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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. It features Lee Marvin in front of a high-tech viewscreen, but this is no starship – Gene-ology opens its investigation into a very unusual foray into "true crime" with Gene Roddenberry adapting the particulars of a notorious Seattle murder case into dramatic form. It's also a career milestone for Gene: the last script he would write for a show that he didn't also create. 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 "Queen Anne Killer Unidentified: The Michael Olds Story". 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. 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.
The 890th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 191st episode since the series’ revival), starring Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu. Millie Gibson guest stars.
The CW airs the 18th episode of Batwoman, starring Ruby Rose and Rachel Skarsten. Alex Zahara (Babylon 5: Legend Of The Rangers, Jeremiah) guest stars.
The 745th episode of Doctor Who (the 47th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Freema Agyeman, Bernard Cribbins and Christopher Ryan (The Young Ones) guest star in the first appearance of the Sontarans in Doctor Who since 1985. This is the second half of a two-part story.
Astronaut Wally Schirra, one of the seven original Mercury astronauts, and the only astronaut to lift off aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, dies at the age of 84. Selected as one of the first “class” of American astronauts, Schirra was the fifth American to fly in space, making six orbits of the Earth in 1962. He commanded Gemini 6, and was the commander of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, which tested the capabilities of the redesigned Apollo command/service module in Earth orbit. In 1969, he retired from NASA and immediately landed a new gig, sitting aside TV news legend Walter Cronkite for coverage of the missions to the moon, as well as continuing to offer insider commentary on space coverage at CBS through 1975. He was awarded numerous medals by both NASA and the United States Navy, among countless other honors.
Anthony Ainley, the actor who revived the role of the villainous Master in the BBC’s long-running series Doctor Who, dies at the age of 71. Picking up the role originally played by the late Roger Delgado during the Pertwee years, Mr. Ainley first appeared in 1981’s The Keeper Of Traken as the benevolent Consul Tremas, father to series regular Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), whose body was taken over by the Master late in the story. He was born into an acting family and got his first film role at only five years old, though he later studied to be an insurance agent. Finally returning to the family vocation, he appeared in movies such as You Only Live Twice and Inspector Clouseau, and television series ranging from the 1960s police series It’s Dark Outside to Upstairs, Downstairs.
The 42nd episode of James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee’s cyberpunk series Dark Angel, starring Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly, airs on Fox. Ashley Scott (Birds Of Prey, Jericho) guest stars in the series finale, which is also the only episode of the series to be directed by James Cameron himself.
After over a year of launch delays, NOAA’s GOES-11 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral into geosynchronous orbit to monitor weather patterns over the United States. It will be held in reserve until 2006, when it will be moved to the GOES-WEST position to replace GOES-10, which is nearly out of fuel. The longevity of its predecessor means that GOES-11 doesn’t begin its active daily weather-watching until a year after the end of its projected five-year design lifespan, and GOES-12 will actually go active before GOES-11. GOES-11 will remain in service through the end of 2011, when it will boost itself into a higher-than-geostationary “graveyard” orbit and shut down.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 169th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This episode continues a tightly-serialized eight-episode run-up to the series finale. Louise Fletcher guest stars.
The 20th episode of Highlander: The Raven, starring Amanda Gracen and Paul Johannson, airs in syndication; the series is a spinoff from Highlander: The Series. Julian Wadham guest stars.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 88th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Karl Urban and Jennifer Sky guest star.
The 42nd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Lisa Howard, Von Flores, and Richard Chevolleau. Janet Kidder (Continuum, Star Trek: Discovery) guest stars.
Pay cable channel HBO airs the ninth episode of the docudrama From The Earth To The Moon, chronicling NASA’s quest to reach the moon, and two episodes debut each Sunday of the show’s run. Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Firefly), Jerry Hardin (The X-Files), and Gary Cole (Crusade, Office Space) guest star.
The 115th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Daniel von Bargen guest stars.
The 71st episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Chris Ellis guest stars.
The 68th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder. Maurice Dean Wint (Captain Power, Psi Factor) guest stars.
Fox airs the 17th 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 37th episode of Babylon 5. The entire episode is presented as a real-time newscast, complete with “in universe” commercials.
NBC airs the sixth episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Susan French guest stars.
NOAA’s GOES-G Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral, intended to replace the failed GOES-5 satellite in a geosynchronous orbit over Earth’s western hemisphere. But an electrical fault destroys GOES-G’s Delta booster in flight, and the rocket explodes 71 seconds into its flight. This is NASA’s first attempt to launch a rocket since the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster earlier in 1986, raising new questions about the space agency’s reliability and safety record.
The 18th episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Jeremy Bulloch (The Empire Strikes Back, Chocky) guest stars.
ITV airs the 19th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Joseph Cotten and Maureen O’Brien (Doctor Who) guest star.
The fifth episode of The Amazing Spider-Man airs on CBS, starring Nicholas Hammond and Robert F. Simon. Madeleine Stowe guest stars in her second television role. This ends the series’ short first season, but CBS is only willing to renew it for another very short season in the fall of 1978.
The 400th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story marks the Cybermen’s first story since the Troughton era, and closes out both the series’ 12th season and the “Nerva” plotline.
ITV broadcasts the third episode of Escape Into Night, adapted by Ruth Boswell from the Catherine Storr novel Marianne Dreams. Originally shown in color, the color master tapes are lost over time, and the series survives only in black & white recordings.
The 246th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. Jane Sherwin, David Savile and Philip Madoc guest star. This is Patrick Troughton’s final story as the incumbent Doctor, the final Doctor Who story of the 1960s, and the final story made in black & white.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation airs the fourth episode of the science fiction series The Stranger, starring Ron Haddrick. Grant Taylor (UFO) guest stars.
The 17th episode of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, based on Wells’ story, airs on ITV; this episode will air in October 1959 in the U.S. on CBS. Lisa Daniely and Anton Diffring star.
The 890th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 191st episode since the series’ revival), starring Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu. Millie Gibson guest stars.
The CW airs the 26th episode of Superman & Lois, starring Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Jordan Elsass, and Alex Garfin.
The CW airs the 18th episode of Batwoman, starring Ruby Rose and Rachel Skarsten. Alex Zahara (Babylon 5: Legend Of The Rangers, Jeremiah) guest stars.
Sony Classical releases Henry Jackman’s soundtrack from the movie Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. 
The 136th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW.
The 43rd episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin, airs on the CW.
The 745th episode of Doctor Who (the 47th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Freema Agyeman, Bernard Cribbins and Christopher Ryan (The Young Ones) guest star in the first appearance of the Sontarans in Doctor Who since 1985. This is the second half of a two-part story. 
Astronaut Wally Schirra, one of the seven original Mercury astronauts, and the only astronaut to lift off aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, dies at the age of 84. Selected as one of the first “class” of American astronauts, Schirra was the fifth American to fly in space, making six orbits of the Earth in 1962. He commanded Gemini 6, and was the commander of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, which tested the capabilities of the redesigned Apollo command/service module in Earth orbit. In 1969, he retired from NASA and immediately landed a new gig, sitting aside TV news legend Walter Cronkite for coverage of the missions to the moon, as well as continuing to offer insider commentary on space coverage at CBS through 1975. He was awarded numerous medals by both NASA and the United States Navy, among countless other honors.
ABC premieres the 20th episode of Shaun Cassidy’s sci-fi/horror series Invasion, starring William Fichtner (Contact), Eddie Cibrian, and Lisa Sheridan. James Frain (Tron Legacy, Star Trek: Discovery) guest stars. 
ABC airs the 44th episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Michael Emerson guest stars. 
The 19th episode of the radio science fiction comedy series The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy is broadcast on BBC Radio, commencing Dirk Maggs’ adaptation of Douglas Adams’ novel So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish, featuring the entire surviving cast of the original 1970s radio series. Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous) guest stars. 
Sony Classical releases John Williams’ soundtracks from the movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. 
Anthony Ainley, the actor who revived the role of the villainous Master in the BBC’s long-running series Doctor Who, dies at the age of 71. Picking up the role originally played by the late Roger Delgado during the Pertwee years, Mr. Ainley first appeared in 1981’s The Keeper Of Traken as the benevolent Consul Tremas, father to series regular Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), whose body was taken over by the Master late in the story. He was born into an acting family and got his first film role at only five years old, though he later studied to be an insurance agent. Finally returning to the family vocation, he appeared in movies such as You Only Live Twice and Inspector Clouseau, and television series ranging from the 1960s police series It’s Dark Outside to Upstairs, Downstairs.
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the ninth episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s post-apocalyptic series Jeremiah. Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) guest stars. 
The 42nd episode of James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee’s cyberpunk series Dark Angel, starring Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly, airs on Fox. Ashley Scott (Birds Of Prey, Jericho) guest stars in the series finale, which is also the only episode of the series to be directed by James Cameron himself.
Pay cable channel Showtime airs the 107th episode of Stargate SG-1. Henry Gibson and Christina Cox (F/X: The Series, Defying Gravity) guest star.
UPN airs the 142nd episode of Star Trek: Voyager. Jennifer Lien reprises her role as Kes in a one-off episode tying off that character’s plotline. 
After over a year of launch delays, NOAA’s GOES-11 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral into geosynchronous orbit to monitor weather patterns over the United States. It will be held in reserve until 2006, when it will be moved to the GOES-WEST position to replace GOES-10, which is nearly out of fuel. The longevity of its predecessor means that GOES-11 doesn’t begin its active daily weather-watching until a year after the end of its projected five-year design lifespan, and GOES-12 will actually go active before GOES-11. GOES-11 will remain in service through the end of 2011, when it will boost itself into a higher-than-geostationary “graveyard” orbit and shut down.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 169th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This episode continues a tightly-serialized eight-episode run-up to the series finale. Louise Fletcher guest stars. 
The 20th episode of Highlander: The Raven, starring Amanda Gracen and Paul Johannson, airs in syndication; the series is a spinoff from Highlander: The Series. Julian Wadham guest stars.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 88th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Karl Urban and Jennifer Sky guest star. 
The 42nd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Lisa Howard, Von Flores, and Richard Chevolleau. Janet Kidder (Continuum, Star Trek: Discovery) guest stars.
Pay cable channel HBO airs the tenth episode of the docudrama From The Earth To The Moon, chronicling NASA’s quest to reach the moon, and two episodes debut each Sunday of the show’s run. Brett Cullen (Legacy, Lost) and Tom Amandes guest star. 
Pay cable channel HBO airs the ninth episode of the docudrama From The Earth To The Moon, chronicling NASA’s quest to reach the moon, and two episodes debut each Sunday of the show’s run. Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Firefly), Jerry Hardin (The X-Files), and Gary Cole (Crusade, Office Space) guest star. 
The 115th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Daniel von Bargen guest stars.
The 68th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder. Maurice Dean Wint (Captain Power, Psi Factor) guest stars.
Fox airs the 17th episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks.
Fox airs the seventh episode of Sliders, Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 37th episode of Babylon 5. The entire episode is presented as a real-time newscast, complete with “in universe” commercials. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 14th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Brian Keith guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 146th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
The 98th episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. Roddy Piper (They Live) guest stars.
NBC airs the sixth episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Susan French guest stars.
NOAA’s GOES-G Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral, intended to replace the failed GOES-5 satellite in a geosynchronous orbit over Earth’s western hemisphere. But an electrical fault destroys GOES-G’s Delta booster in flight, and the rocket explodes 71 seconds into its flight. This is NASA’s first attempt to launch a rocket since the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster earlier in 1986, raising new questions about the space agency’s reliability and safety record.
The 18th episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Jeremy Bulloch (The Empire Strikes Back, Chocky) guest stars.
The seventh episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill stars as Luke Skywalker, and Perry King stars as Han Solo. 
ITV airs the 39th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Anthony Franciosa (Search) guest stars.
The fifth episode of The Amazing Spider-Man airs on CBS, starring Nicholas Hammond and Robert F. Simon. Madeleine Stowe guest stars in her second television role. This ends the series’ short first season, but CBS is only willing to renew it for another very short season in the fall of 1978. 
The 400th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story marks the Cybermen’s first story since the Troughton era, and closes out both the series’ 12th season and the “Nerva” plotline.
ITV broadcasts the third episode of Escape Into Night, adapted by Ruth Boswell from the Catherine Storr novel Marianne Dreams. Originally shown in color, the color master tapes are lost over time, and the series survives only in black & white recordings.
The 246th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. Jane Sherwin, David Savile and Philip Madoc guest star. This is Patrick Troughton’s final story as the incumbent Doctor, the final Doctor Who story of the 1960s, and the final story made in black & white.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation airs the fourth episode of the science fiction series The Stranger, starring Ron Haddrick. Grant Taylor (UFO) guest stars.
ABC airs the 54th episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Barbara Lord guest stars.
The 17th episode of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, based on Wells’ story, airs on ITV; this episode will air in October 1959 in the U.S. on CBS. Lisa Daniely and Anton Diffring star.
The 87th episode of The Adventures Of Superman airs in syndication, starring George Reeves, Noel Neill, and Jack Larson.