Rod Roddenberry

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Rod Roddenberry
Rod Roddenberry by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Roddenberry in 2017
Born
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Jr.

(1974-02-05) February 5, 1974 (age 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater Hampshire College
OccupationTelevision producer
Spouse
Heidi Roddenberry
(m. 2002)
Children1
Parents

Eugene Wesley "Rod" Roddenberry Jr. (born February 5, 1974) [1] is an American television producer and the chief executive officer of Roddenberry Entertainment. He is the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett and is an executive producer on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Contents

Early life

Roddenberry was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Majel Barrett and writer and producer Gene Roddenberry, creator of the American science fiction series Star Trek . [2] Roddenberry went to the John Thomas Dye School in Bel Air and Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood. [3] and then attended Hampshire College in the early 1990s.

As a young man, Roddenberry was not closely familiar with Star Trek, having never even watched it. In 1991, when he was 17 years old, his father died, after which he began to examine Star Trek and discover "what made the series special" to its fans. [4] Roddenberry struggled initially with his father's near-legendary stature among Star Trek fans, commenting: "A son cannot identify with a mythical figure; my father was put up on this pedestal throughout my life." However, as Roddenberry heard many moving stories about his father's flaws and follies, he observed, "That allowed me, as a son, not just to connect with him, but actually love him." [2]

Career

Roddenberry with his wife, Heidi. Rod and Heidi Roddenberry.jpeg
Roddenberry with his wife, Heidi.

In 2001, Roddenberry became chief executive officer of Roddenberry Entertainment, which builds upon his father's work, and develops multimedia science fiction properties including comics, television and film projects. [5]

In mid-2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that Roddenberry approved of the 2009 Star Trek film by J.J. Abrams. Roddenberry opined that the producers and writers "made Star Trek cool again" with the film. [6]

In 2010, Roddenberry, an avid scuba diver since 1993, founded the Roddenberry Dive Team, to allow people "to embark on undersea experiences and discover the diversity beneath the ocean." Roddenberry leads the dive team in its exploration of underwater worlds and hopes to inspire stewardship of the world's oceans. Roddenberry, who holds a Divemaster certification, has led or participated in more than 1,000 dives from exotic locations around the world. [2] [5]

In October 2011, the Roddenberry Foundation, which was founded by Rod Roddenberry, made its largest gift of $5 million to the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco to establish the Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. [2] The Roddenberry Foundation believes that "the center's innovative technology that converts adult skin cells into life-changing stem cells will radically advance the fight against Alzheimer's and heart disease." [7]

Roddenberry started to become directly involved in the Star Trek franchise in 2016 when he signed on as an executive producer of the TV series Star Trek: Discovery . [8] [9]

Filmography

YearFilm/SeriesRoleNotes
1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Production assistant
1997 Earth: Final Conflict Writer (technical advisor)Produced through his production company, Roddenberry Entertainment
2004–2011 Star Trek: New Voyages Consulting producerStar Trek fan series
2011 Trek Nation Producer and starDocumentary chronicling Roddenberry's exploration of his father's work. Includes interviews with fans, Star Trek alumni, and notable celebrities such as George Lucas, J. J. Abrams and Seth MacFarlane.
2012White Room: 02B3Executive producerA 15-minute, 360-degree narrative[ clarification needed ] short film starring Breckin Meyer, Tamlyn Tomita, David Blue and Rachel True
2017–present Star Trek: Discovery Executive producer
2018–2020 Star Trek: Short Treks Executive producer
2020–2023 Star Trek: Picard Executive producer
2020–present Star Trek: Lower Decks Executive producer
2021 Star Trek: Prodigy Executive producer
2022–present Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Executive producer [10]
2022 [11] The Roddenberry Archive: The CageExecutive producerDocumentary short series with interviews of surviving cast and crew from Star Trek's 1964 pilot episode "The Cage", featuring 3D and filmed recreations of the sets, characters, and events from Star Trek's history. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Roddenberry</span> American screenwriter and producer (1921–1991)

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction franchise Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a police officer. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during World War II and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department and began to write for television.

<i>Star Trek: The Animated Series</i> American animated science fiction television series (1973–1974)

Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) is an American animated science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired simply under the title Star Trek, subtitled Created by Gene Roddenberry, on Saturday mornings from September 8, 1973 to October 12, 1974 on NBC, spanning 22 episodes over two seasons. The second series in the Star Trek franchise, it features mostly the same characters as Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in the 23rd century, the series follows the further adventures of the Starship USS Enterprise as it explores the galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majel Barrett</span> American actress (1932–2008)

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as various characters in the Star Trek franchise: Nurse Christine Chapel, Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series from 1966 to 2023. She married Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969. As his wife and given her relationship with Star Trek—participating in some way in every series during her lifetime—she is sometimes referred to as "the First Lady of Star Trek".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichelle Nichols</span> American actress (1932–2022)

Nichelle Nichols was an American actress, singer and dancer whose portrayal of Uhura in Star Trek and its film sequels was groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs and recruit diverse astronauts, including some of the first female and ethnic minority astronauts.

"The Cage" is the first pilot episode of the American television series Star Trek. It was completed on January 22, 1965. The episode was written by Gene Roddenberry and directed by Robert Butler. It was rejected by NBC in February 1965, and the network ordered another pilot episode, which became "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Much of the original footage from "The Cage" was later incorporated into the season 1 two-part episode "The Menagerie" (1966); however, "The Cage" was first released to the public on VHS in 1986, with a special introduction by Gene Roddenberry, as a hybrid of the color footage that was used in "The Menagerie" and black and white footage which was not used in "The Menagerie". It was not broadcast on television in its complete all-color form until 1988. The black and white version and all-color version were also released in various standard-definition media including LaserDisc, VHS, and DVD formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Chapel</span> Star Trek character

Christine Chapel is a fictional character who appears in all three seasons of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Original Series, as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series and the films Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Portrayed by Majel Barrett, she was the ship's nurse on board the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise. A younger version of Chapel appears in the 2022 series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, portrayed by Jess Bush.

"Yesteryear" is the second episode of the first season of the animated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Animated Series. It first aired in the NBC Saturday morning lineup on September 15, 1973, and was written by veteran Star Trek writer D. C. Fontana. Widely regarded as one of the best episodes of the series, it was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. "Yesteryear" guest-starred Mark Lenard in the role of Spock's father, Sarek.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene L. Coon</span> American screenwriter, TV producer and novelist, best known for his work on Star Trek

Eugene Lee Coon was an American screenwriter, television producer, and novelist. He is best remembered for his work on the original Star Trek as a screenwriter, story editor, and showrunner from the middle of the series' first season to the middle of the second. Along with series creator Gene Roddenberry, Coon is given credit for the show's idealistic tone and for creating several key story and world-building elements that would become important parts of the ongoing franchise.

<i>Star Trek: New Voyages</i> Fan-created series based on Star Trek

Star Trek: New Voyages, known from 2008 until 2015 as Star Trek: Phase II, is a fan-created science fiction webseries set in the fictional Star Trek universe. The series was designed as a continuation of the original Star Trek, beginning in the fifth and final year of the starship Enterprise's "five-year mission." The first episode was released in January 2004, with new episodes released at a rate of about one per year. Production on new episodes halted in June 2016 following the release of new fan film guidelines by CBS/Paramount after they sued the makers of Star Trek: Axanar, with three episodes in post-production left unreleased. The sets constructed for New Voyages were licensed as a 'Studio Set Tour' beginning in July 2016.

Trek Nation is a 2011 documentary film directed by Scott Colthorp examining the positive impact that Star Trek and creator Gene Roddenberry may have had on people's lives as seen through the eyes of his son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr. It includes interviews with castmembers and crew from all five Star Trek incarnations as well as with various fans and celebrities who were markedly influenced by the show while growing up. Rod Roddenberry also visits Skywalker Ranch to learn about the influence Star Trek had on George Lucas. The film premiered on November 30, 2011 on Science.

Roddenberry is a surname. People with the surname include:

Norway Corporation also called Norway Productions, Inc., is a motion picture and television production company established by Gene Roddenberry in 1959. Norway Corporation is best known for having been the production company that brought Star Trek to television on the NBC network in association with Desilu Studios, which later became part of Paramount Television.

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> season 1 1987–88 season of American television series

The first season of the American television science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 28, 1987, and concluded on May 16, 1988, after 26 episodes were broadcast. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D. It was the first live-action television series in the franchise to be broadcast since Star Trek: The Original Series was cancelled in 1969, and the first to feature all new characters. Paramount Television eventually sought the advice of the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, who set about creating the new show with mostly former The Original Series staff members. An entirely new cast were sought, which concerned some members of The Original Series crew, as Roddenberry did not want to re-tread the same steps as he had in the first series to the extent that well-known Star Trek aliens such as Vulcans, Klingons and Romulans were banned at first.

<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third and final season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek, premiered on NBC on Friday, September 20, 1968 and concluded on Tuesday, June 3, 1969. It consisted of twenty-four episodes. Star Trek: The Original Series is an American science fiction television series produced by Fred Freiberger, and created by Gene Roddenberry, and the original series of the Star Trek franchise. It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.

These Are the Voyages is a six-volume non-fiction reference book series by Marc Cushman with Susan Osborn about Star Trek: The Original Series and the subsequent movies/television in the 1970s, published by Jacobs Brown Press. The information revealed inside primarily comes from production documents that were donated by Star Trek creator/producer Gene Roddenberry and show co-producer Robert H. Justman to the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal life of Gene Roddenberry</span>

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist best remembered for creating the original Star Trek television series. While at Los Angeles City College, he entered into a relationship with Eileen-Anita Rexroat, whom he went on to marry on June 20, 1942, before his deployment in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. The couple had two daughters together, Darleen Anita and Dawn Allison. He joined the Los Angeles Police Department, and during this time he was known to have had affairs with secretarial staff, thus endangering his marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legacy of Gene Roddenberry</span> Legacy of American writer, futurist (1921–1991)

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist best remembered for creating the original Star Trek television series.

Lincoln Enterprises, formerly Star Trek Enterprises, was a mail-order company set up by Bjo Trimble and Gene Roddenberry to sell merchandise related to the American science fiction television series Star Trek. It was known for selling official scripts and film cells directly from Desilu Productions during the run of the series. It later expanded into general Star Trek merchandise under Majel Barrett, and has since been subsumed into Roddenberry.com.

References

  1. "Barrett". Star Trek. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Truitt, Brian (November 28, 2011). "Roddenberry put 'Star Trek' light-years ahead". USA Today .
  3. "Where SciFi Begins". Roddenberry.com. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  4. Vakkalanka, Harshnini (July 12, 2012). "Trekking to a new world". The Hindu .
  5. 1 2 Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry (April 23, 2010). "Bios: Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry". Roddenberry.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  6. Whitmore, Linda (August 6, 2009). "The Roddenberry stamp of approval". The Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  7. "Gladstone Institutes Announces Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine". Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  8. McMillan, Graeme (March 3, 2016). "CBS' New 'Star Trek' Adds Gene Roddenberry's Son as Exec Producer". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  9. Lincoln, Ross A. (March 3, 2016). "'Star Trek': Rod Roddenberry & Trevor Roth Join CBS Digital Series As EPs". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  10. Sperling, Nicole (August 1, 2021). "Can Paramount+ Succeed? One Producer Hopes to Make It So". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  11. Lay, Roger Jr.; Baena, Carlos (May 3, 2022), The Roddenberry Archive: The Cage (Documentary, Short), Roddenberry Entertainment, OTOY, Roddenberry Entertainment, retrieved October 6, 2022
  12. Donnelly, Matt (May 3, 2022). "Cast and Crew of Original 'Star Trek' Pilot Reunite for Virtual Set Recreation by Otoy". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2022.