off all the ones that were too silly. I wanted people to take them seriously.”

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, Armin Shimerman, (as Quark), Mark Allen Shepherd, (as Morn), holding the Tribbles, in Season 5, Ep.#503, 'Trials and Tribble-ations,' November 4, 1996

Paramount/Everett Collection

Over the decades, Tribbles have cemented their place as fan favorites across the Star Trek universe. They’ve popped up in Star Trek: The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, Picard, and animated shows like Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: Prodigy. In Prodigy, we met Bribble the Tribble, a genetically modified, sentient super-Tribble with an actual face.

Will Tribbles make their way into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? It’s a tricky proposition since the show is set before the original series, and many characters wouldn’t meet Tribbles until later in the timeline. But with Star Trek‘s love for time warps, alternate dimensions and bending the rules of storytelling, anything’s possible. What do you think about Tribbles?

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60s Sci-Fi Favorites

March 2020

Do you remember all the great Sci-Fi TV shows of the ’60s?

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