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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. Is this the best television script Gene Roddenberry wrote prior to creating Star Trek? Gene's singular episode of the popular medical drama Dr. Kildare is a powerful story full of rich characters and raw emotions – the bedrock of great television drama. 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 "A Distant Thunder". 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 Jeff Gauntt and Bonnie Gordon 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.
Japan’s Hitomi satellite, launched in February on a three-year X-ray astronomy mission, suddenly breaks contact with JAXA ground controllers when they begin power-up and checkout procedures. Only brief telemetry signals are received from Hitomi before it falls silent. JAXA initiates emergency procedures to contact Hitomi and diagnose the problem, though some telescopic observations from Earth indicate that pieces of the spacecraft have fallen away from the spacecraft itself.
The 18th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) guest stars.
The seventh episode of Joss Whedon’s futuristic “spy-fi” series Dollhouse airs on Fox, starring Eliza Dushku. Mehcad Brooks (Desperate Housewives, Supergirl) guest stars.
NASA reverses a decision made earlier in the month to cancel the asteroid-hopping Dawn mission, following appeals and assurances from the mission managers. Intended to use ion propulsion to visit to of the asteroid belt’s largest bodies, Dawn’s cancellation does have the effect of sliding the mission from a 2006 launch to a 2007 launch. The budget for the mission is expanded from $373,000,000 to $446,000,000, and arrival at its first target, the large asteroid Vesta, is still scheduled for 2011.
The 18th episode of the Star Trek prequel spinoff Enterprise premieres on UPN. Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager) and Jeffrey Combs, both veteran Ferengi guest stars on past Star Trek spinoffs, guest star as Ferengi characters.
The 15th episode of James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee’s cyberpunk series Dark Angel, starring Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly, airs on Fox. John Savage and Mark Rolston guest star.
The week-long American syndication window opens for the 19th episode of Gerry Anderson’s sci-fi police series Space Precinct. Michael Shannon (Future Cop) guest stars.
The 19th episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman airs on ABC, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. Tracy Scoggins, John Shea, and Robert Beltran (Star Trek: Voyager) guest star.
The 13th episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Roger Sloman (The Tomorrow People) guest stars.
NBC airs the fifth episode of Wes Craven’s Nightmare Cafe, starring Robert Englund (V, A Nightmare On Elm Street), Jack Coleman (Heroes), and Lindsay Frost (Mancuso, FBI). Angela Bassett (Black Panther, Contact), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope, Daredevil), and William B. Davis (The X-Files) guest star.
NBC airs the 45th episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Denise Gentile (Babylon 5) guest stars.
The 18th episode of Love & Curses (formerly titled She-Wolf Of London) is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Kate Hodge and Neil Dickson. Kim Morgan Greene guest stars.
The Soviet Union loses all contact with the unmanned Mars probe Phobos 2 during a close flyby of the inner Martian moon Phobos, where the vehicle had been programmed to deposit a pair of surface landers. Unable to reacquire communications with Phobos 2, Soviet ground controllers later discover a fatal error in the programming of the probe’s on-board computer, leading to a loss of attitude control similar to the incident that doomed Phobos 1 in 1988. Since delivery of the landers never occurs, the mission is deemed a failure.
NBC airs the 18th episode of James D. Parriott’s time travel series Voyagers!, starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Sam Scarber guest stars as Joe Louis. NBC cancels the series after this broadcast, with two remaining episodes being delayed until they are “burned off” in a summer time slot.
Buckner & Garcia’s hit single Pac-Man Fever reaches its peak on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #9 on the chart. Over a million copies of the single (backed with an instrumental version of the same song) have sold.
Sega releases the arcade game Pulsar in American arcades. The coin-op video game is a maze game pitting the player’s tank against enemy tanks and the structure of the maze itself.
Following eleven days of precursory earthquake activity, Mt. St. Helens, a volcano in Washington which has been dormant for over a century, emits a small eruption of ash and steam. Similar eruptions continue on an hourly basis, though the frequency will gradually diminsh through April. This activity lasts barely a month before ending, at least for a week or two. The north face of Mt. St. Helens begins bulging noticeably, and emergency planners fight to keep sightseers away from the mountain while drawing up evacuation plans for nearby populated areas. Some locals vow to remain despite possible evacuation orders.
The week-long syndication window opens for the 13th episode of The Next Step Beyond, a revival of the 1950s/60s supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland.
NASA and JPL launch the unmanned Mariner 7 space probe on a mission to Mars, where it will be joined by its recently-launched identical twin, Mariner 6. Mariner 7 will take five months to reach the red planet, but on a slightly faster trajectory it will arrive just days behind Mariner 6. Both will fly past Mars twice as close as the planet’s previous unmanned visitors.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human space traveler, dies along with a flight instructor in a MiG jet fighter crash. Considered too valuable a publicity asset to risk in another spaceflight, Gagarin had been barred from any further space missions. Several investigations into the fatal crash are conducted, with none of them reaching any definitive conclusions, though unfavorable flying weather and a sudden dive (possibly also a result of the weather) are commonly cited factors. Gagarin’s ashes are buried in the wall of the Kremlin.
theLogBook.com releases the 14th episode of the Retrogram podcast, hosted by Earl Green, covering the following shows from the week of April 14th, 1975:
Japan’s Hitomi satellite, launched in February on a three-year X-ray astronomy mission, suddenly breaks contact with JAXA ground controllers when they begin power-up and checkout procedures. Only brief telemetry signals are received from Hitomi before it falls silent. JAXA initiates emergency procedures to contact Hitomi and diagnose the problem, though some telescopic observations from Earth indicate that pieces of the spacecraft have fallen away from the spacecraft itself.
The 18th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) guest stars.
The seventh episode of Joss Whedon’s futuristic “spy-fi” series Dollhouse airs on Fox, starring Eliza Dushku. Mehcad Brooks (Desperate Housewives, Supergirl) guest stars.
NASA reverses a decision made earlier in the month to cancel the asteroid-hopping Dawn mission, following appeals and assurances from the mission managers. Intended to use ion propulsion to visit to of the asteroid belt’s largest bodies, Dawn’s cancellation does have the effect of sliding the mission from a 2006 launch to a 2007 launch. The budget for the mission is expanded from $373,000,000 to $446,000,000, and arrival at its first target, the large asteroid Vesta, is still scheduled for 2011.
Big Finish Productions releases the seventh Dalek Empire audio drama, a Doctor Who audio spinoff starring Gareth Thomas (Blake’s 7) and Sarah Mowat. 
Big Finish Productions releases the 42nd Doctor Who audio drama in its main monthly range, starring Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, and Lisa Bowerman. Michael Praed (Robin Of Sherwood) guest stars. 
The 18th episode of the Star Trek prequel spinoff Enterprise premieres on UPN. Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager) and Jeffrey Combs, both veteran Ferengi guest stars on past Star Trek spinoffs, guest star as Ferengi characters. 
Big Finish Productions releases the 30th Doctor Who audio drama in its main monthly range, starring Paul McGann and India Fisher. 
The 15th episode of James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee’s cyberpunk series Dark Angel, starring Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly, airs on Fox. John Savage and Mark Rolston guest star.
Sony Records releases Pete Yorn‘s debut album, musicforthemorningafter, featuring the singly “Life On A Chain”. 
Showtime airs the 71st episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Lou Diamond Phillips guest stars.
The week-long American syndication window opens for the 19th episode of Gerry Anderson’s sci-fi police series Space Precinct. Michael Shannon (Future Cop) guest stars.
The 19th episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman airs on ABC, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. Tracy Scoggins, John Shea, and Robert Beltran (Star Trek: Voyager) guest star.
The 13th episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Roger Sloman (The Tomorrow People) guest stars.
NBC airs the fifth episode of Wes Craven’s Nightmare Cafe, starring Robert Englund (V, A Nightmare On Elm Street), Jack Coleman (Heroes), and Lindsay Frost (Mancuso, FBI). Angela Bassett (Black Panther, Contact), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope, Daredevil), and William B. Davis (The X-Files) guest star.
NBC airs the 45th episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Denise Gentile (Babylon 5) guest stars.
The 18th episode of Love & Curses (formerly titled She-Wolf Of London) is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Kate Hodge and Neil Dickson. Kim Morgan Greene guest stars.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 37th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
The Soviet Union loses all contact with the unmanned Mars probe Phobos 2 during a close flyby of the inner Martian moon Phobos, where the vehicle had been programmed to deposit a pair of surface landers. Unable to reacquire communications with Phobos 2, Soviet ground controllers later discover a fatal error in the programming of the probe’s on-board computer, leading to a loss of attitude control similar to the incident that doomed Phobos 1 in 1988. Since delivery of the landers never occurs, the mission is deemed a failure.
The 43rd episode of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories airs on NBC. 
NBC airs the 18th episode of James D. Parriott’s time travel series Voyagers!, starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Sam Scarber guest stars as Joe Louis. NBC cancels the series after this broadcast, with two remaining episodes being delayed until they are “burned off” in a summer time slot.
The seventh episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels reprise their movie roles; Billy Dee Williams provides the voice of Lando Calrissian. 
Buckner & Garcia’s hit single Pac-Man Fever reaches its peak on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #9 on the chart. Over a million copies of the single (backed with an instrumental version of the same song) have sold.
Sega releases the arcade game 
NBC airs the 21st episode of Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Sid Haig (Jason Of Star Command), Pamela Hensley and Michael Ansara guest star. 
Following eleven days of precursory earthquake activity, Mt. St. Helens, a volcano in Washington which has been dormant for over a century, emits a small eruption of ash and steam. Similar eruptions continue on an hourly basis, though the frequency will gradually diminsh through April. This activity lasts barely a month before ending, at least for a week or two. The north face of Mt. St. Helens begins bulging noticeably, and emergency planners fight to keep sightseers away from the mountain while drawing up evacuation plans for nearby populated areas. Some locals vow to remain despite possible evacuation orders.
BBC1 premieres the 25th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This continues the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility. 
BBC1 premieres the 13th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode is the second part of a trilogy spanning the first and second seasons, involving the acquisition of a supercomputer called Orac. Derek Farr guest stars. 
The week-long syndication window opens for the 13th episode of The Next Step Beyond, a revival of the 1950s/60s supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland.
The 291st episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Roger Delgado guest stars as the Master.
NASA and JPL launch the unmanned Mariner 7 space probe on a mission to Mars, where it will be joined by its recently-launched identical twin, Mariner 6. Mariner 7 will take five months to reach the red planet, but on a slightly faster trajectory it will arrive just days behind Mariner 6. Both will fly past Mars twice as close as the planet’s previous unmanned visitors.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human space traveler, dies along with a flight instructor in a MiG jet fighter crash. Considered too valuable a publicity asset to risk in another spaceflight, Gagarin had been barred from any further space missions. Several investigations into the fatal crash are conducted, with none of them reaching any definitive conclusions, though unfavorable flying weather and a sudden dive (possibly also a result of the weather) are commonly cited factors. Gagarin’s ashes are buried in the wall of the Kremlin.
The 64th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part one of the story now collectively known as The Crusade. 
The 146th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Michael Constantine and Paul Fix appear in an episode written by Serling.
The 75th episode of the science fiction anthology series Tales Of Tomorrow airs on ABC, starring Leslie Nielsen.