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.
Streaming service Disney+ releases the the 18th episode of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, starring Pedro Pascal. Katee Sackhoff, Ahmed Best (Star Wars: Episode I) Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II) guest star.
The CW airs the 16th episode of Batwoman, starring Ruby Rose and Rachel Skarsten. Alex Zahara (Babylon 5: Legend Of The Rangers, Jeremiah) guest stars.
The 19th episode of the science fiction series The Expanse, based on the series of novels by James S.A. Corey (a pseudonym for writers Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), is broadcast on cable channel Syfy. Terry Chen (Continuum) guest stars.
The 109th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV, Masters Of The Universe, Universal Soldier) guest stars.
NASA’s Spirit Mars rover makes its last contact with ground controllers on Earth. With the Martian winter fast approaching, and the rover’s wheels leaving it stuck in an unfavorable position to keep its solar panels angled toward the sun, Spirit gradually loses power until it shuts off, its mission having lasted nearly seven and a half years – almost 30 times its original design and mission lifespan of 90 days. Spirit’s ground controllers are reassigned to either Opportunity (which is still mobile and operating) or the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover mission.
Bridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network airs the 22nd mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts.
The 37th 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) and Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
The fourth episode of the time-travel/crime series Crime Traveller is broadcast on BBC1, created and written by Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War), starring Michael French (Casualty) and Chloe Annett (Red Dwarf).
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the 76th shuttle mission, a flight to dock with the Russian space station Mir. Supplies are delivered to Mir by the Atlantis crew, and astronaut Shannon Lucid remains aboard Mir to join its Expedition 21 crew. Atlantis also carries the SPACEHAB module, where both the shuttle and station crews conduct joint scientific experiments. Aboard Atlantis for her 16th flight are Commander Kevin Chilton, Pilot Richard Searfoss, and mission specialists Shannon Lucid, Linda Godwin, Michael Clifford and Ronald Sega.
Fox airs the 13th episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks.
Premium cable channel Showtime airs the 31st episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of Leslie Stevens’ 1960s science fiction anthology series. Bonnie Bedelia (Die Hard), Robert Ito (Buckaroo Banzai), and Donnelly Rhodes (Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
The 12th and final episode of a modern reboot of Dan Curtis’ gothic horror series Dark Shadows is broadcast on NBC, starring Ben Cross, Lysette Anthony, Roy Thinnes (The Invaders), and Jean Simmons.
Former Split Enz frontman Tim Finn‘s self-titled third album is released in the United States by Capitol Records; presaging Finn’s merger with younger brother Neil Finn’s group Crowded House, the album is produced by Crowded House producer Mitchell Froom.
NBC airs the 18th episode of Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi series V, starring Marc Singer, Faye Grant, and Diane Badler. Judson Scott (The Phoenix, Star Trek II) guest stars in an episode that, intended to be the season finale cliffhanger, instead turned out to be the series finale. (One episode, skipped early in the show’s running order, has yet to air.)
The 625th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story introduces Colin Baker as the sixth Doctor, though his traumatic regeneration leaves him violently unstable for the first time in the show’s history. Maurice Denham guest stars.
The testing phase of the shuttle program continues as Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off for her third flight into space. With Commander Jack Lousma and Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton aboard, Columbia stays in orbit for over a week, testing the orbiter’s endurance to heat at different angles to the sun, as well as testing the unmanned Spacelab experiment pallets in the cargo bay. This is the first shuttle flight to end on the contingency landing site at White Sands, New Mexico.
The 576th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Anthony Ainley appears as the Master; Nigel Stock also guest stars in a story shot in and around a real Concorde supersonic jetliner.
The first 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. The series is produced by the NPR affiliate at the University of Southern California, where George Lucas attended film school (and to whom he sold the radio adaptation rights for the princely sum of one dollar). Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels are the only actors to reprise their movie roles, with the rest of the characters being recast.
Soyuz 39 lifts off from the Soviet Union, carrying its two-man crew on a week-long spaceflight including a visit to space station Salyut 6. The crew consists of cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Jugderdemidiin Gurragchaa, the first Mongolian in space. In conjunction with the resident Salyut 6/Soyuz T-4 crew, they conduct scientific and engineering experiments, some of them studying the state of Salyut 6 after several years in orbit. The Soyuz 39 crew returns to Earth on March 30th.
ITV airs the 13th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Rod Taylor (The Birds, The Time Machine) and Cyril Cusack guest star.
With a budget of $8,000,000 behind him, writer/director George Lucas begins filming his ambitious new science fiction film Star Wars. The location shooting in Tunisia is far from easy, with every thing from dust storms to the language barrier between the filmmakers and the locals impeding progress.
The 394th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This episode marks the first-ever appearance of Davros in the series, as well as the first attempt to nail down an origin story for the Daleks themselves.
NBC airs the 29th episode of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, an anthology series of original short plays and short story adaptations hosted by Serling himself. Victor Buono (Batman) guest stars in the second season closer, and the first instance of a Night Gallery episode telling a single story in a half-hour time slot, which will become the show’s new format in its third season.
ABC airs the 51st and final episode of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi series Land Of The Giants, starring Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, and Don Marshall. Albert Salmi guest stars.
The 240th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the second story written by Robert Holmes, and is the most recent Doctor Who story to be missing entire episodes from the BBC’s archives.
British broadcaster ABC airs the 104th episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. Ron Moody (Into The Labyrinth) guest stars in the fourth season finale.
The 28th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Leslie Nielsen (Forbidden Planet, Airplane!) guest stars.
ABC airs the 49th episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Yvette Mimieux (The Black Hole) guest stars.
Collier’s Magazine publishes an extensive pictorial article with text by space pioneers Wernher von Braun and Willy Ley, and illustrations by Chesley Bonestell, positing a future with plane-like spacecraft making routine trips to orbiting space stations. The article suggests that the station could be a reality in ten years and “twice the cost of the atom bomb” if the public shows its support for space exploration. Though spaceplanes and stations are more than a decade away, the Collier’s article is a seminal moment in the space age.
Absolutely no generative AI was used in the creation of the content on this website. It’s mostly just some guy named Earl.
Streaming service Disney+ releases the the 18th episode of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, starring Pedro Pascal. Katee Sackhoff, Ahmed Best (Star Wars: Episode I) Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II) guest star. 
The CW airs the 23rd episode of Superman & Lois, starring Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Jordan Elsass, and Alex Garfin.
The CW airs the 16th episode of Batwoman, starring Ruby Rose and Rachel Skarsten. Alex Zahara (Babylon 5: Legend Of The Rangers, Jeremiah) guest stars.
The 19th episode of the science fiction series The Expanse, based on the series of novels by James S.A. Corey (a pseudonym for writers Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), is broadcast on cable channel Syfy. Terry Chen (Continuum) guest stars.
The 109th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV, Masters Of The Universe, Universal Soldier) guest stars.
The 39th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin, airs on the CW.
NASA’s Spirit Mars rover makes its last contact with ground controllers on Earth. With the Martian winter fast approaching, and the rover’s wheels leaving it stuck in an unfavorable position to keep its solar panels angled toward the sun, Spirit gradually loses power until it shuts off, its mission having lasted nearly seven and a half years – almost 30 times its original design and mission lifespan of 90 days. Spirit’s ground controllers are reassigned to either Opportunity (which is still mobile and operating) or the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover mission.
ABC airs the 40th episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost. Michael Emerson guest stars. 
Bridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network airs the 22nd mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts. 
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the third episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s post-apocalyptic series Jeremiah. Luke Perry’s former 90210 co-star Jason Priestly guest stars. 
The 37th 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) and Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
Pay cable channel Showtime airs the 102nd episode of Stargate SG-1. Cliff Simon, Carmen Argenziano, and Anna-Louise Plowman guest star.
The fourth episode of the time-travel/crime series Crime Traveller is broadcast on BBC1, created and written by Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War), starring Michael French (Casualty) and Chloe Annett (Red Dwarf). 
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the 76th shuttle mission, a flight to dock with the Russian space station Mir. Supplies are delivered to Mir by the Atlantis crew, and astronaut Shannon Lucid remains aboard Mir to join its Expedition 21 crew. Atlantis also carries the SPACEHAB module, where both the shuttle and station crews conduct joint scientific experiments. Aboard Atlantis for her 16th flight are Commander Kevin Chilton, Pilot Richard Searfoss, and mission specialists Shannon Lucid, Linda Godwin, Michael Clifford and Ronald Sega.
Fox airs the 13th episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks.
Premium cable channel Showtime airs the 31st episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of Leslie Stevens’ 1960s science fiction anthology series. Bonnie Bedelia (Die Hard), Robert Ito (Buckaroo Banzai), and Donnelly Rhodes (Battlestar Galactica) guest star.
Fox airs the first episode of the new alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, created by former Star Trek: TNG writer Tracy Torme, and starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd and Cleavant Derricks. 
The 12th and final episode of a modern reboot of Dan Curtis’ gothic horror series Dark Shadows is broadcast on NBC, starring Ben Cross, Lysette Anthony, Roy Thinnes (The Invaders), and Jean Simmons.
Former Split Enz frontman Tim Finn‘s self-titled third album is released in the United States by Capitol Records; presaging Finn’s merger with younger brother Neil Finn’s group Crowded House, the album is produced by Crowded House producer Mitchell Froom. 
EMI Records releases the Pseudo Echo album Long Plays ’83-’87, gathering extended mixes of the storied Australian group’s various singles. 
NBC airs the 18th episode of Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi series V, starring Marc Singer, Faye Grant, and Diane Badler. Judson Scott (The Phoenix, Star Trek II) guest stars in an episode that, intended to be the season finale cliffhanger, instead turned out to be the series finale. (One episode, skipped early in the show’s running order, has yet to air.) 
The 625th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story introduces Colin Baker as the sixth Doctor, though his traumatic regeneration leaves him violently unstable for the first time in the show’s history. Maurice Denham guest stars. 
The testing phase of the shuttle program continues as Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off for her third flight into space. With Commander Jack Lousma and Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton aboard, Columbia stays in orbit for over a week, testing the orbiter’s endurance to heat at different angles to the sun, as well as testing the unmanned Spacelab experiment pallets in the cargo bay. This is the first shuttle flight to end on the contingency landing site at White Sands, New Mexico.
The 576th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Anthony Ainley appears as the Master; Nigel Stock also guest stars in a story shot in and around a real Concorde supersonic jetliner. 
The first 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. The series is produced by the NPR affiliate at the University of Southern California, where George Lucas attended film school (and to whom he sold the radio adaptation rights for the princely sum of one dollar). Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels are the only actors to reprise their movie roles, with the rest of the characters being recast. 
Soyuz 39 lifts off from the Soviet Union, carrying its two-man crew on a week-long spaceflight including a visit to space station Salyut 6. The crew consists of cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Jugderdemidiin Gurragchaa, the first Mongolian in space. In conjunction with the resident Salyut 6/Soyuz T-4 crew, they conduct scientific and engineering experiments, some of them studying the state of Salyut 6 after several years in orbit. The Soyuz 39 crew returns to Earth on March 30th.
ITV airs the 13th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Rod Taylor (The Birds, The Time Machine) and Cyril Cusack guest star.
The third episode of Douglas Adams’ breakthrough radio science fiction comedy series The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy is first broadcast on BBC Radio 2. 
With a budget of $8,000,000 behind him, writer/director George Lucas begins filming his ambitious new science fiction film Star Wars. The location shooting in Tunisia is far from easy, with every thing from dust storms to the language barrier between the filmmakers and the locals impeding progress.
The 394th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This episode marks the first-ever appearance of Davros in the series, as well as the first attempt to nail down an origin story for the Daleks themselves.
NBC airs the 29th episode of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, an anthology series of original short plays and short story adaptations hosted by Serling himself. Victor Buono (Batman) guest stars in the second season closer, and the first instance of a Night Gallery episode telling a single story in a half-hour time slot, which will become the show’s new format in its third season.
ABC airs the 51st and final episode of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi series Land Of The Giants, starring Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, and Don Marshall. Albert Salmi guest stars.
The 240th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the second story written by Robert Holmes, and is the most recent Doctor Who story to be missing entire episodes from the BBC’s archives.
The 55th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris.
British broadcaster ABC airs the 104th episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. Ron Moody (Into The Labyrinth) guest stars in the fourth season finale.
The 28th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Leslie Nielsen (Forbidden Planet, Airplane!) guest stars.
ABC airs the 49th episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Yvette Mimieux (The Black Hole) guest stars.
The 81st episode of The Adventures Of Superman airs in syndication, starring George Reeves, Noel Neill, and Jack Larson.
Collier’s Magazine publishes an extensive pictorial article with text by space pioneers Wernher von Braun and Willy Ley, and illustrations by Chesley Bonestell, positing a future with plane-like spacecraft making routine trips to orbiting space stations. The article suggests that the station could be a reality in ten years and “twice the cost of the atom bomb” if the public shows its support for space exploration. Though spaceplanes and stations are more than a decade away, the Collier’s article is a seminal moment in the space age.