Your weekly deep-dive into the archives of Roddenberry Entertainment, from the personal files of Gene Roddenberry. Each week, “Dr. Trek” himself, Larry Nemecek, and his guest host will take a behind-the-scenes look at documents that haven’t been viewed in decades—many being revealed publicly for the very first time!
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A renowned Star Trek authority, Larry Nemecek is author of the bestselling classic Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, and founder of the behind-the-scenes monthly multi-mode fan experience Portal 47. As a regular convention guest worldwide, Larry is often referred to as “Dr. Trek.” He has also been a frequent guest on Trek.fm since the start of the network in 2011. In this special podcast collection, you can easily access all the episodes that feature Dr. Trek.
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12-16 Dubbing and Scoring Schedule - July 1967
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This week on The Trek Files, we focus our ears on the sounds that make Star Trek. From TOS to the movies, we are pleased to bring you exclusive behind-the-scenes audio clips like you've never heard them before. Those, along with our document from Gene's archive, are illuminated by our special guest Steve Lee, veteran audio expert and "sound wrangle…
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In October 1988, the Star Trek production team started rolling in Yosemite National Park. We catch up with Dan Madsen, the head of the official fan club, who was in regular contact with director William Shatner and well aware of the anticipation - and anxiety - among fans about the next Trek feature film. We cover everything from Levi's to marshmal…
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12-14 Star Trek III call sheet - August 15, 1983
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It was the first day of shooting on Star Trek III. Fans knew that Spock was likely coming back, but they didn't know about the loss of the Enterprise or other major plot points of the film. One fan who was on the inside had the scoop, though! Dan Madsen joins The Trek Files again to share stories about the "wine and roses" days of Trek and getting …
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12-13 Star Trek II memo - January 19, 1978
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Secrecy around movies is paramount. In early 1978, the announcement for Star Trek: The Motion Picture had not yet been officially made, but one person close to the production had leaked insider information about the production. Studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg stepped in with a politely worded, but unambiguous, memo to stop the leaks at their so…
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Each season on The Trek Files, we take a break from the interdepartmental memos and deeply technical discussions behind the scenes of Star Trek in order to check in with the fans. Specifically, we peruse Gene Roddenberry's mail bag from the mid 1970s to see what had fans excited a generation ago. This time: graduation wishes, praise for Trek's huma…
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12-11 Warp Speed Cellular Plasma "Deathstrings" Gizmos - 1987
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Science fiction requires a certain amount of science fact to make the stories believable. In the lead up to "The Next Generation," Gene Roddenberry sent a memo to the production team expressing frustration over the balancing act between the two. Jeff Stepp returns to The Trek Files to talk about the similarities in writing for drama and scientific …
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In the last years of his life, Gene Roddenberry continued to address audiences with thoughts about science fiction and the intersection of humanity and science. In this speech from 1989-1990 given to an audience of Jungian psychologists, he explored the ways technology and storytelling illuminate the human experience. The Trek Files again welcomes …
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12-09 Beyond the Near Term - April 27, 1977
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In a speech to the Fourteenth Space Congress in 1977, Gene Roddenberry laid out the three arguments for human space exploration. Now, we revisit his words with Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD, Professor of Industrial Engineering (and Aeronautics and Astronautics) at Purdue. He reflects on Gene's visionary take on the space program and the inspiration that…
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12-08 Trials and Tribble-ations call sheet - 1996
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David Gerrold joins The Trek Files again for a fun look behind the scenes of Deep Space Nine's 30th anniversary Star Trek episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations." Hear about the painstaking details to recreate 1960s television in the '90s and how returning to tribbles 30 years later was a career highlight. Document and additional references: Trials an…
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12-07 Star Trek III call sheet - August 31, 1983
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Phil Weyland returns to The Trek Files with more stories from the set of Star Trek III. As stand-in for DeForest Kelly and, later, William Shatner, Phil had a front-row seat for the extremes from excitement to boredom of making Trek's epic big-screen stories. Document and additional references: Star Trek III call sheet - August 31, 1983 The Trek Fi…
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The title says it all. David Gerrold shared his parting words with Gene Roddenberry upon leaving production of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was a bittersweet moment preceded by conflict. David joins The Trek Files to talk about the state of TNG's production at the time, his frustrations with backstage politics, and the desire to leave on a hi…
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Between Star Trek the Motion Picture and The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry was still at work crafting new TV show concepts. In 1981, he turned his attention to a melding of real world science and speculative futurism with "Breakthrough." We welcome producer/documentarian Jeff Stepp (The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe with William Shatner…
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12-04 Star Trek V call sheets - 1988 part 2
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Laurence Luckinbill continues his conversation with The Trek Files, reminiscing about Star Trek V and sharing a passage from his new book, "Affective Memories." Hear about his friendship with William Shatner and DeForest Kelley, the trouble with alien horses, and why "The Final Frontier" is one of the great Star Trek movies. Document and additional…
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12-03 Star Trek V call sheets - 1988 part 1
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The Trek Files gets a look inside the production of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier with none other than the man who brought Sybok to life, Laurence Luckinbill. The multi-award winning actor shares his insights into his spiritual connection with Sybok, competing angles on the character, and the difference between Star Trek and Star Wars. Document a…
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12-02 Star Trek III call sheet - October 21, 1983
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Celebrating 40 years since the release of "The Search for Spock," The Trek Files goes deep behind-the-scenes with someone who spent as much time on Star Trek movie sets as any of the stars. Special guest Phil Weyland was a stand-in for DeForest Kelley and William Shatner and had a front-row seat for all the challenges and triumphs of the TOS movies…
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12-1 Star Trek Cast Option Pickups - February 1968
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Kicking off the 12th season of The Trek Files, we're taking a look back at planning Star Trek's third season in 1968. Bob Justman sent a memo in February of that year to Gene Roddenberry with his suggestions of which cast members should be kept and at what rate. Joining us to discuss the memo is someone from that very cast: Walter Koenig who you kn…
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Wrapping up our 11th season, The Trek Files is proud to welcome Walter Koenig to the show to look back at his own involvement in Star Trek TAS as a writer. Stay tuned for the revelations about Walter's pitch (and subsequent rejection) from TNG, shared here for the first time! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for …
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11-23 TNG Character Relationships - 1986, part 2
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Ben Robinson returns to The Trek Files for another look at some of the roads not taken when Star Trek: The Next Generation was in development. This time, the complexities of bringing Wesley/Lesley Crusher to life and how TNG could have broken new ground in 1987. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-sce…
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The Trek Files revisits an early document from Star Trek: The Next Generation's development. David Gerrold sketched out a guide to how the main characters would relate to each other, and in this excerpt, focuses on Deanna Troi's special talent as a telepath. Ben Robinson joins us to look back at the Trek that might have been! See the documents: fac…
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11-21 Star Trek III final draft notes - 1983, part 2
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Continuing our conversation about Gene's Star Trek III memo, we are thrilled to welcome Eugene Roddenberry to share his insights into his father's notes! Examining Vulcan mysticism and how those "small feathers" make a big difference in Star Trek storytelling on a can't miss episode of The Trek Files! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Vi…
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While developing "The Next Generation," Gene Roddenberry was also fielding notes on the next Star Trek feature film "The Final Frontier." Our featured document highlights some of the strong misgivings Gene had about the script and story, and we pick apart the areas where he may have missed the mark or was right on target. See the documents: faceboo…
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11-19 Star Trek III final draft notes - 1983
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With Gene Roddenberry relegated to a consultant role on the Star Trek feature films, the "Great Bird" still had strong opinions about the shape of each sequel. In the first part of our look at a memo from 1983, Gene lays out his concerns around keeping Trek's format intact and his problems with destroying the Enterprise. See the documents: facebook…
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The faster Star Trek: The Next Generation ramped up production for its first season, a very real crisis loomed: they didn't have enough scripts. Bob Justman wrote to Gene Roddenberry in no uncertain terms about the production's needs, and we've got Mike DeMeritt to help us pick apart the details. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit t…
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11-17 Letter to Wilton Dillon - July 2, 1975
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One year before the American bicentennial celebration, Gene Roddenberry and Wilton Dillon from the Smithsonian Institution shred a friendly correspondence. We welcome back Margaret Weitekamp - almost 50 years to the day since the "Big E" was shipped from LA to DC - to further discuss the importance of pop-culture in the country's preeminent collect…
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We are thrilled to welcome Margaret Weitekamp, Curator and Department Chair of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, to discuss science fiction's role in the story of space flight. A 1972 letter from Gene Roddenberry to Fred Durant, Assistant Director of NASM, underlines the cultural impact of shows like Star Trek and the importance of heroi…
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11-15 Eye of the Beholder letter - September 21, 1973
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As The Trek Files continues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated series, we look back at a rather pointed letter from Dorothy Fontana about the draft for "Eye of the Beholder." Aaron Harvey joins us again as we reveal a newly discovered detail about the episode's development! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visi…
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11-14 Writing to Series Budget memo - 1987
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It might seem like a given that a TV series must be written to fit a budget. In the early days of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," a serious concern between Gene Roddenberry and Bob Justman was to keep the scripts under control. Returning guest Mike DeMeritt joins The Trek Files to help parse the intersection of creativity and commerce. See the do…
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11-13 College of the Pacific letter - 1974
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What exactly is the internal physiology of a Klingon, or a Horta, or a Tholian? In 1975, an enterprising undergrad wrote to Gene Roddenberry to get some answers. Today, we've got educator and Star Trek science consultant Mohamed Noor with us to talk about the intersection of fact and fiction. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the T…
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We're joined again by Luanne Fortier to share her stories about fandom in the 1970s. This time, the Star Trek stars come to town when William Shatner goes LIVE with an album of his college tour, and Luanne reminisces about Gene Roddenberry himself on stage. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes a…
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11-11 Point of Extinction story pitch - 1973
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As Star Trek was getting ready for a return to television, Dorothy Fontana was teaching a class to aspiring writers. One of those students, Robert Coyle, pitched his own animated Trek adventure and got multiple lessons along the way in writing for television and the hash business of production. Paul joins The Trek Files to tell his story! See the d…
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11-10 Fan letters to Gene Roddenberry - 1971-1975
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It's time for another look into Gene Roddenberry's mail bag! This episode, we've got a range from 1971 - 1975, everything from an up-and-coming student writer to a pilot who claims to have unlocked the secrets to Star Trek tech! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandi…
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11-9 Star Trek Enterprises fanzine letter - ca. 1968
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Star Trek may have broken a lot of ground on television, but the marketing of the show went boldly into new frontiers as well. A document aimed at fanzine publishers marks the transition to an "official" newsletter in what we might today call a bit of viral marketing. Tim Gaskill joins us again to discuss the ways Star Trek reaches its fans. See th…
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11-8 Star Trek Animated Fan Club Newsletter - 1973
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Our 250th episode deserves a special guest, and we've got Star Trek: Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan for a bonus-length chat! We cover the history of animated Star Trek to the threads that connect TAS to modern stories, and we may get to the bottom of why there are no Tellarites in Lower Decks. Don't miss this highly animated conversation!…
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11-7 Blood and Fire story by David Gerrold - 1987
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David Gerrold visits The Trek Files again, this time to discuss the development of a story that didn't make it to TNG but found new life as a fan film, "Blood and Fire." Along the way, we revisit the personalities and controversies that led to the real chaos on the bridge. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for beh…
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11-6 Unproduced Star Trek Animated pitches - 1973 part 2
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Continuing our look at the creative process that brought Star Trek: The Animated Series to life, we welcome back Aaron Harvey for another dive into unproduced story pitches. Gene Roddenberry himself gets into the mix with one (and a half) pitches that apparently don't pass Dorothy Fontana's scrutiny. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Vis…
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11-5 Unproduced Star Trek Animated pitches - 1973
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We continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series, this week with a look at some of the stories that did not make it into production! Joining us to speculate on what could have been for the animated Enterprise crew is Aaron Harvey, co-author of "Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series." See the documents: …
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11-4 Nimoyan Fellowship letter - June 1968
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Longtime Star Trek journalist and promotions writer Tim Gaskill drops by as we revisit a letter from the Nimoyan Fellowship to Gene's attorney. It's another story of a fan who had a run in with the business side of things on this week's episode of The Trek Files. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-sc…
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We're glad to welcome Luanne Fortier back to The Trek Files to continue her stories about the William Shatner Letter Exchange. This conversation kicks off with Star Trek's transition to an animated series and all of Shatner's anticipated appearances in a post-Star Trek world. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for …
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11-2 William Shatner Letter Exchange - 1972-1977
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In the "letters and stamps" days of Star Trek fandom, between the original series and the Motion Picture, industrious fans connected with each other as "pen friends" through organizations like the William Shatner Letter Exchange. Luanne Fortier, a WSLE founder, joins The Trek Files to look back at those early days of celebrating their favorite seri…
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In 1968, David Gerrold pitched a story to Star Trek called "Bem," and while it went unproduced for TOS, the story would find new life in animated form. Hear the full story from David himself, our special guest to kick off the 11th season of The Trek Files! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes ac…
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10-24 Starship (Animated) - September 1, 1974
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While Star Trek: The Animated Series was winding down, Gene Roddenberry was developing what might have been his next animated sci-fi series (with a healthy dose of Star Trek influence). In our season finale, Aaron Waltke joins The Trek Files again to discuss Gene's vision for "Starship" and the many parallels to getting an animated to fly today. Se…
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10-23 Star Trek Animated Fan Club Newsletter - August 1973
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When Star Trek premiered as an animated series in 1973, Gene Roddenberry and Dorothy Fontana assured fans that the new medium wouldn't affect the importance of the storytelling. A half century later, we are joined by Star Trek: Prodigy co-producer Aaron Waltke to discuss what has changed in the animation process and what has stayed the same in brin…
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From humanist philosophy to religion to our future with technology. Gene Roddenberry covered a lot of ground in the days of his college lecture tours. We're joined again by Star Trek motion graphics director Tim Peel to examine the deep side of Gene's thoughts in the years between Trek on TV and at the movies. See the documents: facebook.com/thetre…
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10-21 Leonard Nimoy fan mail memos - 1967
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Office politics have a certain timeless quality. In 1967, Leonard Nimoy found himself battling the higher-ups for the simple necessities to fulfill his fan mail obligations. On this week's The Trek Files, we explore the battle of memos with return guest Daren Dochterman and a very special reading! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit …
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10-20 Star Trek graphics, instrumentation, and set designs 1985
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A document from 1985 written by Mike Okuda addresses no less than the entire look and feel of Star Trek's graphics and the logic of starship display design. This week, we examine a portion of that pitch with the talented Tim Peel, heir apparent to Okuda's work as the director of motion graphics for all Star Trek since Discovery took flight in 2017!…
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A memo from 1989 illustrates a core concern in Star Trek's past and present: representation in the future. We're thrilled to welcome back Cirroc Lofton to discuss the ways Star Trek broke ground and ways the production process can best evolve. See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and excl…
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In the midst of a writer's strike, production on Star Trek shut down. Sound familiar? That was in 1988, delaying the second year of TNG and causing the season to be shortened. Cirroc Lofton joins The Trek Files to discuss big changes in Trek, changing technology, and the desired outcome of strikes! See the documents: facebook.com/thetrekfiles Visit…
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10-17 Enterprise D bridge roles memo - 1986
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Does the Enterprise need a helmsman? What about a navigator? In the "blue sky" phase of developing TNG, David Gerrold again raised the big questions about computers, A.I., and the future. Joining us again to look back at the ideas that took root and those that didn't, Thomas Marrone from Star Trek: Online returns to The Trek Files. See the document…
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10-16 Enterprise "Contact Team" memo - 1986
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You can't always risk the life of the Captain of the Enterprise. That was the thought that inspired the "contact team" when playing the concept for "Star Trek: The Next Generation." What was envisioned as a kind of SWAT for Starfleet didn't materialize then, but they may have had a life by the time "Enterprise" took flight. Thomas Marrone joins The…
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10-15 Robert Wise, Gene Roddenberry meeting notes - 1978
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In the earliest days of conceptualizing Vejur for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Gene Roddenberry, Robert Wise, and more of the brain trust met to hash our their ideas. Helping us to parse the "bonkers" document of their meeting, Daren Dochterman joins us again to shed more light on bringing Trek to the big screen. See the documents: facebook.com/t…
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