The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Closing out our fourth season on The Trek Files, we welcome back David Gautreaux for an in-depth interview about the Zen of Xon, how he got the news he wasn't going to be Star Trek's new leading Vulcan, and the powerful influence Gene Roddenberry had on his life. See the original document: Star Trek Phase II  Daily Production Report - Part 3 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha All episodes an...

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Yesterday's Enterprise, we welcome back special guest Eric Stillwell. As the production went in front of the cameras, Eric and co-writer Trent Ganino found themselves at odds with Rick Berman and banned from the set. Don't worry, though, there is a happy ending. See the original document: Yesterday's Enterprise - part 2 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha A...

Most Star Trek TV scripts are created in a fairly straightforward way - and then there's "Yesterday's Enterprise": a mash-up of stories, a train wreck of a process, and yet one of the most popular episodes of The Next Generation ever. For its 30th anniversary this month, let The Trek Files decipher the paper trail from those crazy days of 26-episode seasons with none other than its co-writer, TNG...

It's no surprise that Star Trek fans are creative; filling in the details and expanding the universe whenever there is a gap in production. This week, The Trek Files brings you two unofficial publications from the 1970s - one for mixing drinks, the other for applying a Vulcan nerve pinch - and special guest Holly Amos to talk about fan enthusiasm. See the original document: Star Trek Bartender's G...

Back when petitions were on paper rather than online, the seventh and eighth graders at Dover, DE's Central Middle School added their signatures to the throngs of fans who wanted Star Trek to return to network TV. Who started the petition? We may never know. How did Gene Roddenberry react? We do know that, and we'll share the answer in this week's Trek Files. See the original document: Central Mid...

It seems pretty simple on the surface - the names of two directors alternate to finish 16 episodes of Star Trek. This memo from 1967 contains a lot more if you read between the lines though. We welcome back Trek veteran Mike DeMerrit to help us grasp the logistical balance of making The Original Series. See the original document: Star Trek  directorial commitments - 1967 The Trek Files  Season 4 o...

Separated by more than twenty years, two letters to the editor of the Los Angeles Times show Gene Roddenberry's concern for contemporary issues. Their relevance today points to the types of human concerns that Gene dealt with in real and fictional worlds. See the original document: Gene Roddenberry Letters to the Editor - 1964 - 1987 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha All episodes and docume...

In the early days of The Next Generation, "Crusher" meant Wesley and his mother would likely have not been seen after the pilot episode. A memo from Bob Justman to Gene Roddenberry suggests ways to develop the boy's relationship with Picard and what might have been between the Captain and Beverly. See the original document: Picard-Crusher Relationship memo - November 1986 The Trek Files  Season 4...

The New Adventures of Star Trek Quest Generation of the Future! How many possible permutations of the title would be kicked around before settling on Star Trek: The Next Generation? Bob Justman has some fun in a late 1986 memo to Gene Roddenberry with many variations on a theme. See the original document: Star Trek  New Show Titles - October 24, 1986 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha All ep...

What does the forensic investigation of a daily production report reveal about creating a TV show? A lot, apparently! Mike DeMerrit drops by again to shed some light on what was going right - and wrong- during the production of TNG's pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." See the original document: TNG Daily Production Report - 1987 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  Th...

David Gautreaux returns to talk about sizing up the competition for Xon and why he was asked to test a second time for a role he already had. Then we learn about the surprising announcement of Star Trek making the jump from the small to the large screen. See the original document: Star Trek  production report 1977 - part 2 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The T...

In late 1977, a new Star Trek series was coming along with sets being built, scripts written and actors being cast. Leonard Nimoy wouldn't return as Spock which meant a young Vulcan, Xon, would take his place. Recapping his first trip to Paramount studios in October, 1977, Xon himself, David Gautreaux, drops by The Trek Files to tell us the first part of the story. See the original document: Star...

Andre Bormanis joins The Trek Files again to talk about the Bynars and keeping computer jargon believable in science fiction. Our document centers around the development of the TNG episode "11001001" (when it was known as "10101001"); elements that stayed like the holodeck and elements that were nixed like a visit from the Klingons! See the original document: 10101001 first draft memo - October 19...

Above the line, below the line, associates, executives, best boys and key grips... Here to demystify production jargon and logistics, we welcome back Star Trek Assistant Director Mike DeMerrit. What does a budget reveal about putting together a TV show in 1967, and how much did Star Trek really cost to produce relative to today? Find out inside The Trek Files. See the original document: Star Trek...

An on-set intern turned out to be a thief, and Gene Roddenberry let the President of Ball State University know! What else happens behind the scenes during production on a major TV show? Find out with special guest Michael DeMeritt, assistant director on two Trek series, joins The Trek Files. See the original document: Gene Roddenberry letter to Ball State University - 1990 The Trek Files  Season...

The transcript of an interview reveals so much more than merely the questions and answers within. In 1974, Steve Reed from the Atlanta-based magazine Pulse interviewed Gene Roddenberry, but it seems like Steve was a fan who saw the opportunity to get some insider information. What happens when the dog catches the car? Find out on this week's Trek Files. See the original document: Gene Roddenberry...

A new Star Trek in 1986 meant new concepts about science and the intersection of technology and biology. Welcoming back science consultant Andre Bormanis, we examine an early TNG memo from David Gerrold that speculates about what kind of humanity we'll encounter in the future. See the original document: David Gerrold memo - To Seek Out New Life - October 1986 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alp...

"Star Trek should be more scientifically accurate!" "Scientific accuracy can't get in the way of Star Trek storytelling!" These two ideas are at odds in a pair of memos from Gene Roddenberry, one year apart during the making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Who better to discuss them than longtime scientific consultant, our special guest Andre Bormanis! See the original document: Gene Roddenberry...

"Telegram for Gene Roddenberry!" In an age before email and text messages, there was nothing more immediate or impactful than a telegram. This week, The Trek Files presents three telegrams to Gene Roddenberry from 1968 running the gamut from congratulations from NBC to grievances from a fan. See the original document: Telegrams to Gene Roddenberry - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 4 on Memory Alpha Al...

After all the ups and downs considering whether Star Trek will return as a movie or a TV show, Gene Roddenberry sends an update to loyal fans. There's thanks on his part to the fans keeping Trek in the public eye alongside his optimism that Paramount is more dedicated than ever to bring Trek to the big screen after the success of Star Wars. See the original document: Motion picture status letter f...

How much do suggestions from fans influence Star Trek? In late 1986, during pre-production on The Next Generation, this 11-point memo from Gene Roddenberry circulated among the staff. In it, a consensus of ideas from a recent convention gave food for thought as the plans for a new Star Trek series took shape. See the original document: Fan Suggestions memo - December 1986 The Trek Files  Season 4...

A selection of fan letters from some of Star Trek's youngest - and most ardent - fans from 1975. Some have specific technical questions, some want merchandise and some just need to let Gene Roddenberry know exactly how deeply their fandom runs. The Trek Files looks at how much has changed and stayed the same since the pre-internet days of fandom. See the original document: Star Trek  fan letters -...

Gene Roddenberry catches up with his friend, fellow TV producer Sam Rolfe, in this a letter from November of 1965. In it, Gene talks about the promise of a few pilots he's done such as "The Long Hunt of April Savage," "Police Story" and "Star Trek" which could make it to NBC's schedule the next fall. There's also mention of some Doc Savage/Ocean's Eleven show Bruce Geller is producing for Desilu....

In 1967, Dorothy Fontana created the Tellarites for the TOS episode "Journey to Babel" with a few notes about their homeworld and physical characteristics. Fast forward more than fifty years and the Tellarites are still part of Star Trek lore on Discovery. To celebrate this find and talk about their snout-nosed origins, Larry welcomes our first "Disco" guest and Tellarite actor, Harry Judge! See t...

Two-time Emmy-winning director Robert Butler - at 91 the only non-actor creative still with us from "The Cage" - joins Larry Nemecek in a maxed-out room at San Diego Comic Con 2019. Discussions about the casting of "The Cage" plus Gene Roddenberry's inexperience as Star Trek's first pilot went before the cameras and how Butler sees the "new" Pike some 55 years later. It's a rare moment of history...