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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.
Russia launches the Nauka Multipurpose Logistics Module Upgrade component of the International Space Station. Part of the original design for the ISS, Nauka was built in time to be launched in 2007, but its addition to the station was repeatedly delayed, missing planned launch windows in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Parts of Nakua required upgrades and replacements over the years that it awaited launch, as these parts began to fail certification due to their age. (Much of the module was 14 years old before it ever made it to the launch pad.) Nakua, designed to automatically rendezvous and dock with the station, begins encountering technical problems once it is in orbit, delaying the docking maneuver. It replaces the Russian Pirs module, which becomes the first ISS module to be detached and allowed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
Actress Deborah Watling, best known for her 1960s stint as Victoria Waterfield, an orphaned girl taken aboard the TARDIS as a companion in Doctor Who, dies at the age of 69 from lung cancer, only six weeks after being diagnosed. Joining the show in the pivotal Evil Of The Daleks serial in 1967, and remaining through the end of the six-part Fury From The Deep in 1968, Watling was technically a series regular for only a year, though that time coincided with a run of stories now widely regarded as classics, pitting the TARDIS team again Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Yeti. She also appeared in Out Of The Unknown and Danger UXB, and reprised the role of Victoria in later Doctor Who projects such as Dimensions In Time (1993) and Downtime (1995).
British toymaker Character Options releases a double-pack of action figures based on the Cybermen as seen in the classic Doctor Who series story Silver Nemesis (1988).
The 195th episode of Stargate SG-1 airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks. Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager) guest stars.
Veteran television and film composer Jerry Goldsmith dies at the age of 75, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Known to genre fans and soundtrack listeners for an almost countless number of classic scores, his works range from Planet Of The Apes to Logan’s Run to The Omen to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and beyond. His television work includes the themes for such TV series as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, The Waltons, and of course Star Trek: Voyager. His work earned 17 Oscar nominations, including a win for 1976’s The Omen, and five Emmy Awards (including one for Voyager). He began his classical music studies at the age of six, and studied under legendary composer Miklos Rozsa, eventually getting into the business as a typist in CBS’ music department and then beginning his career by creating music for CBS Radio Workshop, the music for which was usually performed live during broadcast. He then moved on to episodic TV work, including The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Playhouse 90, Thriller, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Amazing Stories, and many others.
Showtime airs the 123rd episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Gary Busey and Margot Kidder (Superman: The Movie) guest star.
Premium cable channel Showtime airs the 42nd episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of Leslie Stevens’ 1960s science fiction anthology series. Jon Cryer (Sueprgirl, Two And A Half Men) guest stars.
CBS airs the 53rd episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Ron Perlman, Jo Anderson, and Roy Dotrice. Suzie Plakson guest stars.
ITV airs the 14th episode of Ace Of Wands, starring Michael McKenzie, Tony Selby and Judy Loe, opening the series’ second season. Russell Hunter guest stars as Mr. Stabs. This episode, like the rest of the series’ first two seasons, is now missing from the archives, but studio photos, shooting scripts, and a very rough audio recording still exist.
Another round of tape-wiping eliminates more of the recorded history of Doctor Who at the BBC. The instructions to erase the final remaining Hartnell-era episodes go out, as well as an order to get rid of much of Patrick Troughton’s era. Where previous episode wiping sprees may have been sparked by a looming change of video standards, these latest erasures are more likely the result of BBC1’s impending switch from black & white to color after the successful launch of color broadcasting on BBC2 in 1967. The BBC deems non-news-related black & white material commercially unviable with the advent of color TV just around the corner – a decision that Doctor Who fans (and the BBC’s home video department) will regret years later. While many of the Hartnell episodes are recoverable from foreign markets at a later date, much of the Troughton era is lost forever – mere weeks after initial broadcast.
The fifth episode of the spy-fi series Adam Adamant Lives! airs on BBC1, starring Gerald Harper and Juliet Harmer. John Hollis (The Empire Strikes Back) guest stars.
British broadcaster ABC airs the fourth episode of science fiction anthology series Out Of This World. Adapted by Terry Nation (who will create the Daleks, Doctor Who’s most enduring foes, a year later) from a story by Philip K. Dick, the story stars Patrick Allen, and is introduced by Boris Karloff (in much the same way that Rod Serling introduced episodes of The Twilight Zone). This episode no longer exists in the archives, though a fan-made audio recording survives.
The second American in space is Virgil “Gus” Grissom, pilot of the Mercury 4 capsule Liberty Bell 7. Like Alan Shepard’s flight, Grissom’s launch reaches an altitute of 118 miles and splashes down 15 minutes later, but mechanical problems with the explosive bolts to release the capsule’s hatch allow water into the vehicle. Grissom has to bail out at sea, wearing a spacesuit that’s rapidly taking on water, while Liberty Bell 7 sinks to the bottom of the Atlantic. Grissom weathers repeated accusations that he manually blew the hatch and caused his vehicle to sink, a claim which is later disproven.
The 53rd episode of the syndicated science fiction Science Fiction Theatre airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Truman Bradley, the episode stars John Archer and Rachel Ames.
Russia launches the Nauka Multipurpose Logistics Module Upgrade component of the International Space Station. Part of the original design for the ISS, Nauka was built in time to be launched in 2007, but its addition to the station was repeatedly delayed, missing planned launch windows in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Parts of Nakua required upgrades and replacements over the years that it awaited launch, as these parts began to fail certification due to their age. (Much of the module was 14 years old before it ever made it to the launch pad.) Nakua, designed to automatically rendezvous and dock with the station, begins encountering technical problems once it is in orbit, delaying the docking maneuver. It replaces the Russian Pirs module, which becomes the first ISS module to be detached and allowed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
Actress Deborah Watling, best known for her 1960s stint as Victoria Waterfield, an orphaned girl taken aboard the TARDIS as a companion in Doctor Who, dies at the age of 69 from lung cancer, only six weeks after being diagnosed. Joining the show in the pivotal Evil Of The Daleks serial in 1967, and remaining through the end of the six-part Fury From The Deep in 1968, Watling was technically a series regular for only a year, though that time coincided with a run of stories now widely regarded as classics, pitting the TARDIS team again Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Yeti. She also appeared in Out Of The Unknown and Danger UXB, and reprised the role of Victoria in later Doctor Who projects such as Dimensions In Time (1993) and Downtime (1995).
British toymaker Character Options releases a double-pack of action figures based on the Cybermen as seen in the classic Doctor Who series story Silver Nemesis (1988). 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 42nd episode of Stargate Atlantis. 
The 195th episode of Stargate SG-1 airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks. Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager) guest stars. 
Veteran television and film composer Jerry Goldsmith dies at the age of 75, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Known to genre fans and soundtrack listeners for an almost countless number of classic scores, his works range from Planet Of The Apes to Logan’s Run to The Omen to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and beyond. His television work includes the themes for such TV series as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, The Waltons, and of course Star Trek: Voyager. His work earned 17 Oscar nominations, including a win for 1976’s The Omen, and five Emmy Awards (including one for Voyager). He began his classical music studies at the age of six, and studied under legendary composer Miklos Rozsa, eventually getting into the business as a typist in CBS’ music department and then beginning his career by creating music for CBS Radio Workshop, the music for which was usually performed live during broadcast. He then moved on to episodic TV work, including The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Playhouse 90, Thriller, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Amazing Stories, and many others.
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 140th episode of The Outer Limits.
Sci-Fi Channel premieres the 33rd episode of Farscape. Wayne Pygram guest stars as Scorpius. 
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the 69th episode of Stargate SG-1. Vanessa Angel (Weird Science) and Peter Wingfield (Highlander) guest star. 
BBC Music releases Doctor Who At The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume 2: New Beginnings – 1970-1979, collecting early music cues and sound effects created by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker years of Doctor Who. 
BBC Music releases Doctor Who At The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume 1: The Early Years – 1963-1969, collecting early music cues and sound effects created by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during Doctor Who’s early black & white years. 
TNT airs the seventh episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s short-lived Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade. This episode sees the Excalibur visiting Babylon 5. 
Sci-Fi Channel (in the U.S.) and YTV (in Canada) premiere the first episode of the TV adaptation of Ken Catran’s young adult sci-fi novel Deepwater Black (broadcast in the U.S. under the title Mission Genesis), starring Nicole de Boer (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Dead Zone) and Gordon Michael Woolvett (Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda). 
Virgin Publishing releases the first Doctor Who: The Missing Adventures novel, Goth Opera by Paul Cornell, featuring the TARDIS team of the fifth Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan. This novel forms a duology with the New Adventures novel Blood Harvest. 
CBS airs the 53rd episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Ron Perlman, Jo Anderson, and Roy Dotrice. Suzie Plakson guest stars.
ITV airs the 102nd episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Bud Cort guest stars.
ITV airs the 14th episode of Ace Of Wands, starring Michael McKenzie, Tony Selby and Judy Loe, opening the series’ second season. Russell Hunter guest stars as Mr. Stabs. This episode, like the rest of the series’ first two seasons, is now missing from the archives, but studio photos, shooting scripts, and a very rough audio recording still exist. 
Another round of tape-wiping eliminates more of the recorded history of Doctor Who at the BBC. The instructions to erase the final remaining Hartnell-era episodes go out, as well as an order to get rid of much of Patrick Troughton’s era. Where previous episode wiping sprees may have been sparked by a looming change of video standards, these latest erasures are more likely the result of BBC1’s impending switch from black & white to color after the successful launch of color broadcasting on BBC2 in 1967. The BBC deems non-news-related black & white material commercially unviable with the advent of color TV just around the corner – a decision that Doctor Who fans (and the BBC’s home video department) will regret years later. While many of the Hartnell episodes are recoverable from foreign markets at a later date, much of the Troughton era is lost forever – mere weeks after initial broadcast.
The fifth episode of the spy-fi series Adam Adamant Lives! airs on BBC1, starring Gerald Harper and Juliet Harmer. John Hollis (The Empire Strikes Back) guest stars.
British broadcaster ABC airs the fourth episode of science fiction anthology series Out Of This World. Adapted by Terry Nation (who will create the Daleks, Doctor Who’s most enduring foes, a year later) from a story by Philip K. Dick, the story stars Patrick Allen, and is introduced by Boris Karloff (in much the same way that Rod Serling introduced episodes of The Twilight Zone). This episode no longer exists in the archives, though a fan-made audio recording survives.
The second American in space is Virgil “Gus” Grissom, pilot of the Mercury 4 capsule Liberty Bell 7. Like Alan Shepard’s flight, Grissom’s launch reaches an altitute of 118 miles and splashes down 15 minutes later, but mechanical problems with the explosive bolts to release the capsule’s hatch allow water into the vehicle. Grissom has to bail out at sea, wearing a spacesuit that’s rapidly taking on water, while Liberty Bell 7 sinks to the bottom of the Atlantic. Grissom weathers repeated accusations that he manually blew the hatch and caused his vehicle to sink, a claim which is later disproven.
The 53rd episode of the syndicated science fiction Science Fiction Theatre airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Truman Bradley, the episode stars John Archer and Rachel Ames.