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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. Gene steps up to the pilot plate once again with a script closer to home than any of his westerns: a script about World War II with a former pilot who served in World War II. Despite writing what he knew, "A.P.O. 923" somehow fell short. You can watch the A.P.O. 923 pilot, recovered and preserved by Jeff "Sabucat" Joseph at his YouTube channel. 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.P.O. 923. 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 Mike Richards and Alan Simonis 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 Plus releases the sixth episode of WandaVision, created for TV by Jac Schaeffer and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Kathryn Hahn.
The CW airs the 43rd episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Tala Ashe. Matt Ryan (Constantine), Neal McDonough and John Noble (Fringe) guest star.
Soundtrack specialty label La-La Land Records releases a 4-CD box set containing selections of soundtrack music from all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, including variations on the series’ Emmy-winning main theme and several popular fan-requested pieces of music from the show’s seven year history, including a “lost album” assembled in 2000 but never released.
British toymaker Character Options releases a wave of action figures based on various versions of the Cybermen as seen in the classic Doctor Who series, including Cybermen from The Tenth Planet (1966), Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967), The Invasion (1969) and the recently-aired Christmas special The Next Doctor (2008).
The 114th episode of Joss Whedon’s supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, airs on UPN. James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, and Alyson Hannigan also star.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 126th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Adrienne Wilkinson guest stars.
NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker unmanned spacecraft gently touches down on the surface of asteroid 433 Eros, the first human-made space vehicle to land on such a body. Ground controllers are surprised to discover that NEAR-Shoemaker survives the landing, which was originally meant to end the mission; a two-week mission extension allows scientists to get readings from instruments that are now mere inches from Eros’ surface.
Showtime airs the 91st episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Ted Shackelford (Space Precinct) and Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) guest star.
The 65th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder.
The 34th episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman airs on ABC, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. John Shea and Denise Crosby guest star.
CBS airs the 16th episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and Roy Dotrice. Bruce Abbott (Re-Animator) guest stars.
NASA informs the project managers of the Galileo and Magellan interplanetary probes – both of which were due to be launched via space shuttle – that their planned launches are obviously off the schedule due to the destruction of space shuttle Challenger and her crew. Further changes in the shuttle program in the wake of the tragedy will have far-reaching effects, including the cancellation of propulsion modules that would have allowed, for example, Galileo to be put on a direct trajectory toward Jupiter. The Galileo mission plan will undergo significant changes, including the loss of a planned visit to asteroid 29 Amphitrite, and both missions will eventually begin from the cargo bay of space shuttle missions in 1989.
CBS unleashes a particularly virulent strain of Pac-Man Fever into record stores, courtesy of rock group Buckner & Garcia, and there is no cure in sight. With musical odes to the arcade games Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Defender, Frogger, Asteroids, Berzerk, Centipede, and even the relatively obscure coin-op Mouse Trap, this album’s release probably marks the high point of the video game industry “boom” – the apex at which public awareness of video games is at the saturation point, having seeped into the rest of pop culture.
The fourth episode of the series Salvage 1 airs on ABC, starring Andy Griffith, Joel Higgins (Silver Spoons), and Trish Stewart. Richard Jaeckel (Spenser For Hire) and Sam Groom (Police Surgeon, Otherworld) guest star.
Fearing that the relatively sleek, aerodynamic design of the still-unflown American Space Shuttle is a hint that the vehicle could see use as an orbital bomber, the Kremlin orders the creation of the Soviet Space Shuttle program, though work on the vehicle, codenamed Buran (“Snowflake”), is primarily a crash program within the country’s defense department rather than the civilian branch of its space program. Within months, it is concluded that Buran will closely copy the American shuttle design due to the soundness of its aerodynamic design.
The 79th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Terry Becker guest stars.
The 104th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part two of the story now collectively known as The Massacre. This episode is missing from the BBC’s archives.
The Soviet Union launches Venera 1, the first interplanetary space probe. Bound for Venus, Venera 1 returns measurements and observations taken during its three-month flight, but loses contact with ground controllers just as it makes its closest approach to Venus at a distance of 62,000 miles from the planet. It falls into an orbit around the sun after falling silent.
The 19th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Dick York (Bewitched) and Ron Masak (Laserblast) star in an episode written by Serling.
Streaming service Disney Plus releases the sixth episode of WandaVision, created for TV by Jac Schaeffer and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Kathryn Hahn.
The CW airs the 105th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. 
The CW airs the 43rd episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Tala Ashe. Matt Ryan (Constantine), Neal McDonough and John Noble (Fringe) guest star.
Big Finish Productions releases the audio drama box set Doctor Who: Dark Eyes 2, featuring the episode The Traitor, starring Paul McGann and Nicola Walker. 
Soundtrack specialty label La-La Land Records releases a 4-CD box set containing selections of soundtrack music from all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, including variations on the series’ Emmy-winning main theme and several popular fan-requested pieces of music from the show’s seven year history, including a “lost album” assembled in 2000 but never released.
British toymaker Character Options releases a wave of action figures based on various versions of the Cybermen as seen in the classic Doctor Who series, including Cybermen from The Tenth Planet (1966), Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967), The Invasion (1969) and the recently-aired Christmas special The Next Doctor (2008). 
The 15th episode of Tim Kring’s sci-fi/superhero series Heroes airs on NBC, starring Adrian Pasdar, Jack Coleman, Ali Larter, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, and Milo Ventimiglia. Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) guest stars. 
Big Finish Productions releases the 54th Doctor Who audio drama in its main monthly range, starring Paul McGann, India Fisher, and Conrad Westmaas. 
The 40th episode of the Star Trek prequel spinoff Enterprise premieres on UPN. Jeffrey Combs, Suzie Plakson and Gary Graham guest star. 
The 114th episode of Joss Whedon’s supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, airs on UPN. James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, and Alyson Hannigan also star.
The 81st episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Jayne Heitmeyer, and Von Flores.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 126th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor. Adrienne Wilkinson guest stars. 
NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker unmanned spacecraft gently touches down on the surface of asteroid 433 Eros, the first human-made space vehicle to land on such a body. Ground controllers are surprised to discover that NEAR-Shoemaker survives the landing, which was originally meant to end the mission; a two-week mission extension allows scientists to get readings from instruments that are now mere inches from Eros’ surface.
Sci-Fi Channel premieres the 14th episode of Lexx. 
Pay cable channel Showtime premieres the 39th episode of Stargate SG-1. Peter Williams guest stars as Apophis. 
Showtime airs the 91st episode of The Outer Limits, a revival of the 1960s science fiction anthology series. Ted Shackelford (Space Precinct) and Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) guest star.
UPN airs the 58th episode of Star Trek: Voyager. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 85th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Tony Todd guest stars. 
The 16th episode of Lawrence Hertzog’s paranoid spy-fi thriller Nowhere Man, starring Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), airs on UPN.
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 16th episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. 
UPN airs the 32nd episode of Star Trek: Voyager. 
The 65th episode of the supernatural crime series Forever Knight airs in syndication, starring Geraint Wyn-Davies, Catherine Disher, Nigel Bennett, and Lisa Ryder. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 51st episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s science fiction series Babylon 5. Aubrey Morris (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) guest stars. 
The 34th episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman airs on ABC, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. John Shea and Denise Crosby guest star.
Fox Network airs the 16th episode of Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi cop series Alien Nation, starring Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint. Branscombe Richmond (Renegade) guest stars. 
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 61st episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
CBS airs the 16th episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and Roy Dotrice. Bruce Abbott (Re-Animator) guest stars.
NASA informs the project managers of the Galileo and Magellan interplanetary probes – both of which were due to be launched via space shuttle – that their planned launches are obviously off the schedule due to the destruction of space shuttle Challenger and her crew. Further changes in the shuttle program in the wake of the tragedy will have far-reaching effects, including the cancellation of propulsion modules that would have allowed, for example, Galileo to be put on a direct trajectory toward Jupiter. The Galileo mission plan will undergo significant changes, including the loss of a planned visit to asteroid 29 Amphitrite, and both missions will eventually begin from the cargo bay of space shuttle missions in 1989.
CBS unleashes a particularly virulent strain of Pac-Man Fever into record stores, courtesy of rock group Buckner & Garcia, and there is no cure in sight. With musical odes to the arcade games Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Defender, Frogger, Asteroids, Berzerk, Centipede, and even the relatively obscure coin-op Mouse Trap, this album’s release probably marks the high point of the video game industry “boom” – the apex at which public awareness of video games is at the saturation point, having seeped into the rest of pop culture. 
The fourth episode of the series Salvage 1 airs on ABC, starring Andy Griffith, Joel Higgins (Silver Spoons), and Trish Stewart. Richard Jaeckel (Spenser For Hire) and Sam Groom (Police Surgeon, Otherworld) guest star.
The 446th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Russell Hunter, David Bailie and Pamela Salem guest star.
The 23rd episode of Gerry Anderson’s space adventure series Space: 1999 premieres on British broadcaster ITV. 
Fearing that the relatively sleek, aerodynamic design of the still-unflown American Space Shuttle is a hint that the vehicle could see use as an orbital bomber, the Kremlin orders the creation of the Soviet Space Shuttle program, though work on the vehicle, codenamed Buran (“Snowflake”), is primarily a crash program within the country’s defense department rather than the civilian branch of its space program. Within months, it is concluded that Buran will closely copy the American shuttle design due to the soundness of its aerodynamic design.
The fifth episode of The Sixth Sense airs on ABC, starring Gary Collins. Joseph Campanella guest stars.
The 310th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. David Troughton guest stars. This marks the first appearance of the Ice Warriors in color.
The 79th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Terry Becker guest stars.
The 104th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is part two of the story now collectively known as The Massacre. This episode is missing from the BBC’s archives.
The Soviet Union launches Venera 1, the first interplanetary space probe. Bound for Venus, Venera 1 returns measurements and observations taken during its three-month flight, but loses contact with ground controllers just as it makes its closest approach to Venus at a distance of 62,000 miles from the planet. It falls into an orbit around the sun after falling silent.
The 19th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Dick York (Bewitched) and Ron Masak (Laserblast) star in an episode written by Serling.