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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. To fans, they were the Great Bird of the Galaxy and the First Lady of Star Trek. To their friends and co-workers, Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry were, perhaps, slightly less mythic figures with their own very human quirks, but still beloved and admired. In this panel from the TrekTalks 5 telethon in support of the Hollywood Food Coalition, Gene and Majel are remembered by those who knew them. Podcast hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas TrekTalks panel hosted by John Champion Panel guests: Fred Bronson, Denise Crosby, Ernie Over, Rod Roddenberry 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 Memories of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry from those who knew and worked with them 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.
Streaming service Paramount Plus premieres the two-part pilot episode of the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, created by Dan & Kevin Hageman. The first Star Trek series in over 40 years designed for a younger audience, the series features the voices of Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Jason Mantzoukas, Angus Imrie, Rylee Alazraqui, and Dee Bradley Baker, with Kate Mulgrew reprising the role of Captain Janeway.
The 846th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 147th episode since the series’ revival). Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill star. Chris Noth (Law & Order, Sex And The City) guest stars.
Cable channel Disney XD premieres the 18th episode of the series Star Wars: Rebels, a CGI animated storyline falling between the original and prequel trilogies of the Star Wars saga. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer) makes her first appearance as Seventh Sister.
The 73rd episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Caity Lotz (Mad Men, Legends Of Tomorrow) and Neal McDonough (Boomtown) guest star.
An unexpected malfunction destroys Orbital Sciences’ unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft a mere six seconds after its Antares booster rocket leaves the ground. Supplies and experiments bound for the International Space Station aboard the S.S. Deke Slayton (named after the late Mercury and Apollo/Soyuz astronaut) are destroyed in the explosion, along with several small secondary satellite payloads. Orbital Sciences and NASA begin an investigation into the accident, and cleanup of debris and damage at the Wallops Island launch facility begins.
The fourth episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin, airs on the CW. Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) and Bruce Harwood (The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen) guest star.
Gil Melle, the composer who created the sound of several seminal ’70s supernatural series, dies at the age of 72. He was responsible for the main title music of such shows as Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, as well as scores for individual episodes of shows like Kolchak, Columbo and The Six Million Dollar Man. On the big screen, he created the memorably abstract electronic soundtrack for The Andromeda Strain, and he was also consistently employed to write music for TV movies, including Gene Roddenberry’s pilot movie The Questor Tapes.
The eighth episode of the science fiction series The Cape airs in syndication in North America, starring Corbin Bernsen and Adam Baldwin, and focusing on a fictionalized version of NASA’s shuttle program.
Capitol Records releases the 2-CD set The Beatles Anthology, Volume 3, gathering rarities, outtakes, and live cuts from the Beatles’ final albums (1967-70). Unlike the previous two Anthologies, there is no “new” single.
The 55th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder.
MGM releases the movie Stargate, starring Kurt Russell and James Spader. This movie’s story will be continued directly in the television series Stargate SG-1, but it also serves as the starting point of an entire Stargate TV franchise.
The 30th episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. Lloyd Bochner guest stars in an episode co-written by comics writer Cary Bates and producer Ilya Salkind.
After a six-month loss totaling over $200,000,000, Texas Instruments puts its computer division out of its misery immediately, ending all manufacturing and support for the TI 99/4a home computer. Prices on the remaining stock of TI computers drop well below the $100 mark, and the company lays off thousands of employees; third-party software and peripheral vendors such as Milton Bradley take a hit by the end of the year as a result. Company executives describe TI’s losses in 1983 so far as the worst that the company has ever suffered.
Activision releases the Pressure Cooker cartridge for the Atari 2600 home video game system. A fast-paced video game version of the fast food industry, Pressure Cooker turns players into short-order cooks with very little time to accurately build burgers to order.
The 20th episode of Wonder Woman airs on CBS, starring Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner. Juliet Mills (Nanny and the Professor), David Hedison (Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea), and John Colicos (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
The Soviet Union launches the unmanned space probe Luna 23 toward the moon, intended to gather surface samples from the Mare Imbrium region for return to Earth. The sample collection hardware is unable to complete its task after landing, and ground controllers are only able to receive partial scientific data from the lander, whose batteries run out within three days of landing. It won’t be until 2012, when NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs Luna 23’s landing site from orbit, that the truth will be learned: the lander tipped over on its side during a descent mishap, leaving it intact but unable to gather a soil sample.
The seventh episode of the horror anthology series The Evil Touch airs on Australia’s Nine Network, hosted by Anthony Quayle (Strange Report). (The series will later appear in the U.S. and elsewhere in first-run syndication.) Robert Lansing guest stars.
The 178th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the first of two Troughton-era stories featuring the robotic Yeti. Jack Watling (the father of series regular Deborah Watling) guest stars. This episode is now missing from the BBC’s archives.
ABC broadcasts the eighth episode of the Filmation animated series Journey To The Center Of The Earth, very loosely based on the 1959 movie of the same name. Ted Knight, Pat Harrington Jr., and Jane Webb lead the voice cast.
The eighth episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series The Time Tunnel airs on ABC, starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. Joe Maross, Whit Bissell, and Lee Meriwether geust star.
UK broadcaster ATV Midlands airs the fifth episode of Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation science fiction series Thunderbirds, featuring the voices of Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Ray Barrett, and Peter Dyneley.
UK broadcaster ATV Midlands premieres the first episode of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s science fiction series Fireball XL5, featuring the voices of David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, and Paul Maxwell. The series is filmed with puppets on detailed miniature sets, with “exteriors” involving equally detailed miniature models a system Anderson refers to as “Supermarionation”, also used on Supercar.
Streaming service Paramount Plus premieres the two-part pilot episode of the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, created by Dan & Kevin Hageman. The first Star Trek series in over 40 years designed for a younger audience, the series features the voices of Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Jason Mantzoukas, Angus Imrie, Rylee Alazraqui, and Dee Bradley Baker, with Kate Mulgrew reprising the role of Captain Janeway. 
The 846th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 147th episode since the series’ revival). Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill star. Chris Noth (Law & Order, Sex And The City) guest stars. 
Cable channel Disney XD airs the fourth episode of the series Star Wars: Resistance, set prior to the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 
Cable channel Disney XD premieres the 18th episode of the series Star Wars: Rebels, a CGI animated storyline falling between the original and prequel trilogies of the Star Wars saga. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer) makes her first appearance as Seventh Sister. 
The 73rd episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Caity Lotz (Mad Men, Legends Of Tomorrow) and Neal McDonough (Boomtown) guest star.
An unexpected malfunction destroys Orbital Sciences’ unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft a mere six seconds after its Antares booster rocket leaves the ground. Supplies and experiments bound for the International Space Station aboard the S.S. Deke Slayton (named after the late Mercury and Apollo/Soyuz astronaut) are destroyed in the explosion, along with several small secondary satellite payloads. Orbital Sciences and NASA begin an investigation into the accident, and cleanup of debris and damage at the Wallops Island launch facility begins.
The fourth episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin, airs on the CW. Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) and Bruce Harwood (The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen) guest star.
Big Finish Productions releases the 75th Doctor Who audio drama in its main monthly range, starring Paul McGann and India Fisher. 
Gil Melle, the composer who created the sound of several seminal ’70s supernatural series, dies at the age of 72. He was responsible for the main title music of such shows as Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, as well as scores for individual episodes of shows like Kolchak, Columbo and The Six Million Dollar Man. On the big screen, he created the memorably abstract electronic soundtrack for The Andromeda Strain, and he was also consistently employed to write music for TV movies, including Gene Roddenberry’s pilot movie The Questor Tapes.
Warner Bros. records releases the R.E.M. compilation album In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003, featuring the new single “Bad Day”. This collection is limited only to the band’s output on Warner-issued albums, and omits their earliest work. 
Cable channel TNT premieres the 106th episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s science fiction series Babylon 5. 
UPN airs the 96th episode of Star Trek: Voyager. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 101st episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 
The eighth episode of the science fiction series The Cape airs in syndication in North America, starring Corbin Bernsen and Adam Baldwin, and focusing on a fictionalized version of NASA’s shuttle program. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 29th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. Ted Raimi (seaQuest: DSV) and Hudson Leick guest star. 
Capitol Records releases the 2-CD set The Beatles Anthology, Volume 3, gathering rarities, outtakes, and live cuts from the Beatles’ final albums (1967-70). Unlike the previous two Anthologies, there is no “new” single. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 66th episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s science fiction series Babylon 5. Melissa Gilbert guest stars in the third season finale. 
The 55th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder.
MGM releases the movie Stargate, starring Kurt Russell and James Spader. This movie’s story will be continued directly in the television series Stargate SG-1, but it also serves as the starting point of an entire Stargate TV franchise. 
The 34th episode of the science fiction comedy Red Dwarf airs on BBC 2. Hugh Quarshie (Star Wars Episode I) guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 105th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wil Wheaton guest stars as Wesley Crusher. 
The 30th episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. Lloyd Bochner guest stars in an episode co-written by comics writer Cary Bates and producer Ilya Salkind.
After a six-month loss totaling over $200,000,000, Texas Instruments puts its computer division out of its misery immediately, ending all manufacturing and support for the TI 99/4a home computer. Prices on the remaining stock of TI computers drop well below the $100 mark, and the company lays off thousands of employees; third-party software and peripheral vendors such as Milton Bradley take a hit by the end of the year as a result. Company executives describe TI’s losses in 1983 so far as the worst that the company has ever suffered.
The fourth episode of Glen A. Larson’s superhero series Manimal airs on NBC, starring Simon MacCorkindale, Melody Anderson, and Michael D. Roberts.
Activision releases the Pressure Cooker cartridge for the Atari 2600 home video game system. A fast-paced video game version of the fast food industry, Pressure Cooker turns players into short-order cooks with very little time to accurately build burgers to order. 
Midway releases the arcade video game Jr. Pac-Man, a new Pac-Man sequel which introduces a scrolling element with mazes that are bigger than the screen. 
The 488th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing the Key To Time storyline. Susan Engel and Beatrix Lehmann guest star. 
CBS airs the eighth episode of the Space Academy spinoff series Jason Of Star Command, starring Craig Littler, Sid Haig, and James Doohan (Star Trek). 
The 20th episode of Wonder Woman airs on CBS, starring Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner. Juliet Mills (Nanny and the Professor), David Hedison (Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea), and John Colicos (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
The 33rd episode of Gerry Anderson’s space adventure series Space: 1999 airs on British broadcaster ITV, starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, and Catherine Schell. 
The Soviet Union launches the unmanned space probe Luna 23 toward the moon, intended to gather surface samples from the Mare Imbrium region for return to Earth. The sample collection hardware is unable to complete its task after landing, and ground controllers are only able to receive partial scientific data from the lander, whose batteries run out within three days of landing. It won’t be until 2012, when NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs Luna 23’s landing site from orbit, that the truth will be learned: the lander tipped over on its side during a descent mishap, leaving it intact but unable to gather a soil sample.
The seventh episode of the horror anthology series The Evil Touch airs on Australia’s Nine Network, hosted by Anthony Quayle (Strange Report). (The series will later appear in the U.S. and elsewhere in first-run syndication.) Robert Lansing guest stars.
The 18th episode of The Sixth Sense airs on ABC, starring Gary Collins. John Hillerman (Magnum P.I.) guest stars.
The 178th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the first of two Troughton-era stories featuring the robotic Yeti. Jack Watling (the father of series regular Deborah Watling) guest stars. This episode is now missing from the BBC’s archives.
British broadcaster ABC airs the 125th episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. 
ABC broadcasts the eighth episode of the Filmation animated series Journey To The Center Of The Earth, very loosely based on the 1959 movie of the same name. Ted Knight, Pat Harrington Jr., and Jane Webb lead the voice cast.
The eighth episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series The Time Tunnel airs on ABC, starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. Joe Maross, Whit Bissell, and Lee Meriwether geust star.
UK broadcaster ATV Midlands airs the fifth episode of Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation science fiction series Thunderbirds, featuring the voices of Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Ray Barrett, and Peter Dyneley.
ABC airs the sixth episode of Leslie Stevens’ anthology series The Outer Limits. Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible, Space: 1999) and Shirley Knight star in a script by Anthony Lawrence.
UK broadcaster ATV Midlands premieres the first episode of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s science fiction series Fireball XL5, featuring the voices of David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, and Paul Maxwell. The series is filmed with puppets on detailed miniature sets, with “exteriors” involving equally detailed miniature models a system Anderson refers to as “Supermarionation”, also used on Supercar. 
The 40th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Richard Haydn stars in an episode written by Serling.
The fourth episode of the science fiction drama series Men Into Space airs on CBS, starring William Lundigan.