The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

A memo from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Starfleet Academy" (aired as "Coming of Age") kicks off a conversation about the personalities behind the scenes in TNG's early days. Learn more about the "chaos on the bridge" from our returning guest, writer Sandy Fries! See the documents: Starfleet Academy - 1987 Find Sandy's book " Secrets Your Textbook Will Not Tell You: About TV, Movies...

Like all producers, Gene Roddenberry was looking for his next hit after Star Trek had wrapped. "Genesis II" may not have excited executives enough, but it did capture some fans. We welcome Mike DeMeritt back to The Trek Files to discuss the ever-evolving TV landscape. See the documents: Genesis II Fan Letter - 1973 The Trek Files Season 9 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files...

The Trek Files kicks off season 9 with a look at an old document but with a new spin! Gene Coon's assistant, Andreea Kindryd, joins us for a special LIVE recording from STLV with stories of "uppers" and miniskirts and the writer who was always late. Don't miss her incredible insight into Trek's earliest years! See the documents: Writing for Star Trek is an Exercise in Agony Andreea Kindryd's book...

Even after Star Trek: The Motion Picture had premiered, Gene Roddenberry and Robert Wise explored ways to improve the film. This week, we welcome David C. Fein to discuss the 4K Director's Edition and the myriad ways TMP has been revised to reach its potential. Plus, stay tuned for a special bonus-feature announcement! See the original document: Possible Film Revisions - December 26, 1979 The Trek...

Gene Roddenberry pitched an idea to writer Sandy about Wesley Crusher applying to Starfleet Academy. This week, Sandy joins The Trek Files to talk about the script that would become "Coming of Age," the people behind the scenes, and his insistence that the Enterprise be attacked by 300 gorillas! Find Sandy's book " Secrets Your Textbook Will Not Tell You: About TV, Movies, and Life " at Amazon See...

A story of missing scripts and studio security and the aftermath of repairing a relationship. Judy Burns drops by The Trek Files again to share more stories about "The Tholian Web" and clear up a mystery more than 50 years in the making. See the original document: Apology letter to Gene Roddenberry - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on Memor...

Mike DeMeritt returns to The Trek Files to help shed some light on the budgets of Star Trek's first two seasons. Every dollar adds up, and accounting can be creative - so what did that mean to Star Trek's bottom line then and now?  See the original document: Star Trek  budgets 1966 - 1967 - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Vi...

Star Trek producer Fred Freiberger gives Gene Roddenberry an update on scripts for the 1968 season of Star Trek. What's revealed is just as relevant to production today, and we welcome back Assistant Director and longtime Trek insider Michael DeMeritt to shed some light behind the scenes. See the original document: Star Trek  season 3 writers memo - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha Al...

A detailed budget and a memo from Star Trek producer Bob Justman spell out the very real need to keep on top of production expenses when it came to makeup supplies on TOS. We welcome back Michael Westmore to talk about keeping the ship running and what actors actually steal from the set. See the original document:  Makeup supplies memo - 1967-1968   The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All epi...

"The Tholian Web" started its life as a pitch called "In Essence, Nothing" by Judy Burns. Hear the story of what really motivated pitching to Star Trek when Judy herself joins The Trek Files today to discuss her work on the series! See the original document: 'In Essence, Nothing' deal memo - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on Memory Alpha V...

The man behind some of the most beloved sci-fi/fantasy magazines, Kerry O'Quinn, drops by The Trek Files one more time to share his view "From the Bridge" as well as some personal tales of his time with Gene Roddenberry. See the original document: From the Bridge - 'Gene's Back' - May 1987 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit th...

Should Data be grey or bubblegum pink? This was just one decision to be made before Star Trek: The Next Generation went before the cameras. Hollywood make-up legend Michael Westmore joins The Trek Files to discuss the earliest days of defining the look of TNG's characters. See the original document: Tests for Make-Up/Hair/Wardrobe - May 12, 1987 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episode...

From soap operas to Star Trek, hear the origin story of one of the most important sci-fi publications of the 20th century: Starlog! We welcome publisher Kerry O'Quinn to talk about the letter to Gene Roddenberry that kicked off a publishing empire. See the original document: Letter from David Houston to Gene Roddenberry - 1975 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  T...

A simple memo from Gene Roddenberry prior to Star Trek: TNG's third season says so much. Is the show being too "parochial" in elevating humans over aliens? We welcome Syfy Sistas host Fran Taylor bak to The Trek Files to discuss diversity in Star Trek then and now. See the original document: More Aliens in Lead Roles memo - 1989 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: ...

Fan mail to Star Trek often went to Gene Roddenberry, but in this letter from 1978, a dedicated adult Trekker shares her opinions on what a new Trek movie or series could be with the studio head who was writing the checks. John Champion joins The Trek Files for this week's discussion. See the original document: Fan letter to Michael Eisner - 1978 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episod...

An exchange between Rear Admiral H.L. Miller and Gene Roddenberry speaks to the connection between the armed services and Star Trek. We welcome Paramount executive Dave Rossi back to The Trek Files to share some stories about that special link behind the scenes.  See the original document: Letter from Rear Admiral Miller - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: ...

In the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry sent very few memos. In this rare document, he shares specific thoughts on many aspects that set TNG apart from its predecessor and still resonate to new Star Trek series today. See the original document: Creative Concept Notes - 1986 part 1 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on...

A pair of documents this week herald the return of TOS director Ralph Senensky. In the latest interview, Ralph shares some of his frustrations with third season Star Trek production, the IDIC medallion controversy, and Fred Fred Freiberger. See the original document: IDIC memo and 'Is There in Truth No Beauty' - 1968 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Fi...

Twenty years after Star Trek broke new ground on television, the format was revived for a new generation. Dorothy Fontana sent a memo to Gene Roddenberry outlining the ways that women characters needed to grow and evolve. Fran Taylor from SyFy Sistas joins The Trek Files to discuss how those issues looked in 1966 vs 1986. See the original document: Sisterhood memo - 1986 The Trek Files  Season 8 o...

A simple memo secured Ralph Senensky for his third outing as a Star Trek TOS director. Today on The Trek Files, Senensky returns to discuss "Obsession" and the struggles to find the right words in the script for "Return to Tomorrow." See the original document: Director Contract Request - September 29, 1967 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Files on Memo...

Anyone who knows Star Trek has a passing familiarity with the contents of Starfleet's Operating Orders - particularly the all-important Prime Directive. Our document from early in The Next Generation is the perfect subject to welcome back special guest and space-law expert Mclee Kerolle. See the original document: Starfleet Operating Orders - 1987 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episo...

Remember that Gene Roddenberry TV series in the late '60s that featured motorcycles? Well, it never happened, but not because Gene and the sales manager from Cosmopolitan Motors weren't trying for it - and for a Star Trek tie-in. Hear the details and speculation when special guest Dave Rossi stops by The Trek Files. See the original document: Cosmopolitan Motors - April 1968 The Trek Files  Season...

A variety of letters to Gene Roddenberry reveal the state of the fandom in the years when Star Trek was dormant but anticipation for a new project was high. The variety of ages and emotions are the topic on this week's The Trek Files with guest John Champion. See the original document: Fan correspondence - 1971-1975 The Trek Files  Season 8 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents:  The Trek Fil...

A young fan writes to Gene Roddenberry about the inspiration she found in Star Trek and the concerns she has about the widening political and social "generation gap." Today, we welcome Fran Taylor, a Trek fan from the very beginning and co-founder of SyFy Sistas, to talk about fandom then and now and finding inspiration on the Enterprise. See the original document: Generation Gap letter - 1971 The...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Scheduling the workload for a show like Star Trek looked much the same way in 1968 as it did in 1988 and beyond. This week, The Trek Files welcomes back David Livingston to help us peer behind the curtain at the relationship between producers and directors. See the original document: Star Trek  directorial commitments - 1968 The Trek Files  Seas...