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Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Is this the best television script Gene Roddenberry wrote prior to creating Star Trek? Gene's singular episode of the popular medical drama Dr. Kildare is a powerful story full of rich characters and raw emotions – the bedrock of great television drama. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television scripts, including his lesser-known works before Star Trek using the Mission Log format popularized by Roddenberry Podcasts. We analyze the themes, writing style, and cultural impact of his scripts, and we even unearth stories from the Roddenberry archives that were never produced. Join us as we trace the roots of Gene's creative genius. In This Episode A breakdown of key moments and themes in "A Distant Thunder". Exploring Gene Roddenberry's evolving style and storytelling. How this episode ties into the broader TV landscape of the time and reflects the early seeds of Roddenberry's visionary work. Guest stars and unique production elements that bring this episode to life. Special Segment: Dramatic Recreation Since this script is not available to the public, we've brought it to life with a dramatic recreation! Special guests Jeff Gauntt and Bonnie Gordon perform a key section of the script. Listen in as they bring the story to life in this exclusive performance. Join the Conversation What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments or reach out to us on social media or email us at missionlog@roddenberry.com Did you know Roddenberry Podcasts is on YouTube? Find the video versions of your favorite shows like Mission Log: Prodigy, Mission Log: The Orville, as well as exclusive content only available on YouTube. Subscribe now! https://www.youtube.com/@RoddenberryEntertainment?sub_confirmation=1 Follow us on Social Media: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts BLUESKY https://bsky.app/profile/roddenberrypod.bsky.social THREADS https://www.threads.net/@roddenberrypodcasts FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MissionLogPod Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, follow us here: RODDENBERRY PODCASTS https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryPodcasts RODDENBERRY ENTERTAINMENT https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryOfficial RODDENBERRY FOUNDATION https://www.instagram.com/TheRoddenberryFoundation Support the Show For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our Mission Log Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and a weekly video chat with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog Subscribe and Stay Tuned Be sure to subscribe to Gene-ology for more deep dives into Gene Roddenberry's early works. New episodes are released regularly as we uncover more of Gene's television legacy. – Gene-ology is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producer Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry. Visit https://Podcasts.Roddenberry.com for more great content. Edited by Earl Green.
The unmanned NASA/JPL space probe Dawn arrives at its second and final destination, the dwarf planet Ceres, a body which dominates the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Beginning to bring itself into a closer mapping orbit around Ceres, Dawn has already spotted unusually bright surface features, drawing early speculation from scientists that the highly reflective points on Ceres may be indicative of ice formations or cryovolcanism. Though its main engine is powered by charged ions, Dawn is scheduled to remain at Ceres for as long as its chemical propellant supply holds, powering smaller traditional rockets needed for attitude control.
The fourth episode of Joss Whedon’s futuristic “spy-fi” series Dollhouse airs on Fox, starring Eliza Dushku. Anson Mount (Inhumans, Star Trek: Discovery) and Tony Amendola (Stargate SG-1) guest star.
Big Finish releases a free CD with a stand-alone Doctor Who audio story starring Peter Davison, attached to the cover of Doctor Who Magazine issue #393.
Canadian-born actor John Colicos, known for numerous genre roles among his countless TV appearances, dies at the age of 71. In the original Star Trek, he was the first actor to be seen portraying a Klingon, in the 1967 episode Errand Of Mercy, and would later reprise the role in two episodes of the 1990s spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In the late 1970s, he had a recurring role as Count Baltar, the chief human antagonist in the original Battlestar Galactica.
Showtime airs the 68th episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica) guest stars.
The week-long American syndication window opens for the 16th episode of Gerry Anderson’s sci-fi police series Space Precinct. Frances Barber (Doctor Who) and Christopher Fairbank (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) guest star.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 16th episode of the fantasy series Highlander, starring Adrian Paul (War Of The Worlds), Alexandra Vandernoort, and Stan Kirsch, and based on the mythology created in the 1986 movie of the same name.
NBC airs the second episode of Wes Craven’s slightly supernatural series Nightmare Cafe, starring Robert Englund (V, A Nightmare On Elm Street), Jack Coleman (Heroes), and Lindsay Frost (Mancuso, FBI). Justin Deas and Beth Toussaint guest star.
The 15th episode of Love & Curses (formerly titled She-Wolf Of London) is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Kate Hodge and Neil Dickson. Beginning with this episode, production moves to Los Angeles and the series is chiefly an American production with little to no international input. David Allen Brooks (Crusade) guest stars.
CBS airs the 34th episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and Roy Dotrice. John McMartin guest stars.
The Soviet Union’s unmanned space probe Vega 1 makes its closest approach to the nucleus of Halley’s Comet, a little over 5,000 miles away (a closer flight path is taken by its twin, Vega 2). Information gathered in the earliest stages of the encounter is shared with the European Space Agency, whose Giotto unmanned probe will make a much closer examination of Halley. Vega 1 registers an immense number of impacts from dust particles, but sustains no serious damage in close proximity to the comet; after several days of observations, Vega 1 is allowed to fall into an orbit around the sun.
NBC airs the 16th episode of James D. Parriott’s time travel series Voyagers!, starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. David Olivier guest stars as Werner Von Braun, and Robert O’Reilly guest stars as Klaus.
The 100th and final episode of The Six Million Dollar Man is broadcast on ABC, starring Lee Majors and Richard Anderson. John Colicos (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek) guest stars in the series finale. A string of made-for-TV movies will continue the stories of both Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers in the late 1980s.
The week-long syndication window opens for the tenth episode of The Next Step Beyond, a revival of the 1950s/60s supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Robert Walker Jr. (Star Trek’s Charlie X) guest stars.
The 427th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Tony Beckley and John Challis guest star. This episode ends the 13th season of Doctor Who, though the heightened level of violence in this season is slowly leading to a backlash.
The 83rd episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Marcel Hillaire guest stars in the final episode of the series. Lost In Space will be revived in movie form three decades later, and the series will be reimagined for the 21st century by Netflix.
The 56th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Gary Merrill guest stars.
The 14th episode of the syndicated western series Boots and Saddles is broadcast in the United States, starring John Pickard. This episode is written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, whose working title for the story was “The Pushcart Brigade”.
The TV anthology series Stage 7 presents the first produced science fiction television script written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, The Secret Weapon Of 117. Ricardo Montalban stars as one of a pair of aliens trying to assess whether or not Earth has the technology to retaliate against infiltration and invasion by their species. Drawing from his past police work, Roddenberry has already sold scripts to Ziv Television Programs for Mr. District Attorney and Highway Patrol, and pitched an ultimately unsold script to Ziv’s Science Fiction Theatre series; this is his first genre work to make it to the screen. Sadly, no recordings still seem to exist of this self-contained story.
The 51st episode of The Adventures Of Superman airs in syndication, starring George Reeves, Noel Neill, and Jack Larson. Sterling Holloway guest stars.
The CW airs the 83rd episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. 
The unmanned NASA/JPL space probe Dawn arrives at its second and final destination, the dwarf planet Ceres, a body which dominates the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Beginning to bring itself into a closer mapping orbit around Ceres, Dawn has already spotted unusually bright surface features, drawing early speculation from scientists that the highly reflective points on Ceres may be indicative of ice formations or cryovolcanism. Though its main engine is powered by charged ions, Dawn is scheduled to remain at Ceres for as long as its chemical propellant supply holds, powering smaller traditional rockets needed for attitude control.
Intrada Records releases an expanded limited edition of Cliff Eidelman’s soundtrack from the 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, including previously unreleased material and the original single-disc soundtrack album in remastered form. 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 71st episode of Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) guest stars. 
The fourth episode of Joss Whedon’s futuristic “spy-fi” series Dollhouse airs on Fox, starring Eliza Dushku. Anson Mount (Inhumans, Star Trek: Discovery) and Tony Amendola (Stargate SG-1) guest star.
Cartoon Network airs the 20th episode of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. 
Big Finish releases a free CD with a stand-alone Doctor Who audio story starring Peter Davison, attached to the cover of Doctor Who Magazine issue #393. 
Canadian-born actor John Colicos, known for numerous genre roles among his countless TV appearances, dies at the age of 71. In the original Star Trek, he was the first actor to be seen portraying a Klingon, in the 1967 episode Errand Of Mercy, and would later reprise the role in two episodes of the 1990s spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In the late 1970s, he had a recurring role as Count Baltar, the chief human antagonist in the original Battlestar Galactica.
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the 21st episode of Stargate SG-1. Peter Williams guest stars as Apophis in the first season finale. 
Showtime airs the 68th episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica) guest stars.
The week-long American syndication window opens for the 16th episode of Gerry Anderson’s sci-fi police series Space Precinct. Frances Barber (Doctor Who) and Christopher Fairbank (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) guest star.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 16th episode of the fantasy series Highlander, starring Adrian Paul (War Of The Worlds), Alexandra Vandernoort, and Stan Kirsch, and based on the mythology created in the 1986 movie of the same name.
NBC airs the second episode of Wes Craven’s slightly supernatural series Nightmare Cafe, starring Robert Englund (V, A Nightmare On Elm Street), Jack Coleman (Heroes), and Lindsay Frost (Mancuso, FBI). Justin Deas and Beth Toussaint guest star.
NBC airs the 42nd episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.
The 15th episode of Love & Curses (formerly titled She-Wolf Of London) is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Kate Hodge and Neil Dickson. Beginning with this episode, production moves to Los Angeles and the series is chiefly an American production with little to no international input. David Allen Brooks (Crusade) guest stars.
CBS airs the 34th episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and Roy Dotrice. John McMartin guest stars.
The 19th episode of the young-adult-audience science fiction series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future premieres in syndication, starring Tim Dunigan, Maurice Dean Wint (Robocop: Prime Directive), Jessica Steen, and Sven-Ole Thorsen. This is part one of a two-part story. 
The Soviet Union’s unmanned space probe Vega 1 makes its closest approach to the nucleus of Halley’s Comet, a little over 5,000 miles away (a closer flight path is taken by its twin, Vega 2). Information gathered in the earliest stages of the encounter is shared with the European Space Agency, whose Giotto unmanned probe will make a much closer examination of Halley. Vega 1 registers an immense number of impacts from dust particles, but sustains no serious damage in close proximity to the comet; after several days of observations, Vega 1 is allowed to fall into an orbit around the sun.
NBC airs the 16th episode of James D. Parriott’s time travel series Voyagers!, starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. David Olivier guest stars as Werner Von Braun, and Robert O’Reilly guest stars as Klaus.
The fourth episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels reprise their movie roles. 
Sierra On-Line releases its first computer game, Hi-Res Adventure #1: Mystery House, for the Apple II computer. Pairing simple text descriptions with even simpler line art, the game marks a turning point in computer adventure games, and sets Sierra on a course to become one of the best-selling game software houses of the ’80s. 
BBC1 premieres the 22nd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Tom Chadbon guest stars. This continues the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility. 
BBC1 premieres the tenth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Julian Glover guest stars. 
The 100th and final episode of The Six Million Dollar Man is broadcast on ABC, starring Lee Majors and Richard Anderson. John Colicos (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek) guest stars in the series finale. A string of made-for-TV movies will continue the stories of both Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers in the late 1980s.
The week-long syndication window opens for the tenth episode of The Next Step Beyond, a revival of the 1950s/60s supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Robert Walker Jr. (Star Trek’s Charlie X) guest stars.
The 427th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Tony Beckley and John Challis guest star. This episode ends the 13th season of Doctor Who, though the heightened level of violence in this season is slowly leading to a backlash.
The 288th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Roger Delgado appears again as the Master. Michael Sheard guest stars.
The 83rd episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Marcel Hillaire guest stars in the final episode of the series. Lost In Space will be revived in movie form three decades later, and the series will be reimagined for the 21st century by Netflix.
The 56th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Gary Merrill guest stars.
The 61st episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part four of the story now collectively known as The Web Planet.
The 143rd episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Ann Blyth and Celia Lovsky star.
The 14th episode of the syndicated western series Boots and Saddles is broadcast in the United States, starring John Pickard. This episode is written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, whose working title for the story was “The Pushcart Brigade”. 
The TV anthology series Stage 7 presents the first produced science fiction television script written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, The Secret Weapon Of 117. Ricardo Montalban stars as one of a pair of aliens trying to assess whether or not Earth has the technology to retaliate against infiltration and invasion by their species. Drawing from his past police work, Roddenberry has already sold scripts to Ziv Television Programs for Mr. District Attorney and Highway Patrol, and pitched an ultimately unsold script to Ziv’s Science Fiction Theatre series; this is his first genre work to make it to the screen. Sadly, no recordings still seem to exist of this self-contained story.
The 51st episode of The Adventures Of Superman airs in syndication, starring George Reeves, Noel Neill, and Jack Larson. Sterling Holloway guest stars.
The 72nd episode of the science fiction anthology series Tales Of Tomorrow airs on ABC, starring Peter Capell and Nancy Coleman.