theLogBook.com is a chronicle of how we used to imagine the future – an ever-expanding logbook of what our entertainment, our culture, and even our brightest minds thought would happen. It’s nostalgia – and some real history – that gives factual context to the fiction, cultural context to the factual, and always looks to the future.
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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.
Disney+ streams the fourth episode of the Marvel animated series What If…?, featuring the voices of Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange).
The 787th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 89th episode since the series’ revival). Asylum Of The Daleks opens the seventh season of the revived show, and features a surprising first appearance by new series regular Jenna-Louise Coleman, whose new companion character was originally announced as debuting in the 2012 Christmas special. (The most surprising thing about this is that preview audiences keep this secret from the entire internet for several weeks.)
The Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission launched by NASA begins activating sensors just a few days after liftoff, weeks ahead of schedule, just in time to reveal a finding that forces a rethink of over half a century of widely-accepted science. The probes find that, in response to the recent eruption of a solar prominence, the two Van Allen radiation belts discovered in 1958 by Explorer 1 have expanded to include a third belt, which traps and repels additional solar radiation back into space. The third radiation belt dissipates after four weeks, and scientists begin rethinking their theories on Earth’s magnetosphere.
Celebrating 40 years of Doctor Who, Doctor Who: Devils’ Planets – The Music Of Tristram Cary is released, including the complete underscores from The Daleks (1963/64), The Daleks’ Masterplan (1965/66) and The Mutants (1972); the marks the release of the earliest episodes of Doctor Who for which the complete music score still exists. The album quickly sells out and becomes a coveted collectors’ item; this is also the final Doctor Who archive music release from the BBC’s in-house label, and the last Doctor Who television soundtrack music to be released prior to the new series soundtracks.
IRS Records releases R.E.M.‘s fifth album, Document, featuring the singles “The One That I Love” and “Its the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)”. This is the band’s last IRS release before signing with Warner Bros.
The 506th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. The Daleks return for the first time in four years, along with Davros; Lalla Ward takes over the role of Romana, while David Brierly takes over as the voice of K-9. The 17th season of Doctor Who begins with this episode.
The unmanned space probe Pioneer 11 makes its closest approach to the planet Saturn, the first man-made object to visit the ringed planet. Scientists pay careful attention to Pioneer’s transmissions as it passes between Saturn’s clouds and its rings, watching for signs of damage (or worse) resulting from collision with the tiny particles that are predicted to exist there; Pioneer 11 slides past Saturn at a distance of only 12,800 miles from the planet’s cloudtops. This is Pioneer 11’s last planetary stop.
The first episode of the British-German science fiction series Star Maidens premieres on ITV in the UK. (Not all regional ITV affiliates carry the show at a specific time; this episode guide reflects the dates for the broadcast premieres of each episode on Scottish TV.) The show stars Gareth Thomas and Judy Geeson, and involves male slaves who escape from the female-dominated society of planet Medusa to take shelter on Earth.
ITV airs the 20th episode of Ace Of Wands, starring Michael McKenzie, Tony Selby and Judy Loe. This episode, like the rest of the series’ first two seasons, is now missing from the archives.
Ballantine Books publishes the non-fiction book The Making Of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield (a pseudonym for Stephen Edward Poe), credited on the cover to Whitfield and series creator Gene Roddenberry. This is the first non-fiction title to focus on the making of a specific television series, and the first non-fiction Star Trek title.
In a hand-written design document, Ralph Baer, an engineer working for defense contractor Sanders Associates, sketches out his ideas for a device he calls a TV Gaming Display. The design proposal lays out a concept to take television from being a passive form of entertainment to an interactive one in which two players can manipulate simple on-screen displays to play various games. Management at Sanders recognizes the potential of the invention, and Baer proceeds with development of the first video game prototypes, one of which becomes the basis for the first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, six years later.
British broadcaster ABC airs the tenth episode of science fiction anthology series Out Of This World. Adapted by Denis Butler from Frank Crisp’s novel Ape Of London, the story is introduced by Boris Karloff. This episode no longer exists in the archives.
The fifth episode of the western series Wrangler is broadcast on NBC in the United States, starring Jason Evers as Pitcairn and guest starring Michael Keep. The episode is written by Stanley H. Silverman and Richard P. McDonagh, heavily reworking an original script by Bob Greene and Joe L. Davis. Wrangler is produced by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who also created this series, his first to get past the pilot stage.
Formerly the Weather Bureau-Army-Navy Severe Weather Unit, the recently-renamed Severe Local Storms Warning Service (SELS) relocates from Washington D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. The new location puts the SELS closer to the American midwest, a hotbed of severe weather during the spring months, as well as placing it in close proximity to a major telecommunications hub (at this point, the SELS is reliant almost entirely on teletype transmissions). Additionally, precise definitions of what constitutes a severe thunderstorm (winds in excess of 50mph, wind gusts in excess of 75mph, and hail in excess of an inch in diameter) are established, as well as a concerted effort to target its weather bulletins to more precise geographic regions.
Absolutely no generative AI was used in the creation of the content on this website. It’s mostly just some guy named Earl.
Disney+ streams the fourth episode of the Marvel animated series What If…?, featuring the voices of Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange).
The 787th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 89th episode since the series’ revival). Asylum Of The Daleks opens the seventh season of the revived show, and features a surprising first appearance by new series regular Jenna-Louise Coleman, whose new companion character was originally announced as debuting in the 2012 Christmas special. (The most surprising thing about this is that preview audiences keep this secret from the entire internet for several weeks.) 
The Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission launched by NASA begins activating sensors just a few days after liftoff, weeks ahead of schedule, just in time to reveal a finding that forces a rethink of over half a century of widely-accepted science. The probes find that, in response to the recent eruption of a solar prominence, the two Van Allen radiation belts discovered in 1958 by Explorer 1 have expanded to include a third belt, which traps and repels additional solar radiation back into space. The third radiation belt dissipates after four weeks, and scientists begin rethinking their theories on Earth’s magnetosphere.
BSX Records releases Shawn Clement’s soundtrack from the educational film Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. 
Celebrating 40 years of Doctor Who, Doctor Who: Devils’ Planets – The Music Of Tristram Cary is released, including the complete underscores from The Daleks (1963/64), The Daleks’ Masterplan (1965/66) and The Mutants (1972); the marks the release of the earliest episodes of Doctor Who for which the complete music score still exists. The album quickly sells out and becomes a coveted collectors’ item; this is also the final Doctor Who archive music release from the BBC’s in-house label, and the last Doctor Who television soundtrack music to be released prior to the new series soundtracks. 
Pay cable channel Showtime airs the 75th episode of Stargate SG-1. Kim Hawthorne (Jeremiah) guest stars.
TNT airs the 13th and final episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s short-lived Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade. Richard Biggs reprises his Babylon 5 role as Dr. Stephen Franklin. 
Universal Music releases the debut album by Oceania, a modern Maori music project fronted by Hinewehi Mohi and producer Jaz Coleman. 
GNP Crescendo releases a CD of Scott Gilman’s music from the soundtrack of the UPN science fiction series Seven Days. 
The MST3K Info Club releases Clowns In The Sky: The Musical History of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a collection of original songs written and performed by the show’s cast, all from the Comedy Central era MST3K. 
Baen Books publishes the fifth novel in the Honor Harrington series, “Flag In Exile” by David Weber.
Virgin Records releases The Best of Culture Club, a career retrospective of the group’s 1980s heyday. 
IRS Records releases R.E.M.‘s fifth album, Document, featuring the singles “The One That I Love” and “Its the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)”. This is the band’s last IRS release before signing with Warner Bros. 
Coleco releases the Donkey Kong cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system, a home version of the hit arcade game. 
The 506th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. The Daleks return for the first time in four years, along with Davros; Lalla Ward takes over the role of Romana, while David Brierly takes over as the voice of K-9. The 17th season of Doctor Who begins with this episode. 
The unmanned space probe Pioneer 11 makes its closest approach to the planet Saturn, the first man-made object to visit the ringed planet. Scientists pay careful attention to Pioneer’s transmissions as it passes between Saturn’s clouds and its rings, watching for signs of damage (or worse) resulting from collision with the tiny particles that are predicted to exist there; Pioneer 11 slides past Saturn at a distance of only 12,800 miles from the planet’s cloudtops. This is Pioneer 11’s last planetary stop.
The 46th episode of Gerry Anderson’s space adventure series Space: 1999 airs on British broadcaster ITV, starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, and Catherine Schell. Roy Marsden and Angus MacInnes (Star Wars) guest stars. 
The first episode of the British-German science fiction series Star Maidens premieres on ITV in the UK. (Not all regional ITV affiliates carry the show at a specific time; this episode guide reflects the dates for the broadcast premieres of each episode on Scottish TV.) The show stars Gareth Thomas and Judy Geeson, and involves male slaves who escape from the female-dominated society of planet Medusa to take shelter on Earth. 
ITV airs the 20th episode of Ace Of Wands, starring Michael McKenzie, Tony Selby and Judy Loe. This episode, like the rest of the series’ first two seasons, is now missing from the archives.
Ballantine Books publishes the non-fiction book The Making Of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield (a pseudonym for Stephen Edward Poe), credited on the cover to Whitfield and series creator Gene Roddenberry. This is the first non-fiction title to focus on the making of a specific television series, and the first non-fiction Star Trek title. 
The tenth episode of the spy-fi series Adam Adamant Lives! airs on BBC1, starring Gerald Harper and Juliet Harmer.
In a hand-written design document, Ralph Baer, an engineer working for defense contractor Sanders Associates, sketches out his ideas for a device he calls a TV Gaming Display. The design proposal lays out a concept to take television from being a passive form of entertainment to an interactive one in which two players can manipulate simple on-screen displays to play various games. Management at Sanders recognizes the potential of the invention, and Baer proceeds with development of the first video game prototypes, one of which becomes the basis for the first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, six years later.
British broadcaster ABC airs the tenth episode of science fiction anthology series Out Of This World. Adapted by Denis Butler from Frank Crisp’s novel Ape Of London, the story is introduced by Boris Karloff. This episode no longer exists in the archives.
The fifth episode of the western series Wrangler is broadcast on NBC in the United States, starring Jason Evers as Pitcairn and guest starring Michael Keep. The episode is written by Stanley H. Silverman and Richard P. McDonagh, heavily reworking an original script by Bob Greene and Joe L. Davis. Wrangler is produced by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who also created this series, his first to get past the pilot stage. 
Formerly the Weather Bureau-Army-Navy Severe Weather Unit, the recently-renamed Severe Local Storms Warning Service (SELS) relocates from Washington D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. The new location puts the SELS closer to the American midwest, a hotbed of severe weather during the spring months, as well as placing it in close proximity to a major telecommunications hub (at this point, the SELS is reliant almost entirely on teletype transmissions). Additionally, precise definitions of what constitutes a severe thunderstorm (winds in excess of 50mph, wind gusts in excess of 75mph, and hail in excess of an inch in diameter) are established, as well as a concerted effort to target its weather bulletins to more precise geographic regions.