The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

One of the common threads the connects all Star Trek series is the role of the Doctor. Whether human, alien, or hologram, the Doctor often represents the compassionate, human heart at the center of Trek's stories. In an excerpt from the first season Star Trek writer's guide, Gene Roddenberry spelled out the special relationship Dr. McCoy has with his crewmates. Special guest John Billingsley drops by The Trek Files to give his own spin on how Dr. Phlox fits into the legacy and shares imporant updates about Trektivim in the real world by helping foster positive social change. Document and additional references: Star Trek Writer-Director Information (Excerpt) - August 30, 1966 Support TrekTalks and the Hollywood Food Coalition The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Star Trek's very first fans were made on the night of Septmeber 8, 1966 when NBC premired its newest primetime science-fiction show. The reviews may have been mixed, but a lifetime of influence and inspiration followed. We look back at a couple of Trek's earliest reviews and get to know one of the viewers from that night. Glen Henderson, author of "All I Need to Know about Success I Learned from Star Trek," joins The Trek Files to discuss the series' impact on his life and profession. Document and additional references: Reviews of New Television Shows - September 9, 1966 Visit Glen Henderson, The Trek Whisperer The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Continuing our conversation with Star Trek fan-turned-professional David Benjamin Tomlinson, The Trek Files focuses on a day of production from one of his favorite episodes, TNG's "Cause and Effect." The conversation sparks reflection on the intrigue of time-based stories, the challenges of working under alien prosthetics, and the special thrill of being directed by Jonathan Frakes. Document and additional references: Star Trek TNG "Cause and Effect" call sheet - January 23, 1992 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Actor David Benjamin Tomlinson returns to The Trek Files for a look back at a single, pivotal page from the script of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. As a lifelong fan, David recounts the importance of the handoff from the classic series of feature films to a new generation of storytellers and his personal jounrey joining the production of Star Trek: Discovery. Document and additional references: Star Trek VI scene 202 - February 19, 1991 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Continuing our celebration of Leonard Nimoy, we revisit a memo from 1967 in which he cheekily promised he had stolen enough pens to satisfy the needs of answering his fan mail. As our special guest to shed more light on his personality, The Trek Files welcomes Rich Michelson who was a collaborator, biographer, and long-time friend of Leonard. The two bonded over photography and literature and found delight in each other's humor. Rich shares poignant stories about talking to Leonard every day before his death in 2015 and carrying on to celebrate his creative work. Document and additional references: Leonard Nimoy fan mail memos - June, 1967 Visit AdamNimoy.com for more information and book tour dates. The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

In the collaborative, high pressure environment of film and TV production, tensions often flare between creative professionals. In the lead-up to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Leonard Nimoy was preparing for his first outing as a feature film director when Gene Roddenberry sent a friendly, congratulatory letter to smooth over past disagreements. In a special episode of The Trek Files, we look back at Leonard's career ten years after his death, and we are delighted to welcome his son, Adam Nimoy, to share stories about the man, his talent, and what made him "The Most Human." Document and additional references: Gene Roddenberry letter to Leonard Nimoy - May 20, 1983 Visit AdamNimoy.com for more information and book tour dates. The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

It was the very first day of filming for Christopher Lloyd as Commander Kruge, on set on the bright of a Klingon Bird of Prey, in September of 1983. Lloyd's performance was iconic in a career already full of iconic characters. In this special episode of The Trek Files, Lloyd joins host Larry Nemecek on stage at Trek to San Francisco to discuss his career an bringing Kruge to life. Document and additional references: Star Trek III call sheet - September 19, 1983 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

There was a time when Saurians were only known for their brandy, but by the time of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the alien species was starting to flesh out a bit more. A few decades later, Saurians came into their own when Star Trek: Discovery introduced us to beloved crew member "Linus." Special guest David Benjamin Tomlinson joins The Trek Files to talk about bringing Linus to life and his own longtime love of Star Trek. Document and additional references: The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture [excerpt] - 1980 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

As Star Trek often finds itself in transitional periods, the question always arises: what IS "Star Trek?" In 1986, Gene Roddenberry responded to Paramount Executive John Pike with a letter outlining his concepts for The Next Generation. Now, decades later, we welcome Rod Roddenberry to discuss the parallels of defining Star Trek then and now and striking a balance between the original concept and reinventing for a new audience. Document and additional references: Letter from Gene Roddenberry to John Pike - September 19, 1986 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

In a letter to Gene Roddenberry, Dorothy Fontana makes the case for accepting a story from Larry Niven into the production of Star Trek: The Animated Series. In a separate letter to Larry, Dorothy suggests a collaborative approach to bring his story to the small screen. In this episode of The Trek Files, we are thrilled to welcome the award-winning science-fiction novelist Larry Niven himself to share his recollection of working with Dorothy and adapting his story for Star Trek! Document and additional references: Letters to Gene Roddenberry and Larry Niven - 1973 The Trek Files Season 13 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Just over 30 years ago, filming began on a Star Trek series that would launch a new TV network. The exit of a star player brought production to a halt while executives figured out how to recast the series lead. The Trek Files welcomes back Dave Rossi, who was there on day one, with stories of Voyager finding its way and introducing the newest Captain to her ship. Don't miss our season finale! Document and additional references: Star Trek: Voyager call sheets - September, 1994 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

Few people had as much influence on shaping Star Trek: Voyager and the role of Captain Janeway than the late Jeri Taylor. Known in the business as much for her professional output as for her humility and kindness, Jeri had re-emerged in the last few years to connect with the Trek fans who were influenced by her work. The Trek Files welcomes longtime friend and colleague Lolita Fatjo to discuss Jeri's legacy and comment on our document the connect's directly to your host! Document and additional references: Nemecek Pitch - December 14, 1994 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The story of the once missing, now discovered, three-foot filming model of the USS Enterprise has been all over the news lately, leading Star Trek fans to investigate and speculate. From Gene's desk to an abandoned storage unit, there's more than a 40 year gap. This week, prompted by Gene's memo to get his model back, The Trek Files is happy to shed a little more light on the story. Learn how a few more items found at auction led one Trekspert, David Tilotta, to piece together the Enterprise's journey in front of the holographic lens. Don't miss this revealing bit of Trek history! Document and additional references: "Three-Foot Enterprise Model" - November 5, 1979 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

Director Paul Lynch returns to The Trek Files to discuss his other first regular episode for the franchise, Deep Space Nine's "A Man Alone." An industry veteran, Lynch dives into the director-actor relationship about bringing the best performances out of the cast. Which DS9 actors were ready on day one? And which ones needed time to settle into their roles? Lynch shares his insights from day one of DS9. Document and additional references: "A Man Alone" call sheet - September 29, 1992 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

After a TV pilot is carefully produced, the task of creating a regular weekly series can get underway. "The Naked Now" was Star Trek: The Next Generation's first series episode, and The Trek Files is pleased to welcome the episodes' director, Paul Lynch, to discuss his work. Find out what actors required the least direction and who studio executives thought the real "star" of the series was at the time! Document and additional references: "The Naked Now" daily production report - July 6,1987 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The Trek Files goes back into the world of audio for an in-depth discussion about Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Specifically, the many complexities of character dialogue recording and re-recording are the focus for special guest Mike Matessino who was a post-production supervisor on both of TMP's Director's Editions. A memo from Robert Wise about actor ADR kicks off a discussion about the noisy Enterprise bridge, the changes given to Vulcan subtitles over the years, and much more. Document and additional references: "Star Trek" Looping - August 15, 1979 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of TAS' second season with guest Aaron Harvey, author of "Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series." In many ways, TAS broke new ground by expanding on what had come from TOS and making the Trek universe a richer place. For the first time, Orion pirates were seen, and they, along with many other TAS creations, have left an indelible mark on the franchise ever since. Dive into the roots of felinoid species, what makes "canon" and more on this week's episode of The Trek Files. Document and additional references: "The Pirates of Orion" storyboards - 1974 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

A series of memos from the earliest days of The Next Generation contemplate the scientific advances of the new Enterprise. Specifically, the bridge would undergo a radical redesign to emphasize a more comfortable, thoughtful interaction of the crew. In addition, the special effects advances since the 1960s meant that the views of space could be much more realistic. We welcome back Dr. Barrett Caldwell to help explore the intersection of technology and humanity, where Star Trek gets it right, and where it stretches our imaginations. Document and additional references: The Front Window of the Enterprise - 1986 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

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 wrangler" for film and television. Steve currently archives the industry's work at the Hollywood Sound Museum. Document and additional references: Dubbing and Scoring Schedule - July 10 - 14, 1967 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

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 marshmallows to purple horses on this week's episode of The Trek Files. Document and additional references: Star Trek V call sheets - 1988 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.