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. One sweltering day in Hell's Kitchen in the 1930s. One policeman. Five wanted men. Five bullets left. And no one in the crowd who wants to help call for backup. Gene Roddenberry collaborated on a single episode of the anthology series G.E. True in 1962, and it's a half-hour powderkeg of true-crime dramatic tension. 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 "V Victor 5". 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 Ashley Thomas, Jason Smith, Kevin Ibbotson and Dominic Nigro perform a key section of the script. Listen in as they bring the story to life in this exclusive performance. The original G.E. True episode can be seen on YouTube. 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 third episode of the Marvel series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac (Dune, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the seventh episode, Pressurized. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the sixth episode, Eulogy. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the fifth episode, Transmission. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the fourth episode, The Robinsons Were Here. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the third episode, Infestation. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the second episode, Diamonds In The Sky. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star.
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the first episode, Impact. As with the 1960s series, the new show follows the exploits of the Robinson family as they are stranded on an alien planet with a shifty passenger known only as Dr. Smith, though the story is generally given a more serious, mysterious tone than the light-hearted family-hour viewing of the original show. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. The new series gains enough of a following for Netflix to quickly green-light a second season, which will not premiere until late 2019.
Welsh-born actor Gareth Thomas, who starred as Roj Blake in the BBC’s influential space opera Blake’s 7 in the late 1970s, dies at the age of 71. A classical stage actor who starred in a series of cult genre series in the 1970s and 80s, including Star Maidens, Children Of The Stones, and Knights Of God, Thomas had more recently revived Blake for Big Finish’s audio revival of the series, as well as appearing in an episode of Torchwood.
The 795th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 97th episode since the series’ revival). The Ice Warriors make their first television appearance since the early 1970s. David Warner and Liam Cunningham guest star.
The 204th episode of Stargate SG-1 airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks.
Canadian broadcaster CHCH-TV airs the 14th 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 64th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Ted Raimi (seaQuest DSV) guest stars.
The 92nd episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Joseph Fuqua guest stars.
ABC airs the eighth 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). The episode is written by David Bennett Carren (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Space Precinct, TekWar). ABC pulls the series from its Saturday morning schedule after this episode, leaving five episodes unaired in the United States (including one written by D.C. Fontana of Star Trek fame). These episodes air and receive home video releases abroad, but remain unseen in the U.S.
The tenth 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. Conrad Coates guest stars.
NOAA’s GOES-8 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral into a geosynchronous orbit now designated GOES-EAST to monitor weather patterns over the United States; its predecessor, GOES-7, takes up the GOES-WEST position. GOES-8 is a major design evolution in the GOES weather satellite series, incorporating new hardware, some of which proves to be less sturdy than is required for an extensive orbital tour of duty. GOES-8 will remain in the GOES-EAST orbit until it is retired from active weather-watching duty in 2003 and shut down in 2004.
The 21st episode of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories airs on NBC. Cindy Morgan (Tron, Caddyshack) and James Avery (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) guest star in an episode directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back).
The second 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.)
The 13th episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Jeremy Bulloch (The Empire Strikes Back, Chocky) and John Abineri (Doctor Who, Blake’s 7) guest star in the second season finale. Due to scheduling conflicts with a role he has taken on Broadway, Michael Praed has opted to leave the show, hence the fatalistic ending, but showrunner Richard Carpenter weaves hints into this episode of a replacement for both the character and the lead actor.
Having received new orders from NASA, the still-functional Pioneer Venus Orbiter – launched in 1978 and in a high, looping orbit over Venus since it ceased active observations of the planet in 1981 – turns its instruments in the direction of Comet Encke, which is currently passing through the inner solar system. Rather than its cameras, the orbiter’s ultraviolet spectrometer is trained on the comet as Earth-based researchers try to determine the composition and rotational speed of Encke’s nucleus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter will continue to observe other comets through the late 1980s.
The seventh album from Split Enz, Time + Tide, is released to a strong start, going gold within two weeks in Australia alone. With most of the songs written by Tim Finn, the album is surprisingly autobiographical. The album’s lead single, the sea-shanty-styled “Six Months In A Leaky Boat”, is chased off the airwaves by radio program directors when it’s interpreted as a commentary on the Falkland Islands War (despite the fact that the song was written and recorded months before the conflict ever took place).
NASA’s Voyager 2 space probe, leaving the inner solar system en route to a grand tour of the outer planets, suddenly stops transmitting to Earth, failing to acknowledge commands sent by its ground controllers. Any chance of the probe conducting its studies of Jupiter and Saturn, let alone Uranus or Neptune, is in serious jeopardy. Discovering a problem with Voyager 2’s ability to compensate for the Doppler shift in signals coming from Earth, NASA engineers devise a workaround to compensate for this problem from the ground, saving the mission.
BBC1 airs the ninth episode of Doomwatch. This episode, guest starring Richard Hurndall (Doctor Who: The Five Doctors), no longer exists in the BBC’s archives.
Halfway between Earth and the moon, a fuel cell rupture in the Apollo 13 service module causes a massive explosion. The crew has to activate the landing module, Aquarius, to use it as a “lifeboat”; the oxygen and power reserves of the command module, Odyssey, have been compromised by the explosion and must be preserved for re-entry. The crew endures extreme cold and must ration consumables to survive. Fortunately, there’s enough fuel in Aquarius’ descent stage to put the combined vehicle on a free-return trajectory, looping it around the far side of the moon for an immediate return to Earth.
The 202nd 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 27th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Royal Dano guest stars.
ABC airs the 29th episode of Leslie Stevens’ anthology series The Outer Limits. Sam Wanamaker and Phyllis Love star in an episode written by Joseph Stefano.
Disney+ streams the third 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 161st episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the seventh episode, Pressurized. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the sixth episode, Eulogy. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the fifth episode, Transmission. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the fourth episode, The Robinsons Were Here. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the third episode, Infestation. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the second episode, Diamonds In The Sky. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. 
The first season of a reimagined Lost In Space series premieres on the Netflix streaming service, including the first episode, Impact. As with the 1960s series, the new show follows the exploits of the Robinson family as they are stranded on an alien planet with a shifty passenger known only as Dr. Smith, though the story is generally given a more serious, mysterious tone than the light-hearted family-hour viewing of the original show. Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Parker Posey star. The new series gains enough of a following for Netflix to quickly green-light a second season, which will not premiere until late 2019. 
Welsh-born actor Gareth Thomas, who starred as Roj Blake in the BBC’s influential space opera Blake’s 7 in the late 1970s, dies at the age of 71. A classical stage actor who starred in a series of cult genre series in the 1970s and 80s, including Star Maidens, Children Of The Stones, and Knights Of God, Thomas had more recently revived Blake for Big Finish’s audio revival of the series, as well as appearing in an episode of Torchwood.
The 795th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 97th episode since the series’ revival). The Ice Warriors make their first television appearance since the early 1970s. David Warner and Liam Cunningham guest star. 
ABC airs the seventh episode of a modern-day remake of Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi series V, starring Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) and Morena Baccarin (Firefly). Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Nicholas Lea and Lexa Doig (Andromeda) guest star. 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 51st episode of Stargate Atlantis. Richard Dean Anderson, Robert Picardo, and Mitch Pileggi guest star. 
The 204th episode of Stargate SG-1 airs on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks. 
Sci-Fi Channel premieres the 49th episode of Farscape. 
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 133rd episode of The Outer Limits. Anthony De Longis guest stars.
Canadian broadcaster CHCH-TV airs the 14th 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.
Columbia Records releases Tal Bachman‘s self-titled debut solo album, featuring the single “She’s So High”. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 141st episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Stephen McHattie guest stars as a Romulan with an uncanny eye for spotting a fake. 
The national syndication window opens for the 17th episode of the posthumous Gene Roddenberry science fiction series Earth: Final Conflict. Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Star Trek) guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 64th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Ted Raimi (seaQuest DSV) guest stars. 
The 92nd episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Joseph Fuqua guest stars.
ABC airs the eighth 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). The episode is written by David Bennett Carren (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Space Precinct, TekWar). ABC pulls the series from its Saturday morning schedule after this episode, leaving five episodes unaired in the United States (including one written by D.C. Fontana of Star Trek fame). These episodes air and receive home video releases abroad, but remain unseen in the U.S.
The tenth 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. Conrad Coates guest stars.
NOAA’s GOES-8 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral into a geosynchronous orbit now designated GOES-EAST to monitor weather patterns over the United States; its predecessor, GOES-7, takes up the GOES-WEST position. GOES-8 is a major design evolution in the GOES weather satellite series, incorporating new hardware, some of which proves to be less sturdy than is required for an extensive orbital tour of duty. GOES-8 will remain in the GOES-EAST orbit until it is retired from active weather-watching duty in 2003 and shut down in 2004.
The 73rd episode of the syndicated series Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk, airs. Juice Newton guest stars.
The 21st episode of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories airs on NBC. Cindy Morgan (Tron, Caddyshack) and James Avery (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) guest star in an episode directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back).
I.R.S. Records releases the debut album by the British group Fine Young Cannibals, led by singer/actor Roland Gift. The single “Johnny Come Home” is featured, as well as a cover of Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds.” 
The second 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.) 
The 13th episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Jeremy Bulloch (The Empire Strikes Back, Chocky) and John Abineri (Doctor Who, Blake’s 7) guest star in the second season finale. Due to scheduling conflicts with a role he has taken on Broadway, Michael Praed has opted to leave the show, hence the fatalistic ending, but showrunner Richard Carpenter weaves hints into this episode of a replacement for both the character and the lead actor.
Having received new orders from NASA, the still-functional Pioneer Venus Orbiter – launched in 1978 and in a high, looping orbit over Venus since it ceased active observations of the planet in 1981 – turns its instruments in the direction of Comet Encke, which is currently passing through the inner solar system. Rather than its cameras, the orbiter’s ultraviolet spectrometer is trained on the comet as Earth-based researchers try to determine the composition and rotational speed of Encke’s nucleus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter will continue to observe other comets through the late 1980s.
The seventh album from Split Enz, Time + Tide, is released to a strong start, going gold within two weeks in Australia alone. With most of the songs written by Tim Finn, the album is surprisingly autobiographical. The album’s lead single, the sea-shanty-styled “Six Months In A Leaky Boat”, is chased off the airwaves by radio program directors when it’s interpreted as a commentary on the Falkland Islands War (despite the fact that the song was written and recorded months before the conflict ever took place). 
The seventh episode of a vastly retooled Battlestar Galactica (or, depending on how you look at it, the show’s 28th episode) premieres on ABC. Wolfman Jack guest stars. 
NASA’s Voyager 2 space probe, leaving the inner solar system en route to a grand tour of the outer planets, suddenly stops transmitting to Earth, failing to acknowledge commands sent by its ground controllers. Any chance of the probe conducting its studies of Jupiter and Saturn, let alone Uranus or Neptune, is in serious jeopardy. Discovering a problem with Voyager 2’s ability to compensate for the Doppler shift in signals coming from Earth, NASA engineers devise a workaround to compensate for this problem from the ground, saving the mission.
The 373rd 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.
BBC1 airs the ninth episode of Doomwatch. This episode, guest starring Richard Hurndall (Doctor Who: The Five Doctors), no longer exists in the BBC’s archives.
Halfway between Earth and the moon, a fuel cell rupture in the Apollo 13 service module causes a massive explosion. The crew has to activate the landing module, Aquarius, to use it as a “lifeboat”; the oxygen and power reserves of the command module, Odyssey, have been compromised by the explosion and must be preserved for re-entry. The crew endures extreme cold and must ration consumables to survive. Fortunately, there’s enough fuel in Aquarius’ descent stage to put the combined vehicle on a free-return trajectory, looping it around the far side of the moon for an immediate return to Earth.
ABC airs the 25th episode of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi series Land Of The Giants, starring Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, and Don Marshall.
The 202nd 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 29th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction series Star Trek airs on NBC. This episode concludes the series’ first season, and introduces numerous “fascinating” differences between human and Vulcan physiology. 
The 27th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris. Royal Dano guest stars.
The 27th episode of Batman airs on ABC. Victor Buono guest stars as King Tut. 
ABC airs the 29th episode of Leslie Stevens’ anthology series The Outer Limits. Sam Wanamaker and Phyllis Love star in an episode written by Joseph Stefano.
The 95th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Andy Devine and Milton Selzer star.
The 27th episode of the science fiction drama series Men Into Space airs on CBS, starring William Lundigan.