Actor George Takei, right, and partner Brad Altman are seen in Hollywood in February. The duo will be the first gay married couple to be featured on The Newlywed Game. (Chris Pizzello/Associated Press)

Original Star Trek star George Takei and his longtime partner Brad Altman will become the first gay couple to compete on TV's long-running The Newlywed Game.

Organizers announced the news on Wednesday.

The classic program, known for testing newly married couples on how well they really know each other, debuted on prime time television in the mid-1960s. Though Chuck Barris-produced show has had a sporadic run over the years, with several revivals, it is most often associated with original host Bob Eubanks and his teasing questions about "making whoopie."

The Newlywed Game is now on its second season with the GSN cable network, with singer Carnie Wilson serving as host and the show updated somewhat, including showcasing couples who marry later in life.

The decision to feature its first gay couple "made sense for GSN," programming chief Kelly Goode told The Associated Press.

"It seems like the show has always reflected the times in terms of marriages depicted and this felt like the next logical step."

Takei and Altman, who have been together for more than two decades, officially married in Los Angeles a year ago. Months later, the state of California reversed the decision to allow same-sex marriages. However, the estimated 18,000 couples who had tied the knot in the meantime retained their married status.

"What we want is to display the normality and the joy of having a happy union," Takei said. "To be included in something we never felt we'd be included in is very satisfying."

The Newlywed Game will also feature other newly married celebrities this season, including Davy Jones of The Monkees and Christopher Knight of The Brady Bunch.

With files from The Associated Press