theLogBook.com is a chronicle of how we used to imagine the future – an ever-expanding logbook of what our entertainment, our culture, and even our brightest minds thought would happen. It’s nostalgia – and some real history – that gives factual context to the fiction, cultural context to the factual, and always looks to the future.
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Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Is this the best television script Gene Roddenberry wrote prior to creating Star Trek? Gene's singular episode of the popular medical drama Dr. Kildare is a powerful story full of rich characters and raw emotions – the bedrock of great television drama. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television scripts, including his lesser-known works before Star Trek using the Mission Log format popularized by Roddenberry Podcasts. We analyze the themes, writing style, and cultural impact of his scripts, and we even unearth stories from the Roddenberry archives that were never produced. Join us as we trace the roots of Gene's creative genius. In This Episode A breakdown of key moments and themes in "A Distant Thunder". Exploring Gene Roddenberry's evolving style and storytelling. How this episode ties into the broader TV landscape of the time and reflects the early seeds of Roddenberry's visionary work. Guest stars and unique production elements that bring this episode to life. Special Segment: Dramatic Recreation Since this script is not available to the public, we've brought it to life with a dramatic recreation! Special guests Jeff Gauntt and Bonnie Gordon perform a key section of the script. Listen in as they bring the story to life in this exclusive performance. Join the Conversation What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments or reach out to us on social media or email us at missionlog@roddenberry.com Did you know Roddenberry Podcasts is on YouTube? Find the video versions of your favorite shows like Mission Log: Prodigy, Mission Log: The Orville, as well as exclusive content only available on YouTube. Subscribe now! https://www.youtube.com/@RoddenberryEntertainment?sub_confirmation=1 Follow us on Social Media: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts BLUESKY https://bsky.app/profile/roddenberrypod.bsky.social THREADS https://www.threads.net/@roddenberrypodcasts FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MissionLogPod Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, follow us here: RODDENBERRY PODCASTS https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryPodcasts RODDENBERRY ENTERTAINMENT https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryOfficial RODDENBERRY FOUNDATION https://www.instagram.com/TheRoddenberryFoundation Support the Show For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our Mission Log Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and a weekly video chat with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog Subscribe and Stay Tuned Be sure to subscribe to Gene-ology for more deep dives into Gene Roddenberry's early works. New episodes are released regularly as we uncover more of Gene's television legacy. – Gene-ology is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producer Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry. Visit https://Podcasts.Roddenberry.com for more great content. Edited by Earl Green.
Disney+ streams the second episode of the Marvel series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac (Dune, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy.
The 87th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Neal McDonough (Boomtown) guest stars.
Japanese cable channel Family Gekijo airs the first episode of Space Battleship Yamato 2199, a modernized remake of the 1970s series Space Battleship Yamato. The series’ director is Yutaka Izubuchi (Macross, Rahxephon, Escaflowne, Record of Lodoss War). The remainder of the episodes are released straight to DVD, but are not broadcast on television until 2013.
Bridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network premieres the 18th mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts.
Canadian broadcaster CHCH-TV airs the 13th episode of Art Monterastelli’s sci-fi series Total Recall 2070, starring Michael Easton and Cynthia Preston, very loosely based on the 1990 film Total Recall.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 140th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. William Sadler (Roswell, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey) guest stars. This episode introduces the Starfleet black ops division, Section 31, which becomes a recurring feature in the Star Trek mythos, reappearing in Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery (and the Section 31 spinoff movie), and even the 2013 movie Star Trek: Into Darkness.
ABC airs the seventh episode of Hypernauts, created by Christy Marx (Jem) and Ron Thornton (the visual effects artist behind the CGI of Babylon 5), and starring Marc Daniel (Fast Track) and Carrie Dobro (Crusade). Wayne Alexander (Babylon 5) guest stars in an episode written by J. Larry Carroll (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Space Precinct, TekWar) and directed by Thornton.
The ninth episode of the sci-fi crime series TekWar, based on William Shatner’s novel series, airs as part of the Universal Action Pack syndication package. Greg Evigan, William Shatner, and Maria del Mar (Mercy Point) star.
Having drawn the European Space Agency and Japan into partnerships for the still-on-the-drawing-board Space Station Freedom project, NASA announces that it is reaching out to post-Soviet Russia, not just for ideas and engineering expertise, but to become partners in the new space station. With already-built modules sitting on the ground for a Mir 2 station that it cannot afford to launch and operate on its own, Russia becomes a full partner in what will now become the International Space Station. Plans are accelerated for proposed missions to dock the Space Shuttle to the existing Mir space station, and to use Russian Soyuz capsules for crew transfer and return.
The 72nd episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. This episode is written by Mike Carlin and Andy Helfer.
Warner Bros. Records releases the Fleetwood Mac album Behind The Mask, featuring the singles “Save Me” and “Skies The Limit”. This is the first studio album for the band’s post-Lindsey-Buckingham lineup.
President Reagan approves a $10,000,000,000 budget for a redesigned, pared-down Space Station Freedom, to be constructed over sixteen Space Shuttle launches beginning in 1994, with Freedom not being fully operational until 1996. To the stern disapproval of the scientific community, almost all laboratory space has been removed from Freedom’s design proposal, leaving only Japan and the European Space Agency to provide lab space. Without the space for American astronauts to conduct scientific experiments, Space Station Freedom’s new primary mission is quite clearly stated to be to catch the American space program up with, or surpass, the Soviet Union’s long-duration space missions aboard the Mir space station. While the Preisdent approves of the slimmed-down station design, NASA must now run the gauntlet to get Congressional approval to proceed.
The first episode of The Max Headroom Show premieres, starring Matt Frewer. (This is the music video/talk show series, not the American-made drama series featuring the same character.) Sting guest stars.
The 11th and 12th episodes of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, air on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Rula Lenska (Rock Follies, Coronation Street) guest stars. (The two parts of this story will be shown individually in both UK and international repeats.)
After four years of construction and an additional year of testing and checkout, the Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls out of the Rockwell International facility at Palmdale, California – the last of the current space shuttle fleet, to the best of anyone’s knowledge at the time. Over three tons lighter than Columbia, Atlantis doesn’t have long to wait for her first mission, lifting off for the first time in October 1985.
Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off on the first mission to retrieve a satellite in orbit, repair it, and release it back into that orbit. Launched in 1980, prior to the first shuttle mission, the Solar Maximum (Solar Max) Satellite is outfitted with a mechanism to allow the shuttle’s remote manipulator arm to grasp it; however, two astronauts using Manned Maneuvering Units still have to nudge it into Challenger’s cargo bay. With repairs completed, Solar Max is returned to its orbit, where it lasts until 1989. Challenger’s crew on this flight consists of Commander Bob Crippen, Pilot Francis Scobee, and mission specialists Geroge Nelson, James Van Hoften and Terry Hart.
The 31st episode of the live-action series based on Marvel’s comic The Incredible Hulk airs on CBS, starring Bill Bixby, Jack Colvin, and Lou Ferrigno. Kim Cattrall and Whit Bissell guest star.
The unmanned space probe Pioneer 11 is launched on a course that will be one of the first real tests of the theory of gravity assist. Reaching Jupiter in 1975, it will use the giant planet’s gravity to throw it across the solar system to rendezvous with Saturn, the first human-made vehicle to visit that planet. The experience gained with Pioneer 11’s groundbreaking trajectory through the solar system will prove instrumental in the upcoming Mariner Jupter/Saturn ’77 mission, which is later be renamed Voyager.
The 201st episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This story sees the departure of Deborah Watling as the Doctor’s companion, Victoria Waterfield. This episode is now missing from the BBC’s archives.
The 28th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Joan Collins guest stars in an episode written by legendary science fiction writer Harlan Ellison; rewrites performed on the script prior to filming later become a major point of contention between Ellison and Roddenberry (and, by extension, between Ellison and Desilu Studios/Paramount).
The 26th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Werner Klemperer (Hogan’s Heroes) guest stars.
Built for COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation) by Hughes Aircraft, borrowing heavily from the design of the successful Syncom experimental satellites earlier in the decade, Intelsat I is launched into a geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean, providing telephone, TV, and fax communication via satellite between the United States and Europe. Intelsat I, nicknamed “Early Bird”, doesn’t go operational until COMSAT has completed diagnostics and engineering tests; its first operational use is in June 1965. It will provide satellite transmission of the first live TV coverage of a returning space mission (the splashdown of Gemini 6 in December 1965), and it will be an integral part of the international satellite links necessary for the Our World broadcast in 1967. Despite being retired from regular use in January 1969, it will be reactivated in June 1969 to handle some of the television coverage of the first lunar landing.
The 78th and final episode of the syndicated science fiction Science Fiction Theatre airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Truman Bradley, the episode stars Ludwig Stossel and Ray Collins.
Disney+ streams the second episode of the Marvel series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac (Dune, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy.
The CW airs the 160th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. 
The 87th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Neal McDonough (Boomtown) guest stars.
The 794th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 96th episode since the series’ revival). 
Japanese cable channel Family Gekijo airs the first episode of Space Battleship Yamato 2199, a modernized remake of the 1970s series Space Battleship Yamato. The series’ director is Yutaka Izubuchi (Macross, Rahxephon, Escaflowne, Record of Lodoss War). The remainder of the episodes are released straight to DVD, but are not broadcast on television until 2013. 
ABC airs the sixth episode of a modern-day remake of Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi series V, starring Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) and Morena Baccarin (Firefly). Nicholas Lea and Lexa Doig (Andromeda) guest star. 
Former Alan Parsons Project songwriter and vocalist Eric Woolfson releases the solo album Eric Woolfson Sings The Alan Parsons Project That Never Was. 
ABC airs the 63rd episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Andrew Divoff and Nestor Carbonell guest star. 
Rykodisc releases Looks Like Another Brown Trouser Job, a vintage recording of a live appearance by Monty Python’s Graham Chapman. 
Bridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network premieres the 18th mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts. 
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the fifth episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s post-apocalyptic series Jeremiah. Jake Busey guest stars. 
Sci-Fi Channel premieres the 48th episode of Farscape. 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 132nd episode of The Outer Limits. Heather Donahue (The Blair Witch Project) guest stars.
Natsume releases the 2-D puzzle game Turnabout for the Sony Playstation. 
Canadian broadcaster CHCH-TV airs the 13th episode of Art Monterastelli’s sci-fi series Total Recall 2070, starring Michael Easton and Cynthia Preston, very loosely based on the 1990 film Total Recall.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 140th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. William Sadler (Roswell, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey) guest stars. This episode introduces the Starfleet black ops division, Section 31, which becomes a recurring feature in the Star Trek mythos, reappearing in Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery (and the Section 31 spinoff movie), and even the 2013 movie Star Trek: Into Darkness. 
ABC airs the seventh episode of Hypernauts, created by Christy Marx (Jem) and Ron Thornton (the visual effects artist behind the CGI of Babylon 5), and starring Marc Daniel (Fast Track) and Carrie Dobro (Crusade). Wayne Alexander (Babylon 5) guest stars in an episode written by J. Larry Carroll (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Space Precinct, TekWar) and directed by Thornton.
The ninth episode of the sci-fi crime series TekWar, based on William Shatner’s novel series, airs as part of the Universal Action Pack syndication package. Greg Evigan, William Shatner, and Maria del Mar (Mercy Point) star.
Having drawn the European Space Agency and Japan into partnerships for the still-on-the-drawing-board Space Station Freedom project, NASA announces that it is reaching out to post-Soviet Russia, not just for ideas and engineering expertise, but to become partners in the new space station. With already-built modules sitting on the ground for a Mir 2 station that it cannot afford to launch and operate on its own, Russia becomes a full partner in what will now become the International Space Station. Plans are accelerated for proposed missions to dock the Space Shuttle to the existing Mir space station, and to use Russian Soyuz capsules for crew transfer and return.
The 72nd episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. This episode is written by Mike Carlin and Andy Helfer.
Warner Bros. Records releases the Fleetwood Mac album Behind The Mask, featuring the singles “Save Me” and “Skies The Limit”. This is the first studio album for the band’s post-Lindsey-Buckingham lineup. 
President Reagan approves a $10,000,000,000 budget for a redesigned, pared-down Space Station Freedom, to be constructed over sixteen Space Shuttle launches beginning in 1994, with Freedom not being fully operational until 1996. To the stern disapproval of the scientific community, almost all laboratory space has been removed from Freedom’s design proposal, leaving only Japan and the European Space Agency to provide lab space. Without the space for American astronauts to conduct scientific experiments, Space Station Freedom’s new primary mission is quite clearly stated to be to catch the American space program up with, or surpass, the Soviet Union’s long-duration space missions aboard the Mir space station. While the Preisdent approves of the slimmed-down station design, NASA must now run the gauntlet to get Congressional approval to proceed.
The 20th episode of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories airs on NBC. Paul Bartel, Eve Arden, and Griffin Dunne guest star.
The first episode of The Max Headroom Show premieres, starring Matt Frewer. (This is the music video/talk show series, not the American-made drama series featuring the same character.) Sting guest stars. 
The 11th and 12th episodes of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, air on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Rula Lenska (Rock Follies, Coronation Street) guest stars. (The two parts of this story will be shown individually in both UK and international repeats.)
After four years of construction and an additional year of testing and checkout, the Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls out of the Rockwell International facility at Palmdale, California – the last of the current space shuttle fleet, to the best of anyone’s knowledge at the time. Over three tons lighter than Columbia, Atlantis doesn’t have long to wait for her first mission, lifting off for the first time in October 1985.
Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off on the first mission to retrieve a satellite in orbit, repair it, and release it back into that orbit. Launched in 1980, prior to the first shuttle mission, the Solar Maximum (Solar Max) Satellite is outfitted with a mechanism to allow the shuttle’s remote manipulator arm to grasp it; however, two astronauts using Manned Maneuvering Units still have to nudge it into Challenger’s cargo bay. With repairs completed, Solar Max is returned to its orbit, where it lasts until 1989. Challenger’s crew on this flight consists of Commander Bob Crippen, Pilot Francis Scobee, and mission specialists Geroge Nelson, James Van Hoften and Terry Hart.
The 31st episode of the live-action series based on Marvel’s comic The Incredible Hulk airs on CBS, starring Bill Bixby, Jack Colvin, and Lou Ferrigno. Kim Cattrall and Whit Bissell guest star.
The 372nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This a sequel to 1972’s The Curse Of Peladon, with many cast members returning to reprise their roles.
The unmanned space probe Pioneer 11 is launched on a course that will be one of the first real tests of the theory of gravity assist. Reaching Jupiter in 1975, it will use the giant planet’s gravity to throw it across the solar system to rendezvous with Saturn, the first human-made vehicle to visit that planet. The experience gained with Pioneer 11’s groundbreaking trajectory through the solar system will prove instrumental in the upcoming Mariner Jupter/Saturn ’77 mission, which is later be renamed Voyager.
The 201st episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This story sees the departure of Deborah Watling as the Doctor’s companion, Victoria Waterfield. This episode is now missing from the BBC’s archives.
The 28th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Joan Collins guest stars in an episode written by legendary science fiction writer Harlan Ellison; rewrites performed on the script prior to filming later become a major point of contention between Ellison and Roddenberry (and, by extension, between Ellison and Desilu Studios/Paramount). 
The 26th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Werner Klemperer (Hogan’s Heroes) guest stars.
The 25th episode of Batman airs on ABC. Cesar Romero guest stars as the Joker. 
Built for COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation) by Hughes Aircraft, borrowing heavily from the design of the successful Syncom experimental satellites earlier in the decade, Intelsat I is launched into a geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean, providing telephone, TV, and fax communication via satellite between the United States and Europe. Intelsat I, nicknamed “Early Bird”, doesn’t go operational until COMSAT has completed diagnostics and engineering tests; its first operational use is in June 1965. It will provide satellite transmission of the first live TV coverage of a returning space mission (the splashdown of Gemini 6 in December 1965), and it will be an integral part of the international satellite links necessary for the Our World broadcast in 1967. Despite being retired from regular use in January 1969, it will be reactivated in June 1969 to handle some of the television coverage of the first lunar landing.
ABC airs the 28th episode of Leslie Stevens’ anthology series The Outer Limits. Macdonald Carey and Richard Ney star.
The 94th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Theodore Bikel stars.
The 26th episode of the science fiction drama series Men Into Space airs on CBS, starring William Lundigan.
The 78th and final episode of the syndicated science fiction Science Fiction Theatre airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Truman Bradley, the episode stars Ludwig Stossel and Ray Collins.