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. It features Lee Marvin in front of a high-tech viewscreen, but this is no starship – Gene-ology opens its investigation into a very unusual foray into "true crime" with Gene Roddenberry adapting the particulars of a notorious Seattle murder case into dramatic form. It's also a career milestone for Gene: the last script he would write for a show that he didn't also create. 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 "Queen Anne Killer Unidentified: The Michael Olds Story". 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. 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.
Showtime broadcasts the sixth episode of The Man Who Fell To Earth, a series continuation of the 1976 David Bowie film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Bill Nighy, Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy), and Jimmi Simpson (Westworld).
India’s space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), successfully launches its first heavy-lift rocket, the GSLV Mark III, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. A massive launch vehicle capable of hefting 4-ton payloads into a geostationary orbit, GSLV Mark III’s first payload is the Indian government’s GSAT-19 communications satellite. ISRO also has its eyes on manned spaceflight, with later GSLV payloads potentially including a crewed vehicle to low Earth orbit.
Netflix releases the first season of Sense8, a series created by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah), including the second episode, I Am Also A We.
Netflix releases the first season of Sense8, a series created by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah), including the first episode, Limbic Resonance.
theLogBook.com releases its first book, VWORP!1 by Earl Green. Spanning nearly 400 pages, the book covers Doctor Who on TV from 1963 through 2011, with an emphasis on story threads that hold “classic” Who (1963-1989) and “new” Who (2005-present) together. The book makes its “live” debut at the 2012 Oklahoma Video Gaming Exhibition (OVGE) in Tulsa a few days later; an ebook version is released at a later date.
Caroline John, who joined the cast of Doctor Who for only a single season (also the show’s first season in color), accompanying incoming third Doctor Jon Pertwee as the Doctor’s scientific assistant Liz Shaw, dies at the age of 72 due to complications from cancer. Despite her brief connection to the series, Caroline John has remained associated with Doctor Who, from reprising the role of Liz Shaw repeatedly for Big Finish Productions, to making a cameo appearance in 1983’s The Five Doctors, to reviving Liz as the head of a secret scientific think tank in the fan-made PROBE video series of the 1990s.
The 768th episode of Doctor Who (the 70th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This episode is written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Richard Curtis, and guest stars Tony Curran and Bill Nighy.
Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on the 110th shuttle flight, a mission to exchange the crew of the International Space Station. Scheduled supplies and other equipment are also transported to the station. Aboard Endeavour for her 18th flight are Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, mission specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin, and ISS Expedition 5 crewmembers Valeri Korzun, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev. Returning to Earth aboard the shuttle are ISS Expedition 4 crewmembers Yuri Onufriyenko, Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch.
The ninth episode of Escape From Jupiter airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Co-produced by ABC and Japanese network NHK, this children’s sci-fi series stars Steve Bisley (Mad Max).
The 17th episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Freddie Jones (Children Of The Stones, Dune), Julian Firth, and Mac MacDonald (Red Dwarf) guest star.
Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on a nine-day mission with – for the first time in the shuttle program – a crew that’s nearly 50% female. Columbia carries the Spacelab module into orbit for a series of life sciences and biology experiments, the first flight devoted to such experiments since the Skylab era. Aboard Columbia for this flight are Commander Bryan O’Connor, Pilot Sidney Gutierrez, and mission specialists James Bagian, Tamara Jernigan, Rhea Seddon, Drew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford.
Atarisoft, an Atari imprint that ports the company’s games (or licensed properties) to competitors’ hardware, reveals its port of Pac-Man for the Intellivision at the 1983 summer Consumer Electronics Show. The game proves to be a minor hit closer to Christmas.
Midway releases the arcade video game Wizard Of Wor, a maze shooter for one or two players who can play cooperatively or against each other – though in many cases, a single game can start cooperatively and end competitively!
An advanced version of a new Soviet Soyuz spacecraft is launched with a crew for the first time. Soyuz T-2 is launched on a three-day mission to visit the Salyut 6 space station, with its primary goal to test a new automated approach and docking system for use with the Salyut space stations. After spending almost four days in orbit, cosmonauts Yuri Malyshev and Vladimir Aksyonov return to Earth; due to their vehicle’s flight test status, the T-2 crew does not swap spacecraft with the Salyut 6/Soyuz 35 crew.
The Alan Parsons Project releases its second album, I Robot, including the singles “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”, “Breakdown” and “Don’t Let It Show” (the latter of which is covered latered by Pat Benatar). The album is loosely themed around fear of the future and technology, a far cry from the original plan for a concept album built around Isaac Asimov’s story “I, Robot” (though Asimov allows the album’s title since it lacks the comma). This is the Project’s first album on Arista Records.
The fifth episode of children’s fantasy series King Of The Castle is broasdcast on HTV. The series is created by Bristol-based writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin (Sky, Doctor Who), and stars Philip Da Costa. Talfryn Thomas (Survivors) also stars.
Apple Computer introduces the Apple II home computer system, a pre-built 4K computer (with an optional upgrade to 48K) capable of displaying color graphics on a TV or monitor, and storing programs on either cassette or floppy disk. The computer ships with an implementation of BASIC written by Steve Wozniak, with an optional pair of paddle controllers for games. The system also has an open architecture, with space for expansion cards (and no restriction on what cards can be developed, or by whom).
BBC1 airs the 27th episode of Doomwatch, opening the show’s third season and adding new cast member Elizabeth Weaver. This episode, featuring Jonathan Pryce in a minor guest-starring role, no longer exists in the BBC’s archives.
The 74th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part three of the story now collectively known as The Chase, featuring the Doctor’s third struggle against the Daleks.
Showtime broadcasts the sixth episode of The Man Who Fell To Earth, a series continuation of the 1976 David Bowie film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Bill Nighy, Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy), and Jimmi Simpson (Westworld).
India’s space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), successfully launches its first heavy-lift rocket, the GSLV Mark III, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. A massive launch vehicle capable of hefting 4-ton payloads into a geostationary orbit, GSLV Mark III’s first payload is the Indian government’s GSAT-19 communications satellite. ISRO also has its eyes on manned spaceflight, with later GSLV payloads potentially including a crewed vehicle to low Earth orbit.
Netflix releases the first season of Sense8, a series created by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah), including the second episode, I Am Also A We. 
Netflix releases the first season of Sense8, a series created by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah), including the first episode, Limbic Resonance. 
The first box set of audio dramas based on Terry Nation’s post-apocalyptic 1970s series Survivors is release by Big Finish Productions, including the story Revelations. Louise Jameson (Doctor Who) and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) star in a story that happens in parallel to the original TV series’ premiere episode. 
theLogBook.com releases its first book, VWORP!1 by Earl Green. Spanning nearly 400 pages, the book covers Doctor Who on TV from 1963 through 2011, with an emphasis on story threads that hold “classic” Who (1963-1989) and “new” Who (2005-present) together. The book makes its “live” debut at the 2012 Oklahoma Video Gaming Exhibition (OVGE) in Tulsa a few days later; an ebook version is released at a later date.
Caroline John, who joined the cast of Doctor Who for only a single season (also the show’s first season in color), accompanying incoming third Doctor Jon Pertwee as the Doctor’s scientific assistant Liz Shaw, dies at the age of 72 due to complications from cancer. Despite her brief connection to the series, Caroline John has remained associated with Doctor Who, from reprising the role of Liz Shaw repeatedly for Big Finish Productions, to making a cameo appearance in 1983’s The Five Doctors, to reviving Liz as the head of a secret scientific think tank in the fan-made PROBE video series of the 1990s.
The 768th episode of Doctor Who (the 70th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This episode is written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Richard Curtis, and guest stars Tony Curran and Bill Nighy. 
Hear Music releases the Paul McCartney solo album Memory Almost Full, featuring the single “Ever Present Past”. 
Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on the 110th shuttle flight, a mission to exchange the crew of the International Space Station. Scheduled supplies and other equipment are also transported to the station. Aboard Endeavour for her 18th flight are Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, mission specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin, and ISS Expedition 5 crewmembers Valeri Korzun, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev. Returning to Earth aboard the shuttle are ISS Expedition 4 crewmembers Yuri Onufriyenko, Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch.
Columbia Records releases John Mayer‘s debut album, Room For Squares, featuring the singles “No Such Thing” and “Your Body Is A Wonderland”. 
The ninth episode of Escape From Jupiter airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Co-produced by ABC and Japanese network NHK, this children’s sci-fi series stars Steve Bisley (Mad Max).
The 17th episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Freddie Jones (Children Of The Stones, Dune), Julian Firth, and Mac MacDonald (Red Dwarf) guest star.
Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on a nine-day mission with – for the first time in the shuttle program – a crew that’s nearly 50% female. Columbia carries the Spacelab module into orbit for a series of life sciences and biology experiments, the first flight devoted to such experiments since the Skylab era. Aboard Columbia for this flight are Commander Bryan O’Connor, Pilot Sidney Gutierrez, and mission specialists James Bagian, Tamara Jernigan, Rhea Seddon, Drew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford.
Atarisoft, an Atari imprint that ports the company’s games (or licensed properties) to competitors’ hardware, reveals its port of Pac-Man for the Intellivision at the 1983 summer Consumer Electronics Show. The game proves to be a minor hit closer to Christmas. 
Midway releases the arcade video game Wizard Of Wor, a maze shooter for one or two players who can play cooperatively or against each other – though in many cases, a single game can start cooperatively and end competitively! 
Columbia Records releases an album of John Williams‘ soundtrack from Raiders Of The Lost Ark in advance of the movie’s theatrical premiere. 
An advanced version of a new Soviet Soyuz spacecraft is launched with a crew for the first time. Soyuz T-2 is launched on a three-day mission to visit the Salyut 6 space station, with its primary goal to test a new automated approach and docking system for use with the Salyut space stations. After spending almost four days in orbit, cosmonauts Yuri Malyshev and Vladimir Aksyonov return to Earth; due to their vehicle’s flight test status, the T-2 crew does not swap spacecraft with the Salyut 6/Soyuz 35 crew.
The week-long syndication window opens for the 23rd episode of The Next Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland.
The Alan Parsons Project releases its second album, I Robot, including the singles “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”, “Breakdown” and “Don’t Let It Show” (the latter of which is covered latered by Pat Benatar). The album is loosely themed around fear of the future and technology, a far cry from the original plan for a concept album built around Isaac Asimov’s story “I, Robot” (though Asimov allows the album’s title since it lacks the comma). This is the Project’s first album on Arista Records. 
The fifth episode of children’s fantasy series King Of The Castle is broasdcast on HTV. The series is created by Bristol-based writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin (Sky, Doctor Who), and stars Philip Da Costa. Talfryn Thomas (Survivors) also stars.
Apple Computer introduces the Apple II home computer system, a pre-built 4K computer (with an optional upgrade to 48K) capable of displaying color graphics on a TV or monitor, and storing programs on either cassette or floppy disk. The computer ships with an implementation of BASIC written by Steve Wozniak, with an optional pair of paddle controllers for games. The system also has an open architecture, with space for expansion cards (and no restriction on what cards can be developed, or by whom). 
BBC1 airs the 27th episode of Doomwatch, opening the show’s third season and adding new cast member Elizabeth Weaver. This episode, featuring Jonathan Pryce in a minor guest-starring role, no longer exists in the BBC’s archives.
The 301st episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Roger Delgado and Damaris Hayman guest star.
The 74th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part three of the story now collectively known as The Chase, featuring the Doctor’s third struggle against the Daleks.