“The human race is a remarkable creature, one with great potential, and I hope that ‘Star Trek’ has helped to show us what we can be if we believe in ourselves and our abilities.”
Twenty five years ago today the creator of Star Trek passed away while serving as executive producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, leaving behind a legacy that would continue long after his passing.
Born August 19th, 1921, the creator of the Star Trek franchise has become an infamous figure both in fandom, and through his industry.
Best known for creating Star Trek, Gene roddenberry’s goal wasn’t always to work in television. In his formative years Roddenberry followed in his fathers footsteps, majoring in police science at LA City College, later developing an interest in aeronautical engineering and earning himself a pilots licence through the US Army Air Corps, where he would eventually enlist to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1942.
An avid reader filled with imagination, particularly fond of EE Smiths Skylark series, Roddenberry’s career was an eclectic one, moving form army to crash investigator, to airline pilot to police officer. Once again in the shadow of his father, he began to find his purpose in the world, finding his way into becoming a speech writer for the LA police and assigned as a technical adviser for the TV show Mr. District Attorney.
Under the name ‘Robert Wesley’, he began to write television scripts for Highway Patrol and Have Gun, Will Travel and also contributed to westerns like Boots and Saddles and Whiplash.
Roddenberry’s imagination was too large for basic freelance work and was often in overdrive. Unhappy with writing stories for other people, he became determined to write his own, to free the tales in his head and begin to create his own world. The task wasn’t as easily as he’d hoped, and his first attempt, a World War 2 adventure series titled APO 293, was turned down by the networks. But with determination and hard graft, his concept for a show titled The Lieutenant was a success, running for one season in the early 60’s.
It was his next series that would solidify his status for all time. Taking inspiration from his favourite books and sci fi serials, he began to develop a western in space. Infamously known as a ‘Wagon Train to the Stars.’
The idea didn’t have the best start. After being commissioned for a pilot in 1964, it went over budget and felt a little off for the networks. But NBC gave him a second shot. More action, more adventure, less spending. Star Trek was born.
It only lasted three seasons and didn’t have the instant success he wanted. But fifty years later, his low budget TV show has become a multi-million dollar franchise, and his insistence on inclusion and diversity an inspiration. Roddenberry passed away on October 24, 1991, just within 48 hours of the screening of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which was dedicated to his memory.
Gene Roddenberry changed the world in a very fundamental way, boldly going where no man has gone before.
The original version of this article was published in the September 2016 edition of Comms, available free to all members of SFC Quadrant 2. Logged in members can read and download Comms now, or non-members can sign up for access to all our member exclusive content and groups nationwide.
About the author
[Meet The Fleet] Academy Interim Commandant
Joining SFC can sometimes be a whirlwind. As part of our Q2&A Updates, we've decided it's time to Meet The Fleet! After introducing our Director of Administration, we're heading to the Academy to meet the person in charge of the new restructure and developments in progress for the fleets training program! Jovak (Jo) Interim Academy Commandant, SFCHQ Service ID: SC-785884-DVP Current Rank: Senior Specialist Enlisted: 78612.63 (August 2024) A relatively new addition to Q2's Fleet Support, Jo joined as part of the Devonport Reserve for inactive members due to having a personal dislike for social media groups but a big fan of the Universe. Working in training in development in the real world they joined the team in a background role to specifically work on new ideas for Academy on a short-term basis to give it a stronger presence heading […]
A Fistful of Next Generations
When Paramount was up for sale, everything was on pause., Now things are a little different with new owners, a shake up and a new future ahead. Since the merger everyone with a keyboard has had their idea of what could come next in the Star Trek Universe to tempt Skydance into the next part of the legacy. So we figured.... why not look at a list of ideas too? The Archers Someone's getting their PR out there along with their pitch as the Archer idea seems to have been picked up everywhere with fans who once decried Enterprise clamouring for more Archer! Though Archer's story ended on Enterprise with the formal formation of the Federation, the history of the shows that came after confirmed the 'beta canon' of his next adventures as President of the Federation. With Enterprise ending […]
[Retro Review] The Thaw: Voyager Season 2, Episode 23
On another distraction from flying in a straight line back to Earth, Voyager finds a world thats been wiped out by natural disaster. But there are survivors; a small group cryogenically frozen in a controlled system designed to wake them up when the coast was clear. Nineteen years later, they're trapped, asleep within the machine... Four years past their scheduled release date, there's been no breakdown, no malfunction. Yet five of the inhabitants are dead, the rest all very much alive and locked into a computer stimulation keeping them in a dream-world state. Bringing them on board the ship, Janeway is told that they can't just switch the machine off as it'll cause irreversible brain damage. But just like dialling into the Matrix, Voyager can plug into the redundant status chambers and hack their way in to talk to the […]
All You Need Is Love; New Life and New Civilisations. Strange New Worlds S3E9 Review
Following from Through the Lens of Time, Dr Korby is following the trail of the Vezda all the way to Skygowan; a world that worships the evil aliens found buried in a hidden temple. But the Vezda Scotty captured in the transporter buffer after possessing Ensign Gamble survived, escaped and is now fully reconstructed leading the planet and about to unleash hell throughout the galaxy. And of course, it's up to the Enterprise to find out how, why and chase down the demon to save the day. Writers:Dana Horgan & Davy Perez Director:Marja Vrvilo There's something quite nice about the idea of this episode. Strange New Worlds has leaned on retelling the 23rd century era for a lot of it's main hooks, whether that be revisiting the Gorn, Vulcan romance or going to the length of an alternate history […]
[Retro Review] Death Wish: Voyager Season 2, Episode 12
Discovering a comet that looks a little bit funky on the sensors, Voyager quickly learn that it's not just any rock floating through space, but a prison. Accidentally releasing a shunned Q (not that one, another one!), they learn that the Continuum had exiled and imprisoned him for casting aside immortality, seeing it as a punishment, and trying to end his existence. With Q (still not that one) now released by Voyager, Q (yes, that one!) pops by to put Q (the other one) back in his box, causing a unique call for asylum that puts Janeway in the centre of a Q Conflict (Qonflict?). John de Lancie's Q had been a regular on the Next Generation. Whether just being annoying because he was bored or giving Picard unnecessarily complex lessons in self awareness, he became a bit of a […]
Girls Gorn Wild; Terrarium. Strange New Worlds S3E9 Review
There's weird stuff going on in an uncharted region of space, and the Enterprise needs a closer look. To figure out why gravity waves are being especially weird, the crew strip down a shuttle to make it light as possible, and keep the crew levels down to one pilot: Erica Ortegas. But all their caution isn't enough as a wormhole appears out of nowhere and sucks the the shuttle into a dangerous, far sway hellscape from which there is no escape. Writers: Alan B McElroyDirector: Andrew Coutts Erica Ortegas is one of the most under utilised characters in Strange New Worlds. Giving the sarcasm and being the annoying one who argues – a point they hammered home is a family trait earlier this season – she's often laid out as a star pilot and war hero, but the most focuses […]
Related
Relay Recap: July 2024
All Features Universe Categories Fleet Alert Comms GORN GIRL recap; july 2025 Picking up on the Season 2 cliff-hanger, Strange New Worlds returned to our screens this month to find Captain Pike and his crew on the edge of war with the Gorn as Season 3 was finally released!Exploring new worlds and new problems, the Enterprise crew are back in action on Paramount Plus and we're keeping ourselves up to date with weekly episode discussion threads on our FB Continuing Mission Group & Weekly episode reviews from Admin ! Explore... Episode Reviews Spoilers Group ACROSS THE UNIVERSE As we look back on Pike's adventures on the Enterprise in the prequel series, Paramount also gave us a look at whats to come next as Entertainment Weekly and SDCC's Star Trek Universe panel gave us a sneak peek at the reopening of […]
A Fistful Of…. Other Worlds
Beyond the final frontier lies worlds even stranger than those encountered by heroic starship crews week after week. Running parallel to our world are many more. Some slightly different, some dramatically so and with each possibility time splinters into further alternate realities where everything that could be, is.
Star Trek, LGBT & Me.
The concept of IDIC - Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations - has always been core to the ideology of Star Trek and to SFC. As we celebrate Pride month, a celebration of diversity in itself, we're proud to introduce the first post from Churchill's CO Stephen Lester in sharing his experiences in what brought him to the world of Star Trek and to SFCQ2. Hello, my name is Stephen Lester aka Sebastian Rax. I am the Captain of the USS Churchill. I am a gay man with a partner. When I was at school, I wasn’t into Football like the other boys. I didn’t really have many friends who were boys. We rarely have anything in common and besides, they used to bully me. Calling me Gaylord. I preferred to get along with the girls and hang out with them. […]
Diversity and Inclusion in Star Trek
Sovereign's Sam Lewis (right) and their wife, Claire. Diversity and Inclusion in Star Trek June marks Pride month, celebrating diversity and inclusivity in the LGBT+ community. Star Trek has had mixed success with representation of LGBT+ individuals despite being otherwise representative of other minorities such as people of colour and those with a disability. Despite these hiccups the enduring message in Star Trek has always been one of inclusion and nothing demonstrates this more than Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. IDIC was first heard during the season 3 TOS episode "Is There In Truth No Beauty" where the symbol is first seen and talked about by Spock and Dr Jones, the actress whom went on to play the polarising TNG character Dr Polaski. The Original Series did not have any openly LGBT+ characters and whilst Roddenbery promised gay characters in […]
Raising a Glass to the Fathers of the Future
Darting from planet to planet, discovering the unknown, Star Trek has shown that relationships are a struggle when your main focus is on exploring the unknown. Yet beyond the great adventure, one of the most complex relationships shown on screen have been between parents and their children. Family drama is one of televisions most loved tropes and Star Trek has mined that particular well more than a few times over the years; particularly with father figures. For every inspiring and supportive Joseph Sisko, there's a Kyle Riker holding a life long resentment over their children. Occasionally there's an Enabrin Tain, who'd deny his parentage right until his deathbed. Not every family relationship in Trek has been antagonistic and some have been inspirational to both characters within the story and the audience at home. Today we're celebrating Fathers Day by looking […]
The Legacy of the Next Generation
Decades after the original crew launch their five year mission, 1987 introduced us to a new era of Star Trek as Captain Jean Luc Picard took centre stage of an all new Enterprise. The relaunch of the series was a bold move, replacing the lovable figures of the original crew with an all new cast, including an Android and a Klingon on the bridge! At the time it was a shocking change, but now for many of us, this is the Star Trek we grew up with. Despite initial hesitation, 30 years later the Next Generation is one of the most iconic of the franchise. Long after the original series was cancelled, Kirk and crew had found new life on the big screen. By 1986 they were on their fourth instalment of the film franchise and the popularity was at […]
