One of the most respected and well known voices of the Next Generation era, Jeri Taylor started her Star Trek career with the Next Generation, but solidified her production legacy as one of the creators behind Star Trek Voyager.
Making her mark in the world of television, Taylor’s pre-Trek career was a little more grounded. Through the 80’s Taylor moved from writing to productio with classic drama’s including Magnum PI, Blue Thunder and murder mystery series Quincy ME. Though she dabbled beyond the genre, including writing an episode of the Incredible Hulk, Taylor would move into the Star Trek universe on the recommendation of fellow Quincy writer, and Next Generation producer, Lee Sheldon, who had been tasked with expanding the themes of TNG and wanted to bring on board a versatile writer with experience beyond science fiction.
Following the submission of her first script, Suddenly Human, Taylor was brought on board full time as supervising producer.
Her contributions in the Next Generation era included some of the series finest episodes, the standout being procedural drama The Drumhead focused on a retired Admiral leading an investigation to find a traitor in the ranks of the Enterprise. Other contributions included Riker romance The Outcast and being charged with several well regarded stories including penning the script for The Wounded, focusing on O’Briens past traumas with the Cardassians ahead of his jump to DS9.
Even in working briefly on Deep Space Nine, Taylor’s talents for mystery and drama were a perfect fit for all three of her episodes; one two parter introducer the Maquis, and Homecoming giving Kira the spotlight as she chases down a Bajoran legend in a secret Cardassian prison camp.
Already an executive producer for the final season of the Next Generation, Taylor took over as lead showrunner in the final season which led to her next adventure: creating a whole new show to replace the TNG crew.
In various interviews and panels over the years, Taylor would play down her role in Star Trek, particularly within the creation of Voyager as in her opinion the should would have happened if she was par tof the process or not, but her modesty is often countered by the many people she worked with on the show; lead actor Kate Mulgrew in particular who has held her in high regard for the efforts to make Janeway a powerful voice and leader.
Leading the show behind the scenes, Taylor’s mark would be felt by the whole team focusing on expanding the depth of characters throughout her four years as executive producer. Retiring from production she’d continue to write and take part as creative consultant until the shows final season.
Having become a popular addition to talks and panels since her departutre from television, Taylor sadly passed away on October 24th with the entire Star Trek Universe paying tribute.
“She was a great writer and showrunner and, to me, a cherished mentor.” Brannon Braga reflected in a statement following Taylor’s passing, “Jeri was generous with her wisdom and her time, she nurtured an entire staff of young writers which is a testament to her patience. I would not have a career without Jeri’s intricate guidance. She taught us all so much.”
Taylor’s final project was as part of the To The Journey documentary, focusing on the story and legacy of Star Trek Voyager. For more information is available on the projects website.
About the author
Mark Mitchell; 1969-2026
It's with great sadness we report that our Director of Operations, Mark Mitchell, has sadly passed away suddenly earlier this week. Mark was one of our longest serving members and a huge part of what helped shape what SFCQ2 is today. Having served in leadership as a CO, throughout fleet support and originating the role of Director of Administration, Mark's unyielding dedication to the club and his multiple contributions over the decades undoubtedly make him worthy of his Legend handle. From writing the entire base for our modern Academy to being vital in the fleet restructure, to offering support and advice to countless members to support leadership and direction, Mark's efforts serve, and will likely continue to serve, as the backbone of everything that makes Q2 with his primary goal always being to offer the best of everything and push […]
Gamma Quarter 2403 Promotions & Citations
Throughout it’s entire existence SFC has grown, evolved and thrived due tot he commitment and passion of our officers and crew. Keen members can make a huge difference within their unit or the fleet as a whole, and we like to ensure members are rewarded and recognised for all they bring to the organisation. Starting this quarter, we're opening every new period within the fleet celebrating those who have made an impact and engaged in being a positive influence in their unit or in Q2 overall. The most obvious form of rewards comes from our naval-based rank structure. Utilising the same base rank structure seen on screen, SFC takes members through their journey as a Starfleet officer by giving members a chance to rise throughout the ranks from Ensign to Captain. Having had an active and exciting year, Lt Commander […]
A Fistful of ‘Spirk’
We've been spoiled with Spock in the past few years with Discovery introducing a younger iteration of the character long before he became the refined man of logic that made him famous, and continued that story through Strange New Worlds and his time under Captain Pike's command. As Strange New Worlds continues, giving more history to the original series line up and the early meetings of Spock and Kirk as it makes way for the beginning of the Kirk era, we thought we'd look back at some moments that made the partnership one of the most popular combinations in science fiction. JOURNEY TO BABEL TOS Season 2 Spock's got a bit of an issue with sharing. Secret brother who was shunned. Secret sister who's fate was classified. And despite trusting the Enterprise crew with his life, it was clearly only […]
Site & Service Updates July 2026
It's been a strange year as we adapt to then changing landscape of the Star Trek franchise with recent corporate shenanigans in the media industry, as well as adjusting to and anticipating new regulation sin our home base of the UK which has taken up more brain power than we'd expected!Still, despite distractions, we've been working away in the background with a revised Admin schedule to ensure at the very least every Sunday we can check off some items on the to do list and keep everyone updated on the changes whether minor, major or a bit pointless! On Screen Additions After being placed on the low priority list for a while, the On Screen Mission Log section has begun taking shape. Previously the On Screen section had it's own section per show since the launch of Discovery, however with […]
New Unit Application Guide
Account Academy Database Fleet Updates Calendar Latest Entries Explore Database Index Starfleet Academy Help & Support ⯇ DATABASE INDEX ACCOUNT HUB NEw Unit Application Guide Clarification This section is both for information and for making formal applications for creating or importing a new unit into SFCQ2. Applications can also be made directly to Fleet Administration. All applications are considered for review. × JOIN THE CAPTAINS TABLE Every Star Trek fans dreams of being the captain of their own Starship. Although running an SFC Quadrant 2 Unit is (probably) easier than commanding a starship, both roles require commitment and dedication.Unit’s are, and always will be, the core of SFC. It is within them that members can indulge in their shared interests for Star Trek and science fiction while enjoying the company of fellow fans and like minded people. At their best, […]
[Q2&A] Membership Handbook: Revised & Updated for 2026
With over fifty years (and counting) of history, joining SFC can sometimes be a whirlwind and while we're always focused on a more casual experience, tit can sometimes be overwhelming knowing where to start. While we offer our Academy as an induction tour of Quadrant 2's organisation and structure, and are always open to expanding more information in the Fleet Database, our Officers Pack gives you a one stop resource to highlight our core policies, membership information and more; The Membership Handbook/ Membership within Q2 is fairly laid back. But since it's inception - both overall as Starfleet Command as well as the administrative split for Quadrant 2 - out handbook has outlined who we are, how we operate and as a resource for members to be able to understand what membership entails from our core mission statement, to our […]
Related
Behind the Viewscreen: Jerry Goldsmith
Across a long career writing music for some of Hollywoods most celebrated films, Jerry Goldsmith's mark can be heard in a huge range of genre's from The Omen, to LA Confidential, from Patton to Planet of the Apes. But even when it comes to his science fiction scores including Alien and Total Recall, none have left as iconic a mark as his contributions to Star Trek. During the reinvention of Star Trek for cinema, director Robert Wise knew the challenge. Turn a small sci fi show into a cinematic epic. The success of that has often came up for debate, but no matter the opinion on the Motion Picture, the one celebrated element was the music Goldsmith delivered and the new template he build for the sound of Star Trek. Blending classic orchestra with electronic synthesizers and complex rhythmic patterns, […]
Inside Trek/Outside Trek: Colm Meaney
To the entire Star Trek Universe, Colm Meaney will forever be remembered as The Chief. Making his first appearance in The Next Generations pilot as a background character, Meaney soon found himself in the rotating guest cast for the Next Generation as the character O'Brien was fleshed out and used to bridge the next spin off when he became part of the core cast of Deep Space Nine. Becoming a favourite as the mild mannered transporter chief, O'Brien solidified his place in Star Trek history in Deep Space Nine thanks to Meaney bringing a grounded, working-class style into the collection of officers and diplomats around him, kicking and cursing at broken down equipment in DS9's pilot episode and continuing to bring the most human character as a father, husband, mentor and overworked fixer of all things. Beyond Star Trek, […]
That Guy From That Thing: Harris Yulin
Among the many acclaimed guest appearances from all corners of the Star Trek Universe, there are only a small few who gave as deep a performance as Harris Yulin in his sole appearance in the franchise. Taking the spotlight as Aamin Marritza in Deep Space Nine's first season episode Duet, a Cardassian civilian who arrives at Deep Space Nine and raises a massive red flag for Kira when she learns he has a condition that links him to a brutal mining camp that many Bajorans suffered through during the occupation. Yulin is an actor who you may not recognise by name, but you always recognise. Having made his name in the New York theatre scene in the 60's, he quickly established himself as a serious dramatic talent with an incredible command of language, subtly and presence before he'd ever step […]
[Inside Trek] Behind the Viewscreen: Robert H Justman
It takes an army to bring a TV show to life, especially one creating it's own world to explore in and more often than not the people behind the scenes are often unsung heroes despite being key to the creation of an iconic a legacy as Star Trek. Robert Justman was one of the many responsible to shaping the Star Trek Universe, particularly in it's early days, and was one of the most influential producers in helping form the original series. Staring his career in technical and production roles, Justman learned the ropes in the 1950's as television in the US would go from a rare luxury to a household staple throughout the decade. Building his skills and reputation as assistant director and production manager on a variety of styles, Justman gained a reputation for being highly unorganised and keeping […]
Inside Trek/Outside Trek: Robert Picardo
The Doctor was a character designed as a stop-gap, a temporary solution in a crisis who would end up developing beyond his limited programming to serve as the only doctor on board the USS Voyager for it's seven years lost in the Delta Quadrant. It seems fitting that the man behind the emitter, Robert Picardo, has since become a larger part of the Star Trek Universe than he ever thought he'd be. Now starring as a main feature on Starfleet Academy, his second live action role, Picardo's Doctor was also a prominent part of both seasons of Star Trek Prodigy and has even man aged to squeeze in appearances as another EMH on board the Enterprise E in First Contact, and as holographic engineer Lewis Zimmerman in Deep Space Nine as well as bringing the character to expanded media including […]
[Inside Trek] Behind the Viewscreen: Remembering Louise Fletcher
One of Deep Space Nine's biggest strengths was it's incredibly diverse cast of characters, from Starfleet heroes and freedom fighters, to Cardassian spies and the ever devious Dominion. The series was spoiled for the level of skill and talent involved. Especially when it came to one small recurring part who became one of the most unforgettable villians of the series brought to life by Academy Award–winner Louise Fletcher. Known to most of the world as Nurse Ratched, the tormentor of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Fletcher was only the third woman to win an Academy Award for her cold and heartless performance. Gaining immense respect and stardom for her performance, by the time she arrived in the Star Trek Universe, Fletchers reputation for playing complex and calm authority figures made her a star before she even […]
