The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Roddenberry Entertainment

Your weekly deep-dive into the archives of Roddenberry Entertainment, from the personal files of Gene Roddenberry. Each week, "Dr. Trek" himself, Larry Nemecek, and his guest host will take a behind-the-scenes look at documents that haven't been viewed in decades—many being revealed publicly for the very first time!

  1. 22h ago

    Background Check: Finding Star Trek's Forgotten Performers

    Not everyone who appeared on Star Trek got a line, a screen credit, or even their name on the call sheet. Nearly sixty years later, that can turn a face clearly visible on screen into a genuine archival mystery. This week, The Trek Files welcomes veteran Deep Space Nine assistant director B.C. Cameron for a look at the working life of Hollywood's background performers. The starting point is a mystery explored in the latest Inside the Roddenberry Archive: identifying Al Jones, an uncredited performer prominently seen as one of the thralls in "The Gamesters of Triskelion." The episode's production call sheets tell us which principal actors were required, which sets were in use, and simply how many "atmosphere" players and stand-ins were needed but not necessarily who those background performers were. Separate Extra Talent Call Sheets from Independent Casting provide the missing names, allowing the surviving paperwork to be pieced together and Jones finally identified. B.C. brings useful perspective to that paperwork. Before spending all seven seasons working as an assistant director on Deep Space Nine, she began her own career as a background performer and stand-in, including an early job standing in for Jane Fonda on Comes a Horseman. B.C. and Larry explore the hierarchy between credited actors, featured performers, union and non-union extras; why call sheets generally listed background by type or number rather than name; and what life was like when tomorrow's paycheck could depend on a call from Central Casting. They also look at how Deep Space Nine developed its own reliable stable of recurring background players and how "Trials and Tribble-ations" required the production to cast performers who could actually match the extras seen in footage shot three decades earlier. Documents and additional resources Star Trek, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" production call sheet, October 24, 1967. Independent Casting Extra Talent Call Sheet for "The Gamesters of Triskelion," October 24, 1967. Inside the Roddenberry Archive — investigation identifying uncredited "The Gamesters of Triskelion" background performer Al Jones. "The Gamesters of Triskelion" — Star Trek: The Original Series, production no. 60346. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Trials and Tribble-ations"

    Background Check: Finding Star Trek's Forgotten Performers

  2. Sep 15

    The Standing Ovation That Launched Star Trek

    Last week, The Trek Files followed Gene Roddenberry to the 1966 World Science Fiction Convention in Cleveland, where he hoped to convince a skeptical audience of serious science-fiction fans that his new television series was worthy of their attention. This week, Glen E. Swanson, author of Inspired Enterprise, returns to examine what happened next. Our document is a December 1966 letter from science-fiction fan Mike Deckinger, who tells Desilu that he was among more than 1,000 people who watched Roddenberry preview Star Trek at Tricon and witnessed the audience give him a standing ovation. By then, Star Trek had been on the air for three months, and Deckinger was already urging the studio to protect a series he believed was offering television something different: mature stories, intelligent ideas, and contributions from established science-fiction writers. His brief letter gives us a valuable eyewitness account of a moment that Roddenberry himself would recount for years to come. Glen and Larry then trace the ripples from that weekend through Roddenberry's excited telegrams back to Hollywood, a special award from the convention that Gene kept on his office wall for decades, and the award's later appearance in a full-page trade advertisement promoting Star Trek for Emmy consideration. What began as an attempt to win over one of science fiction's toughest audiences became something more lasting: an early stamp of approval from the community Star Trek most wanted to take it seriously. Documents and additional resources Mike Deckinger letter to Desilu Studios, December 7, 1966 Star Trek "For Your Consideration" trade advertisement featuring the Tricon award and endorsements from science and science-fiction figures, 1967. Glen E. Swanson, Inspired Enterprise: How NASA, the Smithsonian and the Aerospace Community Helped Launch Star Trek — Inspired Enterprise Glen E. Swanson — official website Glen E. Swanson, "Mission Impossible: How Star Trek Used the Aerospace Community to Try and Win an Emmy," The Space Review, September 8, 2026 - The Space Review

    The Standing Ovation That Launched Star Trek

  3. Sep 8

    Three Days Before Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry at Tricon

    On September 8, 1966, Star Trek made its American television debut. But just days earlier, Gene Roddenberry was in Cleveland trying to convince some science fictionfans that his new television series deserved to be taken seriously. On this special 60th anniversary edition of The Trek Files, Glen E. Swanson, author of Inspired Enterprise, returns to examine Roddenberry's appearance at Tricon, the 24th World Science Fiction Convention, over Labor Day weekend in 1966. Our document of the week is the March 8 invitation from Tricon chairman Ben Jason asking Roddenberry to attend the convention, speak to the fans, and bring along both Star Trek pilots. The original Tricon program provides another remarkable artifact: a "sneak preview" of two episodes of a new science-fiction television series called Star Trek. Television science fiction still had a credibility problem, particularly among fans and writers who had seen Hollywood turn sophisticated ideas into bug-eyed monsters and juvenile adventure. Roddenberry arrived with something to prove: that Star Trek intended to treat science fiction with respect. Glen and Larry explore the expectations surrounding the convention, Roddenberry's deliberate courtship of the science-fiction community, and why taking time away from a frantic production schedule to spend Labor Day weekend in Cleveland may have been one of the smartest promotional decisions he could make. And that's only half the story. Next week, Glen returns for Part Two, as we examine what actually happened when the lights went down, the Star Trek pilots went up on the screen, and the legend of Tricon began. Related Documents Letter from Ben Jason to Gene Roddenberry — March 8, 1966 Tricon Program Book — 24th World Science Fiction Convention, Cleveland, Ohio, 1966 Additional References Glen E. Swanson – official website Glen E. Swanson at the Internet Movie Database Inspired Enterprise "Mission Impossible: How Star Trek Used the Aerospace Community to Try and Win an Emmy" — Glen E. Swanson, The Space Review

    Three Days Before Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry at Tricon

  4. Sep 1

    "Who Watches the Watchers": Jeffrey Morris on the Prime Directive and Star Trek's Future

    Recorded live at STLV, filmmaker and author Jeffrey Morris returns to The Trek Files with a 1989 research report on the landmark Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Who Watches the Watchers." The production notes scrutinize everything from radiation exposure and memory modification to the logic of sending Riker and Troi undercover, and even question whether Picard telling a Mintakan to "shoot me" feels a little too much like a Kirk move. Morris calls "Who Watches the Watchers" not his favorite or even the best episode of Star Trek, but the most important: a story about a society struggling out of superstition and fear, and Picard's determination not to push it backward. Drawing from his book "A Future Askew," Morris and Larry Nemecek consider whether our own civilization is approaching a similar crossroads, retreating from science, diplomacy and accumulated knowledge at precisely the moment we need them most.  From the Prime Directive to fandom activism to the responsibilities of ordinary people, the discussion comes back to a simple idea: Star Trek was never really promising us better gadgets. It was imagining what might happen if humanity finally chose to grow up. Document of the week: David Paige Research Report — "Who Watches the Watchers," Second Draft Outline — June 19, 1989 Additional references: Jeffrey Morris — A Future Askew: Urgent Essays Inspired by the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek "Who Watches the Watchers" Michael Okuda The Making of Star Trek

    "Who Watches the Watchers": Jeffrey Morris on the Prime Directive and Star Trek's Future

  5. Aug 18

    The Doomsday Machine and a Future Askew

    Norman Spinrad's original March 1967 story outline for "The Planet Eater" introduced Star Trek to an unstoppable machine roaming the galaxy, consuming planets for fuel and leaving destruction in its wake. By the time it reached television, the story had a new title, "The Doomsday Machine," and became one of the most celebrated episodes of the original series. Author and filmmaker Jeffrey Morris joins Larry Nemecek at Star Trek Las Vegas to revisit that original outline and consider its warning through a distinctly 21st-century lens. Drawing from his new book, A Future Askew, Jeffrey explores artificial intelligence, social media, technological disruption, and the increasingly complicated distance between the optimistic future Star Trek imagined and the one we're actually building. Could today's rapidly developing technology become our own version of the Planet Eater: enormously powerful, increasingly autonomous, and ultimately beyond the understanding of its creators? Sixty years after Star Trek began imagining the future, an old-fashioned doomsday machine provides a surprisingly timely place to ask where we're headed next. Document of the week: "The Planet Eater" by Norman Spinrad — Story Outline, March 6, 1967 Additional references: Jeffrey Morris — A Future Askew: Urgent Essays Inspired by the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek "The Doomsday Machine" If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All - by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares  Center for Humane Technology The Social Dilemma Borg V'Ger

    The Doomsday Machine and a Future Askew

  6. Aug 11

    Star Trek Fans, 1976

    What did Star Trek fans have to say in 1976? John Champion returns to The Trek Files for a look through Gene Roddenberry's fan correspondence. This season's selection captures a moment in Star Trek history, ten years after the original series debuted, but before the arrival of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. A Cincinnati attorney credits Spock's logic for helping persuade a jury. An artist shares his hand-painted "Mr. Spock" portrait… on an egg. A teacher explains how she's bringing Star Trek into the classroom, while another fan gently reminds Gene that he still owes her friend for a videotape. Documents and Additional References Fan corresponsence with Gene Roddemberry - 1976 Letters to Star Trek by Susan Sackett Gene Roddenberry's Inside Star Trek album NASA's Space Shuttle Enterprise

    Star Trek Fans, 1976

  7. Aug 4

    The Day Star Trek Came to Monterey Bay

    Authors John and Maria Jose Tenuto return to The Trek Files to share a seemingly ordinary filming notice distributed to guests at the Monterey Bay Aquarium during production of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. But for John, it's much more than a production handout, it's a family keepsake. In April 1986, John's parents unknowingly visited the aquarium on a day when Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and the Star Trek IV cast were filming. They saved the notice, recorded the production on a home VHS camcorder, and brought home an extraordinary piece of behind-the-scenes history. Decades later, that footage and flyer helped document one of the franchise's most beloved films. Larry, John, and Mary Jo explore the logistics of filming at a working public aquarium, Leonard Nimoy's commitment to the film's environmental message, and how a family vacation unexpectedly became part of Star Trek history. Documents and Additional References Document of the Week Monterey Bay Aquarium visitor filming notice for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (April 1986) Additional References Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Monterey Bay Aquarium Leonard Nimoy William Shatner John Tenuto Maria Jose Tenuto The Making of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home by John and Maria Jose Tenuto (Titan Books) Previous The Trek Files appearance by John and Maria Jose Tenuto discussing Star Trek II, Star Trek III, and Star Trek IV production history.

    The Day Star Trek Came to Monterey Bay

  8. Jul 28

    Gene Roddenberry Rewrites The Next Generation

    Following last week's look at the earliest concepts for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Larry Nemecek welcomes back author and historian Ben Robinson to examine Gene Roddenberry's handwritten response and the surprising conversation it sparked. Revisiting documents first explored in earlier seasons of The Trek Files, Larry and Ben trace the pivotal weeks of September 1986, when Gene challenged early ideas for a Starfleet Academy-centered series, questioned the show's heavy emphasis on Klingons, and argued that Star Trek's true strength had never been its characters alone but the stories it told. Some of Gene's observations proved remarkably prescient. Others reveal how his own thinking had evolved since the 1960s. Together, they paint a portrait of a franchise at a crossroads, just weeks before The Next Generation officially became the series we know today. Documents and Additional References Document of the Week Gene Roddenberry's response to the early Star Trek: The Next Generation series proposal (September 19, 1986) Additional References Early Star Trek: The Next Generation series proposal by Greg Strangis (September 1986) (revisited from Season 1, Episode 4) Gene Roddenberry Greg Strangis Rick Berman Ben Robinson Star Trek: The Next Generation Related Trek Files episodes: Season 1, Episode 4 — Early The Next Generation series proposal Season 13, Episode 2 — Gene Roddenberry's response to Paramount's proposal Season 15, Episode 11 — Greg Strangis' earliest notes for The Next Generation

    Gene Roddenberry Rewrites The Next Generation
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Your weekly deep-dive into the archives of Roddenberry Entertainment, from the personal files of Gene Roddenberry. Each week, "Dr. Trek" himself, Larry Nemecek, and his guest host will take a behind-the-scenes look at documents that haven't been viewed in decades—many being revealed publicly for the very first time!

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