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Featured Articles

Gene-ology 95 – Run Away Home – Gene-ology: A Mission Log Look into Gene Roddenberry's Works

Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. With his own show just months away from launching, Gene Roddenberry racks up one last rodeo, so to speak – his final script for a TV western, and a fairly prestigious one at that, with famous faces and a message or two along for the ride with The Virginian. 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 "Run Away Home". 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 Duncan K. Fraser, Kevin Ibbotson, Alan Simonis, Matthew Corey and Heather Engholm  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.
  1. Gene-ology 95 – Run Away Home
  2. Gene-ology 94 – V Victor 5
  3. Gene-ology 93 – The Rydecker Case
  4. Gene-ology 92 – A Distant Thunder
  5. Gene-ology 91 – To Wear A Badge
A brand new take on an old game of cops and robbers! Lucky Chase for the #Atari2600 has chases, it has doors to unlock, and best of all, is true to the arcade original. We give another Champ Games homebrew the Phosphor Dot Fossils tryout. #retrogaming Lucky Chase is available from: https://champ.games Phosphor Dot Fossils at theLogBook.com is one of the web's oldest archives of vintage console, computer, and arcade games; there was also a 2-DVD documentary of the same name, covering the early history of video games, produced in 2008 and 2009. And these days? PDF aims to bring a more laid-back, less-caffeinated, less-profanity-spewing experience to the retro video game longplay video. There's a complete updated list of videos at https://www.thelogbook.com/pdf-on-youtube/ Check out my other projects and podcasts: Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/selectgame/​ Retrogram podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/retrogram/​ And you can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site, the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music is the "Phosphor Dot Fossils Theme" by Earl Green.
Phosphor Dot Fossils: Lucky Chase (Atari 2600, 2025)
Hallmark's 2025 Star Trek ornaments continue to be the cream of the crop of #StarTrek merch, giving form to the franchise's recent past in the form of the #StarTrekLowerDecks character ornaments, and its more obscure past in the form of the 1983 arcade game in miniature. #retrogaming Check out my other projects and podcasts: Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/selectgame/​ Retrogram podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/retrogram/​ And you can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site(s), the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music "Lowrider" by Jahzzar (CC-BY-SA). Find more of his music at https://www.betterwithmusic.com.
Voyages Of Shelf-Discovery: Star Trek: Lower Decks and Arcade Game Ornaments
The Zaxxon space fortress awaits those bold pilots who want to try their luck running the gauntlet of its defenses. As the #Atari5200 version of the arcade classic gets the Phosphor Dot Fossils treatment, ask yourself why there are no old, bold pilots. #retrogaming Phosphor Dot Fossils at theLogBook.com is one of the web's oldest archives of vintage console, computer, and arcade games; there was also a 2-DVD documentary of the same name, covering the early history of video games, produced in 2008 and 2009. And these days? PDF aims to bring a more laid-back, less-caffeinated, less-profanity-spewing experience to the retro video game longplay video. There's a complete updated list of videos at https://www.thelogbook.com/pdf-on-youtube/ Check out my other projects and podcasts: Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/selectgame/​ Retrogram podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/retrogram/​ And you can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site, the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music is the "Phosphor Dot Fossils Theme" by Earl Green.
Phosphor Dot Fossils: Zaxxon (Atari 5200, 1983)
It's not easy being a spy, but it's plenty easy to hold up the elevator. Phosphor Dot Fossils is going up with the #NES port of the arcade classic Elevator Action. #retrogaming Phosphor Dot Fossils at theLogBook.com is one of the web's oldest archives of vintage console, computer, and arcade games; there was also a 2-DVD documentary of the same name, covering the early history of video games, produced in 2008 and 2009. And these days? PDF aims to bring a more laid-back, less-caffeinated, less-profanity-spewing experience to the retro video game longplay video. There's a complete updated list of videos at https://www.thelogbook.com/pdf-on-youtube/ Check out my other projects and podcasts: Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/selectgame/​ Retrogram podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/retrogram/​ And you can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site, the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music is the "Phosphor Dot Fossils Theme" by Earl Green.
Phosphor Dot Fossils: Elevator Action (NES, 1987)
For some reason, maybe because it keeps coming up as a ballot issue, I've amaassed more than a few #localtv news promos on my showreel that deal with the topic of legalizing gambling (and what happens even when it isn't legalized). These are just three of them. Infinite Sheep is a series of reminiscences (usually short) of life in the last days of analog, locally-owned broadcast TV and radio. You can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site, the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music is "Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (betterwithmusic.com), licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA.
Infinite Sheep: Three news spots about gambling
In the battle between light and dark, there are rules, and there are skills, and the Phosphor Dot Fossils re-examination of Archon for the #AppleII may prove that I know neither the rules nor the skills. #retrogaming Phosphor Dot Fossils at theLogBook.com is one of the web's oldest archives of vintage console, computer, and arcade games; there was also a 2-DVD documentary of the same name, covering the early history of video games, produced in 2008 and 2009. And these days? PDF aims to bring a more laid-back, less-caffeinated, less-profanity-spewing experience to the retro video game longplay video. There's a complete updated list of videos at https://www.thelogbook.com/pdf-on-youtube/ Check out my other projects and podcasts: Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/selectgame/​ Retrogram podcast - http://www.thelogbook.com/retrogram/​ And you can also find me at Roddenberry Podcasts co-hosting Mission Log: Gene-ology - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjXp3_SMi9LSg2rcgIayf30A0bVUb2yGc And, of course, the site that started it all, combining sci-fi, retro video games, book, music and toy reviews, and all sorts of retro-futurist fun: https://www.thelogbook.com Help support the site, the videos, and the podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/thelogbook/​ or https://www.ko-fi.com/thelogbook/​ - many many thanks to everyone who has supported theLogBook.com's podcasting and videocasting endeavours! The theme music is the "Phosphor Dot Fossils Theme" by Earl Green.
Phosphor Dot Fossils: Archon (Apple II, 1984)
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Published On: April 20, 2019

Crew DragonHaving already visited and returned from the International Space Station in a successful uncrewed test flight, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is set up for a critical ground test of its launch abort system, utilizing the capsule’s built-in SuperDraco engines – and explodes. While no injuries result from the explosion, the major setback results in delays to the Crew Dragon program, which would have flown the first astronauts from American soil since 2011 by the end of 2019 if all had gone as planned. SpaceX does not publicly discuss the specifics of the incident for well over a week until a company spokesman is repeatedly asked by the press about it at a publicity event for an uncrewed Falcon rocket launch.
Published On: April 20, 2008

CassiniAfter four years orbiting the enormous ringed planet Saturn and flying past its dozens of moons, NASA’s unmanned Cassini probe still hasn’t seen it all. The four successful years thus far included releasing the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe to make the first ever landing on the large moon Titan, discovering (and flying through) water geysers over another moon, and exploring other moons that have puzzled scientists since they were first viewed up close in the early 1980s by the Voyager probes. The mission extension – called the Cassini Equinox Mission – gives Cassini an added two-year lease of life, with a $160 million price tag (the mission so far has cost both NASA and ESA a combined total of $3.3 billion).
Published On: April 20, 1999

Total Recall 2070Canadian broadcaster CHCH-TV airs the 15th episode of Art Monterastelli’s sci-fi series Total Recall 2070, starring Michael Easton and Cynthia Preston, very loosely based on the 1990 film Total Recall. The series will air on the American pay cable channel Showtime later in the year. Anthony Zerbe (The Omega Man, Star Trek: Insurrection) guest stars.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.
Published On: April 20, 1983

Soyuz T-8Soyuz T-8 lifts off from the Soviet Union, intended to dock with space station Salyut 7. Cosmonauts Vladimir Titov, Gennady Strekalov and Aleksandr Serebrov are due to take up residence on the station, but discover that the ejection of the nose cone of the Soyuz rocket – which protects the non-aerodynamic Soyuz vehicle during launch – has caused critical damage to the vehicle’s communication equipment. The mission is called off for safety reasons, and the crew returns to Earth after only two days.
Published On: April 20, 1967

ESSAThe recently-rechristened Environmental Sciences Service Administration launches, with the help of NASA, ESSA-5, the latest in a constellation of weather satellites operated by the former U.S. Weather Bureau. Though suffering from a few technical glitches and system failures, ESSA-5 remains in service until late 1968.
Published On: April 20, 1967

SurveyorNASA’s robotic explorer Surveyor 3 touches down safely on the moon, snapping pictures and – with an extendable scoop arm – gathering and analyzing samples of lunar soil. Its landing site, a lunar plain called the Ocean of Storms, becomes the site of a unique long-term experiment: in two years, Surveyor 3 will become the first (and, to date, only) unmanned spacecraft to be personally inspected by humans after its landing.

Absolutely no generative AI was used in the creation of the content on this website.
It’s mostly just some guy named Earl.

EG