Star Trek's DeForest Kelley Appeared In A Show That Was An Inspiration For Supernatural

DeForest Kelley, best known for playing Dr. Bones McCoy in Star Trek, also had a role in the classic TV series Route 66.

The show, which aired from 1960 to 1964, followed two friends, Tod and Buz, as they traveled across America in their convertible, searching for something ineffable. Kelley appeared in the 15th episode of the first season, playing a Californian contractor who clashes with a farmer whose property stands in the way of a new highway expansion.

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Route 66's Influence on Supernatural

Eric Kripke, the creator of Supernatural, has cited Route 66 as a major inspiration for his show. In his original pitch for Supernatural, Kripke described the series as 'The X-Files' meets Route 66,' highlighting the similarities between Tod and Buz's wandering adventures and the supernatural battles faced

Kripke has also mentioned that Jack Kerouac's novel 'On the Road' and Stirling Silliphant, the writer of Route 66, were influences on his work. The similarities between Tod and Buz's search for meaning and Sam and Dean's quest to understand and combat supernatural forces are evident in both shows.

Route 66 may be gone, but its legacy lives on through its influence on Supernatural and other TV shows. DeForest Kelley's appearance in the show serves as a reminder that even in the most unexpected places, talent can shine through.

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The Inspiration Behind the Show

"Route 66" and "The X-Files" weren't the only inspiration for "Supernatural." In 2014, Kripke admitted that his show was "a rip off of 'Night Stalker,' " referring to the one-season '70s ABC series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," which followed a Chicago investigative reporter who found himself dealing with supernatural murders.

"But I really fleshed it out and it had mythology," Kripke added.

DeForest Kelley might be best known for exploring the final frontier as Dr. Bones McCoy in "Star Trek," but he also appeared in an influential, Earthbound series about exploring America — one that was named for its most famous highway.

That show, "Route 66," would later go on to inspire another long-running genre series, "Supernatural." "Route 66" premiered on CBS on October 7, 1960. Martin Milner and George Maharis starred as Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock, two aimless, wandering friends who drive around the country in a convertible searching for something ineffable.

Each episode — which was shot on location across the U.S., in locations as varied as Butte, Montana, Boston, and a Florida swamp — would have the protagonists encounter new people and learn a little something from them. It was kind of like a TV version of Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road," to the point where Kerouac twice tried suing the show's writer, Stirling Silliphant, for plagiarism.