The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Go inside production of Star Trek TOS with another visit from director Ralph Senensky. At 98 years old, Ralph sat down with host Larry Nemecek to discuss his work on the series. This time: details of Ralph's work on classic episodes "Metamorphosis" and "Bread and Circuses." See the original document: Star Trek director memos - 1967 The Trek Files Season 7 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 were cast changes for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that meant a new writer/director guide to explain the crew dynamics. The Trek Files welcomes back Susan Sackett, Gene Roddenberry's longtime assistant, to offer insight into those early production days of TNG. See the original document: Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers Guide - Season 2 The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

Starlog magazine profiled Gene Roddenberry in July 1986 to discuss the Star Trek movies and TV legacy. We are joined by Ian Spelling, author of that piece as well as former editor of startrek.com and co-author of Star Trek: A Celebration. See the original document: Homeward Bound - Starlog, July 1986 The Trek Files Season 7 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's a constant in the TV business: the collision of production and promotion. On at least one occasion in 1967, Herb Solow complained to Bob Justman that that local promos were taking up production resources on Star Trek. Our guest, John Wentworth, reminds us that even decades later it was a familiar refrain. See the original document: Local promo shoots - July 12, 1967 The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

An early script draft for Star Trek IV: The Adventure Continues draws pointed critique in Gene Roddenberry's office. The Trek Files is joined by the author of the memo, Susan Sackett, to describe Gene's challenges with the film. See the original document: Star Trek IV comments - December 9, 1985 The Trek Files Season 7 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 are a few ways to gauge the popularity of a TV show, and fan mail, by volume, is one important factor. Former Paramount executive John Wentworth stops by The Trek Files to explain some of Star Trek's audience appeal and share insights about his time with the show's producers. See the original document: Star Trek vs The Monkees - 1967 The Trek Files Season 7 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 we approach the centennial of Gene Roddenberry's birth, Larry Nemecek recounts the story of his only meeting with the Great Bird himself on August 15, 1989. It's a post-STLV episode, and we will return to our regular format next week. Trek well, everybody! The Trek Files Season 7 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 second part of Larry Nemecek's interview with Ralph Senensky, the conversation focuses on Ralph's departure from the series with the third season episode "The Tholian Web." From Gene Roddenberry's files, find the deal memo that brought Herb Wallerstein on board and the DGA to determine who got the credit. See the original document: Ralph Senensky - The Tholian Web The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

Special guest Steven Lance returns to The Trek Files to share his experiences as MC at Star Trek conventions in the 1970s. Hear about the origin of "Heash" and the special friendships that led to Steve's career and time on set with Star Trek legends. See the original document: Star Trek Conventions - 1975 - 1976 The Trek Files Season 7 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!    

The famous "rec deck" scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture was filmed in October 1978 and featured hundreds of friends and fans who had supported the journey from small screen to big screen. Actor/host/writer Steven Lance was among those on set that day and tells the personal story how James Doohan got him there! See the original document: Star Trek: The Motion Picture call sheets - October 1978 The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

Gene Roddenberry's longtime executive assistant Susan Sackett joins The Trek Files to discuss two documents a decade apart. First up, the gritty details of the Star Trek office and who is responsible for what expenditures. Then it's onto the early days of The Next Generation when the groundwork was being laid for the new series - over lunch, of course. See the original document: Business affairs 1975 and lunch notes 1986 The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

Kicking off season 7 of The Trek Files: an interview with Star Trek TOS multiple-episode director, Ralph Senensky. In this segment, recorded in Ralph's home, we'll hear about "This Side of Paradise," his first assignment on the series, and why directors should never expect praise from their producers. Follow The Trek Files See the original document: Ralph Senensky The Trek Files Season 7 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!  

Three years before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a fan surveyed hundreds of other Star Trek fans to get a look at their hopes and expectations for the franchise's next phase. To close season six of The Trek Files, Larry welcomes back John Champion to discuss the clues about the first wave of fandom and their unique relationship to the creative forces behind their favorite show. See the original document: Star Trek motion picture poll - 1976 The Trek Files Season 6 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!  

Gerald Fried is back on The Trek Files! The legendary composer sits down with Larry to discuss his time with Star Trek (composing the scores for four episodes) as well as the inherent differences in writing music for Gilligan's Island and the merits of Lost in Space. Our document this week takes a peek behind the curtain as Bob Justman seeks a composer for "Plato's Stepchildren" with his sardonic wit intact. See the original document: Plato's Stepchildren composers - 1968 The Trek Files Season 6 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!  

To fill the gap between Star Trek on TV and big screen, a record album was conceived to have various audio essays and interviews with Trek actors "in character." Mark Lenard signed up to play Sarek on a number of topics, and this week we welcome back author Jean Lorrah with her take on characterizing the Vulcan and what she may have contributed. See the original document: Columbia record memo - 1976 The Trek Files Season 6 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!  

Final casting for Star Trek: The Next Generation was happening in spring of 1987. For the role of Wesley Crusher, young actors were given sample script pages and put on tape for the producers to make their decisions. This week, Larry is joined by one of those actor hopefuls, The Trek Files producer John Champion! See the original document: Wesley Crusher casting - 1987 The Trek Files Season 6 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!  

A correspondence between composer Gerald Fried and Star Trek Producer Bob Justman regarding music for "The Paradise Syndrome" kicks off this week's The Trek Files. We are honored to welcome the talented (and humorous!) Gerald Fried himself to talk about writing music for Star Trek and a myriad of other iconic productions. See the original document: Letter to Gerald Fried - June 5, 1968 The Trek Files Season 6 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!

After Gene Roddenberry's death in 1991, letters of condolence to Majel Barrett Roddenberry flooded in from luminaries around the world, including from former President Ronald Reagan. Helping Majel reply to those letters was a close friend. The Trek Files welcomes back Dr. Harrison Solow to talk about her relationship with the Roddenberry family. See the original document: Condolence letter from Ronald Reagan - 1991 The Trek Files Season 6 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!  

A memo from Gene Roddenberry outlines some changes and areas of concern for Star Trek's regular characters as they head into the show's third season. Spock, in particular, poses a challenge, and this week The Trek Files welcomes back Jean Lorrah to discuss fandom's take on the famous Vulcan and how fan fiction filled in the gaps. See the original document: Star Trek Continuing Characters - 1968 The Trek Files Season 6 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 1991 a book proposal made its way to Gene Roddenberry's desk that he should be included in "Portraits of American Genius." This week, Dr. Harrison Solow (wife of the late Herb Solow, Desilu Studios' Executive in Charge of Production) talks about the pitch and her growing friendship with Gene, Majel, Herb and others in the Star Trek production staff. See the original document: Portraits of American Genius - 1991 The Trek Files Season 6 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!