Editing Gene Roddenberry

{{Short description|American screenwriter and producer (1921–1991)}}
{{redirect|Eugene Roddenberry|Roddenberry's son|Eugene Roddenberry&nbsp;Jr.}}
{{good article}} 
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Gene Roddenberry
| image        = Gene Roddenberry crop.jpg
| caption      = Roddenberry with [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] in [[Palmdale, California]], 1976
| birth_name   = Eugene Wesley Roddenberry
| birth_date   = {{birth date|mf=yes|1921|8|19}}
| birth_place  = [[El Paso, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1991|10|24|1921|8|19}}
| death_place  = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| other_names  = Robert Wesley
| alma_mater   = [[Los Angeles City College]]
| awards       = [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| occupation   = {{cslist|Television writer|producer}}
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Eileen-Anita Rexroat|June 20, 1942|1969|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Majel Barrett]]|1969|<!-- Omission per Template:Marriage instructions -->}}
}}
| partner      = [[Susan Sackett]] (1975–1991; his death)
| children     = 3, including [[Rod Roddenberry|Rod]]
}}
'''Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr.''' (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''[[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 [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]] during [[World War&nbsp;II]] and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he joined the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] and began to write for television.

As a [[freelance writer]], Roddenberry wrote scripts for ''[[Highway Patrol (American TV series)|Highway Patrol]]'', ''[[Have Gun – Will Travel]]'', and other series, before creating and producing his own television series, ''[[The Lieutenant]].'' In 1964, Roddenberry created the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' series, which premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons. He then worked on projects including a string of failed television pilots. The syndication of ''Star Trek'' led to its growing popularity, resulting in the [[Star Trek (film series)|''Star Trek'' feature films]], which Roddenberry continued to produce and consult on. In 1987, the sequel series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' began airing on television in [[first-run syndication]]; Roddenberry was  involved in the initial development but took a less active role after the first season due to ill health. He consulted on the series until his death in 1991.

In 1985, Roddenberry became the first TV writer with a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. He was later inducted into the [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame|Science Fiction Hall of Fame]] and the [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] Hall of Fame. Years after his death, Roddenberry was one of the first humans to have their ashes carried into earth orbit. ''Star Trek'' has inspired films, books, comic books, video games and [[Star Trek fan productions|fan films]] set in the ''Star Trek'' universe.

==Early life and career==
{{main|Early life and career of Gene Roddenberry}}
[[File:Gene Roddenberry 1939.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Roddenberry during his senior year of high school at LA Franklin High. (1939)]]
Gene Roddenberry was born on August 19, 1921, in his parents' rented home in El Paso, Texas, the first child of Eugene Edward Roddenberry and Caroline "Glen" ({{nee|Golemon}}) Roddenberry.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 10</ref> The family moved to Los Angeles in 1923 after Gene's father passed the civil service test and was given a police commission there.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 15–17</ref> During his childhood, Roddenberry was interested in reading, especially [[pulp magazine]]s,<ref name=alexander34>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 34</ref> and was a fan of stories such as ''[[John Carter of Mars]]'', ''[[Tarzan]]'', and the ''[[Skylark (series)|Skylark]]'' series by [[E. E. Smith]].<ref name=alexander37>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 37</ref>

Roddenberry majored in [[police science]] at [[Los Angeles City College]],<ref name=alexander48>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 48</ref>{{refn|Studio biographies have erroneously credited Roddenberry as taking pre-law at Los Angeles City College, before switching to a major in engineering at the UCLA.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 47</ref>|group="n"}} where he began dating Eileen-Anita Rexroat and became interested in [[aeronautical engineering]].<ref name=alexander48/> He obtained a [[pilot licensing and certification|pilot's license]] through the [[United States Army Air Corps]]-sponsored [[Civilian Pilot Training Program]].<ref name=alexander49>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 49</ref> He enlisted with the USAAC on December 18, 1941<ref>{{cite web|title=World War II Army Enlistment Records Transcription|url=http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=usm%2fwwarmyenlist%2f2020307|publisher=[[Findmypast]]|access-date=April 28, 2015|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and married Eileen on June 13, 1942.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 54–55</ref> He graduated from the USAAC on August 5, 1942, when he was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]].<ref name=alex59>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 59–61</ref>

He was posted to [[Bellows Field]], Oahu, to join the [[394th Bomb Squadron]], [[5th Bombardment Group]], of the [[Thirteenth Air Force]], which flew the [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 62–63</ref>

On August 2, 1943, while flying B-17E-BO, ''41-2463'', "Yankee Doodle", out of [[Espiritu Santo]], the plane Roddenberry was piloting overran the runway by {{convert|500|ft|m}} and crashed into trees, crushing the nose and starting a fire as well as killing two men: bombardier Sgt. John P. Kruger and navigator Lt. Talbert H. Woolam.<ref name=alexander82>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 81–82</ref> The official report absolved Roddenberry of any responsibility.<ref name=alexander82/> Roddenberry spent the remainder of his military career in the United States<ref name=alexander83>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 83</ref> and flew all over the country as a plane crash investigator. He was involved in a second plane crash, this time as a passenger.<ref name=alexander83/> He was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and the [[Air Medal]].<ref>[[#hamilton2007|Hamilton (2007)]]: p. 14</ref>

In 1945, Roddenberry began flying for [[Pan American World Airways]],<ref name=alex85/> including routes from New York to Johannesburg or Calcutta, the two longest Pan Am routes at the time.<ref name=alex85>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 85</ref> Listed as a resident of [[River Edge, New Jersey]], he experienced his third crash while on the [[Pan Am Flight 121|Clipper ''Eclipse'']] on June 18, 1947.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Freeze|first1=Christopher|title=Clipper Eclipse|url=http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/ClipperEclipse-NC88845.htm|website=Check-Six.com|access-date=September 6, 2016|url-status=live|archive-date=24 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924104855/http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/ClipperEclipse-NC88845.htm}}</ref> The plane came down in the [[Syrian Desert]], and Roddenberry, who took control as the ranking flight officer, suffered two [[Rib fracture|broken ribs]] but was able to drag injured passengers out of the burning plane and led the group to get help.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 91–95</ref> Fourteen (or fifteen)<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=gL9scSG3K_gC&dat=19470620&printsec=frontpage&hl=en "Clipper Plane Crash Kills 14"], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', June 20, 1947, p4</ref> people died in the crash; eleven passengers required hospital treatment (including [[Bishnu Charan Ghosh]]), and eight were unharmed.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 97–98</ref> Roddenberry resigned from Pan Am on May 15, 1948, and decided to pursue his dream of writing, particularly for the new medium of television.<ref name=alex103>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 103–104</ref>

Roddenberry applied for a position with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] on January 10, 1949,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 110</ref> and spent his first sixteen months in the traffic division before being transferred to the newspaper unit.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 114</ref> That became the Public Information Division, and Roddenberry became the Chief of Police's speech writer.<ref name="Alexander 1995 p. 115">[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 115</ref> In this position, he also became the LAPD liaison to the very popular ''[[Dragnet (franchise)|Dragnet]]'' television series, providing technical advisors for specific episodes.  He also did his first TV writing for the show, taking actual cases, and boiling them down to short screen treatments that would be fleshed out into full scripts by [[Jack Webb|Jack Webb's]] staff of writers, and splitting the fee with the officers who actually investigated the real-life case. He became then technical advisor for a new television version of ''[[Mr. District Attorney]]'', which led to him writing for the show under his pseudonym "Robert Wesley".<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 135–137</ref> He began to collaborate with [[Ziv Television Programs]]<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]] p. 145</ref> and continued to sell scripts to ''Mr. District Attorney'', in addition to Ziv's ''[[Highway Patrol (U.S. TV series)|Highway Patrol]]''. In early 1956, he sold two story ideas for ''[[I Led Three Lives]]'', and he found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to be a writer and a policeman.<ref name=alex148>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 148</ref> On June 7, 1956, he resigned from the force to concentrate on his writing career.<ref name=alex151>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 151</ref>

==Career as full-time writer and producer==
{{see also|Gene Roddenberry filmography}}

===Early career===
Roddenberry was promoted to head writer for ''[[The West Point Story (TV series)|The West Point Story]]'' and wrote ten scripts for the first season, about a third of the total episodes.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 160</ref> While working for Ziv, in 1956, he pitched a series to [[CBS]] set aboard a [[cruise ship]], ''Hawaii Passage'',<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Gross |editor1-first=Edward |editor2-last=Altman |editor2-first=Mark A. |editor2-link=Mark A. Altman |title=The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years |date=June 2016 |publisher=[[Thomas Dunne Books]] |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-1-250-06584-1 |page=66 |edition=1st |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCN3CgAAQBAJ&q=%22gene+roddenberry%22+%22hawaii+passage%22&pg=PA66 |access-date=May 12, 2019 |chapter=Gene had been a big fan of 1961's Master of the World. But less known is that five years earlier, in 1956, Gene had pitched an idea for a new series called Hawaii Passage, which followed the adventures of a cruise ship, her captain, and senior officers. What was different here was that Gene referred to the ship as one of the characters, unheard of at the time.}}</ref> but they did not buy it, as he wanted to become a [[Producer (television)|producer]] and have full creative control. He wrote another script for Ziv's series ''[[Harbourmaster (TV series)|Harbourmaster]]'' titled "Coastal Security" and signed a contract with the company to develop a show called ''Junior Executive'' with [[Quinn Martin]]. Nothing came of the series.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 162–164</ref>
[[File:Leonard Nimoy mid 1960s.JPG|thumb|right|upright|[[Leonard Nimoy]] first worked with Roddenberry on ''The Lieutenant''.]]
He wrote scripts for a number of other series in his early years as a professional writer, including ''[[Fireside Theatre|The Jane Wyman Show]]'', ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]'' and ''[[Jefferson Drum]]''.<ref name=alex167/> Roddenberry's episode of the series ''[[Have Gun – Will Travel]]'', "Helen of Abajinian", won the [[Writers Guild of America]] award for Best Teleplay in 1958.<ref name="reginald1052"/> He also continued to create series of his own, including a series based on an agent for [[Lloyd's of London]] called ''The Man from Lloyds''. He pitched a police-based series called ''Footbeat'' to CBS, Hollis Productions, and [[Screen Gems]]. It nearly made it into [[ABC (TV station)|ABC]]'s Sunday-night lineup, but they opted to show only [[Western (genre)|Western]] series that night.<ref name=alex167>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 166–167</ref>

Roddenberry was asked to write a series called ''Riverboat'', set in 1860s Mississippi. When he discovered that the producers wanted no black people on the show, he argued so much with them that he lost the job.<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 13</ref> He also considered moving to England around this time, as <!-- Not knighted until 1969. -->[[Lew Grade]]<!-- Much more likely the affiliated ITC (aimed at the US market) rather than the previously listed Associated Television (UK domestic ITV contractor), but no confirmation & source not online. --> wanted Roddenberry to develop series and set up his own production company.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 170</ref> Though he did not move, he leveraged the deal to land a contract with Screen Gems that included a guaranteed $100,000, and became a producer for the first time on a summer replacement for ''[[The Ford Show|The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show]]'' titled ''[[Wrangler (TV series)|Wrangler]]''.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 175</ref>

Screen Gems backed Roddenberry's first attempt at creating a pilot. His series, ''The Wild Blue'', went to pilot, but was not picked up. The three main characters had names that later appeared in the ''Star Trek'' series: Philip Pike, Edward Jellicoe, and James T. Irvine.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 179–180</ref> While working at Screen Gems, an actress, new to Hollywood, wrote to him asking for a meeting. They quickly became friends and met every few months; the woman was [[Majel Barrett|Majel Leigh Hudec]], later known as Majel Barrett.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 181</ref> He created a second pilot called ''333 Montgomery'' about a lawyer, played by [[DeForest Kelley]].<ref name=hise15>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 15</ref> It was not picked up by the network but was later rewritten as a new series called ''Defiance County''. His career with Screen Gems ended in late 1961,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 182</ref> and shortly afterward, he had issues with his old friend [[Erle Stanley Gardner]]. The ''[[Perry Mason]]'' creator claimed that ''Defiance County'' had infringed his character [[Doug Selby]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 186</ref> The two writers fell out via correspondence and stopped contacting one another, though ''Defiance County'' never proceeded past the pilot stage.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 195</ref> The project finally wound up as the NBC series ''[[Sam Benedict]]'' with [[Edmond O'Brien]] in the title role, produced by MGM. E. Jack Neuman took the creator's credit; claiming the character was based on real-life San Francisco lawyer [[Jake Ehrlich]].<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0507862/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055703/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=August 2022}}</ref>
[[File:MONY Gene Roddenberry.JPG|thumb|left|Roddenberry appearing in an advertisement for MONY in 1961]]
In 1961, he agreed to appear in an advertisement for [[MONY]] (Mutual of New York) as long as he had final approval.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 198</ref> With the money from Screen Gems and other works, he and Eileen moved to 539 South Beverly Glen, near [[Beverly Hills]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 200</ref> He discussed an idea about a multi-ethnic crew on an [[airship]] traveling the world, based on the film ''[[Master of the World (1961 film)|Master of the World]]'' (1961), with fellow writer [[Christopher Knopf]] at [[MGM]]. As the time was not right for science fiction, he began work on ''[[The Lieutenant]]'' for Arena Productions. This made it to the [[NBC]] Saturday night lineup at 7:30&nbsp;pm<ref name=alex201/> and premiered on September 14, 1963. The show set a new ratings record for the time slot.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=25}}</ref> Roddenberry worked with several cast and crew who would later join him on ''Star Trek'', including [[Gene L. Coon]], star [[Gary Lockwood]], Joe D'Agosta, [[Leonard Nimoy]], [[Nichelle Nichols]], and Majel Barrett.<ref name=alex201>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 201–202</ref>

''The Lieutenant'' was produced with the co-operation of [[the Pentagon]], which allowed them to film at an actual Marine base. During the production of the series Roddenberry clashed regularly with the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] over potential plots.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=26}}</ref> The department withdrew its support after Roddenberry pressed ahead with a plot titled "[[To Set It Right]]" in which a white and a black man find a common cause in their roles as Marines.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=28}}</ref><ref name=nichols122/> "To Set It Right" was the first time he worked with Nichols, and it was her first television role. The episode has been preserved at the [[Museum of Television and Radio]] in New York City.<ref name=nichols122>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 122</ref> The show was not renewed after its first season. Roddenberry was already working on a new series idea. This included his ship location from ''Hawaii Passage'' and added a [[Horatio Hornblower]] character, plus the multiracial crew from his airship idea. He decided to write it as science fiction, and by March 11, 1964, he brought together a 16-page pitch. On April 24, he sent three copies and two dollars to the [[Writers Guild of America]] to register his series. He called it ''Star Trek''.<ref name=alex204>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 204</ref>

===''Star Trek''===
{{main|Star Trek: The Original Series}}
When Roddenberry pitched ''Star Trek'' to MGM, it was warmly received, but no offer was made.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 206</ref> He then went to [[Desilu Productions]], but rather than being offered a one-script deal, he was hired as a producer and allowed to work on his own projects. His first was a half-hour pilot called ''Police Story'' (not to be confused with [[Police Story (1973 TV series)|the anthology series]] created by [[Joseph Wambaugh]]), which was not picked up by the networks.<ref name=alex211/> Having not sold a pilot in five years, Desilu was having financial difficulties; its only success was ''[[The Lucy Show]]''.<ref name=vanhise20>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 20</ref> Roddenberry took the ''Star Trek'' idea to Oscar Katz, head of programming, and the duo immediately started work on a plan to sell the series to the networks. They took it to CBS, which ultimately passed on it. The duo later learned that CBS had been eager to find out about ''Star Trek'' because it had a science fiction series in development—''[[Lost in Space]]''. Roddenberry and Katz next took the idea to Mort Werner at NBC,<ref name=vanhise20/> this time downplaying the science fiction elements and highlighting the links to ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' and ''[[Wagon Train]].''<ref name=alex211>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 211–212</ref> The network funded three story ideas and selected "The Menagerie", which was later known as "[[The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Cage]]", to be made into a pilot. (The other two later became episodes of the series.) While most of the money for the pilot came from NBC, the remaining costs were covered by Desilu.<ref name=alex213>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 213</ref><ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 216</ref> Roddenberry hired Dorothy Fontana, better known as [[D. C. Fontana]], as his assistant. They had worked together previously on ''The Lieutenant,'' and she had eight script credits to her name.<ref name=vanhise20/>

[[File:William Shatner Sally Kellerman Star Trek 1966.JPG|thumb|right|upright|[[William Shatner]] and [[Sally Kellerman]], from "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", the second pilot of ''Star Trek'']]
Roddenberry and Barrett had begun an affair by the early days of ''Star Trek'',<ref name=alex213/> and he specifically wrote the part of the character [[Number One (Star Trek)|Number One]] in the pilot with her in mind; no other actresses were considered for the role. Barrett suggested [[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]] for the part of [[Spock (Star Trek)|Spock]]. He had worked with both Roddenberry and Barrett on ''The Lieutenant'', and once Roddenberry remembered the thin features of the actor, he did not consider anyone else for the part.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 227–228</ref> The remaining cast came together; filming began on November 27, 1964, and was completed on December 11.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 234–236</ref> After post-production, the episode was shown to NBC executives, and it was rumored that ''Star Trek'' would be broadcast at 8:00&nbsp;pm on Friday nights. The episode failed to impress test audiences,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 238</ref> and after the executives became hesitant, Katz offered to make a second pilot. On March 26, 1965, NBC ordered a new episode.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 243–244</ref>

Roddenberry developed several possible scripts, including "[[Mudd's Women]]", "[[The Omega Glory]]", and with the help of [[Samuel A. Peeples]], "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]". NBC selected the last one, leading to later rumors that Peeples created ''Star Trek'', something he always denied.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 246–248</ref> Roddenberry was determined to make the crew racially diverse, which impressed actor [[George Takei]] when he came for his audition.<ref>{{harvp|Takei|1994|p=149}}</ref> The episode went into production on July 15, 1965, and was completed at around half the cost of "The Cage", since the sets were already built.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 252</ref> Roddenberry worked on several projects for the rest of the year. In December, he decided to write lyrics to the ''Star Trek'' theme; this angered the theme's composer, [[Alexander Courage]], as it meant that royalties would be split between them. In February 1966, NBC informed Desilu that they were buying ''Star Trek'' and that it would be included in the fall 1966 television schedule.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 255–256</ref>

On May 24, the first episode of the ''Star Trek'' series went into production;<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 272</ref> Desilu was contracted to deliver 13 episodes.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 275</ref> Five days before the first broadcast, Roddenberry appeared at the 24th [[World Science Fiction Convention]] and previewed "Where No Man Has Gone Before". After the episode was shown, he received a standing ovation. The first episode to air on NBC was "[[The Man Trap]]", on September 8, 1966, at 8:00&nbsp;pm.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 278</ref> Roddenberry was immediately concerned about the series' low ratings and wrote to [[Harlan Ellison]] to ask if he could use his name in letters to the network to save the show. Not wanting to lose a potential source of income, Ellison agreed and also sought the help of other writers who also wanted to avoid losing potential income.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 284</ref> Roddenberry corresponded with science fiction writer [[Isaac Asimov]] about how to address the issue of Spock's growing popularity and the possibility that his character would overshadow Kirk.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 304</ref> Asimov suggested having Kirk and Spock work together as a team "to get people to think of Kirk when they think of Spock."<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 307</ref> The series was renewed by NBC, first for a full season's order, and then for a second season. An article in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' quoted studio executives as stating that the letter-writing campaign had been wasted because they had already been planning to renew ''Star Trek''.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 287</ref>

[[File:Star Trek crew members.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Some of the main cast of ''Star Trek'' during the third season]]
Roddenberry often rewrote submitted scripts, although he did not always take credit for these.<ref name=alex314>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 314</ref> Roddenberry and Ellison fell out over "[[The City on the Edge of Forever]]" after Roddenberry rewrote Ellison's script to make it both financially feasible to film and usable for the series context.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 313</ref> Even his close friend [[Don Ingalls]] had his script for "[[A Private Little War]]" altered drastically,<ref name=alex314/> and as a result, Ingalls declared that he would only be credited under the pseudonym "Jud Crucis" (a play on "Jesus Christ"), claiming he had been crucified by the process.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 315</ref> Roddenberry's work rewriting "[[The Menagerie (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Menagerie]]", based on footage originally shot for "The Cage", resulted in a Writers Guild arbitration board hearing. The Guild ruled in his favor over [[John D. F. Black]], the complainant.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=118}}</ref> The script won a [[Hugo Award]], but the awards board neglected to inform Roddenberry, who found out through correspondence with Asimov.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|pp=120–121}}</ref>

As the second season was drawing to a close, Roddenberry once again faced the threat of cancellation. He enlisted the help of Asimov,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 327</ref> and even encouraged a student-led protest march on NBC. On January 8, 1968, a thousand students from 20 schools marched on the studio.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 329</ref> Roddenberry began to communicate with ''Star Trek'' fan [[Bjo Trimble]], who led a fan-writing campaign to save the series. Trimble later noted that this campaign of writing to fans who had written to Desilu about the show, urging them to write NBC, had created an organized [[Star Trek fandom|''Star Trek'' fandom]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 336–337</ref> The network received around 6,000 letters a week from fans petitioning it to renew the series.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 338</ref> On March 1, 1968, NBC announced on air, at the end of "The Omega Glory", that ''Star Trek'' would return for a third season.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 341</ref>

The network had initially planned to place ''Star Trek'' in the 7:30&nbsp;pm Monday-night time slot freed up by ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' completing its run. That would have meant ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]'' had to start a half-hour later (moving from 9:00 to 9:30). Powerful ''Laugh-In'' producer [[George Schlatter]] objected to his highly rated show yielding its slot to the poorly-rated ''Star Trek''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/star_trek_look/|title=A Look At Star Trek – Television Obscurities|work=Television Obscurities|date=May 24, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2022|quote=Citing: “‘Laugh-In’ staying put.” ''Broadcasting''. 18 Mar. 1968: 9.}}</ref> Instead, ''Laugh-In'' retained the slot, and ''Star Trek'' was moved to 10:00&nbsp;pm on Fridays. Realizing the show could not survive in that time slot and burned out from arguments with the network, Roddenberry resigned from the day-to-day running of ''Star Trek'', although he continued to be credited as executive producer.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 342–343</ref> Roddenberry cooperated with Stephen Edward Poe, writing as Stephen Whitfield, on the 1968 non-fiction book ''The Making of Star Trek'' for Ballantine Books, splitting the royalties evenly. Roddenberry explained to Whitfield: "I had to get some money somewhere. I'm sure not going to get it from the profits of ''Star Trek''."<ref name=sojust402>[[#solowjustman1996|Solow & Justman (1996)]]: p. 402</ref> Herbert Solow and [[Robert H. Justman]] observed that Whitfield never regretted his 50–50 deal with Roddenberry, since it gave him "the opportunity to become the first chronicler of television's successful unsuccessful series."<ref name=sojust402/> Whitfield had previously been the national advertising and promotion director for model makers [[Aluminum Model Toys]], better known as "AMT", which then held the ''Star Trek'' license, and moved to run [[Lincoln Enterprises]], Roddenberry's company set up to sell the series' merchandise.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=123}}</ref>

Having stepped aside from the majority of his ''Star Trek'' duties, Roddenberry sought instead to create a film based on Asimov's "[[I, Robot]]" and also began work on a ''Tarzan'' script for [[National General Pictures]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 390–391</ref> After initially requesting a budget of $2 million and being refused, Roddenberry made cuts to reduce costs to $1.2 million. When he learned they were being offered only $700,000 to shoot the film, which by now was being called a TV movie, he canceled the deal.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 393–394</ref> NBC announced ''Star Trek''{{'s}} cancellation in February 1969. A similar but much smaller letter-writing campaign followed news of the cancellation.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 398</ref> Because of the manner in which the series was sold to NBC, it left the production company $4.7 million in debt.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 399</ref> The last episode of ''Star Trek'' aired 47 days before [[Neil Armstrong]] stepped onto the moon as part of the [[Apollo 11]] mission,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 400</ref> and Roddenberry declared that he would never write for television again.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=175}}</ref>

===1970s projects===
[[File:Rock Hudson, Gene Roddenberry, Roger Vadim, and cast of Pretty Maids All in a Row.jpg|thumb|left|Cast of ''[[Pretty Maids All in a Row]]'' (L-R): (front row) [[June Fairchild]], [[Joy Bang]], Aimee Eccles; (middle row) [[Joanna Cameron]], Gene Roddenberry, [[Rock Hudson]], [[Roger Vadim]]; (back row) [[Margaret Markov]], [[Brenda Sykes]], Diane Sherry, Gretchen Burrell]]
After the cancellation of ''Star Trek,'' Roddenberry felt [[Typecasting (acting)|typecast]] as a producer of science fiction, despite his background in Westerns and police stories.<ref>[[#asherman1988|Asherman (1988)]]: p. 13</ref> He later described the period, saying, "My dreams were going downhill because I could not get work after the original series was cancelled."<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 45</ref> He felt that he was "perceived as the guy who made the show that was an expensive flop."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schonauer|first1=David|title=What's important is what hasn't changed|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19880422&id=qzwsAAAAIBAJ&pg=6960,2530069&hl=en|access-date=April 15, 2015|work=Herald-Journal|issue=113|date=April 22, 1988|volume=58|page=B8|via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> Roddenberry had sold his interest in ''Star Trek'' to [[Paramount Studios]] in return for a third of the profits but this did not result in any quick financial gain; the studio was still claiming that the series was $500,000 in the red in 1982.<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 58</ref>

He wrote and produced ''[[Pretty Maids All in a Row]]'' (1971), a [[sexploitation]] film directed by [[Roger Vadim]], for MGM. The cast included [[Rock Hudson]], [[Angie Dickinson]], [[Telly Savalas]], and [[Roddy McDowall]] alongside ''Star Trek'' regular [[James Doohan]] and notable guest star [[William Campbell (film actor)|William Campbell]], who had appeared in "[[The Squire Of Gothos]]" and "[[The Trouble with Tribbles]]". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' was unimpressed: "Whatever substance was in the original [novel by Francis Pollini] or screen concept has been plowed under, leaving only superficial, one-joke results."<ref>{{cite news|title=Review: 'Pretty Maids All in a Row'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112054028/http://variety.com/1970/film/reviews/pretty-maids-all-in-a-row-1200422446/|archive-date=January 12, 2015|url=https://variety.com/1970/film/reviews/pretty-maids-all-in-a-row-1200422446/|access-date=March 25, 2015|work=Variety|date=December 31, 1970}}</ref> Herbert Solow had given Roddenberry the work as a favor, paying him $100,000 for the script.<ref name="engel139"/>

[[File:Gene roddenberry 1976.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Roddenberry at a ''Star Trek'' convention in 1976]]
Faced with a mortgage and a $2,000-per-month alimony obligation as a result of his 1969 divorce, he retained a booking agent (with the assistance of his friend [[Arthur C. Clarke]]) and began to support himself largely by scheduling appearances at colleges and science fiction conventions.<ref name=engel140>[[#engel1994|Engel (1994)]]: p. 140</ref><ref>[[#nemecek2003|Nemecek (2003)]]: p. 2</ref> These presentations typically included screenings of "The Cage" and blooper reels from the production of ''Star Trek.''<ref>{{cite news|title='Star Trek' creator brings banned pilot to the Arena Sunday|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2295345//|access-date=April 26, 2015|work=San Antonio Express|date=January 7, 1977|page=4C|url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref> The conventions began to build the fan support to bring back ''Star Trek,'' leading ''[[TV Guide]]'' to describe it, in 1972, as "the show that won't die."<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=149}}</ref>

In 1972 and 1973, Roddenberry made a comeback to science fiction, selling ideas for four new series to a variety of networks.<ref name=hise59/> Roddenberry's ''[[Genesis II (film)|Genesis II]]'' was set in a post-apocalyptic Earth. He had hoped to recreate the success of ''Star Trek'' without "doing another space-hopping show." He created a 45-page writing guide, and proposed several story ideas based on the concept that pockets of civilisation had regressed to past eras or changed altogether.<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 60</ref> The pilot aired as a TV movie in March 1973, setting new records for the ''Thursday Night Movie of the Week''. Roddenberry was asked to produce four more scripts for episodes, but before production could begin again, CBS aired the film ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]].'' It was watched by an even greater audience than ''Genesis II.'' CBS scrapped ''Genesis II'' and replaced it with a [[Planet of the Apes (TV series)|television series]] based on the film; the results were disastrous from a ratings standpoint, and ''Planet of the Apes'' was canceled after 14 episodes.<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 61</ref>

''[[The Questor Tapes]]'' project reunited him with his ''Star Trek'' collaborator, Gene L. Coon, who was in poor health. NBC ordered 16 episodes, and tentatively scheduled the series to follow ''[[The Rockford Files]]'' on Friday nights;<ref name=hise65/> the pilot launched on January 23, 1974,<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 63</ref> to positive critical response, but Roddenberry balked at the substantial changes requested by the network and left the project, leading to its immediate cancellation. During 1974, Roddenberry reworked the ''Genesis II'' concept as a second pilot, ''[[Planet Earth (film)|Planet Earth]],'' for rival network ABC, with similar less-than-successful results. The pilot was aired on April 23, 1974. While Roddenberry wanted to create something that could feasibly exist in the future, the network wanted stereotypical science-fiction women and were unhappy when that was not delivered.<ref name=hise65>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 65</ref> Roddenberry was not involved in a third reworking of the material by ABC that produced ''[[Strange New World (film)|Strange New World]].''<ref>Alexander, David, "Star Trek Creator." ROC Books, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA, New York, June 1994, {{ISBN|0-451-45418-9}}, pp. 398–403.</ref> He began developing ''MAGNA I,'' an underwater science-fiction series, for [[20th Century Fox Television]]. By the time the work on the script was complete, though, those who had approved the project had left Fox and their replacements were not interested in the project. A similar fate was faced by ''Tribunes,'' a science-fiction police series, which Roddenberry attempted to get off the ground between 1973 and 1977. He gave up after four years;<ref>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 67</ref> the series never even reached the pilot stage.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In 1974, Roddenberry was paid $25,000 by [[John Whitmore (racing driver)|John Whitmore]] to write a script called ''The Nine''.<ref name=nine/> Intended to be about [[Andrija Puharich]]'s parapsychological research, it evolved into a frank exploration of his experiences attempting to earn a living attending science fiction conventions.<ref name=hise59>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 59</ref> At the time, he was again close to losing his house because of a lack of income.<ref name=nine>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=165}}</ref> The pilot ''[[Spectre (1977 film)|Spectre]],'' Roddenberry's 1977 attempt to create an [[Occult detective fiction|occult detective]] duo similar to [[Sherlock Holmes]] and [[Dr. Watson]],<ref name=hise68>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 68</ref> was released as a television movie within the United States and received a limited theatrical release in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|title=A new Trek? Roddenberry's failed TV pilots (video)|work=SyfyWire |url=http://www.blastr.com/2009/10/a_new_trek_roddenberrys_f.php|publisher=blastr|access-date=March 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315182604/http://www.blastr.com/2009/10/a_new_trek_roddenberrys_f.php|archive-date=March 15, 2016|date=December 14, 2012}}</ref>

===''Star Trek'' revival===
[[File:Space shuttle enterprise star trek-cropcast.jpg|left|thumb|Roddenberry (third from the right) in 1976 with most of the cast of ''Star Trek'' at the rollout of the [[Space Shuttle]] [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|''Enterprise'']] at the [[Rockwell International]] plant in [[Palmdale, California]]]]
Lacking funds in the early 1970s, Roddenberry was unable to buy the full rights to ''Star Trek'' for $150,000 (${{Inflation|US|.15|1970|r=2}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) from Paramount. [[Lou Scheimer]] approached Paramount in 1973 about creating an animated ''Star Trek'' series.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=150}}</ref> Credited as "executive consultant" and paid $2,500 per episode, Roddenberry was granted full creative control of ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]''. Although he read all the scripts and "sometimes [added] touches of his own", he relinquished most of his authority to ''de facto'' showrunner/associate producer D. C. Fontana.<ref>[[#clark2012|Clark (2012)]]: p. 323</ref>

Roddenberry had some difficulties with the cast. To save money, he sought not to hire George Takei and Nichelle Nichols. He neglected to inform Leonard Nimoy of this and instead, to get him to sign on, told him that he was the only member of the main cast not returning. After Nimoy discovered the deception, he demanded that Takei and Nichols play Sulu and Uhura when their characters appeared on screen; Roddenberry acquiesced. He had been promised five full seasons of the new show but ultimately, only one and a half were produced.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=158}}</ref>

Vociferous fan support (6,000 attended the second New York ''Star Trek'' convention in 1973 and 15,000 attended in 1974, eclipsing the more established array of approximately 3,600 fans and industry professionals who attended the [[32nd World Science Fiction Convention]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1974) led Paramount to hire Roddenberry to create and produce a feature film based on the franchise in May 1975.<ref name=reevesphase16>[[#Reeves-Stevens1997|Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens (1997)]]: p. 16</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fanlore.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Conventions |title=Star Trek Conventions |access-date=July 3, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618081359/http://fanlore.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Conventions |archive-date=June 18, 2016 }}</ref> The studio was unimpressed with the ideas being put forward; John D. F. Black's opinion was that their ideas were never "big enough" for the studio, even when one scenario involved the end of the universe.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=179}}</ref> Several ideas were partly developed including ''[[Star Trek: The God Thing]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Planet of the Titans]]''.<ref name=starlog2p13/><ref>[[#Reeves-Stevens1997|Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens (1997)]]: p. 17</ref> Following the commercial reception of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', in June 1977, Paramount instead green-lit a new series set in the franchise titled ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'',<ref name=engel180/> with Roddenberry and most of the original cast, except Nimoy, set to reprise their respective roles.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=181}}</ref>

It was to be the anchor show of a proposed Paramount-owned "[[fourth television network|fourth network]]",<ref name=engel180>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=180}}</ref> but plans for the network were scrapped and the project was reworked into a feature film.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=182}}</ref> The result, ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', troubled the studio because of budgetary concerns,<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=204}}</ref> but it was a box-office hit. Adjusted for inflation, it was the third-highest-grossing ''Star Trek'' movie, with the [[Star Trek (2009 film)|2009 film]] coming in first and the [[Star Trek Into Darkness|2013 film]] second.<ref>{{cite web| title = Star Trek Movies at the Box Office| work = Box Office Mojo| url =https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=startrek.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101041641/http://boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=startrek.htm|archive-date=January 1, 2015|access-date = April 15, 2015}}</ref>

In 1980, Roddenberry submitted a treatment for a proposed sequel about the crew preventing the alien [[Klingon]]s from thwarting the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]]. Mindful of the tumult that suffused the production of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', Paramount rejected the proposal. After he was replaced on the project by television producer [[Harve Bennett]], Roddenberry was named "[[executive consultant]]" for the project, a position he retained for subsequent Star Trek franchise films produced during his lifetime. Under this arrangement, he was compensated with a producer's fee and a percentage of the net profits of the film in exchange for proffering non-binding story notes and corresponding with the fan community; much to his chagrin, these memos were largely disregarded by Bennett and other producers.<ref>{{harvp|Greenberger|2012|p=115}}</ref> An initial script for ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' was circulated to eight people; Bennett attributed the subsequent plot leak of the death of Spock to Roddenberry. About 20% of the plot was based on Roddenberry's ideas.<ref>{{harvp|Greenberger|2012|p=118}}</ref>

Roddenberry was involved in creating the television series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', which premiered with "[[Encounter at Farpoint]]" on September 28, 1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=Encounter at Farpoint, Part I|url=http://www.startrek.com/database_article/encounter-at-farpoint-part-i|publisher=StarTrek.com|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> He was given a bonus of $1 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1|1982|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) in addition to a salary to produce the series, and celebrated by purchasing a new [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] for $100,000.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=220}}</ref> The arrangement did not entitle him to be executive producer of the series. Paramount was already concerned about the original cast not returning, and fearing fan reaction if Roddenberry was not involved, agreed to his demand for control of the show.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=222}}</ref> Roddenberry rewrote the [[Bible (screenwriting)|series bible]] from an original version by [[David Gerrold]], who had previously written ''The Original Series'' episode "[[The Trouble with Tribbles]]", and ''The Animated Series'' follow-up, "[[More Tribbles, More Troubles]]".<ref>{{cite news|last=Vinciguerra|first=Thomas|title=Nobody Knows the Tribbles He's Seen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/arts/television/16vinc.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415111244/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/arts/television/16vinc.html?_r=0|archive-date=April 15, 2015|access-date=April 15, 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 16, 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Majel Barrett in 2006 cropped.png|thumb|right|upright|Majel Barrett at a ''Star Trek'' convention in 2007]]
According to producer [[Rick Berman]], Roddenberry's involvement in ''The Next Generation'' "diminished greatly" after the first season,<ref name=tulock186/> but the nature of his increasingly peripheral role was not disclosed because of the value of his name to fans.<ref name=tulock186>[[#tulockjenkins1995|Tulock & Jenkins (1995)]]: p. 186</ref> While Berman said that Roddenberry had "all but stopped writing and rewriting" by the end of the third season, his final writing credit on the show (a co-teleplay credit) actually occurred considerably earlier, appearing on "[[Datalore]]", the 13th episode of the first season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gene Roddenberry |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0734472/ |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=IMDb}}</ref>

Although commercially successful from its inception, the series was initially marred by [[Writers Guild of America]] grievances from Fontana and Gerrold, both of whom left the series in acrimonious circumstances;<ref name=engel238/> frequent turnover among the writing staff (24 staff writers left the show during its first three seasons, triple the average attrition rate for such series);<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=243}}</ref> and allegations that Roddenberry attorney Leonard Maizlish had become the producer's "point man and proxy",<ref name=engel238/> ghostwriting memos, sitting in on meetings, and contributing to scripts despite not being on staff.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=239}}</ref> Writer [[Tracy Tormé]] described the first few seasons of ''The Next Generation'' under Roddenberry as an "insane asylum".<ref name="Engel 1994 p. 247">{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=247}}</ref>

In 1990, [[Nicholas Meyer]] was brought in to direct the sixth film in the series: ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]''. Creatively, Meyer clashed with Roddenberry, who felt that having the ''Enterprise'' crew hold prejudices against the Klingons did not fit with his view of the universe. Meyer described a meeting with Roddenberry he later regretted, saying

<blockquote>His guys were lined up on one side of the room, and my guys were lined up on the other side of the room, and this was not a meeting in which I felt I'd behaved very well, very diplomatically. I came out of it feeling not very good, and I've not felt good about it ever since. He was not well, and maybe there were more tactful ways of dealing with it, because at the end of the day, I was going to go out and make the movie. I didn't have to take him on. Not my finest hour.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Noelene|title='Star Trek': Nicholas Meyer explains his Roddenberry regret|url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/star-trek-nicholas-meyers-explains-his-roddenberry-regret/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103102322/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/star-trek-nicholas-meyers-explains-his-roddenberry-regret/|archive-date=January 3, 2015|access-date=March 28, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 10, 2011}}</ref></blockquote>

In Joel Engel's biography, ''Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek'', he states that Roddenberry watched ''The Undiscovered Country'' alongside the producers of the film at a private screening two days before his death, and told them they had done a "good job".<ref name=engel259>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=259}}</ref> In contrast, Nimoy and Shatner's memoirs report that after the screening, Roddenberry called his lawyer and demanded a quarter of the scenes be cut; the producers refused.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Sarantakes, Nicholas Evan|year=2005|title=Cold War Pop Culture and the Image of US Foreign Policy: The Perspective of the Original Star Trek Series|journal=Journal of Cold War Studies|volume=7|issue=4|page=101|doi=10.1162/1520397055012488|s2cid=57563417}}</ref>

Roddenberry wrote the novelization of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. Although it has been incorrectly attributed to several other authors (most notably [[Alan Dean Foster]]), it was the first in a series of hundreds of ''Star Trek''-based novels to be published by the Pocket Books [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]] of [[Simon & Schuster]], whose parent company also owned [[Paramount Pictures Corporation]].<ref>[[#ayers2006|Ayers (2006)]]: p. 314</ref> Previously, Roddenberry worked intermittently on ''The God Thing'', a proposed novel based upon his rejected 1975 screenplay for a proposed low-budget ($3 to $5 million) ''Star Trek'' film preceding the development of ''Phase II'' throughout 1976. Attempts to complete the project by [[Walter Koenig]],<ref>[[#koenig1997|Koenig (1997)]]: p. 217</ref> [[Susan Sackett]], Fred Bronson,<ref>[[#sackett2002|Sackett (2002)]]: pp. 192–193</ref> and [[Michael Jan Friedman]] have proven to be unfeasible for a variety of legal and structural reasons.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sackett|first1=Susan|title=A Conversation with Gene Roddenberry|journal=Starlog|issue=12|pages=25–29|url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-012/012#page/n24/mode/1up|date=March 1978|access-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Greenberger|2012|p=192}}</ref>

==Personal life==
{{main|Personal life of Gene Roddenberry}}
[[File:Rod and Majel Roddenberry Star Trek Convention Las Vegas 20080814.jpg|thumb|right|Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and Rod Roddenberry in Las Vegas, August 2008]]
While at [[Los Angeles City College]], Roddenberry began dating Eileen-Anita Rexroat.<ref name=alexander48/> They became engaged before Roddenberry left Los Angeles during his military service,<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 58</ref> and they married on June 20, 1942, at the chapel at Kelly Field.<ref name=alex59/> They had two daughters, Darleen Anita<ref name=alex103/> and Dawn Allison.<ref name=alex163>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 163</ref> During his time in the LAPD, Roddenberry was known to have had affairs with secretarial staff.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 123</ref> Before his work on ''Star Trek'', he began relationships with [[Nichelle Nichols]] and [[Majel Barrett]].<ref name=beyond>{{cite journal|last1=Sterling|first1=Ian|title=Uhura and Beyond|journal=Starlog|date=January 1995|issue=210|pages=47–49|url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-210/210#page/n47/mode/1up|access-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref> Nichols wrote about their relationship in her autobiography ''Beyond Uhura'' only after Roddenberry's death.<ref name=nichols130>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 130</ref> At the time, Roddenberry wanted to remain in an [[open relationship]] with both women,<ref>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 132</ref> but Nichols, recognizing Barrett's devotion to him, ended the affair as she did not want to be "the other woman to the other woman".<ref>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 133</ref>

Barrett and Roddenberry had an apartment together by the opening weeks of ''Star Trek''.<ref>[[#engel1994|Engel (1994)]]: p. 103</ref> He had planned to divorce Eileen after the first season of the show, but when the show was renewed, he delayed doing so, fearing that he would not have enough time to deal with both the divorce and ''Star Trek''. He moved out of the family home on August&nbsp;9, 1968, two weeks after the marriage of his daughter Darleen.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: pp. 352–353</ref><ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 356</ref> In 1969, while scouting locations in Japan for MGM for ''Pretty Maids All in a Row'',<ref name=engel139>[[#engel1994|Engel (1994)]]: p. 139</ref> he proposed to Barrett by telephone.<ref name=hise53/> They were married in a [[Shinto]] ceremony, as Roddenberry had considered it "sacrilegious" to have an American minister in Japan perform the ceremony.<ref name=hise53/> Roddenberry and Barrett had a son together, Eugene Jr., commonly and professionally known as [[Rod Roddenberry]], in February 1974.<ref name=hise53>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 53</ref>

From 1975 until his death, Roddenberry maintained an extramarital relationship with his executive assistant, [[Susan Sackett]].<ref>[[#sackett2002|Sackett (2002)]]: pp. 70</ref>

===Religious views===
Roddenberry grew up a [[Southern Baptist]];<ref name=hise7>[[#vanhise1992|Van Hise (1992)]]: p. 7</ref> however, as an adult, he rejected religion, and considered himself a [[humanism|humanist]].<ref name=alex167 /> He began questioning religion around the age of 14, and came to the conclusion that it was "nonsense".<ref name=hise7/> As a child, he served in the [[choir]] at his local church, but often substituted lyrics as he sang hymns.<ref name=hise7/> Early in his writing career, he received an award from the [[American Baptist Convention]] for "skillfully writing Christian truth and the application of Christian principles into commercial, dramatic TV scripts".<ref name=alex167 /> For several years, he corresponded with John M. Gunn of the [[National Council of Churches]] regarding the application of Christian teachings in television series. However, Gunn stopped replying after Roddenberry wrote in a letter: "But you must understand that I am a complete pagan, and consume enormous amounts of bread, having found the Word more spice than nourishment, so I am interested in a statement couched in dollars and cents of what this means to the Roddenberry treasury."<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 169</ref>

Roddenberry said of Christianity, "How can I take seriously a God-image that requires that I prostrate myself every seven days and praise it? That sounds to me like a very insecure personality."<ref name=hise7/> At one point, he worked a similar opinion, which was to have been stated by a Vulcan, into the plot for ''Star Trek: The God Thing''.<ref name=starlog2p13>{{cite journal|last1=Burns|first1=Jim|title=The Star Trek movie|journal=Starlog|issue=2|page=13|url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-002/002#page/n12/mode/1up|date=November 1976|access-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref> He had a similar disdain for [[Judaism]]. Despite working closely with [[Jewish]] writers and stars such as Shatner, Nimoy, and Koenig for the series, Nimoy said of Roddenberry, "Gene was [[antisemitic]], clearly," qualifying that Roddenberry was anti-religious, seeing Jews as a religious group, adding "but I saw examples not only of [Roddenberry] practicing antisemitism, but of him being callous about other peoples' differences as well.” As with Christianity, Roddenberry similarly dismissed that there were any deliberately Jewish principles or allusions included in ''Star Trek'', telling a journalist, "You Jews have a lamentable habit of identifying those characteristics in a society that you deem positive and then taking credit for inventing them.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/164916/|title=My Jewish Trek|publisher=Tribe Media Corp.|accessdate=2024-09-24|author=Sheldon Teitelbaum|date=March 18, 2015 }}</ref>

Before his death, Roddenberry became close friends with philosopher [[Charles Musès]], who said that Roddenberry's views were "a far cry from [[atheism]]".<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 28</ref> Roddenberry explained his position thus: "It's not true that I don't believe in God. I believe in a kind of God. It's just not other people's God. I reject religion. I accept the notion of God."<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 66</ref> He had an ongoing interest in other people's experiences with religion,<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 42</ref> and called [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] "a very beautiful religion. An art form."<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 110</ref> However, he said that he dismissed all [[organized religion]]s, saying that for the most part, they acted like a "substitute brain... and a very malfunctioning one".<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 111</ref> Roddenberry was also critical of how the public looked at certain religions, noting that when the [[King David Hotel bombing]] took place in 1946, the American public accepted it as the action of freedom fighters, whereas a car bombing by a [[Muslim]] in [[Beirut]] is condemned as a [[terrorist]] act. While he agreed that both parties were wrong in their use of violence, he said that the actions of both were undertaken because of their strong religious beliefs.<ref>[[#asherman1988|Asherman (1988)]]: p. 7</ref>

According to [[Ronald D. Moore]], Roddenberry "felt very strongly that contemporary Earth religions would be gone by the 23rd century".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Memory_Alpha:AOL_chats/Ronald_D._Moore/ron012.txt|access-date=January 20, 2014|author=Ronald D. Moore|title=AOL chats Ronald D. Moore}}</ref> [[Brannon Braga]] said that Roddenberry made it known to the writers of ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' that religion, superstition, and mystical thinking were not to be included.<ref>{{cite conference | last = Braga | first = Brannon | title = Every religion has a mythology | book-title = International Atheist Conference | place = Reykjavik, Iceland | date = June 24, 2006 | url =http://sidmennt.is/2006/08/16/every-religion-has-a-mythology/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212061150/http://sidmennt.is/2006/08/16/every-religion-has-a-mythology/|archive-date=February 12, 2014 | access-date = May 11, 2009 }}</ref> Even a mention of marriage in a script for an early episode of ''The Next Generation'' resulted in Roddenberry's chastising the writers.<ref name="Engel 1994 p. 247"/> Nicholas Meyer said that ''Star Trek'' had evolved "into sort of a secular parallel to the [[Catholic Mass]]".<ref>[[#fern1994|Fern (1994)]]: p. 112</ref> Roddenberry compared the franchise to his own philosophy by saying: "Understand that ''Star Trek'' is more than just my political philosophy, my racial philosophy, my overview on life and the human condition."<ref>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 14</ref> He was awarded the 1991 Humanist Arts Award from the [[American Humanist Association]].<ref>{{cite web|title=From the AHA Archives: Gene Roddenberry|url=http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-08-from-the-aha-archives-gene-roddenberry|publisher=American Humanist Association|access-date=April 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821000117/http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-08-from-the-aha-archives-gene-roddenberry|archive-date=August 21, 2012}}</ref>

==Decline in health and death==
In the late 1980s, it was likely that Roddenberry was afflicted by the first manifestations of [[cerebrovascular disease]] and [[encephalopathy]] as a result of his longstanding recreational use of legal and illicit drugs, including [[Alcoholic beverage|alcohol]], [[methaqualone]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Drew|first1=Brian|title=Exclusive: David Gerrold Talks Frankly About TNG Conflicts With Roddenberry & Berman + JJ-Trek & more|url=https://trekmovie.com/2014/09/12/exclusive-david-gerrold-talks-frankly-about-tng-conflicts-with-roddenberry-berman-jj-trek-more/|publisher=TrekMovie.com|access-date=November 24, 2017|date=September 12, 2014}}</ref> [[methylphenidate]], [[Dexamyl]], and [[cocaine]] (which he had used regularly since the production of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'').<ref name=engel238>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=238}}</ref> Roddenberry also used [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] for many years, although its cumulative impact on his health remains unclear.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AHeeDAAAQBAJ&q=cannabis | isbn=978-1-78131-482-1 | title=The Impossible Has Happened: The Life and Work of Gene Roddenberry, Creator of Star Trek | date=July 19, 2016 | publisher=Quarto Publishing Group USA }}</ref> Throughout much of his career, he had routinely used stimulants to work through the night on scripts, especially [[amphetamine]]s.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 323</ref> The effects of these substances were compounded by deleterious interactions with [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|diabetes]],<ref name=engel11>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=11}}</ref> [[high blood pressure]], and [[antidepressant]] prescriptions.<ref name=engel238/>

Roddenberry had a stroke at a family reunion in [[Tallahassee, Florida]], in September 1989,<ref>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 11</ref> His health declined further, ultimately requiring him to use a wheelchair.<ref name=engel259/> His right arm was paralyzed after another stroke in early October 1991, causing him ongoing pain as the muscles began to atrophy. It also caused problems with the sight in his right eye, and he found communicating in full sentences difficult.<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 1</ref> At 2:00&nbsp;pm, on October 24, he attended an appointment with his doctor, Dr. Ronald Rich, in [[Santa Monica, California]].<ref>[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 4</ref> He arrived in the building with his staff and began to travel up to the ninth floor in the elevator. As they reached the fifth floor, he began struggling to breathe and was wheeled into the doctor's office, where he was reclined, and a nurse administered [[oxygen]]. Barrett was sent for. Upon her arrival, she held Roddenberry while encouraging him to breathe. He suffered [[cardiopulmonary arrest]] in the doctor's office shortly afterwards.<ref name="Alexander 1995 p. 7">[[#alexander1995|Alexander (1995)]]: p. 7</ref> [[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation|CPR]] was attempted with no effect, and paramedics arrived to take him across the road to the [[UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica|Santa Monica Medical Center]], where he was pronounced dead. He was 70 years old.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hastings|first1=Deborah|title=Man who boldly launched Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock dies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2080475//|access-date=March 27, 2015|work=The San Bernardino County Sun|date=October 25, 1991|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>

The funeral was arranged for November 1, with the public invited to the memorial service at the Hall of Liberty, within the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]], in [[Hollywood Hills]].<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=6}}</ref> It was a secular service; Roddenberry had been [[cremated]] before the event. More than 300 ''Star Trek'' fans attended and stood in the balcony section of the hall, while the invited guests were on the floor level. [[Nichelle Nichols]] sang twice during the ceremony, first "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]", and then a song she wrote herself titled "Gene".<ref name=engelpp7to9/> Both songs had been requested by Barrett.<ref>[[#nichols1994|Nichols (1994)]]: p. 10</ref> Several people spoke at the memorial, including [[Ray Bradbury]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[E. Jack Neuman]],<ref name=engelpp7to9>{{harvp|Engel|1994|pp=7–9}}</ref> and [[Patrick Stewart]]. The ceremony was closed by two kilted pipers playing "[[Amazing Grace]]" as a recorded message by Roddenberry was broadcast. A four-plane [[flypast]], in the [[missing man formation]], followed some 30 minutes later.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=10}}</ref> After his death, ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' aired a two-part episode of season five, called "[[Unification (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Unification]]", which featured a dedication to Roddenberry.<ref>{{cite web|last1=DeCandido|first1=Keith |author-link=Keith DeCandido|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: 'Unification, Part I'|url=http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/06/star-trek-the-next-generation-qunification-iq|publisher=[[Tor Books|Tor.com]]|date=June 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409150758/http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/06/star-trek-the-next-generation-qunification-iq|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref>

Roddenberry's will left the majority of his $30 million estate to Barrett in a trust. He also left money to his children and his first wife, Eileen. However, his daughter Dawn contested the will, on the grounds that Barrett had undue influence on her father.<ref name=heir/> In a hearing held in 1993, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that improprieties existed in the management of the trust and removed Barrett as executor. In another decision, the court found that Roddenberry had hidden assets from ''Star Trek'' in the [[Norway Corporation]] to keep funds away from his first wife, and ordered the payment of 50% of those assets to Eileen, as well as punitive damages.<ref>{{harvp|Engel|1994|p=262}}</ref> In 1996, the [[California courts of appeal|California Court of Appeals]] ruled that the original will, which stated that anyone who contested it would be disinherited, would stand. As a result, Dawn lost $500,000 from the estate, as well as a share of the trust upon Barrett's death.<ref name=heir>{{cite news|title=Roddenberry's Heir Losing Enterprise|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83951248.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102548/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83951248.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Daily News|date=June 29, 1996|url-access= }}</ref> The appellate court also overturned the earlier decision to award Roddenberry's first wife, Eileen, 50% of his assets. The judge called that decision one "that should never have been".<ref>{{cite news|title=California's appellate court has overturned a jury's decision to order the estate of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry to pay his first wife, Eileen, more than $4 million in damages|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18220788.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131101822/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18220788.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=April 22, 1996|url-access= }}</ref><ref name=Justia1996>{{cite web|access-date=March 6, 2018
|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/44/634.html
|title=Roddenberry v. Roddenberry (1996) |work=Justia US Law}}</ref>

===Spaceflight===
In 1992, some of Roddenberry's ashes were flown into space, and returned to Earth, on the [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] mission [[STS-52]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19940429&id=bUMvAAAAIBAJ&pg=1725,8689414|title=Shuttle bore Roddenberry's ashes|work=[[Rome News-Tribune]]|date=April 29, 1994|access-date=August 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Zwecker|first1=Bill|title=Gene Roddenberry Goes Boldly|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4226265.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154741/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4226265.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=April 29, 2014|url-access=}}</ref> On April 21, 1997,<ref name=founders/> a [[Celestis| Celestis spacecraft]] with {{convert|7|g|oz|frac=4}} of the cremated remains of Roddenberry,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Launching the Great Bird|journal=Star Trek Monthly|date=May 1997|volume=1|issue=27|page=5}}</ref> along with those of [[Timothy Leary]], [[Gerard K. O'Neill]] and 21 other people, was launched into Earth orbit as part of the [[Minisat 01]] mission aboard a [[Pegasus (rocket)|Pegasus XL]] rocket from a location near the [[Canary Islands]].<ref name=founders>{{cite web|title=The Founders Flight|url=http://www.celestis.com/foundersFlight.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208052016/http://www.celestis.com/foundersFlight.asp|archive-date=February 8, 2014|publisher=Celestis|access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Seligmann|first1=Jean|title=Ashes Away|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19360616.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123519/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19360616.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Newsweek|date=May 5, 1997|url-access= }}</ref>

On May 20, 2002, the spacecraft's orbit deteriorated and it disintegrated in the atmosphere. Another flight to launch more of his ashes into deep space, along with those of Barrett, who died in 2008, was initially planned to take place in 2009. Unlike previous flights, the intention was that the flight would not return burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gene Roddenberry, wife to spend eternity in space|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D95VG5600.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144137/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D95VG5600.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|agency=Associated Press|date=January 27, 2009|url-access= }}</ref> The payload would include the ashes of [[James Doohan]] in addition to the Roddenberrys' and several others and was scheduled to fly in 2016 on the [[Sunjammer (spacecraft)|Sunjammer]] solar sail experiment,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Sunjammer Flight is projected to launch in 2016|url=http://www.celestis.com/memorial/sunjammer/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018184953/http://www.celestis.com/memorial/sunjammer/|archive-date=October 18, 2014|publisher=Celestis|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> but the project was canceled in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|title=NASA Nixes Sunjammer Mission, Cites Integration, Schedule Risk|url=http://spacenews.com/42227nasa-nixes-sunjammer-mission-cites-integration-schedule-risk/|access-date=April 25, 2017|date=October 17, 2014}}</ref> Celestis rescheduled their launch for 2020, then later rescheduled for June 2022, the next available commercial mission to deep space.<ref name="enterprise-flight.com">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-13 |title=Enterprise Flight into Deep Space DNA Launch {{!}} Celestis® |url=https://enterprise-flight.com/dna/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313170101/https://enterprise-flight.com/dna/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 }}</ref> A sample of the couple's cremated remains will be sealed into a specially made capsule designed to withstand space travel. A spacecraft will carry the capsule, along with digitized tributes from fans, on Celestis' "Enterprise Flight".<ref name="enterprise-flight.com"/> The flight will also contain the ashes of [[Nichelle Nichols]] and [[Douglas Trumbull]].<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Reuters |date=2022-08-26 |title=Nichelle Nichols to become latest Star Trek star to have ashes sent into space |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/aug/26/nichelle-nichols-star-trek-ashes-space |access-date=2023-07-27 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The Celestis "Enterprise Flight" was successfully launched from [[Cape Canaveral, Florida]] on January 8, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.celestis.com/launch-schedule/enterprise-flight/ |title = Enterprise Flight }}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{main|Legacy of Gene Roddenberry}}
[[File:Gene Roddenberry - Star for TV.png|thumb|left|Roddenberry's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]|250px]]
[[File:Gene_Roddenbery-Star_Trek.jpg|thumb|left| Gene Roddenbery-Star Trek 25th anniversary plaque in Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles|250px]]
In 1985, Gene Roddenberry was the first television writer to receive a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref>[[#pearson2011|Pearson (2011)]]: pp. 105–131</ref> When the [[Sci-Fi Channel]] was launched, the first broadcast was a dedication to two "science fiction pioneers":<ref name=xixengel>[[#engel1994|Engel (1994)]]: p. xix</ref> Isaac Asimov and Roddenberry.<ref name=xixengel/> The [[Roddenberry (Martian crater)|Roddenberry crater]] on Mars is named after him,<ref>[[#ayers2006|Ayers (2006)]]: p. 291</ref> as is the asteroid [[4659 Roddenberry]].<ref>[[#hamilton2007|Hamilton (2007)]]: p. 17</ref> Roddenberry and ''Star Trek'' have been cited as inspiration for other science fiction franchises, with [[George Lucas]] crediting the series for enabling ''Star Wars'' to be produced.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McIntyre|first1=Gina|title=George Lucas: 'Star Wars' stood on the shoulders of 'Star Trek' |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/george-lucas-star-wars-stood-on-the-shoulders-of-star-trek/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322001503/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/george-lucas-star-wars-stood-on-the-shoulders-of-star-trek/|archive-date=March 22, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 9, 2013}}</ref> [[J. Michael Straczynski]], creator of the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' franchise, appreciated ''Star Trek'' amongst other science fiction series and "what they had to say about who we are, and where we are going."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Webster|first1=Dan|title=Roddenberry's ideas have prospered; 'Star Trek' was an inspiration to 'Babylon 5' creator|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27353570.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210255/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27353570.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=The Spokesman-Review|date=May 16, 2003|url-access= }}</ref>

David Alexander collaborated with Roddenberry on a biography over two decades.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Salles|first1=Andre|title=10 Questions with David Alexander|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-124EE4EFB3F3BE60.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151308/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-124EE4EFB3F3BE60.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=The Beacon News|date=November 20, 2008|url-access= }}</ref> Titled ''Star Trek Creator'', it was published in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|title=Museum official, 'Star Trek' expert|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1342CB9EA6C4E188.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210140/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1342CB9EA6C4E188.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=December 17, 2010|url-access= }}</ref> Yvonne Fern's book ''Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation'' detailed a series of conversations she had with Roddenberry over the last months of his life.<ref>[[#hall1997|Hall (1997)]]: p. 261</ref> In October 2002, a plaque was placed at Roddenberry's birthplace in El Paso, Texas.<ref name=plaque>{{cite news|title=El Paso to Mark Roddenberry's Birth|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-68463052.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924181635/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-68463052.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|agency=Associated Press|date=October 4, 2002|url-access= }}</ref> The El Paso Independent School District named the 40-foot, 120-seat Roddenberry Planetarium in his honor. The planetarium was recently upgraded and relocated to northeast El Paso. The [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame|Science Fiction Hall of Fame]] inducted Roddenberry in 2007,<ref>{{cite web|title=Science Fiction Hall of Fame to Induct Ed Emshwiller, Gene Roddenberry, Ridley Scott and Gene Wolfe|url=http://www.empsfm.org/press/index.asp?articleID=892|publisher=empsfm.org|access-date=April 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014112914/http://www.empsfm.org/press/index.asp?articleID=892|archive-date=October 14, 2007}}</ref> and the [[Television Academy Hall of Fame]] in January 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seth MacFarlane on Gene Roddenberry: Hall of Fame 2010|url=http://www.emmys.com/video/seth-macfarlane-gene-roddenberry-hall-fame-2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715015248/http://www.emmys.com/video/seth-macfarlane-gene-roddenberry-hall-fame-2010|archive-date=July 15, 2014|publisher=Television Academy|date=February 10, 2010|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref>

Commemorating Roddenberry's 100th birthday in August 2021, NASA used its [[Deep Space Network]] to transmit a 1976 recording of Roddenberry towards the direction of the star system [[40 Eridani]] (the host of the fictional planet Vulcan). The signal will reach the star in early 2038.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=NASASCaN |number=1428414147574878214 |title="Attention on the complex. The DSS-13 antenna will be moving to Vulcan in 3 minutes." DSS-13 is ready to broadcast a 1976 recording of Gene Roddenberry. The audio file will be sent to the star system 40 Eridani, home to the planet Vulcan in @StarTrek lore. #Roddenberry100}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |user=NASASCaN |number=1428415494491574279 |title=Beam us up, DSN!Raised hand with part between middle and ring fingers Planet Vulcan is fictional but its star system - 40 Eridani - is real. In honor of #Roddenberry100, we'll send a 1976 recording of @StarTrek creator Gene Roddenberry across space via @NASASCaN. See how these giant antennas connect us: http://go.nasa.gov/about-dsn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |user=NASASCaN |number=1428427580827373570 |title=Transmission successful! Traveling via the Deep Space Network at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, to star system 40 Eridani, Gene Roddenberry's message will take around 16.5 years to arrive. #Roddenberry100}}</ref>

In September 2023, a genus of spiders, ''[[Roddenberryus]]'', was named after him. The two researchers stated thet he "inspired generations of kids to pursue scientific careers".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hauser |first=Christine |date=2023-09-13 |title=It's a Spider, Not a Doctor, Captain or Vulcan |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/science/star-trek-spider-species.html |access-date=2023-09-16 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Posthumous television series===
''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' was already in development when Roddenberry died. Berman said that while he never discussed the ideas for the series, he was given a blessing by Roddenberry to pursue it.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cerone|first1=Daniel|title='Trek' Rolls on Without Roddenberry|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4148503.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153139/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4148503.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=January 2, 1993|url-access= }}</ref> Berman later said, "I don't believe the 24th century is going to be like Gene Roddenberry believed it to be, that people will be free from poverty and greed. But if you're going to write and produce for ''Star Trek'', you've got to buy into that."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cerone|first1=Daniel Howard|title=Berman in Firm Control of Starfleet Command|access-date=March 22, 2015|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4258063.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092018/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4258063.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|issue=Chicago Sun-Times|date=November 18, 1994|url-access=}}</ref> In early 1996, Majel Barret-Roddenberry uncovered scripts for a series called ''Battleground Earth''. The project was sent to distributors by the [[Creative Artists Agency]], and it was picked up by [[Tribune Entertainment]], which set the budget at over $1 million per episode.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Littleton|first1=Cynthia|title=Tribune stakes out 'Battleground Earth:' Roddenberry project for first-run is budgeted at $1 million per episode|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18640316.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131101814/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18640316.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=September 2, 1996|url-access= }}</ref> The series was renamed ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' before launch, and premiered in 1997, six years after Gene's death; it ran for five seasons and 110 episodes until 2002.<ref>{{cite news|title=Roddenberry's Wife Picks up the Banner|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68549963.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151530/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68549963.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Rocky Mountain News|date=January 18, 1998|url-access= }}</ref>

Two further series ideas were developed from Roddenberry's notes, ''Genesis II'' and ''[[Andromeda (TV series)|Andromeda]]''.<ref name=androarchive>{{cite news|last1=Schlosser|first1=Joe|title=Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-59425159.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131101812/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-59425159.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 17, 2000|url-access= }}</ref> After an initial order for two seasons, [[List of Andromeda episodes|110 episodes]] of ''Andromeda'' were aired over five seasons from 2000 to 2005.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Grego|first1=Melissa|title='Andromeda' sets 2 more|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83030578.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131101829/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83030578.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Variety|date=January 21, 2002|url-access= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Grego|first1=Melissa|title=Sci Fi Channel has picked up the final season of Tribune's Andromeda as an original series|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-112645693.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924053006/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-112645693.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|access-date=April 15, 2015|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 19, 2004|url-access= }}</ref> Tribune also worked on another Roddenberry series. Titled ''Starship''; the production company aimed to launch it via the network route rather than into syndication.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schlosser|first1=Joe|title=Hercules Heads for Stars|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54672857.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402194322/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54672857.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=May 17, 1999|url-access= }}</ref> Rod Roddenberry, president of Roddenberry Productions, announced in 2010, at his father's posthumous induction into the [[Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]] Hall of Fame, that he was aiming to take ''The Questor Tapes'' to television.<ref name=questorrod>{{cite news|title=Roddenberry Productions in Development with Imagine Entertainment on Classic Gene Roddenberry Pilot 'The Questor Tapes'|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-217663399.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153154/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-217663399.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Biotech Week|date=February 3, 2010|url-access= }}</ref> Rod was developing the series alongside [[Imagine Television]].<ref name=questorrod/> Rod would go on to create the two-hour television movie ''[[Trek Nation]]'' regarding the impact of his father's work.<ref>{{cite news|title=Science Explores the Legacy of the Star Trek Phenomenon with the Definitive Two-Hour Television Event: Trek Nation|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-274163371.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133925/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-274163371.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2015|work=Defense & Aerospace Week|date=November 30, 2011|url-access= }}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Gene Roddenberry}}
The majority of the awards and nominations received by Roddenberry throughout his career were related to ''Star Trek''. He was credited for ''Star Trek'' during the nominations for two [[Emmy Award]]s,<ref name=19themmy>{{cite web|title=19th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1967/outstanding-drama-series|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901034303/http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1967/outstanding-drama-series|archive-date=September 1, 2015|publisher=Television Academy|access-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref><ref name=20themmy>{{cite web|title=20th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1968/outstanding-drama-series|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118213511/http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1968/outstanding-drama-series|archive-date=January 18, 2015|publisher=Television Academy|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> and won two Hugo Awards.<ref name=1967hugo>{{cite web|title=1967 Hugo Awards|date=July 26, 2007|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1967-hugo-awards/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211162725/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1967-hugo-awards/|archive-date=February 11, 2012|publisher=The Hugo Awards|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=hugocat>{{cite web|title=The Hugo Awards By Category|url=http://worldcon.org/hc.html|publisher=World Science Fiction Convention|access-date=October 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990302030028/http://worldcon.org/hc.html|archive-date=March 2, 1999}}</ref> One Hugo was a special award for the series, while another was for "The Menagerie", the episode that used footage from the original unaired pilot for ''Star Trek'', "The Cage".<ref>[[#cushmanosborn2013|Cushman & Osborn (2013)]]: p. 337</ref> In addition, he was awarded the Brotherhood Award by the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]] for his work in the advancement of African American characters on television.<ref name=reginald1052>[[#reginald1979|Reginald (1979)]]: p. 1052</ref> ''Star Trek'', ended in 1969; he was nominated for Hugo Awards for ''Genesis II'' and ''The Questor Tapes''. in 1974 and 1975, respectively.<ref name="1974hugo">{{cite web|title=1974 Hugo Awards|date=July 26, 2007|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1974-hugo-awards/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303090430/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1974-hugo-awards/|archive-date=March 3, 2012|publisher=The Hugo Awards|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="1975hugo">{{cite web|title=1975 Hugo Awards|date=July 26, 2007|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1975-hugo-awards/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211162720/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1975-hugo-awards/|archive-date=February 11, 2012|publisher=The Hugo Awards|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> After his death in 1991,<ref name="Alexander 1995 p. 7" /> he was posthumously awarded the [[National Space Society#Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award|Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award]] by the [[National Space Society]] and [[The George Pal Memorial Award]] at the [[Saturn Awards]], as well as the [[NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal|Exceptional Public Service Medal]] by [[NASA]].<ref name=robertheinlein>{{cite web|title=NSS Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award|url=http://www.nss.org/awards/heinlein_award.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514074514/http://www.nss.org/awards/heinlein_award.html|archive-date=May 14, 2012|publisher=National Space Society|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=nasapublic>[[#hall1997|Hall (1997)]]: p. 215</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Star Trek a Gene Roddenberry Vision |url=https://pocbooks.com/star-trek-a-gene-roddenberry-vision-part-1/ |website=Product of Culture|date=September 2, 2019 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Herbert Franklin Solow]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="n"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{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=Asherman|first=Allan|title=The Star Trek Compendium|year=1986|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=978-067162-7263|ref=asherman1986|url=https://archive.org/details/startrekcompendi00ashe_0}}
* {{cite book|last=Asherman|first=Allan|title=The Star Trek Interview Book|year=1988|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=9780671617943|ref=asherman1988|url=https://archive.org/details/startrekintervie00ashe}}
* {{Cite book |last=Clark |first=Mark |year=2012 |title=Star Trek FAQ |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin |isbn=9781557837929|ref=clark2012}}
* {{Cite book |last=Engel |first=Joel |year=1994 |title=Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek |publisher=Hyperion |location=New York |isbn=0-7868-6004-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/generoddenberrym00enge }}
* {{Cite book |last=Fern |first=Yvonne |year=1994 |title=Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=0-520-08842-5 |ref=fern1994 |url=https://archive.org/details/generoddenberryl00fern }}
* {{cite book|last1=Greenberger|first1=Robert|title=Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History|year=2012|publisher=Voyageur Press|location=Minneapolis|isbn=978-0-76034-359-3 }}
* {{cite book|last=Hall|first=Halbert W.|title=Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1992–1995|year=1997|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|location=Englewood, Colorado|isbn=9780585373973 |ref=hall1997}}
* {{cite book|last=Hamilton|first=John|title=Science Fiction in the Media|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionin0000hami|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=ABDO Publishing Company|location=Edina, Minnesota|isbn=978-1-59679-994-3 |ref=hamilton2007}}
* {{cite book|last=Koenig|first=Walter|author-link1=Walter Koenig|title=Warped Factors|publisher=Taylor Publishing|location=Dallas, Texas|year=1997|isbn=978-0-87833-991-4|ref=koenig1997}}
* {{cite book|last=Nichols|first=Nichelle|title=Beyond Uhura|year=1994|publisher=G. P. Putnam's|location=New York|isbn=0-3991-3993-1|ref=nichols1994|url=https://archive.org/details/beyonduhurastart00nich}}
* {{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 | title=Television as Digital Media | publisher=Duke University Press | last1=Pearson|first1=Roberta | year=2011 | editor=Bennett, James |editor2=Strange, Niki | chapter = Cult Television as Digital Television's Cutting Edge | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cYJndq9K1IC&pg=PA105 | isbn=978-0-8223-4910-5}}
*{{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=978-0671025595|ref=Reeves-Stevens1998}}
* {{Cite book |last=Reginald|first=Robert|year=1979|title=Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature Volume II |publisher=Gale|location=Detroit|isbn=9780810310513|ref=reginald1979}}
* {{cite book|last=Sackett|first=Susan|author-link1=Susan Sackett|year=2002|title=Inside Trek|publisher=Hawk Publishing|location=Tulsa|isbn=978-1930709423 |ref=sackett2002}}
*{{cite book|last1=Solow|first1=Herbert F.|author-link=Herbert F. Solow|last2=Justman|first2=Robert H.|title=Inside Star Trek: The Real Story|year=1996|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0671896287|ref=solowjustman1996|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780671896287}}
* {{Cite book |last=Takei |first=George |author-link=George Takei |year=1994 |title=To The Stars |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-89008-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/tostarsautobiogr00take_0 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Tulock|first1=John|last2=Jenkins|first2=Henry|title=Science Fiction Audiences|year=1995|publisher=Routledge|location=London; New York|isbn=9780203993392|ref=tulockjenkins1995}}
* {{Cite book |last=Van Hise |first=James |year=1992 |title=The Man Who Created Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry |publisher=Pioneer Books |isbn=1-55698-318-2 |ref=vanhise1992 |url=https://archive.org/details/manwhocreatedsta00jame }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.Roddenberry.com Roddenberry Entertainment website]
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002w46v Image of Rock Hudson, Gene Roddenberry, and Roger Vadim posing with women cast members for motion picture "Pretty Maids All in a Row", California, 1970.] [[Los Angeles Times]] Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].{{dead link|date=September 2022}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Memory Alpha}}
* {{discogs artist|Gene Roddenberry}}
* {{The Interviews about|gene-roddenberry}}

{{subject bar|California|Law|Speculative fiction/Science fiction|Speculative fiction|Television|d=y|auto=1}}
{{Gene Roddenberry|state=expanded}}
{{Star Trek}}
{{The Life Career Award}}
{{The George Pal Memorial Award}}
{{2010 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

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