Roddenberry Podcasts

A request to drive a Rolls-Royce led Ernie Over into the Roddenberry household and a job that reached far beyond the driver's seat. For The Trek Files' season 15 finale, Gene Roddenberry's last personal assistant and driver joins Larry Nemecek to remember the man behind Star Trek, 35 years after his passing.

Beginning with a referral from former guest Fred Bronson, Ernie recalls a role that grew to include studio visits, fan correspondence, household responsibilities, and anticipating Gene's everyday needs. His memories reveal small but telling gestures of consideration, including Gene's habit of checking Ernie's availability before planning a trip.

This week's documents, a Paramount announcement of Gene's November 1991 memorial service and a later Hollywood Reporter tribute, frame a moving firsthand account of Gene's final day, the service that followed, and the promises Ernie stayed to fulfill for Majel.

Documents and Additional References

• Paramount Pictures announcement of Gene Roddenberry's memorial service - October 25, 1991

• Gene Roddenberry memorial advertisement, The Hollywood Reporter - October 23, 1992

• Reinelda Estupinian: "Roddenberry Family Album – Stories from the Inside," episode 14-13

• Fred Bronson: "Piece of Mind story draft – January 17, 1990," episode 3-5

• The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Mission Log launches into Star Trek: Enterprise as Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew take humanity's first big steps into deep space. Their mission? Return an injured Klingon to his homeworld, avoid an interstellar incident, and try not to let the Vulcans spoil all the fun. But with mysterious aliens, a temporal cold war, and a crew that's still figuring out how to work together, the NX-01 has a few surprises waiting for it. John Champion and new co-host Holly Amos examine the risks of exploration, the challenges of overcoming prejudice, and the importance of knowing when to listen to advice and when to chart your own course. "Broken Bow" goes into the Mission Log!

Hosted by John Champion and Holly Amos

Talk about the show What did you think of "Broken Bow"? Share your take using #MissionLog and tag @RoddenberryPodcasts. Have thoughts on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured on the podcast.

Support Mission Log Get episodes ad-free and a week early, plus access to our Discord community and weekly video chats with the hosts, starting at $1 a month: patreon.com/missionlog

About Mission Log A Roddenberry Entertainment podcast exploring the morals, messages, and meanings of Star Trek, one episode at a time.

More from Roddenberry YouTube: youtube.com/@Roddenberry Instagram: instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts Facebook: facebook.com/RoddenberryPodcasts Hosted by John Champion and Holly Amos Music by The Roddenberries Technical Director: Earl Green Producer: John Champion Associate Producer: Jessica Lynn Verdi Executive Producer: Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry

Special thanks to this week's supportersPeter Archibald, Bab Bakh, Matt Esposito, Stuart Green, Corey Howard, Mike Richards, Mike Schiable, Lars Seme, Alan Simonis

See all our Patreon supporters: https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/sponsors/

Roddenberry Entertainment | All Rights Reserved

Before bonus features and streaming clips, seeing Star Trek's bloopers could mean a trip to a convention, or a carefully negotiated loan from Gene Roddenberry himself.

Dan Madsen returns to The Trek Files to join Larry Nemecek for a look at an August 9, 1974 letter to British fan organizer Jenny Elson. With preparations underway for what her committee billed as the first British Star Trek convention, Elson hoped to secure an essential attraction: the famous blooper reel. Gene was willing to help, but his instructions covered everything from insurance and screening fees to protecting the film and getting it safely home.

That exchange opens a window onto a fandom growing across borders, one letter, newsletter, and gathering at a time. Dan remembers receiving his own Super 8 blooper reels for Christmas and turning the family garage into a screening room for fellow Denver fans. Together, he and Larry explore why these shared laughs became such a treasured part of early Star Trek fandom and why gathering in person still matters.

Documents and Additional References

• Gene Roddenberry to Jenny Elson, Star Trek Action Group (August 9, 1974), with Elson's request and accompanying envelope.

• Dan Madsen

• The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

How much screen time does it take to leave a lasting impression? For Brian Volk-Weiss, two of Star Trek's most memorable captains made their mark in just a handful of scenes.

The Nacelle Company founder joins Larry Nemecek to revisit the script introductions of Rachel Garrett in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and Edward Jellico in "Chain of Command, Part I." Their conversation explores Garrett's sacrifice, Jellico's uneasy relationship with the Enterprise crew, and why both characters became essential choices for Nacelle's Star Trekaction figures.

Known for Star Trek documentaries including The Center Seat, Brian shares how his fandom became a personal code and a guiding principle for bringing overlooked characters to collectors' shelves. Larry and Brian also celebrate the news that Nacelle has picked up Larry's documentary The Con of Wrath for distribution.

• "Yesterday's Enterprise" script excerpt — final draft December 8, 1989; included scene revised December 11, 1989.

• "Chain of Command, Part I" script excerpt — final draft October 6, 1992; included scene revised October 13, 1992.

• The Nacelle Company — Star Trek action figures

• Reference: The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek

• Reference: The Con of Wrath

• The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Can Holly Amos make it through an entire podcast without mentioning Star Trek? We're about to find out! In part two of our listener Q&A, we're getting to know Mission Log's new co-host beyond the final frontier. From baseball and boy bands to favorite books, travel adventures, and the unlikely combination of brie cheese and Nerds candy, no topic is off limits. Well, except one. And Holly almost makes it.

And the wait is nearly over! Mission Log returns to regular episode coverage on October 22 with Star Trek: Enterprise, starting with "Broken Bow." It's been a long road, but we're almost there!

Hosted by John Champion and Holly Amos

Welcome to Mission Log, a Roddenberry Entertainment podcast, where we explore the Star Trek universe one episode at a time. Each week, Mission Log examines a single episode of Star Trek, diving into its ethical subtext, metaphors, and cultural significance. From the show's most iconic moments to its hidden gems, we analyze what makes Star Trek one of the greatest science fiction sagas of all time. In every episode of Mission Log we…

• Recap the story and analyze key moments.
• Discuss the morals, messages, and meanings of the dilemmas presented.
• Debate whether the episode holds up and if the themes are still relevant.

Join the Conversation: For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our exclusive Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and weekly video chats with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog

SPECIAL THANKS the supporters of this week's show: Chris Garis, Julie Miller, Stuart, Michael Park, Paul Shadwell, Matt Esposito, Alan Simonis, Mike Richards, David Takechi, Mike Schiable, VADM Erickson, and Lars Seme Thanks to all of our Patreon Supporters https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/sponsors/ Want to share your thoughts on an upcoming episode? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured during the episode. Follow us on Social Media:

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryEntertainment

THREADS https://www.threads.net/@roddenberrypodcasts

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MissionLogPod Did you know we're on YouTube? Find the video versions of your favorite shows like Mission Log: Prodigy, The Orville, as well as exclusive content only available on YouTube.

Subscribe now: https://www.youtube.com/@RoddenberryEntertainment?sub_confirmation=1

Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn more about how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, follow us here:

RODDENBERRY PODCASTS https://www.instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts

RODDENBERRY ENTERTAINMENT https://www.instagram.com/roddenberryofficial

THE RODDENBERRY FOUNDATION https://www.instagram.com/theroddenberryfoundation

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:Listeners like you - Support Mission Log on Patreon for early access to shows and the Mission Log Discord!

Subscribe and Stay Updated:Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your preferred podcast player, leave a review, and join Mission Log on the journey of weekly deep dives into the Star Trek universe. Technical Director - Earl Green Producer - John Champion Associate Producer - Jessica Lynn Verdi Executive Producer - Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Roddenberry Entertainment | All Rights Reserved

The Trek Files welcomes back Dan Madsen to revisit a revealing 1968 exchange between seventeen-year-old MaryLou "Mandi" Tamborello of the Nimoyan Fellowship and Gene Roddenberry's attorney, Leonard Maizlish. After offering photographic prints reproduced from Star Trek film clips, Mandi found herself explaining her intentions to a lawyer and promising to stop selling the pictures. Maizlish's reply offers an unexpected combination of reassurance, a firm refusal to authorize sales, and a possible arrangement to reimburse her costs.

For Dan, the situation feels familiar. He recalls how his own teenage fan newsletter attracted Paramount Licensing's attention, how Gene Roddenberry supported his path toward an official fan club, and how a conversation with Majel Barrett helped establish room for his merchandising efforts alongside Lincoln Enterprises.

Dan and Larry explore the balance between fan passion and professionalism and why understanding the fans matters on both sides of the licensing conversation.

• Nimoyan Fellowship letter from MaryLou "Mandi" Tamborello to Leonard Maizlish — June 12, 1968

• Leonard Maizlish reply to Mandi Tamborello — July 15, 1968

• Dan Madsen on Memory Alpha

• Previous coverage: The Trek Files 11-04, "Nimoyan Fellowship letter – June 1968," with Tim Gaskill — November 28, 2023

The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

As Star Trek celebrates its 60th anniversary, The Trek Files welcomes a performer who was there before the beginning and then came back for the episode that introduced the series to television audiences. Stunt performer Sandy Gimpel first entered the Star Trek universe as one of the Talosians in "The Cage." When the series went into production, she returned to inhabit one of its most memorable creatures: the shape-shifting M-113 creature, better known to generations of fans as the Salt Vampire, in "The Man Trap."

This week's document is an excerpt from George Clayton Johnson's June 16, 1966 final draft of "The Man Trap." Before the story even begins, a note to the director explains the creature's ability to appear differently to different people and suggests giving "Nancy" an identifiable gesture to help the audience follow her transformations. The script's cast list, meanwhile, simply identifies the creature as a silent role ("CREATURE (?)") giving little indication of the character that would become one of the most recognizable images from early Star Trek.

Sandy joins Larry to remember what bringing that creature to life actually required in 1966: a plaster cast of her head, a custom-made mask and costume, severely restricted vision, and an ingenious low-tech technique for matching her position to actress Jeanne Bal so the two could transform into one another on camera. When the costume made it nearly impossible for Sandy to hit her mark opposite William Shatner, she asked Gene Roddenberry to let her rehearse without it, counted her steps like the dancer she was, and then repeated the movement once she had been sewn back inside the creature.

The conversation also reaches beyond Star Trek, tracing Sandy's remarkable career from dancer and background performer to stuntwoman, stunt coordinator and director.

The Man Trap final draft by George Clayton Johnson (June 16, 1966) Sandy Gimpel on IMDb Stunt Lady: Falling for the Stars by Sandy Gimpel Reference: "The Man Trap" Reference: "The Cage" The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Mission Log: Reactor recaps the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season finale "Tomorrow's Enterprise" with Jessica and John, and then John and Holly return with Mission Log Live to hear what listeners thought of this season's time-bending wrap-up.

If you missed our Mission Log: Reactor episode covering "Tomorrow's Enterprise," be sure to check it out on YouTube for our full recap and review.

Sign up at:

https://www.patreon.com/MissionLog

Then join us every Monday at 7pm PT / 10pm ET for Mission Log Live, our weekly audience call-in show where you can share your thoughts about the latest Star Trek episodes.

Streaming FREE on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/missionlog

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion:

https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/

You asked, Holly answers! Before Mission Log sets a course for Star Trek: Enterprise, we put our new co-host through a listener-supplied Trek interrogation. Holly talks about growing up with Star Trek, the characters and episodes closest to her heart, her work as an archivist, and even makes a case for some of Trek's less-loved corners.

Plus, we look ahead to what Holly and John are most excited to explore when Mission Log tackles Enterprise. We'll be back with one more Q&A (this time, Anything But Star Trek) before Enterprise officially goes into the Mission Log in just a few weeks.

Hosted by John Champion and Holly Amos

Welcome to Mission Log, a Roddenberry Entertainment podcast, where we explore the Star Trek universe one episode at a time. Each week, Mission Log examines a single episode of Star Trek, diving into its ethical subtext, metaphors, and cultural significance. From the show's most iconic moments to its hidden gems, we analyze what makes Star Trek one of the greatest science fiction sagas of all time. In every episode of Mission Log we…

• Recap the story and analyze key moments.
• Discuss the morals, messages, and meanings of the dilemmas presented.
• Debate whether the episode holds up and if the themes are still relevant.

Join the Conversation: For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our exclusive Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and weekly video chats with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog

SPECIAL THANKS the supporters of this week's show: Chris Garis, Julie Miller, Stuart, Michael Park, Paul Shadwell, Matt Esposito, Alan Simonis, Mike Richards, David Takechi, Mike Schiable, VADM Erickson, and Lars Seme Thanks to all of our Patreon Supporters https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/sponsors/ Want to share your thoughts on an upcoming episode? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured during the episode. Follow us on Social Media:

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryEntertainment

THREADS https://www.threads.net/@roddenberrypodcasts

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MissionLogPod Did you know we're on YouTube? Find the video versions of your favorite shows like Mission Log: Prodigy, The Orville, as well as exclusive content only available on YouTube.

Subscribe now: https://www.youtube.com/@RoddenberryEntertainment?sub_confirmation=1

Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn more about how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, follow us here:

RODDENBERRY PODCASTS https://www.instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts

RODDENBERRY ENTERTAINMENT https://www.instagram.com/roddenberryofficial

THE RODDENBERRY FOUNDATION https://www.instagram.com/theroddenberryfoundation

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:Listeners like you - Support Mission Log on Patreon for early access to shows and the Mission Log Discord!

Subscribe and Stay Updated:Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your preferred podcast player, leave a review, and join Mission Log on the journey of weekly deep dives into the Star Trek universe. Technical Director - Earl Green Producer - John Champion Associate Producer - Jessica Lynn Verdi Executive Producer - Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Roddenberry Entertainment | All Rights Reserved

Not everyone who appeared on Star Trek got a line, a screen credit, or even their name on the call sheet. Nearly sixty years later, that can turn a face clearly visible on screen into a genuine archival mystery.

This week, The Trek Files welcomes veteran Deep Space Nine assistant director B.C. Cameron for a look at the working life of Hollywood's background performers. The starting point is a mystery explored in the latest Inside the Roddenberry Archive: identifying Al Jones, an uncredited performer prominently seen as one of the thralls in "The Gamesters of Triskelion." The episode's production call sheets tell us which principal actors were required, which sets were in use, and simply how many "atmosphere" players and stand-ins were needed but not necessarily who those background performers were. Separate Extra Talent Call Sheets from Independent Casting provide the missing names, allowing the surviving paperwork to be pieced together and Jones finally identified.

B.C. brings useful perspective to that paperwork. Before spending all seven seasons working as an assistant director on Deep Space Nine, she began her own career as a background performer and stand-in, including an early job standing in for Jane Fonda on Comes a Horseman. B.C. and Larry explore the hierarchy between credited actors, featured performers, union and non-union extras; why call sheets generally listed background by type or number rather than name; and what life was like when tomorrow's paycheck could depend on a call from Central Casting. They also look at how Deep Space Nine developed its own reliable stable of recurring background players and how "Trials and Tribble-ations" required the production to cast performers who could actually match the extras seen in footage shot three decades earlier.

• Star Trek, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" production call sheet, October 24, 1967.
• Independent Casting Extra Talent Call Sheet for "The Gamesters of Triskelion," October 24, 1967.
• Inside the Roddenberry Archive — investigation identifying uncredited "The Gamesters of Triskelion" background performer Al Jones.
• "The Gamesters of Triskelion" — Star Trek: The Original Series, production no. 60346.
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Trials and Tribble-ations"