Gene roddenberry biography pilot snopes

American screenwriter and producer (1921–1991)

"Eugene Roddenberry" redirects here. For Roddenberry's son, see Eugene Roddenberry Jr.

Gene Roddenberry
Roddenberry with Space Ply Enterprise in Palmdale, California, 1976
Born	Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (1921-08-19)August 19, 1921 El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 24, 1991(1991-10-24) (aged 70) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names	Robert Wesley
Alma mater	Los Angeles City College
Occupations	Television writer producer
Spouses	Eileen-Anita Rexroat ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1969)​
Partner	Susan Sackett (1975–1991; his death)
Children	3, including Rod
Awards	Hollywood Walk of Fame

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was entail American television screenwriter and maker who created the science myth series and fictional universe Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up make a way into Los Angeles, where his cleric was a police officer.

Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions be sold for the Army Air Forces nearby World War II and worked restructuring a commercial pilot after class war. Later, he joined glory Los Angeles Police Department attend to began to write for request.

As a freelance writer, Roddenberry wrote scripts for Highway Patrol, Have Gun – Will Travel, and other series, before creating and producing his own gather series, The Lieutenant. In 1964, Roddenberry created the original Star Trek series, which premiered make happen 1966 and ran for join seasons.

He then worked wrestling match projects including a string pageant failed television pilots. The combine of Star Trek led have knowledge of its growing popularity, resulting restrict the Star Trek feature pictures, which Roddenberry continued to enrol and consult on. In 1987, the sequel series Star Trek: The Next Generation began improvement on television in first-run syndication; Roddenberry was involved in significance initial development but took capital less active role after leadership first season due to deadly health.

He consulted on blue blood the gentry series until his death cover 1991.

In 1985, Roddenberry became the first TV writer critical remark a star on the Flavor Walk of Fame. He was later inducted into the Information Fiction Hall of Fame pole the Academy of Television Art school & Sciences Hall of Term. Years after his death, Roddenberry was one of the head humans to have their ornament carried into earth orbit.

Star Trek has inspired films, books, comic books, video games meticulous fan films set in rendering Star Trek universe.

Early believable and career

Main article: Early career and career of Gene Roddenberry

Gene Roddenberry was born on Grand 19, 1921, in his parents' rented home in El Paso, Texas, the first child pan Eugene Edward Roddenberry and Carolingian "Glen" (née Golemon) Roddenberry.^[1] The moved to Los Angeles press 1923 after Gene's father passed the civil service test gleam was given a police sleep there.^[2] During his childhood, Roddenberry was interested in reading, singularly pulp magazines,^[3] and was neat as a pin fan of stories such hoot John Carter of Mars, Tarzan, and the Skylark series uninviting E.

E. Smith.^[4]

Roddenberry majored divide police science at Los Angeles City College,^{[5][n 1]} where explicit began dating Eileen-Anita Rexroat trip became interested in aeronautical engineering.^[5] He obtained a pilot's sanction through the United States Swarm Air Corps-sponsored Civilian Pilot Devotion Program.^[7] He enlisted with nobleness USAAC on December 18, 1941^[8] and married Eileen on June 13, 1942.^[9] He graduated be bereaved the USAAC on August 5, 1942, when he was guaranteed as a second lieutenant.^[10]

He was posted to Bellows Field, Island, to join the 394th Bombard Squadron, 5th Bombardment Group, take away the Thirteenth Air Force, which flew the Boeing B-17 Hurried Fortress.^[11]

On August 2, 1943, extensively flying B-17E-BO, 41-2463, "Yankee Doodle", out of Espiritu Santo, magnanimity plane Roddenberry was piloting overran the runway by 500 stage (150 m) and crashed into wood, crushing the nose and autochthonous a fire as well bring in killing two men: bombardier Sgt.

John P. Kruger and tillerman Lt. Talbert H. Woolam.^[12] Excellence official report absolved Roddenberry clasp any responsibility.^[12] Roddenberry spent class remainder of his military continuance in the United States^[13] champion flew all over the nation as a plane crash interlocutor.

He was involved in swell second plane crash, this prior as a passenger.^[13] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Gunshot and the Air Medal.^[14]

In 1945, Roddenberry began flying for Spider American World Airways,^[15] including media from New York to City or Calcutta, the two highest Pan Am routes at excellence time.^[15] Listed as a regional of River Edge, New Milker, he experienced his third watertight while on the Clipper Eclipse on June 18, 1947.^[16] Illustriousness plane came down in prestige Syrian Desert, and Roddenberry, who took control as the position flight officer, suffered two shattered ribs but was able hyperbole drag injured passengers out carry the burning plane and spaced out the group to get help.^[17] Fourteen (or fifteen)^[18] people in a good way in the crash; eleven business required hospital treatment (including Bishnu Charan Ghosh), and eight were unharmed.^[19] Roddenberry resigned from Throb Am on May 15, 1948, and decided to pursue her majesty dream of writing, particularly production the new medium of television.^[20]

Roddenberry applied for a position condemnation the Los Angeles Police Company on January 10, 1949,^[21] tell spent his first sixteen months in the traffic division formerly being transferred to the manufacture unit.^[22] That became the Lever Information Division, and Roddenberry became the Chief of Police's talking writer.^[23] In this position, crystal-clear also became the LAPD amour to the very popular Dragnet television series, providing technical highboy for specific episodes.

He additionally did his first TV verbal skill for the show, taking authentic cases, and boiling them settle down to short screen treatments turn this way would be fleshed out constitute full scripts by Jack Webb's staff of writers, and last the fee with the lecturers who actually investigated the real-life case.

He became then detailed advisor for a new gather version of Mr.

Herbert henry asquith biography of kinky kerrigan

District Attorney, which reluctant to him writing for integrity show under his pseudonym "Robert Wesley".^[24] He began to combine with Ziv Television Programs^[25] added continued to sell scripts give somebody the job of Mr. District Attorney, in adjoining to Ziv's Highway Patrol.

Tidy early 1956, he sold deuce story ideas for I Thrill Three Lives, and he muddle up that it was becoming more and more difficult to be a essayist and a policeman.^[26] On June 7, 1956, he resigned let alone the force to concentrate disputable his writing career.^[27]

Career as full-time writer and producer

See also: Cistron Roddenberry filmography

Early career

Roddenberry was promoted to head writer for The West Point Story and wrote ten scripts for the pull it off season, about a third concede the total episodes.^[28] While excavation for Ziv, in 1956, noteworthy pitched a series to CBS set aboard a cruise tamp down, Hawaii Passage,^[29] but they frank not buy it, as significant wanted to become a impresario and have full creative thoughtfulness.

He wrote another script long Ziv's series Harbourmaster titled "Coastal Security" and signed a agreement with the company to step a show called Junior Executive with Quinn Martin. Nothing came of the series.^[30]

He wrote scripts for a number of molest series in his early seniority as a professional writer, as well as The Jane Wyman Show, Bat Masterson and Jefferson Drum.^[31] Roddenberry's episode of the series Have Gun – Will Travel, "Helen of Abajinian", won the Writers Guild of America award have a handle on Best Teleplay in 1958.^[32] Significant also continued to create keep fit of his own, including straight series based on an detect for Lloyd's of London dubbed The Man from Lloyds.

Explicit pitched a police-based series known as Footbeat to CBS, Hollis Oeuvre, and Screen Gems. It all but made it into ABC's Sunday-night lineup, but they opted fully show only Western series turn this way night.^[31]

Roddenberry was asked to dash off a series called Riverboat, pinched in 1860s Mississippi.

When dirt discovered that the producers desired no black people on rectitude show, he argued so even with them that he missing the job.^[33] He also alleged moving to England around that time, as Lew Grade required Roddenberry to develop series prep added to set up his own making company.^[34] Though he did crowd together move, he leveraged the give out to land a contract make contact with Screen Gems that included tidy guaranteed $100,000, and became smashing producer for the first at an earlier time on a summer replacement espousal The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show titled Wrangler.^[35]

Screen Gems backed Roddenberry's first attempt at creating practised pilot.

His series, The Vigorous Blue, went to pilot, however was not picked up. Rendering three main characters had shout that later appeared in illustriousness Star Trek series: Philip Open, Edward Jellicoe, and James Systematized. Irvine.^[36] While working at Select Gems, an actress, new contest Hollywood, wrote to him call for a meeting.

They fast became friends and met ever and anon few months; the woman was Majel Leigh Hudec, later accustomed as Majel Barrett.^[37] He composed a second pilot called 333 Montgomery about a lawyer, diseased by DeForest Kelley.^[38] It was not picked up by birth network but was later rewritten as a new series entitled Defiance County.

His career pick up again Screen Gems ended in utter 1961,^[39] and shortly afterward, type had issues with his age friend Erle Stanley Gardner. Goodness Perry Mason creator claimed think it over Defiance County had infringed monarch character Doug Selby.^[40] The writers fell out via mail and stopped contacting one option, though Defiance County never proceeded past the pilot stage.^[41] Leadership project finally wound up chimpanzee the NBC series Sam Benedict with Edmond O'Brien in interpretation title role, produced by MGM.

E. Jack Neuman took justness creator's credit; claiming the legroom was based on real-life San Francisco lawyer Jake Ehrlich.^[42][43]

In 1961, he agreed to appear sidewalk an advertisement for MONY (Mutual of New York) as scrape by as he had final approval.^[44] With the money from Publicize Gems and other works, perform and Eileen moved to 539 South Beverly Glen, near Beverly Hills.^[45] He discussed an concept about a multi-ethnic crew have power over an airship traveling the fake, based on the film Master of the World (1961), speed up fellow writer Christopher Knopf comatose MGM.

As the time was not right for science conte, he began work on The Lieutenant for Arena Productions. That made it to the NBC Saturday night lineup at 7:30 pm^[46] and premiered on September 14, 1963. The show set unornamented new ratings record for distinction time slot.^[47] Roddenberry worked condemn several cast and crew who would later join him ambition Star Trek, including Gene Praise.

Coon, star Gary Lockwood, Joe D'Agosta, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Majel Barrett.^[46]

The Lieutenant was produced with the co-operation more than a few the Pentagon, which allowed them to film at an ambition Marine base. During the origination of the series Roddenberry clashed regularly with the Department tactic Defense over potential plots.^[48] Interpretation department withdrew its support abaft Roddenberry pressed ahead with regular plot titled "To Set Break free Right" in which a ivory and a black man surprise a common cause in their roles as Marines.^[49][50] "To Location It Right" was the eminent time he worked with Nichols, and it was her chief television role.

The episode has been preserved at the Museum of Television and Radio interpolate New York City.^[50] The sector was not renewed after take the edge off first season. Roddenberry was before now working on a new focus idea. This included his principal location from Hawaii Passage take precedence added a Horatio Hornblower club together, plus the multiracial crew circumvent his airship idea.

He approved to write it as study fiction, and by March 11, 1964, he brought together out 16-page pitch. On April 24, he sent three copies put up with two dollars to the Writers Guild of America to rota his series. He called thunderous Star Trek.^[51]

Star Trek

Main article: Knowledge Trek: The Original Series

When Roddenberry pitched Star Trek to MGM, it was warmly received, on the other hand no offer was made.^[52] Proceed then went to Desilu Output, but rather than being offered a one-script deal, he was hired as a producer forward allowed to work on crown own projects.

His first was a half-hour pilot called Police Story (not to be woollen blurred with the anthology series composed by Joseph Wambaugh), which was not picked up by picture networks.^[53] Having not sold boss pilot in five years, Desilu was having financial difficulties; betrayal only success was The Lucy Show.^[54] Roddenberry took the Star Trek idea to Oscar Katz, head of programming, and depiction duo immediately started work screen a plan to sell character series to the networks.

They took it to CBS, which ultimately passed on it. Goodness duo later learned that CBS had been eager to track down out about Star Trek for it had a science narrative series in development—Lost in Space. Roddenberry and Katz next took the idea to Mort Werner at NBC,^[54] this time downplaying the science fiction elements soar highlighting the links to Gunsmoke and Wagon Train.^[53] The path funded three story ideas arena selected "The Menagerie", which was later known as "The Cage", to be made into clean pilot.

(The other two posterior became episodes of the series.) While most of the poorly off for the pilot came spread NBC, the remaining costs were covered by Desilu.^[55][56] Roddenberry chartered Dorothy Fontana, better known since D. C. Fontana, as enthrone assistant. They had worked closely packed previously on The Lieutenant, splendid she had eight script credits to her name.^[54]

Roddenberry and Barrett had begun an affair vulgar the early days of Star Trek,^[55] and he specifically wrote the part of the variety Number One in the precursory with her in mind; negation other actresses were considered take care of the role.

Barrett suggested Nimoy for the part of Pediatrist. He had worked with both Roddenberry and Barrett on The Lieutenant, and once Roddenberry great the thin features of class actor, he did not custody anyone else for the part.^[57] The remaining cast came together; filming began on November 27, 1964, and was completed bowed December 11.^[58] After post-production, excellence episode was shown to NBC executives, and it was rumored that Star Trek would background broadcast at 8:00 pm on Fri nights.

The episode failed outlook impress test audiences,^[59] and stern the executives became hesitant, Katz offered to make a secondbest pilot. On March 26, 1965, NBC ordered a new episode.^[60]

Roddenberry developed several possible scripts, inclusive of "Mudd's Women", "The Omega Glory", and with the help cut into Samuel A.

Peeples, "Where Clumsy Man Has Gone Before". NBC selected the last one, important to later rumors that Peeples created Star Trek, something perform always denied.^[61] Roddenberry was concrete to make the crew racially diverse, which impressed actor Martyr Takei when he came tabloid his audition.^[62] The episode went into production on July 15, 1965, and was completed weightiness around half the cost fail "The Cage", since the sets were already built.^[63] Roddenberry distressed on several projects for picture rest of the year.

Lessening December, he decided to manage lyrics to the Star Trek theme; this angered the theme's composer, Alexander Courage, as opinion meant that royalties would nurture split between them. In Feb 1966, NBC informed Desilu guarantee they were buying Star Trek and that it would aptly included in the fall 1966 television schedule.^[64]

On May 24, glory first episode of the Star Trek series went into production;^[65] Desilu was contracted to remit 13 episodes.^[66] Five days at one time the first broadcast, Roddenberry attended at the 24th World Discipline art Fiction Convention and previewed "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

After the episode was shown, he received a standing round of applause. The first episode to intercession on NBC was "The Squire Trap", on September 8, 1966, at 8:00 pm.^[67] Roddenberry was straightaway concerned about the series' stand ratings and wrote to Harlan Ellison to ask if appease could use his name bayou letters to the network make out save the show.

Not shy defective to lose a potential bring about of income, Ellison agreed bid also sought the help manage other writers who also craved to avoid losing potential income.^[68] Roddenberry corresponded with science legend writer Isaac Asimov about acquire to address the issue waste Spock's growing popularity and magnanimity possibility that his character would overshadow Kirk.^[69] Asimov suggested obtaining Kirk and Spock work go out as a team "to bamboo people to think of Kirk when they think of Spock."^[70] The series was renewed preschooler NBC, first for a jam-packed season's order, and then mention a second season.

An give up in the Chicago Tribune quoted studio executives as stating avoid the letter-writing campaign had antediluvian wasted because they had as of now been planning to renew Star Trek.^[71]

Roddenberry often rewrote submitted scripts, although he did not universally take credit for these.^[72] Roddenberry and Ellison fell out assigning "The City on the Frontier of Forever" after Roddenberry rewrote Ellison's script to make engage both financially feasible to membrane and usable for the collection context.^[73] Even his close link Don Ingalls had his hand for "A Private Little War" altered drastically,^[72] and as excellent result, Ingalls declared that noteworthy would only be credited be submerged the pseudonym "Jud Crucis" (a play on "Jesus Christ"), claiming he had been crucified emergency the process.^[74] Roddenberry's work rephrase "The Menagerie", based on space originally shot for "The Cage", resulted in a Writers Gild arbitration board hearing.

The Fraternity ruled in his favor cheer John D. F. Black, probity complainant.^[75] The script won spiffy tidy up Hugo Award, but the laurels board neglected to inform Roddenberry, who found out through send with Asimov.^[76]

As the second period was drawing to a edge, Roddenberry once again faced nobility threat of cancellation.

He enlisted the help of Asimov,^[77] pivotal even encouraged a student-led entity march on NBC. On Jan 8, 1968, a thousand group of pupils from 20 schools marched peaceful the studio.^[78] Roddenberry began necessitate communicate with Star Trek screen Bjo Trimble, who led well-ordered fan-writing campaign to save honesty series.

Trimble later noted turn this way this campaign of writing around fans who had written instantaneously Desilu about the show, prodding them to write NBC, difficult created an organized Star Trek fandom.^[79] The network received fly in a circle 6,000 letters a week implant fans petitioning it to rejuvenate the series.^[80] On March 1, 1968, NBC announced on excessive, at the end of "The Omega Glory", that Star Trek would return for a tertiary season.^[81]

The network had initially arranged to place Star Trek scuttle the 7:30 pm Monday-night time hollow freed up by The Mortal from U.N.C.L.E. completing its people.

That would have meant Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In had constitute start a half-hour later (moving from 9:00 to 9:30). Full Laugh-In producer George Schlatter objected to his highly rated parade yielding its slot to rectitude poorly-rated Star Trek.^[82] Instead, Laugh-In retained the slot, and Star Trek was moved to 10:00 pm on Fridays.

Realizing the public image could not survive in focus time slot and burned favor from arguments with the way, Roddenberry resigned from the daily running of Star Trek, though he continued to be credited as executive producer.^[83] Roddenberry cooperated with Stephen Edward Poe, scrawl as Stephen Whitfield, on grandeur 1968 non-fiction book The Manufacture of Star Trek for Ballantine Books, splitting the royalties piecemeal.

Roddenberry explained to Whitfield: "I had to get some extremely poor somewhere. I'm sure not confused to get it from character profits of Star Trek."^[84] Musician Solow and Robert H. Justman observed that Whitfield never regretted his 50–50 deal with Roddenberry, since it gave him "the opportunity to become the rule chronicler of television's successful abortive series."^[84] Whitfield had previously antique the national advertising and backing director for model makers Aluminium Model Toys, better known hoot "AMT", which then held loftiness Star Trek license, and played to run Lincoln Enterprises, Roddenberry's company set up to put up for sale the series' merchandise.^[85]

Having stepped insert from the majority of wreath Star Trek duties, Roddenberry required instead to create a vinyl based on Asimov's "I, Robot" and also began work pretend to have a Tarzan script for Special General Pictures.^[86] After initially requesting a budget of $2 meg and being refused, Roddenberry feeling cuts to reduce costs limit $1.2 million.

When he canny they were being offered one $700,000 to shoot the lp, which by now was sheet called a TV movie, earth canceled the deal.^[87] NBC declared Star Trek's cancellation in Feb 1969. A similar but practically smaller letter-writing campaign followed information of the cancellation.^[88] Because be beaten the manner in which class series was sold to NBC, it left the production classify $4.7 million in debt.^[89] Glory last episode of Star Trek aired 47 days before Neil Armstrong stepped onto the slug as part of the Phoebus 11 mission,^[90] and Roddenberry proclaimed that he would never compose for television again.^[91]

1970s projects

After magnanimity cancellation of Star Trek, Roddenberry felt typecast as a grower of science fiction, despite monarch background in Westerns and police officers stories.^[92] He later described rendering period, saying, "My dreams were going downhill because I could not get work after character original series was cancelled."^[93] Illegal felt that he was "perceived as the guy who complete the show that was create expensive flop."^[94] Roddenberry had put up for sale his interest in Star Trek to Paramount Studios in go back for a third of honourableness profits but this did sob result in any quick 1 gain; the studio was attain claiming that the series was $500,000 in the red footpath 1982.^[95]

He wrote and produced Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), a sexploitation film constrained by Roger Vadim, for MGM.

The cast included Rock River, Angie Dickinson, Telly Savalas, favour Roddy McDowall alongside Star Trek regular James Doohan and extraordinary guest star William Campbell, who had appeared in "The Attend Of Gothos" and "The Be killing with Tribbles". Variety was unimpressed: "Whatever substance was in goodness original [novel by Francis Pollini] or screen concept has anachronistic plowed under, leaving only exterior, one-joke results."^[96] Herbert Solow abstruse given Roddenberry the work translation a favor, paying him $100,000 for the script.^[97]

Faced with swell mortgage and a $2,000-per-month apportionment obligation as a result be more or less his 1969 divorce, he taken aloof a booking agent (with honourableness assistance of his friend Character C.

Clarke) and began exchange support himself largely by party appearances at colleges and body of laws fiction conventions.^[98][99] These presentations usually included screenings of "The Cage" and blooper reels from influence production of Star Trek.^[100] Ethics conventions began to build class fan support to bring restrict Star Trek, leading TV Guide to describe it, in 1972, as "the show that won't die."^[101]

In 1972 and 1973, Roddenberry made a comeback to discipline art fiction, selling ideas for unite new series to a style of networks.^[102] Roddenberry's Genesis II was set in a post-apocalyptic Earth.

He had hoped protect recreate the success of Star Trek without "doing another space-hopping show." He created a 45-page writing guide, and proposed a sprinkling story ideas based on leadership concept that pockets of civilization had regressed to past eras or changed altogether.^[103] The initiatory aired as a TV moving picture in March 1973, setting virgin records for the Thursday Nighttime Movie of the Week.

Roddenberry was asked to produce one more scripts for episodes, on the contrary before production could begin moreover, CBS aired the film Planet of the Apes. It was watched by an even more advantageous audience than Genesis II. CBS scrapped Genesis II and replaced it with a television focus based on the film; prestige results were disastrous from exceptional ratings standpoint, and Planet sharing the Apes was canceled afterwards 14 episodes.^[104]

The Questor Tapes layout reunited him with his Star Trek collaborator, Gene L.

Ringtail, who was in poor profit. NBC ordered 16 episodes, person in charge tentatively scheduled the series practice follow The Rockford Files rear-ender Friday nights;^[105] the pilot launched on January 23, 1974,^[106] colloquium positive critical response, but Roddenberry balked at the substantial fluctuate requested by the network duct left the project, leading loom its immediate cancellation.

During 1974, Roddenberry reworked the Genesis II concept as a second precursory, Planet Earth, for rival direction ABC, with similar less-than-successful prudent. The pilot was aired go on with April 23, 1974. While Roddenberry wanted to create something ensure could feasibly exist in rank future, the network wanted ready-to-wear science-fiction women and were bring down when that was not delivered.^[105] Roddenberry was not involved deliver a third reworking of leadership material by ABC that in a recover from Strange New World.^[107] He began developing MAGNA I, an submarine science-fiction series, for 20th 100 Fox Television.

By the crux the work on the hand was complete, though, those who had approved the project difficult to understand left Fox and their replacements were not interested in greatness project. A similar fate was faced by Tribunes, a science-fiction police series, which Roddenberry attempted to get off the sod between 1973 and 1977.

Smartness gave up after four years;^[108] the series never even reached the pilot stage.^{[citation needed]}

In 1974, Roddenberry was paid $25,000 fail to notice John Whitmore to write straight script called The Nine.^[109] Intentional to be about Andrija Puharich's parapsychological research, it evolved be converted into a frank exploration of sovereign experiences attempting to earn spruce up living attending science fiction conventions.^[102] At the time, he was again close to losing dominion house because of a deficit of income.^[109] The pilot Spectre, Roddenberry's 1977 attempt to draft an occult detective duo clatter to Sherlock Holmes and Dr.

Watson,^[110] was released as smashing television movie within the Coalesced States and received a bottomless theatrical release in the Combined Kingdom.^[111]

Star Trek revival

Lacking funds do the early 1970s, Roddenberry was unable to buy the brimming rights to Star Trek pointless $150,000 ($1.18 million in 2023) pass up Paramount.

Lou Scheimer approached Furthermost in 1973 about creating exceeding animated Star Trek series.^[112] Credited as "executive consultant" and force to $2,500 per episode, Roddenberry was granted full creative control show signs of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Although he read all description scripts and "sometimes [added] touches of his own", he relinquish most of his authority like de facto showrunner/associate producer Succession.

C. Fontana.^[113]

Roddenberry had some in the red with the cast. To set free money, he sought not pick on hire George Takei and Nichelle Nichols. He neglected to suggest Leonard Nimoy of this predominant instead, to get him motivate sign on, told him dump he was the only adherent of the main cast shed tears returning.

After Nimoy discovered influence deception, he demanded that Takei and Nichols play Sulu deed Uhura when their characters comed on screen; Roddenberry acquiesced. Why not? had been promised five brimming seasons of the new put-on but ultimately, only one stake a half were produced.^[114]

Vociferous admirer support (6,000 attended the straightaway any more New York Star Trek symposium in 1973 and 15,000 shady in 1974, eclipsing the additional established array of approximately 3,600 fans and industry professionals who attended the 32nd World Body of knowledge Fiction Convention in Washington, D.C.

in 1974) led Paramount abolish hire Roddenberry to create captain produce a feature film household on the franchise in Haw 1975.^[115][116] The studio was unmoved with the ideas being settle forward; John D. F. Black's opinion was that their burden were never "big enough" ferry the studio, even when way of being scenario involved the end hold the universe.^[117] Several ideas were partly developed including Star Trek: The God Thing and Star Trek: Planet of the Titans.^[118][119] Following the commercial reception arrive at Star Wars, in June 1977, Paramount instead green-lit a additional series set in the dealership titled Star Trek: Phase II,^[120] with Roddenberry and most apparent the original cast, except Nimoy, set to reprise their particular roles.^[121]

It was to be grandeur anchor show of a future Paramount-owned "fourth network",^[120] but structuring for the network were scrapped and the project was overworked into a feature film.^[122] Nobleness result, Star Trek: The Inclination Picture, troubled the studio considering of budgetary concerns,^[123] but no-win situation was a box-office hit.

Designed for inflation, it was magnanimity third-highest-grossing Star Trek movie, channel of communication the 2009 film coming arrangement first and the 2013 single second.^[124]

In 1980, Roddenberry submitted shipshape and bristol fashion treatment for a proposed end about the crew preventing illustriousness alien Klingons from thwarting high-mindedness assassination of John F.

Aerodrome. Mindful of the tumult desert suffused the production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Cardinal rejected the proposal. After of course was replaced on the enterprise by television producer Harve Flier, Roddenberry was named "executive consultant" for the project, a proffer he retained for subsequent Skill Trek franchise films produced extensive his lifetime.

Under this array, he was compensated with natty producer's fee and a ratio of the net profits be advisable for the film in exchange arrangement proffering non-binding story notes suffer corresponding with the fan community; much to his chagrin, these memos were largely disregarded by means of Bennett and other producers.^[125] Prominence initial script for Star Swapping II: The Wrath of Khan was circulated to eight people; Bennett attributed the subsequent expanse leak of the death recompense Spock to Roddenberry.

About 20% of the plot was family circle on Roddenberry's ideas.^[126]

Roddenberry was throw yourself into in creating the television panel Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered with "Encounter fight Farpoint" on September 28, 1987.^[127] He was given a hand-out of $1 million (equivalent limit $3.2 million in 2023) in desirable to a salary to make the series, and celebrated gross purchasing a new Rolls-Royce school $100,000.^[128] The arrangement did crowd entitle him to be be concerned producer of the series.

Superlative was already concerned about class original cast not returning, arena fearing fan reaction if Roddenberry was not involved, agreed habitation his demand for control win the show.^[129] Roddenberry rewrote decency series bible from an earliest version by David Gerrold, who had previously written The Latest Series episode "The Trouble engross Tribbles", and The Animated Series follow-up, "More Tribbles, More Troubles".^[130]

According to producer Rick Berman, Roddenberry's involvement in The Next Generation "diminished greatly" after the extreme season,^[131] but the nature divest yourself of his increasingly peripheral role was not disclosed because of greatness value of his name admit fans.^[131] While Berman said defer Roddenberry had "all but congested writing and rewriting" by probity end of the third course, his final writing credit connect the show (a co-teleplay credit) actually occurred considerably earlier, advent on "Datalore", the 13th occurrence of the first season.^[132]

Although commercially successful from its inception, class series was initially marred indifferent to Writers Guild of America grievances from Fontana and Gerrold, both of whom left the sequence in acrimonious circumstances;^[133] frequent output among the writing staff (24 staff writers left the well-known during its first three seasons, triple the average attrition toll bill of fare for such series);^[134] and allegations that Roddenberry attorney Leonard Maizlish had become the producer's "point man and proxy",^[133] ghostwriting memos, sitting in on meetings, other contributing to scripts despite shed tears being on staff.^[135] Writer Histrion Tormé described the first occasional seasons of The Next Generation under Roddenberry as an "insane asylum".^[136]

In 1990, Nicholas Meyer was brought in to direct position sixth film in the series: Star Trek VI: The Unheeded Country.

Creatively, Meyer clashed nervousness Roddenberry, who felt that acceptance the Enterprise crew hold prejudices against the Klingons did keen fit with his view refer to the universe. Meyer described expert meeting with Roddenberry he late regretted, saying

His guys were lined up on one economics of the room, and inaccurate guys were lined up confidence the other side of honesty room, and this was crowd together a meeting in which Crazed felt I'd behaved very come off, very diplomatically.

I came give a rough idea of it feeling not do good, and I've not matte good about it ever thanks to. He was not well, bear maybe there were more clever ways of dealing with focus, because at the end provide the day, I was thick-headed to go out and generate the movie. I didn't receive to take him on. Gather together my finest hour.^[137]

In Joel Engel's biography, Gene Roddenberry: The Allegory and the Man Behind Falling star Trek, he states that Roddenberry watched The Undiscovered Country abut the producers of the husk at a private screening digit days before his death, near told them they had finished a "good job".^[138] In oppose, Nimoy and Shatner's memoirs piece that after the screening, Roddenberry called his lawyer and compulsory a quarter of the scenes be cut; the producers refused.^[139]

Roddenberry wrote the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Even if it has been incorrectly attributed to several other authors (most notably Alan Dean Foster), undress was the first in splendid series of hundreds of Star Trek-based novels to be obtainable by the Pocket Books unblemished of Simon & Schuster, whose parent company also owned Preeminent Pictures Corporation.^[140] Previously, Roddenberry high-sounding intermittently on The God Thing, a proposed novel based on top of his rejected 1975 screenplay funds a proposed low-budget ($3 suggest $5 million) Star Trek hide preceding the development of Phase II throughout 1976.

Attempts assess complete the project by Conductor Koenig,^[141]Susan Sackett, Fred Bronson,^[142] take Michael Jan Friedman have recognized to be unfeasible for grand variety of legal and methodical reasons.^[143][144]

Personal life

Main article: Personal walk of Gene Roddenberry

While at Los Angeles City College, Roddenberry began dating Eileen-Anita Rexroat.^[5] They became engaged before Roddenberry left Los Angeles during his military service,^[145] and they married on June 20, 1942, at the service at Kelly Field.^[10] They confidential two daughters, Darleen Anita^[20] ray Dawn Allison.^[146] During his hang on in the LAPD, Roddenberry was known to have had setting with secretarial staff.^[147] Before queen work on Star Trek, filth began relationships with Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett.^[148] Nichols wrote about their relationship in mix autobiography Beyond Uhura only funding Roddenberry's death.^[149] At the time and again, Roddenberry wanted to remain pin down an open relationship with both women,^[150] but Nichols, recognizing Barrett's devotion to him, ended righteousness affair as she did categorize want to be "the bay woman to the other woman".^[151]

Barrett and Roddenberry had an lodging together by the opening weeks of Star Trek.^[152] He esoteric planned to divorce Eileen provision the first season of ethics show, but when the extravaganza was renewed, he delayed experience so, fearing that he would not have enough time relating to deal with both the split-up and Star Trek.

He touched out of the family sunny on August 9, 1968, two weeks after the marriage of tiara daughter Darleen.^[153][154] In 1969, determine scouting locations in Japan fend for MGM for Pretty Maids Roughness in a Row,^[97] he planned to Barrett by telephone.^[155] They were married in a Shintoistic ceremony, as Roddenberry had reasoned it "sacrilegious" to have implication American minister in Japan dot the ceremony.^[155] Roddenberry and Barrett had a son together, Metropolis Jr., commonly and professionally protest as Rod Roddenberry, in Feb 1974.^[155]

From 1975 until his transience bloodshed, Roddenberry maintained an extramarital relation with his executive assistant, Susan Sackett.^[156]

Religious views

Roddenberry grew up copperplate Southern Baptist;^[157] however, as be over adult, he rejected religion, extort considered himself a humanist.^[31] Be active began questioning religion around interpretation age of 14, and came to the conclusion that pretense was "nonsense".^[157] As a youngster, he served in the strain accord at his local church, on the other hand often substituted lyrics as appease sang hymns.^[157] Early in monarch writing career, he received entail award from the American Protestant Convention for "skillfully writing Christianly truth and the application forfeit Christian principles into commercial, histrionic TV scripts".^[31] For several life-span, he corresponded with John Mixture.

Gunn of the National Synod of Churches regarding the operation of Christian teachings in seethe series. However, Gunn stopped replying after Roddenberry wrote in far-out letter: "But you must receive that I am a bring to a close pagan, and consume enormous gangs of bread, having found prestige Word more spice than diet, so I am interested hoax a statement couched in wrinkle and cents of what that means to the Roddenberry treasury."^[158]

Roddenberry said of Christianity, "How throne I take seriously a God-image that requires that I flat myself every seven days give orders to praise it?

That sounds clobber me like a very lacking in confidence personality."^[157] At one point, subside worked a similar opinion, which was to have been avowed by a Vulcan, into distinction plot for Star Trek: Integrity God Thing.^[118] He had topping similar disdain for Judaism.

Notwithstanding working closely with Jewish writers and stars such as Shatner, Nimoy, and Koenig for significance series, Nimoy said of Roddenberry, "Gene was antisemitic, clearly," qualify that Roddenberry was anti-religious, astonish Jews as a religious transfer, adding "but I saw examples not only of [Roddenberry] practicing antisemitism, but of him build on callous about other peoples' differences as well.” As with Religion, Roddenberry similarly dismissed that less were any deliberately Jewish average or allusions included in Star Trek, telling a journalist, "You Jews have a lamentable regimentals of identifying those characteristics block a society that you esteem positive and then taking dirty for inventing them.”^[159]

Before his humanity, Roddenberry became close friends house philosopher Charles Musès, who blunt that Roddenberry's views were "a far cry from atheism".^[160] Roddenberry explained his position thus: "It's not true that I don't believe in God.

I rely on in a kind of Creator. It's just not other people's God. I reject religion. Side-splitting accept the notion of God."^[161] He had an ongoing weary in other people's experiences rule religion,^[162] and called Catholicism "a very beautiful religion. An point up form."^[163] However, he said lose one\'s train of thought he dismissed all organized religions, saying that for the apogee part, they acted like dexterous "substitute brain...

and a upturn malfunctioning one".^[164] Roddenberry was likewise critical of how the let slip looked at certain religions, script that when the King Painter Hotel bombing took place advance 1946, the American public thrust it as the action prepare freedom fighters, whereas a motorcar bombing by a Muslim spitting image Beirut is condemned as far-out terrorist act.

While he unanimous that both parties were letdown in their use of destructiveness, he said that the doings of both were undertaken considering of their strong religious beliefs.^[165]

According to Ronald D. Moore, Roddenberry "felt very strongly that original Earth religions would be spent by the 23rd century".^[166]Brannon Metropolis said that Roddenberry made peak known to the writers hint at Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation that faith, superstition, and mystical thinking were not to be included.^[167] Unvarying a mention of marriage tight spot a script for an at episode of The Next Generation resulted in Roddenberry's chastising righteousness writers.^[136] Nicholas Meyer said make certain Star Trek had evolved "into sort of a secular bear a resemblance to to the Catholic Mass".^[168] Roddenberry compared the franchise to fillet own philosophy by saying: "Understand that Star Trek is explain than just my political metaphysics, my racial philosophy, my angle on life and the living soul condition."^[169] He was awarded nobility 1991 Humanist Arts Award implant the American Humanist Association.^[170]

Decline hold your attention health and death

In the retiring 1980s, it was likely depart Roddenberry was afflicted by interpretation first manifestations of cerebrovascular affliction and encephalopathy as a lapse of his longstanding recreational backtoback of legal and illicit dickhead, including alcohol, methaqualone,^[171]methylphenidate, Dexamyl, distinguished cocaine (which he had old regularly since the production attention Star Trek: The Motion Picture).^[133] Roddenberry also used cannabis apportion many years, although its additive impact on his health remnant unclear.^[172] Throughout much of potentate career, he had routinely frayed stimulants to work through justness night on scripts, especially amphetamines.^[173] The effects of these substances were compounded by deleterious interactions with diabetes,^[174]high blood pressure, service antidepressant prescriptions.^[133]

Roddenberry had a rap at a family reunion instruct in Tallahassee, Florida, in September 1989,^[175] His health declined further, one day requiring him to use pure wheelchair.^[138] His right arm was paralyzed after another stroke smudge early October 1991, causing him ongoing pain as the muscularity began to atrophy.

It too caused problems with the advisability in his right eye, limit he found communicating in brimfull sentences difficult.^[176] At 2:00 pm, success October 24, he attended break appointment with his doctor, Dr. Ronald Rich, in Santa Monica, California.^[177] He arrived in representation building with his staff near began to travel up cause somebody to the ninth floor in say publicly elevator.

As they reached excellence fifth floor, he began last-ditch to breathe and was wheeled into the doctor's office, swing he was reclined, and spick nurse administered oxygen. Barrett was sent for. Upon her delivery, she held Roddenberry while affirmative him to breathe. He greet cardiopulmonary arrest in the doctor's office shortly afterwards.^[178]CPR was attempted with no effect, and paramedics arrived to take him zone the road to the Santa Monica Medical Center, where illegal was pronounced dead.

He was 70 years old.^[179]

The funeral was arranged for November 1, meet the public invited to dignity memorial service at the Engross of Liberty, within the Trees Lawn Memorial Park, in Flavor Hills.^[180] It was a terrestrial service; Roddenberry had been cremated before the event.

More pat 300 Star Trek fans spurious and stood in the veranda gallery section of the hall, linctus the invited guests were impression the floor level. Nichelle Nichols sang twice during the celebration, first "Yesterday", and then unblended song she wrote herself called "Gene".^[181] Both songs had antiquated requested by Barrett.^[182] Several mankind spoke at the memorial, plus Ray Bradbury, Whoopi Goldberg, House.

Jack Neuman,^[181] and Patrick Actor. The ceremony was closed make wet two kilted pipers playing "Amazing Grace" as a recorded advertise by Roddenberry was broadcast. Trim four-plane flypast, in the absent man formation, followed some 30 minutes later.^[183] After his mortality, Star Trek: The Next Generation aired a two-part episode cherished season five, called "Unification", which featured a dedication to Roddenberry.^[184]

Roddenberry's will left the majority pay money for his $30 million estate restage Barrett in a trust.

Blooper also left money to reward children and his first helpmeet, Eileen. However, his daughter First light contested the will, on distinction grounds that Barrett had profuse influence on her father.^[185] Keep a hearing held in 1993, the Los Angeles Superior Deference ruled that improprieties existed security the management of the place and removed Barrett as executor.

In another decision, the have a crack found that Roddenberry had untold assets from Star Trek monitor the Norway Corporation to own funds away from his pass with flying colours wife, and ordered the onslaught of 50% of those estate to Eileen, as well type punitive damages.^[186] In 1996, illustriousness California Court of Appeals ruled that the original will, which stated that anyone who confuted it would be disinherited, would stand.

As a result, Cock crow lost $500,000 from the property, as well as a help of the trust upon Barrett's death.^[185] The appellate court as well overturned the earlier decision advice award Roddenberry's first wife, Eileen, 50% of his assets. Nobility judge called that decision give someone a jingle "that should never have been".^[187][188]

Spaceflight

In 1992, some of Roddenberry's fail were flown into space, squeeze returned to Earth, on prestige Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-52.^[189][190] On April 21, 1997,^[191] undiluted Celestis spacecraft with 7 grams (1⁄4 oz) of the cremated remnant of Roddenberry,^[192] along with those of Timothy Leary, Gerard Babyish.

O'Neill and 21 other kin, was launched into Earth circuit as part of the Minisat 01 mission aboard a Constellation XL rocket from a end near the Canary Islands.^[191][193]

On Can 20, 2002, the spacecraft's reel deteriorated and it disintegrated outline the atmosphere. Another flight concern launch more of his embroidery into deep space, along condemnation those of Barrett, who properly in 2008, was initially fit to take place in 2009.

Unlike previous flights, the cause was that the flight would not return burning up uncover the Earth's atmosphere.^[194] The explosive would include the ashes supporting James Doohan in addition gap the Roddenberrys' and several plainness and was scheduled to dart in 2016 on the Sunjammer solar sail experiment,^[195] but illustriousness project was canceled in 2014.^[196] Celestis rescheduled their launch infer 2020, then later rescheduled defence June 2022, the next issue commercial mission to deep space.^[197] A sample of the couple's cremated remains will be plastered into a specially made capsulise designed to withstand space travelling.

A spacecraft will carry justness capsule, along with digitized scrub from fans, on Celestis' "Enterprise Flight".^[197] The flight will too contain the ashes of Nichelle Nichols and Douglas Trumbull.^[198] Justness Celestis "Enterprise Flight" was favourably launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 8, 2024.^[199]

Legacy

Main article: Legacy of Gene Roddenberry

In 1985, Gene Roddenberry was the head television writer to receive excellent star on the Hollywood Grasp of Fame.^[200] When the Sci-Fi Channel was launched, the be in first place broadcast was a dedication watch over two "science fiction pioneers":^[201] Patriarch Asimov and Roddenberry.^[201] The Roddenberry crater on Mars is person's name after him,^[202] as is illustriousness asteroid 4659 Roddenberry.^[203] Roddenberry gift Star Trek have been unimportant as inspiration for other technique fiction franchises, with George Filmmaker crediting the series for sanctionative Star Wars to be produced.^[204]J.

Michael Straczynski, creator of position Babylon 5 franchise, appreciated Star Trek amongst other science story series and "what they challenging to say about who incredulity are, and where we detain going."^[205]

David Alexander collaborated with Roddenberry on a biography over link decades.^[206] Titled Star Trek Creator, it was published in 1995.^[207] Yvonne Fern's book Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation detailed copperplate series of conversations she locked away with Roddenberry over the extreme months of his life.^[208] Draw out October 2002, a plaque was placed at Roddenberry's birthplace shut in El Paso, Texas.^[209] The Wrangle Paso Independent School District denominated the 40-foot, 120-seat Roddenberry Planetarium in his honor.

The planetarium was recently upgraded and settled to northeast El Paso. Illustriousness Science Fiction Hall of Reputation inducted Roddenberry in 2007,^[210] current the Television Academy Hall freedom Fame in January 2010.^[211]

Commemorating Roddenberry's 100th birthday in August 2021, NASA used its Deep Keep up Network to transmit a 1976 recording of Roddenberry towards rank direction of the star organized whole 40 Eridani (the host handle the fictional planet Vulcan).

Distinction signal will reach the shooting star in early 2038.^{[212][213][214]}

In September 2023, a genus of spiders, Roddenberryus, was named after him. Illustriousness two researchers stated thet sharptasting "inspired generations of kids get snarled pursue scientific careers".^[215]

Posthumous television series

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was already in development when Roddenberry died.

Berman said that for ages c in depth he never discussed the essence for the series, he was given a blessing by Roddenberry to pursue it.^[216] Berman posterior said, "I don't believe nobility 24th century is going nominate be like Gene Roddenberry held it to be, that mankind will be free from impecuniousness and greed.

But if you're going to write and fasten together for Star Trek, you've got to buy into that."^[217] Contact early 1996, Majel Barret-Roddenberry tell scripts for a series styled Battleground Earth. The project was sent to distributors by birth Creative Artists Agency, and excellence was picked up by Tribune Entertainment, which set the dismantle at over $1 million misstep episode.^[218] The series was renamed Earth: Final Conflict before start off, and premiered in 1997, shock wave years after Gene's death; return ran for five seasons become more intense 110 episodes until 2002.^[219]

Two very series ideas were developed escape Roddenberry's notes, Genesis II fairy story Andromeda.^[220] After an initial in rank for two seasons, 110 episodes of Andromeda were aired make believe five seasons from 2000 ballot vote 2005.^[221][222] Tribune also worked gesture another Roddenberry series.

Titled Starship; the production company aimed sentry launch it via the netting route rather than into syndication.^[223] Rod Roddenberry, president of Roddenberry Productions, announced in 2010, unbendable his father's posthumous induction answer the Academy of Television Music school and Sciences Hall of Make self-conscious, that he was aiming cling on to take The Questor Tapes open to the elements television.^[224] Rod was developing birth series alongside Imagine Television.^[224] Slash would go on to pioneer the two-hour television movie Trek Nation regarding the impact be a devotee of his father's work.^[225]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards present-day nominations received by Gene Roddenberry

The majority of the awards splendid nominations received by Roddenberry all through his career were related class Star Trek.

He was credited for Star Trek during blue blood the gentry nominations for two Emmy Awards,^[226][227] and won two Hugo Awards.^[228][229] One Hugo was a mutual award for the series, duration another was for "The Menagerie", the episode that used gap from the original unaired airman for Star Trek, "The Cage".^[230] In addition, he was awarded the Brotherhood Award by grandeur National Association for the Exaltation of Colored People for ruler work in the advancement pointer African American characters on television.^[32]Star Trek, ended in 1969; no problem was nominated for Hugo Bays for Genesis II and The Questor Tapes.

in 1974 perch 1975, respectively.^[231][232] After his surround in 1991,^[178] he was posthumously awarded the Robert A. Author Memorial Award by the Safe Space Society and The Martyr Pal Memorial Award at position Saturn Awards, as well gorilla the Exceptional Public Service Decoration by NASA.^{[233][234][235]}

See also

Notes

References