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. To fans, they were the Great Bird of the Galaxy and the First Lady of Star Trek. To their friends and co-workers, Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry were, perhaps, slightly less mythic figures with their own very human quirks, but still beloved and admired. In this panel from the TrekTalks 5 telethon in support of the Hollywood Food Coalition, Gene and Majel are remembered by those who knew them. Podcast hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas TrekTalks panel hosted by John Champion Panel guests: Fred Bronson, Denise Crosby, Ernie Over, Rod Roddenberry 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 Memories of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry from those who knew and worked with them 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.
Actor Nabil Shaban, who portrayed the slug-like alien capitalist Sil in late 1980s Doctor Who, dies at the age of 72. First appearing in 1985’s Vengeance On Varos, Sil was penciled in for a rematch against the Doctor in an episode that would’ve been titled Mission To Magnus, which was ultimately abandoned as the BBC demanded a rethink of the series’ 23rd season; despite this, Sil still make a comeback in parts five through eight of The Trial Of A Time Lord. Mission To Magnus would later be released as a novelization, and finally as a full-cast Big Finish audio drama, in which Shaban revived the role of Sil. (He appeared in another Big Finish audio, Antidote To Oblivion, in 2014, and revived Sil onscreen in the direct-to-video project Sil And The Devil Seeds Of Arodor. The character of Sil was popular enough to become an action figure.) Shaban turned his disability to his advantage in playing the part of the legless creature, but also advocated for other actors with disabilities throughout his career.
ABC airs the 50th episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Ian Somerhalder reprises his first-season role as Boone; Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro are introduced as new regulars Nikki and Paulo, a move much-derided by the show’s rapidly growing fandom.
The second night of the miniseries Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder and Claudia Black, and providing (by massive fan demand) an epilogue to the cancelled series. This serves as the series finale.
The eighth full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-3. Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale take up residence on the ISS for 194 days, both of them veterans of long-term stays aboard the Mir space station; arriving on the ISS with them for a ten-day stay is Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque, who returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-2 with the Expedition 7 crew.
Big Finish Productions releases the sixth Doctor Who Unbound audio drama, a limited series of unconnected audios that are also unconnected to the larger continuity of the Doctor Who universe. Arabella Weir stars.
The 47th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Jayne Heitmeyer, Von Flores, and Richard Chevolleau. Richard Eden (Robocop: The Series) guest stars.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 94th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Ted Raimi and Kevin Smith guest star.
The 76th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Carl Lumbly (M.A.N.T.I.S.) guest stars.
Fox airs the 27th episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 26th episode of the fantasy series Highlander, starring Adrian Paul (War Of The Worlds), Alexandra Vandernoort, and Stan Kirsch, and based on the mythology created in the 1986 movie of the same name. Traci Lords guest stars.
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on the 58th shuttle mission, a two-week stay in orbit with the Spacelab module. This is the second Spacelab flight devoted to medical experiments and life sciences. Aboard Columbia for her 15th flight are Commander John Blaha, Pilot Richard Searfoss, mission specialists Rhea Seddon, William McArthur, David Wolf and Shannon Lucid, and payload specialist Martin Fettman.
The 688th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Ian Hogg and Sylvia Sims guest star. This is the last story filmed for the original series, though it’s broadcast as the second story of the season.
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on a mission lasting nearly five days, whose primary goal is to lift the interplanetary probe Galileo into orbit. Originally intended for launch in late 1982, Galileo is bound for Jupiter by way of a long, looping trajectory that sends it to Venus and back to Earth multiple times, picking up speed via gravitational assist with each visit. Galileo won’t actually reach Jupiter itself until December 1995. Aboard Atlantis for this flight are Commander Donald Williams, Pilot Michael McCulley, and mission specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz, Shannon Lucid, and Ellen S. Baker.
CBS airs the 28th episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Terry Farrell (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and George Wendt (Cheers) star in an episode comprised of three short stories, The After Hours (a remake of a classic Twilight Zone episode), Lost And Found, and The World Next Door.
CBS airs the fourth episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Dee Wallace-Stone (E.T.) and Scott Grimes (The Orville) star in three short stories, including one directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist).
Nintendo releases Wrecking Crew for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Possibly the most obscure NES game to feature Mario, this is one of very few Mario games to continue the idea – established in Donkey Kong – that Mario is a construction worker rather than a plumber with super powers.
The second episode of James D. Parriott’s lighthearted sci-fi series, Misfits Of Science, airs on NBC, starring Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall (Predator, Harry And The Hendersons), and Courteney Cox (Friends, Scream, Cougar Town). Dean Devlin (future writer/producer of Stargate and Independence Day) guest stars.
Imagic releases one of its first games for the Mattel Intellivision home video game console, Rick Levine’s Microsurgeon. With impressive graphics, the game puts players in the bloodstream of sick patient, where they must blast diseased cells with lasers to save the patient. Designed solely for Intellivision, Microsurgeon is a game that Imagic does not plan to port to the Atari 2600.
Imagic releases the Demon Attack cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system, drawing a lawsuit from Atari over its similarities to Phoenix, an arcade game which Atari has licensed for home console ports.
Now that video game “easter eggs” – secret messages hidden in the games by their designers – are public knowledge, Atari releases its first game in which finding these messages is an integral part of the game. Swordquest: Earthworld kicks off a four-game cycle whose hidden secrets, when found, will allow the first player sharp enough to find and decipher the clues to claim a prize. A downturn in Atari’s financial fortunes will keep the contest from being completed, and the fourth game is never actually released.
Sega raises the graphical bar for first-person driving games with the release, at year’s end, of the arcade game Turbo. Adding constantly-changing, scrolling scenery and a variety of other cars as obstacles, Turbo undoubtedly trips up many a video game racing veteran with pure eye candy.
The sixth episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror airs on ITV. Leigh Lawson and Angela Bruce guest star; Janet Fielding (Doctor Who) makes her first TV appearance.
The 533rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Jacqueline Hill (who starred in early seasons of Doctor Who as Barbara, one of the Doctor’s first companions) guest stars.
ABC airs the seventh episode of Sid & Marty Krofft’s The Lost Saucer, starring Jim Nabors (The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle USMC) and Ruth Buzzi (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In).
The 22nd episode of Filmation’s live-action Shazam! series airs on CBS, starring John Davey, Michael Gray and Les Tremayne. Joanna Cameron guest stars as Isis in the second season finale.
The 66th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Woodrow Parfrey (Time Express) guest stars.
NASA launches the Ranger 5 lunar probe, built by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and intended to go directly to the moon, transmitting pictures of the surface back to Earth until it impacts the lunar surface. An onboard system failure cuts off solar power, leaving Ranger 5 on its limited supply of battery power; by the time it reaches the moon, its power-starved systems have shut down and it’s wide of the mark, missing the moon by 450 miles. A sweeping internal review of the Ranger program commences at both JPL and NASA, with the review boards finding design faults and discovering that the high-heat sterilization process, intended to keep Earthly microbes from contaminating the moon, may also be causing problems. With Ranger now considered a support program for the upcoming Apollo flights to the moon, NASA is under intense scrutiny and replaces the managers of the Ranger project prior to the next launch, also instituting another redesign of the spacecraft.
Absolutely no generative AI was used in the creation of the content on this website. It’s mostly just some guy named Earl.
Actor Nabil Shaban, who portrayed the slug-like alien capitalist Sil in late 1980s Doctor Who, dies at the age of 72. First appearing in 1985’s Vengeance On Varos, Sil was penciled in for a rematch against the Doctor in an episode that would’ve been titled Mission To Magnus, which was ultimately abandoned as the BBC demanded a rethink of the series’ 23rd season; despite this, Sil still make a comeback in parts five through eight of The Trial Of A Time Lord. Mission To Magnus would later be released as a novelization, and finally as a full-cast Big Finish audio drama, in which Shaban revived the role of Sil. (He appeared in another Big Finish audio, Antidote To Oblivion, in 2014, and revived Sil onscreen in the direct-to-video project Sil And The Devil Seeds Of Arodor. The character of Sil was popular enough to become an action figure.) Shaban turned his disability to his advantage in playing the part of the legless creature, but also advocated for other actors with disabilities throughout his career.
The tenth full-length Star Trek Continues webisode debuts on YouTube. Guest stars include Nicola Bryant (Doctor Who) and Amy Rydell. 
The CW airs the 49th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin.
The 811th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 112th episode since the series’ revival), starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman.
The 58th episode of the science fiction comedy Red Dwarf airs on UK cable/satellite comedy channel Dave. This is the third episode of Red Dwarf X, the first full season of the series since 1999. 
The 53rd episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures airs on CBBC, starring Elisabeth Sladen (Doctor Who). This is the final episode of the series. 
The 38th episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures airs on CBBC, starring Elisabeth Sladen (Doctor Who). 
ABC airs the 50th episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Ian Somerhalder reprises his first-season role as Boone; Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro are introduced as new regulars Nikki and Paulo, a move much-derided by the show’s rapidly growing fandom. 
ABC premieres the fifth episode of Shaun Cassidy’s sci-fi/horror series Invasion, starring William Fichtner (Contact), Eddie Cibrian, and Lisa Sheridan. 
Big Finish Productions releases the second Cyberman audio drama, a Doctor Who audio spinoff. 
The second night of the miniseries Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder and Claudia Black, and providing (by massive fan demand) an epilogue to the cancelled series. This serves as the series finale. 
The eighth full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-3. Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale take up residence on the ISS for 194 days, both of them veterans of long-term stays aboard the Mir space station; arriving on the ISS with them for a ten-day stay is Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque, who returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-2 with the Expedition 7 crew.
Big Finish Productions releases the sixth Doctor Who Unbound audio drama, a limited series of unconnected audios that are also unconnected to the larger continuity of the Doctor Who universe. Arabella Weir stars. 
Fox airs the fourth episode of Joss Whedon’s science fiction series Firefly, starring Nathan Fillion. 
UPN airs the 148th episode of Star Trek: Voyager. 
The 47th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Jayne Heitmeyer, Von Flores, and Richard Chevolleau. Richard Eden (Robocop: The Series) guest stars.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 94th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Ted Raimi and Kevin Smith guest star. 
The 76th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Carl Lumbly (M.A.N.T.I.S.) guest stars.
Fox airs the 27th episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 42nd episode of Babylon 5. W. Morgan Sheppard (Max Headroom) guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 23rd episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. John Glover (Smallville) and Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) guest star. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 26th episode of the fantasy series Highlander, starring Adrian Paul (War Of The Worlds), Alexandra Vandernoort, and Stan Kirsch, and based on the mythology created in the 1986 movie of the same name. Traci Lords guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 156th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on the 58th shuttle mission, a two-week stay in orbit with the Spacelab module. This is the second Spacelab flight devoted to medical experiments and life sciences. Aboard Columbia for her 15th flight are Commander John Blaha, Pilot Richard Searfoss, mission specialists Rhea Seddon, William McArthur, David Wolf and Shannon Lucid, and payload specialist Martin Fettman.
The 688th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Ian Hogg and Sylvia Sims guest star. This is the last story filmed for the original series, though it’s broadcast as the second story of the season.
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on a mission lasting nearly five days, whose primary goal is to lift the interplanetary probe Galileo into orbit. Originally intended for launch in late 1982, Galileo is bound for Jupiter by way of a long, looping trajectory that sends it to Venus and back to Earth multiple times, picking up speed via gravitational assist with each visit. Galileo won’t actually reach Jupiter itself until December 1995. Aboard Atlantis for this flight are Commander Donald Williams, Pilot Michael McCulley, and mission specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz, Shannon Lucid, and Ellen S. Baker.
Warner Bros. Records releases the Traveling Wilburys’ debut album Volume One, featuring the singles “Handle With Care” and “End Of The Line”. 
UK regional broadcaster TVS airs the sixth episode of Richard Cooper’s alternate-history series Knights Of God, portraying a struggle between oppressive government and rugged resistance fighters in a post-civil-war UK. 
The 648th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Lynda Bellingham, Michael Jayston, Nabil Shaban and Brian Blessed guest star.
CBS airs the 28th episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Terry Farrell (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and George Wendt (Cheers) star in an episode comprised of three short stories, The After Hours (a remake of a classic Twilight Zone episode), Lost And Found, and The World Next Door.
Nintendo releases Wrecking Crew for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Possibly the most obscure NES game to feature Mario, this is one of very few Mario games to continue the idea – established in Donkey Kong – that Mario is a construction worker rather than a plumber with super powers. 
The second episode of James D. Parriott’s lighthearted sci-fi series, Misfits Of Science, airs on NBC, starring Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall (Predator, Harry And The Hendersons), and Courteney Cox (Friends, Scream, Cougar Town). Dean Devlin (future writer/producer of Stargate and Independence Day) guest stars.
RCA releases the Hall & Oates compilation album Greatest Hits: Rock & Soul, Part I, featuring the singles “Say It Isn’t So” and “Adult Education”. 
Imagic releases one of its first games for the Mattel Intellivision home video game console, Rick Levine’s Microsurgeon. With impressive graphics, the game puts players in the bloodstream of sick patient, where they must blast diseased cells with lasers to save the patient. Designed solely for Intellivision, Microsurgeon is a game that Imagic does not plan to port to the Atari 2600. 
Imagic releases the Demon Attack cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system, drawing a lawsuit from Atari over its similarities to Phoenix, an arcade game which Atari has licensed for home console ports. 
Now that video game “easter eggs” – secret messages hidden in the games by their designers – are public knowledge, Atari releases its first game in which finding these messages is an integral part of the game. Swordquest: Earthworld kicks off a four-game cycle whose hidden secrets, when found, will allow the first player sharp enough to find and decipher the clues to claim a prize. A downturn in Atari’s financial fortunes will keep the contest from being completed, and the fourth game is never actually released. 
Sega raises the graphical bar for first-person driving games with the release, at year’s end, of the arcade game Turbo. Adding constantly-changing, scrolling scenery and a variety of other cars as obstacles, Turbo undoubtedly trips up many a video game racing veteran with pure eye candy. 
The sixth episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror airs on ITV. Leigh Lawson and Angela Bruce guest star; Janet Fielding (Doctor Who) makes her first TV appearance.
The 533rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Jacqueline Hill (who starred in early seasons of Doctor Who as Barbara, one of the Doctor’s first companions) guest stars.
NBC airs the fifth episode of Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Frank Gorshin (Batman) and Markie Post (Night Court) guest star. 
The third episode of the science fiction series Man From Atlantis airs on NBC, starring Patrick Duffy and Belinda J. Montgomery. Victor Buono (Batman) guest stars. 
The 409th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Prentis Hancock (Space: 1999) guest stars.
ABC airs the seventh episode of Sid & Marty Krofft’s The Lost Saucer, starring Jim Nabors (The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle USMC) and Ruth Buzzi (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In).
The 22nd episode of Filmation’s live-action Shazam! series airs on CBS, starring John Davey, Michael Gray and Les Tremayne. Joanna Cameron guest stars as Isis in the second season finale.
The sixth episode of the TV spinoff of Planet Of The Apes premieres on CBS. Roscoe Lee Browne guest stars. 
The 60th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. Diana Muldaur guest stars, her second guest shot on the series; she will later appear as a regular in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
The 66th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Woodrow Parfrey (Time Express) guest stars.
The 124th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Richard Erdman stars.
NASA launches the Ranger 5 lunar probe, built by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and intended to go directly to the moon, transmitting pictures of the surface back to Earth until it impacts the lunar surface. An onboard system failure cuts off solar power, leaving Ranger 5 on its limited supply of battery power; by the time it reaches the moon, its power-starved systems have shut down and it’s wide of the mark, missing the moon by 450 miles. A sweeping internal review of the Ranger program commences at both JPL and NASA, with the review boards finding design faults and discovering that the high-heat sterilization process, intended to keep Earthly microbes from contaminating the moon, may also be causing problems. With Ranger now considered a support program for the upcoming Apollo flights to the moon, NASA is under intense scrutiny and replaces the managers of the Ranger project prior to the next launch, also instituting another redesign of the spacecraft.