Editing D. C. Fontana

{{Short description|American screenwriter (1939–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = D. C. Fontana
| image        = DCFontanaJan2016.jpg
| caption      = Fontana (2016; age 76)
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1939|03|25}}
| death_date   = {{Death date and age |2019|12|02|1939|03|25}}
| death_place  = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| birth_place  = [[Sussex, New Jersey]], U.S.
| other_names  = J. Michael Bingham<br />Michael Richards
| education    =
| alma_mater   = [[Fairleigh Dickinson University]]
| occupation   = Scriptwriter, story editor
| years_active = 1960–2006
| spouse       = {{Marriage|[[Dennis Skotak]]|1981}}
| children     =
| parents      =
}}
'''Dorothy Catherine Fontana''' (March 25, 1939&nbsp;– December 2, 2019)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title='Star Trek' Writer D.C. Fontana Dies at 80 |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/ |website=Variety |access-date=4 December 2019 |language=en |date=3 December 2019}}</ref> was an American television script writer and [[story editor]], best known for her work on the original ''[[Star Trek]]'' series.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-05 |title=D.C. Fontana, First Female 'Star Trek' Writer, Dies at 80 - The New York Times |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/arts/dc-fontana-star-trek.html |access-date=2023-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805044736/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/arts/dc-fontana-star-trek.html |archive-date=August 5, 2023 }}</ref>

After a short period working for [[Samuel A. Peeples]] as a secretary, Fontana moved to work for [[Del Reisman]], a producer on ''[[The Lieutenant]]'', whose creator was [[Gene Roddenberry]]. Though ''The Lieutenant'' was soon cancelled, Roddenberry began working on ''Star Trek'', and Fontana was appointed as the series' story editor, but left after the second season to pursue freelance work. She later worked with Roddenberry again on ''[[Genesis II (film)|Genesis II]]'' and then as story editor and associate producer on ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]''. During the 1970s and early 1980s, she worked on a number of television shows including ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]], [[Bonanza]], [[The Six Million Dollar Man]], [[Logan's Run (TV series)|Logan's Run]], [[The Waltons]]'', and ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]].''<ref name=":0" />

Roddenberry hired Fontana to work on ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', but, while she was given an associate producer credit, the experience soured their relationship and resulted in a claim put to the [[Writers Guild of America]]. She later wrote an episode of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' and an episode of the [[Trekkie|''Star Trek'' fan-made]] series ''[[Star Trek: New Voyages]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nerozzi |first1=Timothy|last2=Oaden|first2=Arthur|url=https://znewsservice.com/story/d-c-fontana-star-trek-writer-remembered-by-stars-of-the-iconic-sci-fi-show/|title=D.C. Fontana, Star Trek Writer, Remembered By Stars Of The Iconic Sci-Fi Show|website=Zenger News|date=December 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206125958/https://znewsservice.com/story/d-c-fontana-star-trek-writer-remembered-by-stars-of-the-iconic-sci-fi-show/|archive-date=2019-12-06 }}</ref>

Fontana was inducted into the [[Museum of Pop Culture]]'s Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. She was also awarded the Morgan Cox Award in 2002 by the Writers Guild of America, and was twice named to the [[American Screenwriters Association]]'s hall of fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mopop.org/about-mopop/the-mopop-blog/posts/2020/july/mopop-announces-its-next-science-fiction-and-fantasy-hall-of-fame-class/|title=MoPOP Announces Its Next 'Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame' Class|publisher=[[Museum of Pop Culture]]|website=mopop.org|date=July 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://awards.wga.org/awards/awards-recipients/honorary-service-awards/morgan-cox-award/dc-fontana|title=Television Writer D.C. Fontana to Receive Morgan Cox Award for Service|publisher=[[Writers Guild of America]]|website=awards.wga.org}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Born in [[Sussex, New Jersey]], Fontana was raised in [[Totowa, New Jersey]], graduating from [[Passaic Valley Regional High School]] in 1957.<ref>Beckerman, Jim. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/ex-totowa-resident-a-shaper-of-star-trek-1.1656853 "Ex-Totowa resident a shaper of ''Star Trek''"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)]]'', September 8, 2016. Accessed September 12, 2016. "'That was kind of the only way at the time," says Fontana, who was born in Sussex, moved to Totowa a year later, and lived there for the next 19 years&nbsp;... Which is why Fontana, though she had early dreams of being a novelist, majored in business&nbsp;— first at Passaic Valley High School where she graduated in 1957, and then at Fairleigh Dickinson University (at the now-defunct Rutherford campus) where she graduated in 1959 with an Associate in Arts degree, Executive Secretarial major."</ref>

Fontana decided at the age of 11 that she wanted to become a novelist.<ref name="themasters" /><ref name=ayers75>[[#ayers2006|Ayers (2006)]]: p. 75</ref> During her youth, she wrote horror stories featuring herself and her friends. She attended [[Fairleigh Dickinson University]], where she graduated with an [[associate degree]] as an Executive Secretarial major.<ref name="wolfman1">{{Cite web|last1=Wolfman|first1=Marvin|title=Speaking with&nbsp;... D.C. Fontana Part One|url=http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_With_D.C._Fontana_Part_One.html|publisher=MarvWolfman.com|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010131115/http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_With_D.C._Fontana_Part_One.html|archive-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref> After she graduated from college, she went to New York City, where she got a job working at [[Screen Gems]] as the junior secretary to the president of the studio. Shortly after his death, she returned to her home state briefly then moved to Los Angeles. She gained employment in the [[Secretarial pool|typing pool]] at [[Universal Television#Revue Studios|Revue Studios]],<ref name="themasters" /> working as the secretary to writer [[Samuel A. Peeples]] during his time on the [[Western (genre)|Western]] television series ''[[Overland Trail (TV series)|Overland Trail]]''.<ref name=solow132>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 132</ref>

When the series was canceled,<ref name="wolfman1" /> Peeples and Fontana moved on to ''[[The Tall Man (TV series)|The Tall Man]]'', and Fontana sold Peeples a story called "A Bounty for Billy".<ref name=solow132 /> She was 21; it was her first story sale.<ref name="themasters">{{Cite web|last1=Faye|first1=Denis|title=The Masters: D.C. Fontana|url=http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4799|publisher=Writers Guild of America, West|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315082117/http://wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4799|archive-date=March 15, 2015}}</ref> She continued to work with Peeples on the western television series ''[[Frontier Circus]]''.<ref name="dctalksign" /> During her work with Peeples, she sold six story ideas, including one on ''[[Shotgun Slade]]'' for [[Nat Holt]].<ref name="wolfman1" /> She was restricted in that particular episode, since the series only allowed for four main speaking roles including the main character. Another episode on which she worked had to be re-written to remove any outside scenes, as it was raining during the shoot, which could not be delayed for the weather to change.<ref>[[#stempel1992|Stempel (1992)]]: p. 78</ref> These were all created under the name of Dorothy C. Fontana.<ref name="wolfman1" /> Peeples moved on from the company, but Fontana stayed and returned to the typing pool.<ref name=erdbliii>[[#blockerdmann2010|Block & Erdmann (2010)]]: p. iii</ref>

== Story editing ==
{{stack|[[File:MONY Gene Roddenberry.JPG|thumb|Fontana started working for Gene Roddenberry (pictured in 1961; age 40) while covering his secretary's sick leave.]]}}
Fontana saw a position on a [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]-based series called ''[[The Lieutenant]]'' and applied;<ref name=erdbliii /> Fontana began working as a secretary for producer [[Del Reisman]].<ref name="dctalksign" /> Around this time, she adopted the [[gender-blind]] pen name D.C. Fontana for her writing, to prevent her pitches being prejudged on the basis of her sex, as she was one of the few female writers at [[NBC]] at the time.<ref name="variety death">{{Cite web |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=December 3, 2019 |title='Star Trek' Writer D.C. Fontana Dies at 80 |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/ |access-date=2019-12-03 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref name="wolfman1" /> ''The Lieutenant'' was created by [[Gene Roddenberry]], whom she ended up working directly for after his secretary fell ill. After finding out she wanted to become a writer, Roddenberry encouraged her.<ref name="dctalksign">{{Cite web|last1=Collura|first1=Scott|title=Star Trek 101: D.C. Talks|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/06/13/star-trek-101-dc-talks|publisher=IGN|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216143925/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/13/star-trek-101-dc-talks|archive-date=February 16, 2016|date=June 13, 2008}}</ref> In 1964, she published her first novel, a Western called ''Brazos River'', with Harry Sanford.<ref name=ayers75 /> ''The Lieutenant'' ran for one season.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

After the series was canceled, Roddenberry began work on ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'', and Fontana was introduced to science fiction, which had not been a previous interest of hers.<ref name="themasters" /> Following encouragement from associate producer [[Robert H. Justman]],<ref name=solow132 /> and as she had been working on the show from the start of the development, Roddenberry assigned her the task of writing a teleplay on an idea he had for an episode called "The Day Charlie Became God".<ref name="themasters" /><ref>[[#roddenberry1964|Roddenberry (1964)]]: p. 1</ref> She worked the premise into the script for "[[Charlie X]]", although she gave Roddenberry the story credit and only took the teleplay credit for herself.<ref>[[#cushmanosborn2013|Cushman & Osborn (2013)]]: p. 196</ref> It was broadcast as the second episode of the series.<ref name="stfontana">{{Cite web|title=Fontana, Dorothy|url=http://www.startrek.com/database_article/fontana|publisher=StarTrek.com|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208123328/http://www.startrek.com/database_article/fontana|archive-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref> Although this was an adapted story, she also wrote "[[Tomorrow Is Yesterday]]" from her own idea. By the middle of the first season [[Steven W. Carabatsos|Steve Carabatsos]], the story editor, had already left the production, and it appeared that the second editor, [[John D. F. Black]], was also planning to leave,<ref name="dctalksign" /> so Roddenberry gave Fontana the task of rewriting the episode "[[This Side of Paradise (Star Trek: The Original Series)|This Side of Paradise]]".<ref name="themasters" /><ref name="dctalksign" /> Both Roddenberry and the network were satisfied with Fontana's work, and she became the new story editor<ref name="themasters" /> instead of Roddenberry's secretary in September 1966.<ref>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 133</ref>

Fontana subsequently came up with the ideas for the episodes "[[Journey to Babel]]" and "[[Friday's Child (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Friday's Child]]". There were other works that she was formally credited with based on the Writers Guild arbitration that were only re-writes of episodes.<ref name="dctalksign" /> She later recalled completely re-writing "[[The Ultimate Computer]]", as the original writer was unwilling to make the recommended changes. She said that this was a common issue: "You either had to do a light polish, sometimes just on dialogue and then you took no credit for that of course, because it would not be fair, but when you really do a total script overhaul, then it has to automatically go into the Writers Guild for arbitration."<ref name="dctalksign" /> She was one of four writers to re-write [[Harlan Ellison]]'s "[[The City on the Edge of Forever]]",<ref>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 282</ref> alongside Roddenberry, [[Gene L. Coon|Gene Coon]] and Carabatsos who had all made changes at different times to Ellison's displeasure.<ref>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 284</ref> Fontana's draft, submitted on January 23, 1967, was superseded by three further versions by Roddenberry.<ref>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 286</ref>

Fontana left the team prior to the [[Star Trek: The Original Series (season 3)|third season]], but continued to write scripts on a freelance basis. These included "[[The Enterprise Incident|The ''Enterprise'' Incident]]", "[[That Which Survives]]", and "[[The Way to Eden]]"; the last two were credited under the [[pseudonym]] Michael Richards. She disliked some of the changes made in "The ''Enterprise'' Incident", such as the size of the [[cloaking device]], and found working with her replacement difficult, as the new story editor, [[Arthur H. Singer]], did not understand the basics of the series, such as what the [[Transporter (Star Trek)|transporter]] did. She had a further disagreement with producer [[Fred Freiberger]] as to how old [[Leonard McCoy]] was meant to be as "The Way to Eden" was developed.<ref>Marc Cushman, ''These Are the Voyages'', vol. 3, Jacobs/Brown Press, San Diego, CA, 2015, pp. 548-49</ref>

[[Leonard Nimoy]] credited her for expanding [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] culture within ''Star Trek''.<ref name=nimoy71>[[#nimoy1995|Nimoy (1995)]]: p. 71</ref> He was unsure when "[[This Side of Paradise (Star Trek: The Original Series)|This Side of Paradise]]" was proposed, as Fontana had changed the romantic lead from [[Hikaru Sulu]] to [[Spock]]<ref>[[#grossaltman1993|Gross & Altman (1993)]]: p. 39</ref> but he enjoyed being able to act out emotions with the character,<ref>[[#nimoy1995|Nimoy (1995)]]: p. 65</ref> and also praised her work on "Journey to Babel" and "The ''Enterprise'' Incident".<ref name=nimoy71 /> Nimoy also felt that unusually among ''Star Trek''{{'s}} writers, Fontana was able to write believable female characters who were fully developed in the screenplay.<ref>[[#nimoy1995|Nimoy (1995)]]: p. 118</ref>

Fontana's freelance status meant that she could write for several series, including Westerns once again.<ref name="dctalksign" /> In 1969 she was nominated for a [[Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Award]] for an episode of ''[[Then Came Bronson]]'', titled "Two Percent of Nothing".<ref name="Coxnod">{{Cite news|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|title=WGA Set to Bestow Cox Nod on Fontana|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83030759.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911041953/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83030759.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 11, 2016|access-date=2016-02-16 |work=Daily Variety|publisher=[[HighBeam Research]]|date=January 23, 2002|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Becoming a producer ==
During the early 1970s, Fontana acted as Roddenberry's assistant on ''[[The Questor Tapes]]'', but was not involved in the writing;<ref name="starlog118">{{Cite journal|last1=Gross|first1=Edward|title=Dorothy Fontana: Still in Love with ''Star Trek''|journal=Starlog|publisher=Starlog Group, Inc.|date=May 1987|issue=118|pages=16–21|url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-118/118#page/n18/mode/1up|access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> she did however write the novelization.<ref name="stfontana" /> Fontana also wrote a script for Roddenberry's projected ''[[Genesis II (film)|Genesis II]]'' series.<ref name="starlog118" /> She was hired as story editor, associate producer and ''de facto'' [[showrunner]] on ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]''.<ref name=alex406>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 406</ref> Roddenberry (credited for the first time on a ''Star Trek'' project as "executive consultant") retained nominal creative control but relinquished most of his authority to Fontana while focusing on other television endeavors and lecture tours.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 405</ref> Accordingly, one of her responsibilities on the show was to receive pitches for episodes, which she would then relay to Roddenberry.<ref name=starlog>{{Cite journal|last1=Florence|first1=Bill|title=Colors of a Chameleon|journal=Starlog|publisher=Starlog Group, Inc.|date=June 1993|issue=191|pages=56–57|url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-191/191#page/n55/mode/1up|access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> The series won the [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series]] in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Dyess-Nugent|first1=Phil|title=R.I.P. Lou Scheimer, producer of Filmation cartoons like He-Man and Fat Albert|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/rip-lou-scheimer-producer-of-filmation-cartoons-li-104568|publisher=A.V. Club|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220220131/http://www.avclub.com/article/rip-lou-scheimer-producer-of-filmation-cartoons-li-104568|archive-date=February 20, 2014|date=October 22, 2013}}</ref>

After that project ended, Fontana became the story editor on ''[[The Fantastic Journey]]'' (1977). Although it was soon canceled, working with [[Leonard Katzman]] led to Fontana writing for the ''[[Logan's Run (TV series)|Logan's Run]]'' (1977–1978) television series. She also sold stories to several other science fiction series, including ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', ''[[Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]'', and ''[[Automan]]'' (although the latter never became an episode due to the cancellation of the show).<ref name=starlog /> Fontana wrote scripts with her brother for ''[[The Waltons]]'' and under her own name again for ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]''.<ref name="wolfman1" /> One possibly apocryphal story involves Fontana's experience writing for ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. She was reportedly so dissatisfied with revisions made to her script for "[[List of Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series) and Galactica 1980 episodes#Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Gun on Ice Planet Zero]]" that she used a pseudonym; the story spread, resulting in other well-known science fiction writers refusing to work on the show.<ref name=muir42>[[#muir1999|Muir (1999)]]: p. 42</ref>

When work on ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' began, Roddenberry asked Fontana to join the team, and she offered to pitch some story ideas.<ref name=alex507>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 507</ref> After he suggested something involving an alien space station, she worked up the idea to become the pilot "[[Encounter at Farpoint]]".<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 508</ref> She was offered the position of story editor on the crew, but wanted to be an associate producer. Writer [[Robert Lewin (screenwriter)|Robert Lewin]] found this difficult initially as, due to her being registered with the [[Writers Guild of America]], he could not contractually ask her to do certain tasks. Since she had offered—and Roddenberry was expecting him to do it—he did anyway. She was eventually given her associate producer position.<ref name=alex507 />

Lewin said that this fight caused some resentment between Fontana and Roddenberry,<ref name=alex507 /> and she left during the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)|first season]]. She had written a story that would have brought Nimoy onto the show as Spock, but it was rejected by Roddenberry. When the actor and character later appeared in the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 5)|fifth season]] episode "[[Unification (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Unification]]", she felt that her original take on ''The Next Generation'' was the right one.<ref name=alex509 /> Her work on "Encounter at Farpoint" was expanded by Roddenberry to add the character [[Q (Star Trek)|Q]], as when she wrote her draft<ref>[[#Reeves-Stevens1998|Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens (1998)]]: p. 40</ref> it was unclear whether it would be a single or double episode.<ref>[[#Reeves-Stevens1998|Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens (1998)]]: p. 30</ref> She had her work on the episode "[[The Naked Now]]" credited to the pseudonym J Michael Bingham.<ref name=nemecek33>[[#Nemecek2003|Nemecek (2003)]]: p. 33</ref> Her relationship with Roddenberry became so strained prior to her departure that she began tape-recording their conversations. After she left, she put in a claim with the Writers Guild that she had also worked as a story editor on the series, but was never paid for it.<ref name=alex509>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 509</ref> This was settled amicably with [[Paramount Television]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 515</ref>

== Later work ==
[[Pocket Books]] editor Dave Stern approached Fontana to write a ''Star Trek'' novel, and she proposed writing the story of Spock's first mission on the ''Enterprise'', joining a crew led by Captain [[Christopher Pike (Star Trek)|Christopher Pike]]. ''[[Vulcan's Glory]]'' also included [[Scotty (Star Trek)|Scotty]]'s first mission and an exploration of [[Number One (Star Trek)|Number One]].<ref name=ayers75 /> She described this as a pleasant experience, particularly working with Stern.<ref>[[#ayers2006|Ayers (2006)]]: p. 76</ref>

Fontana returned to the ''Star Trek'' franchise, with "[[Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode)|Dax]]", an episode of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. [[Peter Allan Fields]] brought Fontana onto the series after he had previously worked with her on ''The Six Million Dollar Man''. She found the episode difficult to write due to the characters not yet being fully explored since it was early in the first season. The nature of the character of [[Jadzia Dax]]'s opinion of her previous symbionts had not yet been settled and was only resolved when Fields re-wrote part of Fontana's work. The duo were jointly credited with the screenplay.<ref name=erd32>[[#erdmannblock2000|Erdmann & Block (2000)]]: p. 32</ref>

Fontana wrote the episode "[[The War Prayer (Babylon 5)|The War Prayer]]" for the first season of ''[[Babylon 5]]'', based on a premise by series creator [[J. Michael Straczynski]]. Only the [[Babylon 5: The Gathering|pilot]] was available for research purposes, so she spent some time speaking with Straczynski to get a feel for the series.<ref>[[#killick1998|Killick (1998)]]: p. 75</ref> She went on to work on the episode "[[Legacies (Babylon 5)|Legacies]]", which was the only installment of the first season that was created by a freelancer, but not based on one of Straczynski's ideas. He asked her to pitch and chose the idea for "Legacies" over a premise of his own.<ref>[[#killick1998|Killick (1998)]]: p. 140</ref> For her season-two episode "[[A Distant Star]]", she wrote the script based on an idea by Straczynski.<ref name=kill54>[[#killick1998b|Killick (1998b)]]: p. 54</ref> Straczynski was so impressed with her character Neroon from “Legacies” that he became a recurring role.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Together with Derek Chester, Fontana also wrote the scripts for [[Bethesda Softworks]] video games ''[[Star Trek: Legacy]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Tactical Assault]]''. Todd Vaughn, Bethesda Softworks' VP of Development, described her as "one of ''Star Trek''{{'s}} most prolific and distinguished writers".<ref name="gamezone">{{Cite news|title=Famed Star Trek Writer D.C. Fontana Involved in Upcoming Bethesda Games|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/famed_star_trek_writer_d_c_fontana_invloved_in_upcoming_bethesda_games|access-date=February 17, 2016|date=August 4, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217222621/http://www.gamezone.com/news/famed_star_trek_writer_d_c_fontana_invloved_in_upcoming_bethesda_games|archive-date=2016-02-17 }}</ref>

Fontana wrote the episode "To Serve All My Days" for the fan-made production ''[[Star Trek: New Voyages]]''.<ref name="stinterpart1">{{Cite web|title=Exclusive Interview: Dorothy Fontana, Part 1|url=http://www.startrek.com/article/exclusive-interview-dorothy-fontana-part-1|publisher=StarTrek.com|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110153701/http://www.startrek.com/article/exclusive-interview-dorothy-fontana-part-1|archive-date=November 10, 2013|date=May 18, 2013}}</ref>

Fontana's work on "The ''Enterprise'' Incident" in the third season of ''Star Trek'' led to [[IDW Publishing]] seeking to have her write a sequel in comic book form for ''Star Trek: Year Four'', titled "The ''Enterprise'' Experiment".<ref name="dctalksign" />

After joining the Writers Guild of America in 1960, Fontana served on the board between 1988 and 1990, and between 1991 and 1993. She was awarded the Morgan Cox Award for services to the guild in 2002.<ref name="Coxnod" /> She was inducted into the [[American Screenwriters Association]] hall of fame twice, in 1997 and in 2002.<ref name="gamezone" />

== Personal life ==
In 1981, Fontana married visual effects artist [[Dennis Skotak]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-30 |title=Obituary: DC Fontana, groundbreaking writer known for Star Trek {{!}} HeraldScotland |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/18123284.obituary-dc-fontana-groundbreaking-writer-known-star-trek/ |access-date=2023-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230072621/https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/18123284.obituary-dc-fontana-groundbreaking-writer-known-star-trek/ |archive-date=December 30, 2019 }}</ref>

On December 2, 2019, Fontana died of cancer at a hospital in [[Burbank, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-04 |title=D.C. Fontana, First Female 'Star Trek' Writer, Dies at 80 - The New York Times |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/arts/dc-fontana-star-trek.html |access-date=2023-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204004004/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/arts/dc-fontana-star-trek.html |archive-date=December 4, 2019 }}</ref>

==Works==

===Books===
* ''Questor Tapes'' (1974)- novelization
* ''Murder in Los Angeles'' (1987)- co-author
* ''Vulcan’s Glory'' (1989)- Star Trek book 44
* ''Futurus Rex'' (2022) Co-authored with Lynn Barker who finished the book after her death

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
! Ref
|-
| 1960
| ''[[The Tall Man (TV series)|The Tall Man]]''
| Writer; two episodes<br />As Dorothy C. Fontana
|<ref name=solow132 />
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Frontier Circus]]''
| Writer, one episode<br />As Dorothy C. Fontana
|<ref name="dctalksign" />
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Shotgun Slade]]''
| Writer, one episode<br />As Dorothy C. Fontana
|<ref name="wolfman1" />
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Ben Casey]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1966–1968
| ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''
| Writer, ten episodes<br />Story editor (season 1 and 2)
|<ref name="themasters" />
|-
| 1967
| ''[[The Road West]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stinterpart1" />
|-
| 1968–1969
| ''[[The Big Valley]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1968–1969
| ''[[Lancer (TV series)|Lancer]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="wolfman1" />
|-
| 1968–1969
| ''[[The High Chaparral]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1969
| ''[[Then Came Bronson]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1969–1970
| ''[[Bonanza]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="wolfman1" />
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Here Come the Brides]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1972–1973
| ''[[Ghost Story (TV series)|Ghost Story]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="Coxnod" />
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]''
| Writer, one episode<br />Associate producer<br />Story editor
|<ref name=alex406 />
|-
| 1973–1975
| ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]''
| Writer, four episodes<br />As Dorothy C. Fontana
|<ref name="wolfman1" />
|-
| 1974
| ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name=starlog />
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series)|Land of the Lost]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Gibron|first1=Bill|title=Land of the Lost The Complete TV Series (A Review Reprint)|url=http://www.popmatters.com/post/land-of-the-lost-the-complete-tv-series-a-review-reprint/|publisher=PopMatters|access-date=February 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013022949/http://www.popmatters.com/post/land-of-the-lost-the-complete-tv-series-a-review-reprint/|archive-date=October 13, 2015|date=June 3, 2009}}</ref>
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Bert D'Angelo/Superstar]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley">{{Cite web|title=D. C. Fontana Television Writer, Producer|url=http://www.shemadeit.org/meet/summary.aspx?m=112|publisher=Paley Center for Media|access-date=February 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919061310/http://www.shemadeit.org/meet/summary.aspx?m=112|archive-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| 1977
| ''[[The Fantastic Journey]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="starlog118" />
|-
| 1977–1979
| ''[[Logan's Run (TV series)|Logan's Run]]''
| Writer, three episodes<br />Story editor
|<ref name=starlog />
|-
| 1978–1979
| ''[[The Waltons]]''
| Writer, three episodes
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1978–1979
| ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name=starlog />
|-
| 1985
| ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1986–1987
| ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''
| Writer, five episodes<br />Associate producer<br />Story editor
|<ref name=alex507 />
|-
| 1989
| ''[[War of the Worlds (1988 TV series)|War of the Worlds]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1992
| ''[[The Legend of Prince Valiant]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name=erd32 />
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Babylon 5]]''
| Writer, three episodes
|<ref name=kill54 />
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Hypernauts]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys]]''
| Writer, two episodes
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1997
| ''[[ReBoot]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stfontana" />
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Silver Surfer (TV series)|Silver Surfer]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="paley" />
|-
|}

=== Web drama series ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
! Ref
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Star Trek: New Voyages]]''
| Writer, one episode
|<ref name="stinterpart1" />
|-
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist|1}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Alexander |first=David |year=1995 |title=Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry |publisher=Roc |location=New York |isbn=0-451-45440-5 |ref=alexander1995 |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekcreator00davi}}
* {{Cite book|last=Ayers|first=Jeff|title=Voyages of Imagination|year=2006|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4165-0349-1 |ref=ayers2006}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Block|first1=Paula M.|last2=Erdmann|first2=Terry J.|title=Star Trek: The Original Series 365|year=2010|publisher=Abrams|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8109-9172-9|ref=blockerdmann2010}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Cushman|first1=Marc|last2=Osborn|first2=Susan|title=These Are the Voyages: TOS, Season One|year=2013|publisher=Jacobs Brown Press|location=San Diego, California|isbn=978-0-9892381-1-3|ref=cushmanosborn2013}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Erdmann|first1=Terry J.|last2=Block|first2=Paula M.|title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion|year=2000|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-671-50106-8|ref=erdmannblock2000}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Gross|first1=Edward|last2=Altman|first2=Mark A.|title=Captain's Logs: The Complete Trek Voyages|year=1993|publisher=Boxtree|location=London|isbn=978-1-85283-899-7|ref=grossaltman1993}}
* {{Cite book|last=Killick|first=Jane|title=Babylon 5: Signs and Portents|year=1998|publisher=Ballantine Pub. Group|location=New York|isbn=978-0-345-42447-1|ref=killick1998|url=https://archive.org/details/signsportents00kill}}
* {{Cite book|last=Killick|first=Jane|title=Babylon 5: The Coming of Shadows|year=1998|publisher=Ballantine Pub. Group|location=New York|isbn=978-0-345-42448-8|ref=killick1998b|url=https://archive.org/details/comingofshadows00kill_0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|title=An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica|year=1999|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-7864-2455-9|ref=muir1999}}
* {{Cite book|last=Nemecek|first=Larry|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion|year=2003|edition=3rd|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn= 0-7434-5798-6|ref=Nemecek2003}}
* {{Cite book|last=Nimoy|first=Leonard|title=I Am Spock|year=1995|publisher=Hyperion|location=New York|isbn=978-0-7868-6182-8|ref=nimoy1995|url=https://archive.org/details/iamspock00nimo}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Reeves-Stevens|first1=Judith|last2=Reeves-Stevens|first2=Garfield|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Continuing Mission|year=1998|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0-671-02559-5|ref=Reeves-Stevens1998}}
* {{Cite book|last=Roddenberry|first=Gene|title=Star Trek|year=1964|publisher=Desilu Studios|location=Los Angeles|url=http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/1_Original_Series/Star_Trek_Pitch.pdf|ref=roddenberry1964}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Solow|first1=Herbert F.|last2=Justman|first2=Robert H.|title=Inside Star Trek: The Real Story|year=1996|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-671-89628-7|ref=solowjustman1996|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780671896287}}
* {{Cite book|last=Stempel|first=Tom|title=Storytellers to the Nation: A History of American Television Writing|year=1992|publisher=Continuum|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8264-0562-3|ref=stempel1992|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780826405623}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|id=0284894|name=D. C. Fontana}}
* {{The Interviews name|dorothy-fontana|D.C. Fontana}}
* {{Memoryalpha|D.C. Fontana}}
* [http://newsok.com/article/5584401/dorothy-d.c.-fontana-wrote-her-way-into-star-trek-lore "Dorothy (D.C.) Fontana wrote her way into Star Trek lore", interview February, 2018, ''The Oklahoman'', accessed April 4, 2018.]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontana, D. C.}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:American women screenwriters]]
[[Category:American women television writers]]
[[Category:Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni]]
[[Category:Passaic Valley Regional High School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Sussex, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Totowa, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Writers from Passaic County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Writers from Sussex County, New Jersey]]