15-11 The Next Generation Before Picard

15-11 The Next Generation Before Picard

Before Captain Picard. Before the Enterprise-D. Before Gene Roddenberry stepped back into the captain's chair of his own creation... This week on The Trek Files, Larry Nemecek is joined by author and Star Trek historian Ben Robinson to examine one of the earliest surviving documents in the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation: a September 1986 memo from writer Greg Strangis to producer Rick Berman outlining the first concepts for a new Star Trek television series. The document reveals some fascinating ideas: a Starfleet Academy setting, a young captain, a Klingon observer serving aboard a Federation starship, familiar themes of friendship, diplomacy, and the Prime Directive, but viewed through the lens of Cold War politics and 1980s television. Together, Larry and Ben explore why some of these ideas disappeared, why others evolved into the Next Generation we know today, and how the process of reinventing Star Trek began long before Gene Roddenberry ultimately reshaped the concept himself. Documents and Additional References * Greg Strangis to Rick Berman — Early Notes on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (September 4, 1986) [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Next_Generation_Before_Picard_(podcast)] Additional References * Greg Strangis [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Greg_Strangis] * Rick Berman [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rick_Berman] * Star Trek: The Next Generation [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation] * Gene Roddenberry [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gene_Roddenberry] * Ben Robinson [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Robinson] * Related Trek Files episodes: * Season 1, Episode 4 — Early Star Trek: The Next Generation series treatment [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/TNG_Conceptual_Work_(September_12,_1986)_(podcast)] * Season 13, Episode 2 — Gene Roddenberry's response to the early Next Generation proposal [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Letter_from_Gene_Roddenberry_to_John_Pike_-_September_19,_1986_(podcast)]

15-10 Star Trek II Retakes: The Scenes That Changed The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is regarded as one of the finest entries in the franchise, but even classics continue to evolve right up until release. This week on The Trek Files, Larry Nemecek welcomes authors and historians John and Maria Jose Tenuto to examine a fascinating production document: a March 23, 1982 retake script created just weeks before the film premiered. The pages reveal subtle but important changes to some of the movie's most memorable moments, from Kirk's first encounter with David Marcus to the famous "Remember" scene between Spock and McCoy. How much did Kirk originally know about his son? Who actually performed the mind-meld hand seen in the reshoot? And how did a handful of pickup shots help shape what would become one of Star Trek's greatest films? Along the way, John and Maria Jose pull back the curtain on Nicholas Meyer's production, Harve Bennett's stewardship of the franchise, and the extraordinary efficiency that turned a modestly-budgeted sequel into a science-fiction masterpiece. Documents and Additional References Document of the Week * Star Trek II Retakes Script Pages — March 23, 1982 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_II_Retakes:_The_Scenes_That_Changed_The_Wrath_of_Khan_(podcast)] Additional References * Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film [https://titanbooks.com/70897-star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-the-making-of-the-classic-film/] * Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_II:_The_Wrath_of_Khan] * Nicholas Meyer [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Nicholas_Meyer] * Harve Bennett [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Harve_Bennett] * ⁠Titan Books author page for Maria Jose Tenuto [https://titanbooks.com/creators/maria-jose-tenuto/]

15-9 No Landing Gear Required - The Origin of Star Trek's Transporter

What if Star Trek's most iconic technology was really just a clever budget solution? This week on The Trek Files, Larry Nemecek welcomes back actor, writer, and Does It Fly? [https://doesitflypod.com] co-host Tamara Krinsky to explore one of the foundational documents of Star Trek: an excerpt from Gene Roddenberry's August 1966 Writer-Director Information guide. Among its many insights is an early explanation of the transporter, the device that would become one of the franchise's most recognizable inventions. What began as a practical solution to avoid expensive weekly landing sequences quickly evolved into a storytelling engine unlike anything else in science fiction. Together, Larry and Tamara examine how the transporter shaped Star Trek's pacing and opened the door to some of the franchise's most memorable stories. Drawing on Tamara's work analyzing science fiction concepts on Does It Fly? [https://doesitflypod.com], the conversation ventures into questions of physics and philosophy. Is transporting matter actually possible? What happens to consciousness during transport? And how did a production shortcut become one of the most enduring ideas in popular culture? From Gene Roddenberry's original vision to modern discussions of science and storytelling, this episode beams directly into what makes Star Trek work. Documents and Additional References * Star Trek Writer-Director Information [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/No_Landing_Gear_Required_-_The_Origin_of_Star_Trek%27s_Transporter_(podcast)] (Revised August 30, 1966) – transporter section and production notes * Gene Roddenberry [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gene_Roddenberry] * Transporter [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Transporter] * Tamara Krinsky [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tamara_Lee_Krinsky] * Does It Fly? [https://doesitflypod.com] podcast⁠ * Does It Fly? – Is Star Trek's Transporter Really Possible? [https://doesitflypod.com/is-star-treks-transporter-really-possible/]

15-8 Rewriting Joan Crawford

Before Star Trek or The Lieutenant Gene Roddenberry explored his role as a television creator by developing a series for one of Hollywood's biggest stars: Joan Crawford. This week, Larry welcomes Roddenberry Podcasts Technical Director and Gene-ology [https://podcasts.roddenberry.com/show/mission-log-gene-ology/] co-host Earl Green to examine a 1961 memo in which Gene proposes major revisions to The Joan Crawford Show, a legal drama pilot titled A Man's World. The project never made it to series, but the document reveals a writer already demonstrating the storytelling instincts, character focus, and production savvy that would later define his career. Along the way, Earl and Larry explore Crawford's complicated transition from film to television, the realities of early TV development, Gene's final months at Screen Gems, and the behind-the-scenes negotiations that surrounded the project. They also discuss why the pilot script itself—examined in depth on Gene-ology [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mission_Log:_Gene-ology]—may rank among Gene Roddenberry's strongest pre-Star Trek works. What begins as a rewrite memo becomes a look into Hollywood in transition and Gene Roddenberry honing his craft years before the Enterprise ever left spacedock. Documents and Additional References * Joan Crawford rewrite memo [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rewriting_Joan_Crawford_(podcast)] (April 28, 1961) * Gene Roddenberry [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gene_Roddenberry] * Joan Crawford [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001076/] on IMDb * The Lieutenant [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056771/?ref_=fn_t_2] on IMDb * DeForest Kelley [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/DeForest_Kelley] * Gene-ology: A Man's World [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/A_Man%27s_World_(podcast)] episode⁠

15-7 Majel's Vision - Lwaxana in the 24th Century, Revisited

Earlier this season, we explored an unusual piece of Star Trek history: a proposed sitcom starring Lwaxana Troi [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tawny_Newsome_on_the_Lost_Lwaxana_Troi_Sitcom_Pitch_(podcast)]. Now, the story takes an unexpected turn. When listeners helped identify one of the creators behind the never-produced project, The Trek Files tracked down writer and media innovator Jack Myers, who hadn't seen the pitch document in decades. Together, Larry and Jack revisit Lwaxana in the 24th Century, uncovering how the project came together, Majel Barrett Roddenberry's personal investment in the series, and why Hollywood never gave it a chance. Jack shares memories of Majel's determination, her frustrations with the industry's limitations, and her belief that Lwaxana could carry a series of her own. Looking back today, many of the pitch's ideas (from AI-powered homes and android assistants to questions of identity, family, and cultural division) feel surprisingly ahead of their time. It's a rare opportunity to hear the history behind an unproduced Star Trek project directly from one of the people who helped create it, while reflecting on the changing world of television and the legacy of Majel Barrett Roddenberry. Documents and Additional References * Lwaxana in the 24th Century pitch treatment [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tawny_Newsome_on_the_Lost_Lwaxana_Troi_Sitcom_Pitch_(podcast)] (circa 1992) * Majel Barrett Roddenberry [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Majel_Barrett_Roddenberry] * Lwaxana Troi [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Lwaxana_Troi] * Jack Myers [https://www.jackmyers.com] official site * Star Trek: The Next Generation [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation] * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Deep_Space_Nine]