Roddenberry Podcasts

We're back with Ronald D. Moore for part two of our dive into the wonderfully strange 1976 spoken-word album Inside Star Trek . This time, things get weird... in the best way. From Sarek (Mark Lenard) debating Vulcan mating rituals with Gene Roddenberry, to William Shatner performing a time-bending double act as both himself and Captain Kirk, the album takes some truly unexpected turns. Ron shares...

Today, we prepare for Strange New Worlds season 3 and welcome special guest, Bruce Horak , to discuss his time on the show as Hemmer, and much more! Bruce's "Boldly Going" campaign:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/boldly-going-documentary#/ 🌟 About Mission Log: Live: Mission Log Live is a call-in show that encourages fan participation. We discuss episodes, themes, and the future of Star Trek...

Before we warp into Voyager's final season, we're making a pit stop with someone who's been in the thick of it, script whisperer and longtime Trek insider Lolita Fatjo. She joins us for a fast-paced debrief on your comments and questions: How did Seven's arrival reshape the show? What network pressures shaped season six? Which untold stories still haunt the Delta Quadrant? Plus, Lolita updates us...

Six years in the Delta Quadrant and it's time for a reckoning. With Voyager's final season on the horizon, Mission Log welcomes TrekCulture's Ellie Littlechild aboard to break down the best, the worst, and the weirdest of season six. Listener questions, hot takes, and episode rankings await! Let's see how your picks line up with ours when we wrap up Voyager's sixth season in the Mission Log. Hoste...

Before he was a celebrated Star Trek writer and producer, Ronald D. Moore was a fan, just like so many of us, watching reruns, devouring  The Making of Star Trek , and listening to Gene Roddenberry's 1976 spoken-word album Inside Star Trek . In part one of our two-part conversation, Ron reflects on how that Columbia Records release shaped his early views of the franchise. We explore the stories th...

What's it like to direct more hours of Star Trek than anyone else? From Next Gen to Enterprise , David Livingston helped define the look and feel of Star Trek for a generation. In this Mission Log Supplemental, Norman and John sit down with the longtime Trek veteran to talk production pressures, on-set memories, and what kept him coming back across four different series. Then the pressure is reall...

From its earliest concept stages, Star Trek: The Next Generation set out to break new ground, including the intentional addition of a disabled crewmember to the Enterprise-D. Inspired by and named for a real fan, George LaForge, this character was part of a push for greater representation and inclusivity on screen. This week, The Trek Files welcomes actor and artist Bruce Horak , known to fans as...

It wasn't just the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise. "These Are the Voyages" marked the end of an 18-year era of continuous Star Trek on television, dating back to The Next Generation in 1987. Emotions ran high on set, and not all of them were celebratory. Returning guest Mike DeMeritt, First Assistant Director on Enterprise , brings us a candid look behind the scenes of Trek's broadcast-era...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Unimatrix Zero," Seven discovers a secret within the Borg Collective: a hidden dream state where drones live as individuals. When Voyager learns they're under threat, Janeway sees an opportunity: help the resistance and strike a blow to the Queen. But to do it, she'll have to get assimilated first. It's part one of "Unimatrix Zero" this week on Mission Log . Ho...

May 2001 marked a major transition as Star Trek : Voyager had just wrapped, and Enterprise was ramping up production. With little time to exhale, the crew jumped into a new era: new cast, new look, even new tech (farewell, hand-written call sheets!). But as always, the most revealing stories live between the lines. First Assistant Director Mike DeMeritt returns to  The Trek Files to help decode a...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "The Haunting of Deck Twelve," the lights are out, systems are offline, and four skeptical Borg children are trapped in a cargo bay with only Neelix and a flashlight. To pass the time, he spins a tale of plasma storms, haunted decks, and a mysterious energy lifeform. Just how much of the story is true? Mission Log investigates The Haunting of Deck Twelve . Hoste...

One of TV's most iconic set designs didn't just look futuristic—it functioned like the real thing. Matt Jefferies' vision for the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge was both cinematic and sensible, blending style with storytelling utility. This week, Ben Robinson returns to The Trek Files to explore two of Jefferies' original design documents and reveal the real-world engineering and aviation influences tha...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Life Line," the Doctor makes a housecall in the Alpha Quadrant to help save his programmer's life, but Lewis Zimmerman isn't exactly thrilled to see his so-called greatest failure. Enter Reg Barclay, trying to hold it all together while Deanna Troi referees the emotional fallout. It's time for group therapy when Mission Log checks for a "Life Line." Hosted by J...

The Trek Files returns to one of the most foundational documents in Star Trek history: the third revision of The Star Trek Guide from 1967. Author and "Trek Whisperer" Glen Henderson joins Larry Nemecek to explore the show's core creative philosophy—especially the idea that believability in characters and behavior matters more than technobabble. Together, they unpack a fascinating "test" Gene Rodd...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Fury," an older, angrier Kes returns, and she's not here for a reunion. With her power more intense and her bitterness boiling, she strikes down upon her former crewmates with great vengeance and furious anger. Now Janeway must outmaneuver a friend-turned-threat in a time-bending showdown. Mission Log goes head-to-head with "Fury."  Hosted by John Champion and...

It's time for our seasonal dive into Gene Roddenberry's mail bag for a look at fan letters that were considered for publication in the book "Letters to Star Trek." Topics range from DeForest Kelley's southern accent to acquiring props and other leftovers from production to parents just not understanding Star Trek's appeal. John Champion joins Larry Nemecek for a peek into what has changed and what...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Muse," B'Elanna and Harry crash the Delta Flyer on a planet with a pre-technology society. Making things more complicated, B'Elanna finds herself as the inspiration and central character for an aspiring playwright. The Prime Directive takes a backseat to landing the perfect plot twist when "Muse" goes into the Mission Log. Hosted by John Champion and Norman Lao...

The crew of the Enteprise-D were taking shape in the earliest creative days of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Julian Picard, Commander Ryker, and Leslie Crusher all went through revisions to becomes the characters we know today. Deanna Troi evolved from a towering, large-brained, four-breasted telepath into, fortunatley, a character who was far more suitable for TNG's stories. The Trek Files is t...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Live Fast and Prosper," a group of alien con artists impersonate the Voyager crew in order to get away with their latest scams. When their real counterparts catch up, maybe just being nice can save the day. Or maybe it will take a more elaborate con to beat them at their own game. Mission Log learns to "Live Fast and Prosper." Hosted by John Champion and Norman...

Star Trek fans already know about Voyager's "Year of Hell," but they may not know about the "day of hell" that plagued production in October 1995 while filming the second season episode "Death Wish." It would take more than the power of Q to rescue cast and crew from the multiple accidents and failures the threatened to derail the epsiode. That's where the power of an experienced Assistant Directo...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Good Shepherd," not everyone on Voyager is cut out for deep space exploration. Captain Janeway takes three misfit crew members on an away mission to help them find their place in the flock, but an alien threat turns their trip into a fight for survival. These wayward "sheep" will have to find their way home when "Good Shepherd" goes into the Mission Log. Hosted...

One of the common threads the connects all Star Trek series is the role of the Doctor. Whether human, alien, or hologram, the Doctor often represents the compassionate, human heart at the center of Trek's stories. In an excerpt from the first season Star Trek writer's guide, Gene Roddenberry spelled out the special relationship Dr. McCoy has with his crewmates. Special guest John Billingsley drops...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Child's Play," homecoming can be tough. There's the pressure to impress your parents, the struggle to fit back in, and your old bedroom is smaller than you rememebr. It's even tougher when you find out that you were genetically engineered as a bio-weapon to defeat the Borg. "Child's Play" goes into the Mission Log. Hosted by John Champion and Earl Green Welcome...

Star Trek's very first fans were made on the night of Septmeber 8, 1966 when NBC premired its newest primetime science-fiction show. The reviews may have been mixed, but a lifetime of influence and inspiration followed. We look back at a couple of Trek's earliest reviews and get to know one of the viewers from that night. Glen Henderson, author of "All I Need to Know about Success I Learned from S...

In the  Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Ashes to Ashes," Ensign Ballard returns to Voyager, and she has changed quite a bit. There's her new life as an alien and the fact that she's not dead - which was precisely how the crew last saw her three years ago. Harry throws caution to the wind and sparks a romatic relationship, but Ballard's new alien "family" may not so easily let her go. "Ashes to Ashes"...