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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.
Streaming service CBS All Access releases the 27th episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Tig Notaro, Kenneth Mitchell, and Ethan Peck (10 Things I Hate About You) guest star.
Korean-born actor Soon-Teck Oh dies as a result of a chronic illness at the age of 85. Arriving in the United States in 1959 as a college graduate with a degree in international relations, he was drawn into show business, gaining high visibility in the 1974 James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun. He guest starred on countless American TV series, including The Invaders, The Wild Wild West, Night Gallery, Search, Logan’s Run, The Greatest American Hero, Highlander, Time Trax, Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1, and Seven Days, to name just some of his genre credits.
The CW airs the 33rd episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Arthur Darvill, Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz and Victor Garber. John Barrowman (Torchwood) and Neal McDonough guest star in the second season finale; this is Darvill’s last episode as a series regular, though he will return for later guest appearances.
Part of the 27th full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-21. Aleksandr Samokutyayev, Andrei Borisenko and Ron Garan take up residence on the ISS for 164 days, becoming part of the Expedition 27/28 crews. All three return to Earth in September 2011 aboard the same vehicle.
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 54th episode of Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. This is the premiere of the show’s fourth and final season, though numerous factors – including a lengthy recent strike among members of the Writers’ Guild of America and Sci-Fi Channel’s scheduling decisions – will controversially spread the last season out over two years.
BBC2 airs the 26th episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. James Marsters guest stars. This episode wraps up the show’s second season, and is the final appearance of two of Torchwood’s long-standing members, Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper.
The eighth episode of the science fiction comedy series The Strangerers is broadcast on Sky One, created and written by Rob Grant (Red Dwarf), starring Mark Williams and Jack Docherty. Paul Darrow (Blake’s 7) guest stars.
With help from the Russian space program, private corporation MirCorp launches Soyuz TM-30, the final spacecraft to visit the aging Mir space station. Sergei Zalyotin and veteran cosmonaut Aleksandr Kaleri become Mir’s first inhabitants in over eight months, and their mission is to begin refurbishing and repairing the 14-year-old station for what is hoped to be a series of commercial launches, including space tourism and even possibly a reality TV show set aboard Mir. What the two cosmonauts find, however, is that more work will be required than MirCorp can provide; after 72 days, the crew of Soyuz TM-30 returns to Earth, the money having run out before another crew can be sent. Mir will tumble out of its orbit and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2001.
The 73rd episode of Joss Whedon’s supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, airs on the WB network. James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, and Alyson Hannigan also star. Danny Strong guest stars.
The 52nd episode of the science fiction comedy Red Dwarf airs on BBC 2. This is the end of the series’ eighth season, and was intended to be the end of its television run, though a much-mooted movie version of Red Dwarf never materializes, despite the efforts of the show’s creators. This is the last Red Dwarf episode to air on the BBC; the series will resurface, rather surprisingly, on the UK cable comedy channel Dave over a decade later.
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on the 83rd shuttle mission, intended to last over two weeks. In the cargo bay, the Spacelab module is set up for an intensive study of the behavior of natural processes in microgravity. A recurring issue with one of the shuttle’s three fuel cells concerns ground controllers enough to recall Columbia to Earth after only 63 orbits, only the third time a shuttle mission has been cut short. Aboard Columbia for her 22nd flight are Commander James Halsell, Pilot Susan Still, Payload Commander Janice Voss, mission specialists Donald Thomas and Michael Gernhardt, and payload specialists Roger Crouch and Greg Linteris. A reflight of the Spacelab mission is scheduled for the upcoming STS-94 mission in July.
The fourth episode of RoboCop: The Series airs in syndication, starring Richard Eden, Yvette Nipar, Blu Mankuma, and Andrea Roth. Maurice Dean Wint (Captain Power, Psi Factor) guest stars.
NBC airs the 28th episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Julie Brown guest stars in an episode she also co-wrote.
CBS airs the 23rd episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Peter Coyote and Julia Migenes star in an episode comprised of two short stories, Shadow Play (another classic Twilight Zone remake) and Grace Note.
The made-for-TV movie Max Headroom premieres on Channel 4, starring Matt Frewer and Amanda Pays. Not intended to lead to a dramatic series, this movie is actually Channel 4’s attempt to launch Max as a host for a music video show to follow; in 1987 an American dramatic series based on Max will be launched with a condensed remake of this movie’s storyline.)
Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off into orbit for the first time, after extensive technical and mechanical issues keep the shuttle on the pad well past its original January launch date. The payload for this flight is NASA’s own TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite), designed to keep the shuttle in constant contact with ground controllers even if its orbit takes it out of direct communications. The five-day flight also sees the first spacewalk of the shuttle program. Challenger’s crew consists of Commander Paul Weitz, Pilot Karol Bobko, and mission specialists Donald Peterson and Story Musgrave.
The 54th episode of the live-action series based on Marvel’s comic The Incredible Hulk airs on CBS, starring Bill Bixby, Jack Colvin, and Lou Ferrigno. Marc Alaimo (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) guest stars.
The 13th episode of Larry Cohen’s science fiction series The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes and produced by Quinn Martin’s QM Productions, premieres on ABC. Joseph Campanella and BarBara Luna guest star.
NBC airs the 27th episode of the military drama The Lieutenant, created and produced by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and starring Gary Lockwood (2001: a space odyssey) and Robert Vaughn (The Man From UNCLE). Walter Koenig (Babylon 5) and Neva Patterson (V) guest star.
The 20th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part seven of the story now collectively known as Marco Polo. The entirety of this story has since been lost by the BBC archives.
Now nearly five months old, the volcanic island of Surtsey, still erupting and building up from the seafloor off the southern coast of Iceland, transitions to a new phase of its eruption. The explosive eruptions, caused by hot magma coming into direct contact with seawater, subside as the volcanic vents are now permanently above sea level. Almost a mile in diameter, Surtsey’s eruptions transition to lava fountains and lava flows, which harden as they are cooled by the coastal water. This harder material helps to protect Surtsey from being eroded away, and eruptions will continue to add more land area to Surtsey through 1965. Surtsey is almost ready for brief visits from human researchers, who will find life taking root on the island much sooner than expected.
ABC airs the 87th episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Mark Eden (Doctor Who: Marco Polo) guest stars.
The 68th episode of Sam Rolfe’s western series Have Gun – Will Travel is broadcast on CBS in the United States, starring Richard Boone. This episode is written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, a frequent writer in the series’ early seasons.
The 27th episode of ABC’s science fiction anthology series, Tales Of Tomorrow, airs on ABC, with each episode’s opening titles proclaiming that the series is produced “in cooperation with the Science-Fiction League of America”, a collective of sci-fi writers including Isaac Asimov and Theodore Sturgeon among its members. This episode is no longer in the archives and may be lost.
The CW airs the 34th episode of Superman & Lois, starring Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Michael Bishop, and Alex Garfin. 
Streaming service CBS All Access releases the 27th episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Tig Notaro, Kenneth Mitchell, and Ethan Peck (10 Things I Hate About You) guest star. 
Korean-born actor Soon-Teck Oh dies as a result of a chronic illness at the age of 85. Arriving in the United States in 1959 as a college graduate with a degree in international relations, he was drawn into show business, gaining high visibility in the 1974 James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun. He guest starred on countless American TV series, including The Invaders, The Wild Wild West, Night Gallery, Search, Logan’s Run, The Greatest American Hero, Highlander, Time Trax, Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1, and Seven Days, to name just some of his genre credits.
The CW airs the 33rd episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Arthur Darvill, Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz and Victor Garber. John Barrowman (Torchwood) and Neal McDonough guest star in the second season finale; this is Darvill’s last episode as a series regular, though he will return for later guest appearances.
Part of the 27th full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-21. Aleksandr Samokutyayev, Andrei Borisenko and Ron Garan take up residence on the ISS for 164 days, becoming part of the Expedition 27/28 crews. All three return to Earth in September 2011 aboard the same vehicle.
UK cable channel Disney XD airs the fourth episode of K-9. The Australian-made series features no Doctor Who-related characters other than K-9. 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 54th episode of Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. This is the premiere of the show’s fourth and final season, though numerous factors – including a lengthy recent strike among members of the Writers’ Guild of America and Sci-Fi Channel’s scheduling decisions – will controversially spread the last season out over two years. 
BBC2 airs the 26th episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. James Marsters guest stars. This episode wraps up the show’s second season, and is the final appearance of two of Torchwood’s long-standing members, Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper. 
ABC airs the 62nd episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Kim Dickens guest stars. 
The eighth episode of the science fiction comedy series The Strangerers is broadcast on Sky One, created and written by Rob Grant (Red Dwarf), starring Mark Williams and Jack Docherty. Paul Darrow (Blake’s 7) guest stars.
With help from the Russian space program, private corporation MirCorp launches Soyuz TM-30, the final spacecraft to visit the aging Mir space station. Sergei Zalyotin and veteran cosmonaut Aleksandr Kaleri become Mir’s first inhabitants in over eight months, and their mission is to begin refurbishing and repairing the 14-year-old station for what is hoped to be a series of commercial launches, including space tourism and even possibly a reality TV show set aboard Mir. What the two cosmonauts find, however, is that more work will be required than MirCorp can provide; after 72 days, the crew of Soyuz TM-30 returns to Earth, the money having run out before another crew can be sent. Mir will tumble out of its orbit and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2001.
The 73rd episode of Joss Whedon’s supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, airs on the WB network. James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, and Alyson Hannigan also star. Danny Strong guest stars.
The 52nd episode of the science fiction comedy Red Dwarf airs on BBC 2. This is the end of the series’ eighth season, and was intended to be the end of its television run, though a much-mooted movie version of Red Dwarf never materializes, despite the efforts of the show’s creators. This is the last Red Dwarf episode to air on the BBC; the series will resurface, rather surprisingly, on the UK cable comedy channel Dave over a decade later. 
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on the 83rd shuttle mission, intended to last over two weeks. In the cargo bay, the Spacelab module is set up for an intensive study of the behavior of natural processes in microgravity. A recurring issue with one of the shuttle’s three fuel cells concerns ground controllers enough to recall Columbia to Earth after only 63 orbits, only the third time a shuttle mission has been cut short. Aboard Columbia for her 22nd flight are Commander James Halsell, Pilot Susan Still, Payload Commander Janice Voss, mission specialists Donald Thomas and Michael Gernhardt, and payload specialists Roger Crouch and Greg Linteris. A reflight of the Spacelab mission is scheduled for the upcoming STS-94 mission in July.
Showtime airs the 56th episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. 
The fourth episode of RoboCop: The Series airs in syndication, starring Richard Eden, Yvette Nipar, Blu Mankuma, and Andrea Roth. Maurice Dean Wint (Captain Power, Psi Factor) guest stars.
NBC airs the 28th episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Julie Brown guest stars in an episode she also co-wrote.
CBS airs the 23rd episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Peter Coyote and Julia Migenes star in an episode comprised of two short stories, Shadow Play (another classic Twilight Zone remake) and Grace Note.
The made-for-TV movie Max Headroom premieres on Channel 4, starring Matt Frewer and Amanda Pays. Not intended to lead to a dramatic series, this movie is actually Channel 4’s attempt to launch Max as a host for a music video show to follow; in 1987 an American dramatic series based on Max will be launched with a condensed remake of this movie’s storyline.) 
Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off into orbit for the first time, after extensive technical and mechanical issues keep the shuttle on the pad well past its original January launch date. The payload for this flight is NASA’s own TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite), designed to keep the shuttle in constant contact with ground controllers even if its orbit takes it out of direct communications. The five-day flight also sees the first spacewalk of the shuttle program. Challenger’s crew consists of Commander Paul Weitz, Pilot Karol Bobko, and mission specialists Donald Peterson and Story Musgrave.
The 54th episode of the live-action series based on Marvel’s comic The Incredible Hulk airs on CBS, starring Bill Bixby, Jack Colvin, and Lou Ferrigno. Marc Alaimo (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) guest stars.
The 267th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. John Abineri and Ronald Allen guest star.
The 13th episode of Larry Cohen’s science fiction series The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes and produced by Quinn Martin’s QM Productions, premieres on ABC. Joseph Campanella and BarBara Luna guest star.
NBC airs the 27th episode of the military drama The Lieutenant, created and produced by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and starring Gary Lockwood (2001: a space odyssey) and Robert Vaughn (The Man From UNCLE). Walter Koenig (Babylon 5) and Neva Patterson (V) guest star. 
The 20th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part seven of the story now collectively known as Marco Polo. The entirety of this story has since been lost by the BBC archives.
Now nearly five months old, the volcanic island of Surtsey, still erupting and building up from the seafloor off the southern coast of Iceland, transitions to a new phase of its eruption. The explosive eruptions, caused by hot magma coming into direct contact with seawater, subside as the volcanic vents are now permanently above sea level. Almost a mile in diameter, Surtsey’s eruptions transition to lava fountains and lava flows, which harden as they are cooled by the coastal water. This harder material helps to protect Surtsey from being eroded away, and eruptions will continue to add more land area to Surtsey through 1965. Surtsey is almost ready for brief visits from human researchers, who will find life taking root on the island much sooner than expected.
The 115th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Martin Balsam stars.
ABC airs the 87th episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Mark Eden (Doctor Who: Marco Polo) guest stars.
The 68th episode of Sam Rolfe’s western series Have Gun – Will Travel is broadcast on CBS in the United States, starring Richard Boone. This episode is written by future Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, a frequent writer in the series’ early seasons. 
The 27th episode of ABC’s science fiction anthology series, Tales Of Tomorrow, airs on ABC, with each episode’s opening titles proclaiming that the series is produced “in cooperation with the Science-Fiction League of America”, a collective of sci-fi writers including Isaac Asimov and Theodore Sturgeon among its members. This episode is no longer in the archives and may be lost.