- 12 minutes ago
Gene Roddenberry was very proud of the universe he created, but also very protective.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek,
00:02was very passionate about the franchise throughout his life.
00:05He constantly advocated for Trek to portray an earnest and optimistic future for humanity,
00:09one that mirrored his own hopes for a better tomorrow.
00:12While most of the time the writers and other creative people working on Trek
00:15tried their best to follow Gene's utopian vision,
00:18there were times where it was simply just too restrictive to the story.
00:22Gene wanted to have no main characters fighting with each other,
00:25no storylines involving technology being used as a villain,
00:28no reoccurring aliens or themes,
00:30and plenty of other things that, if followed, would have honestly ruined Star Trek.
00:35Of course, Gene's optimism is still respected by creators of Trek today,
00:38but in a way that's much more realistic than Gene originally intended.
00:42Some fans criticize modern Trek for not following Gene's guidelines
00:46as precisely as the original series or the next generation,
00:49but it should be said that some of the greatest moments in Trek history
00:52were strongly opposed by Mr. Roddenberry.
00:55With all that being said, I'm Bri from Trek Culture, and here are 10 times that Gene Roddenberry hated Star
01:01Trek.
01:01Number 10. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
01:04It may come as a surprise to many Trek fans that one of the most beloved movies in the franchise,
01:09Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan, was actually disliked by Roddenberry for many reasons.
01:14Although the motion picture made money, it was received poorly by critics and general audiences,
01:19most people finding it a bit too boring and pretentious, some even going as far as to dub it the
01:25motionless picture.
01:26It became clear to the studio that, in order to reinvigorate Star Trek,
01:30they would need to go in a radically different direction for the next film.
01:33They took a lot of Gene's creative control away, instead letting Harv Bennett take the lead for the new script.
01:38Roddenberry was, of course, upset with having his control taken away,
01:43though his biggest issue with the film was the supposed militarization of Starfleet.
01:47He hated the violence in the film and thought that the Genesis device was a ridiculous idea.
01:53Whether or not he was right, today The Wrath of Khan is regarded as one of Trek's best stories.
01:58The introduction of a strong villain, a classic from the original series, no less,
02:02showed that Trek can be exciting and fun while still staying smart.
02:07Number 9. Family The Next Generation episode,
02:10Family, directly follows the best of both worlds.
02:13The iconic two-parter episode where Captain Picard got assimilated by the Borg and turned into Locutus,
02:18destroying countless Starfleet ships at the Battle of War 359,
02:22before finally having his humanity restored at the end of the episode.
02:26In Family, Picard returns to Earth with the Enterprise to visit his family and recover from the trauma of being
02:31assimilated.
02:32Roddenberry was strongly against this script, wanting instead to keep the story self-contained in each episode.
02:37Apparently, Gene would rather have Picard go right back to boldly going,
02:42mere days after having the very essence of his individuality taken from him and being forced to kill thousands.
02:48However, his main criticism for the script was the way that Picard's upbringing was portrayed,
02:52and the hostility between him and his brother.
02:55He argued that siblings would simply not argue and fight like that in the 24th century,
03:00which anyone who has siblings I'm pretty sure would disagree with.
03:03Family would eventually be recognized as one of the most emotional storylines for Picard,
03:08giving his character more depth.
03:10It also helps audiences recover after the best of both worlds,
03:13and makes it a little more believable for Picard to return to work in the next episode.
03:188. The Original Series Crossover on The Next Generation
03:21Strangely, Gene Roddenberry didn't want any classic characters from the original series to return in The Next Generation.
03:28His reason for this, as stated in the official Star Trek Bible he wrote,
03:31is that he wanted the newest Star Trek show to stand apart from the original as something new and different.
03:37This was a noble goal. Roddenberry was committed to not letting the franchise go stale,
03:41constantly evolving it to be grander and more modern.
03:44This is something that shows like Discovery, Lower Decks, and Picard are continuing to this day.
03:49However, every now and then, a cameo from another series in the franchise can be fun to see.
03:55It helps the universe feel truly connected and real.
03:58Roddenberry was originally very adamant against crossovers, but caved and allowed for DeForest
04:03Kelly to make an appearance as Dr. McCoy in The Next Generation pilot to tour the Enterprise D.
04:08Eventually, Star Trek became more comfortable with crossovers, and during Deep Space Nine,
04:13Voyager, and other following shows, became a deeply connected universe.
04:177. Star Trek III The Search for Spock
04:20Nowadays, there have been so many ships called Enterprise and Star Trek that it's hard to keep track.
04:25But this wasn't always going to be the case.
04:28Gene Roddenberry had a strong emotional connection to the original Enterprise,
04:31and was heartbroken when it was destroyed in Star Trek III The Search for Spock.
04:35Harve Bennett, another main creative head on Star Trek at the time,
04:38knew audiences would appreciate the shock ending of having the Enterprise self-destruct to save the day.
04:44Roddenberry, however, believed the destruction of the Enterprise was symbolic of Bennett trying to
04:49take creative control over Star Trek and change it to fit his own vision.
04:52Roddenberry eventually caved in when it was decided a new Enterprise, the Enterprise A,
04:57would be constructed to replace the original. Previously, the plan was to do away with the
05:01name Enterprise forever and have the Excelsior be the main hero ship of the franchise.
05:066. The Removal of Number One The pilot episode of Star Trek The Original Series,
05:12The Cage, featured an entirely different cast apart from Spock. Among them, playing the first officer
05:17number one was Majel Barrett, the partner and future wife of Gene Roddenberry. Gene wanted to
05:22give Barrett a lead role in Star Trek, but when the studio watched The Cage, although they were
05:26intrigued by the premise of the show, they hated the cast, particularly two of the lead characters,
05:32Spock and Number One. Gene eventually convinced them to keep Spock, but all other characters had to
05:38be replaced. Barrett lost the role of first officer, but appeared in future episodes of the original
05:42series wearing a blonde wig, playing Nurse Chapel. Eventually, during The Next Generation, Barrett went
05:48on to voice a number of computers on the show, as well as the fan favorite character Loxana Troy.
05:53And of course, we also have Strange New Worlds, the show based around the adventures of the original
05:58crew from The Cage, including Number One, now portrayed by Rebecca Romaine. So, although Gene was
06:04annoyed by Barrett's exclusion, she eventually got to solidify her place in Trek in other ways,
06:08and her character Number One is finally getting the spotlight in Strange New Worlds.
06:13Number 5. Star Trek V – The Final Frontier
06:16Star Trek V – The Final Frontier is regarded by many fans as the worst movie in the franchise,
06:21but one of its most vocal haters was Gene Roddenberry himself. Gene even prepared to take
06:27legal action against William Shatner, the director of the film, for abusing his creation and slapping
06:32the name Gene Roddenberry on it. The case never materialized, but it did cause a lot of drama behind
06:37the scenes. Shatner and Roddenberry didn't talk much, if at all, during the production of the movie.
06:42But when Roddenberry learned about the plot, he became irritated, believing that Shatner was ripping
06:47off an old movie he was working on, but never finished, called The God Thing. The script had
06:52somewhat similar religious themes of The Final Frontier, and Roddenberry was under the impression
06:56that Shatner was stealing the story that he desperately wanted to tell.
07:00Number 4. Redemption
07:01The Next Generation Season 4 finale, Redemption, was the 100th episode made for the series,
07:07and as such, Roddenberry wanted it to be big. Redemption continued the Klingon political arc
07:12that began earlier in the series. In the episode, we saw a civil war beginning to brew in the Klingon
07:17Empire. The conflict was resolved by the end of the episode, but Roddenberry was still upset that
07:22the 100th episode of The Next Generation featured a war plot, something he considered too bleak for the show.
07:28Ronald D. Moore was responsible for pushing Redemption into production, despite Gene's wishes,
07:34and most fans are glad he did. Moore was responsible for creating most of the updated Klingon aesthetics,
07:39and had a real talent for creating believable alien cultures. Redemption is just one example of Moore
07:45taking the Klingons and fleshing them out to be more believable. Beyond his typical hatred for violence,
07:51Roddenberry also didn't believe that Warf was strong enough of a character to carry the 100th episode.
07:56Fortunately, Redemption, and a few more episodes, especially in Deep Space Nine,
08:01eventually turned Warf into a pretty good lead character.
08:043. Episodes where technology is the enemy
08:07While outlining the rules for Star Trek The Next Generation in his official series bible,
08:12Gene Roddenberry was very clear that he wanted the writers to avoid portraying technology in a negative way.
08:18Roddenberry was very aware that many people loved Star Trek because it takes place in an optimistic future,
08:23one where technology is humanity's salvation rather than the cause of its demise,
08:28as in the case with most other science fiction. Replicators, transporters, and warp drive turned
08:33Earth into a paradise where all people are free to explore the universe and pursue their passions.
08:39However, this advice has been blatantly ignored in The Next Generation many times. The Borg, for example,
08:46are a technological nightmare that serves as a warning for anyone looking to integrate computers with
08:51people's minds. Or what about the constant transporter and hologram malfunctions?
08:56All technology has a good and bad side. Gene Roddenberry was an optimist who couldn't imagine why
09:02someone would use a replicator to create a gun rather than a cheeseburger. But eventually,
09:07the writers abandoned this guideline altogether. Not in fear of new technology, but in acceptance of
09:13its destructive possibilities.
09:142. The Disappearance of Wesley Crusher Wesley Crusher was one of Gene Roddenberry's favorite characters
09:20in Star Trek, mostly because the character was actually based on an idealized version of himself
09:25as a teenager. The audience's reaction to Wesley deeply upset Gene. At times, due to Wesley being
09:31based off of himself, he even saw their hate for the character as an attack on him. The truth is
09:37that
09:37most people disliked Wesley simply because he was too perfect. During Season 1 of The Next Generation,
09:43Wesley was the star of the show, constantly saving the ship and beating impossible odds,
09:48and never once making a mistake. As the series progressed, Wesley appeared less and less before
09:54leaving the ship to attend Starfleet Academy, then ditched the Federation altogether in the episode
09:59Journey's End to explore space and reality with the Traveler, his mysterious alien mentor. He isn't
10:05seen after this point until the movie Star Trek Nemesis where he's just sitting in the background during
10:10the wedding scene. Gene Roddenberry was also annoyed that his self-inserted character was sidelined,
10:15especially because it wasn't the studio that rejected him, but the fans.
10:201. The Animated Series
10:22Star Trek The Animated Series was basically created to keep the love of Star Trek alive in the zeitgeist
10:27long enough for movies to be made. The show's actually quite good. The storylines are very reminiscent
10:32of the original series, though sometimes even grander, as the animation format allows the writers to tell
10:38any story they want, regardless of budget constraints. Gene Roddenberry, however, disagreed.
10:44He famously hated the show because of a few minor story errors, but these errors were nothing worse
10:49than what was seen on the original series. In fact, The Next Generation's ships are way slower than
10:55Kirk's Enterprise, for example. Despite this, when Roddenberry's office re-obtained the creative
10:59license for Star Trek at the end of The Next Generation's first season, he officially made
11:04the animated series non-canon. According to Gene, it never happened. Nowadays, matters are a little
11:10more complicated. We've seen references to the animated series in Deep Space Nine, Lower Decks,
11:15and other Trek installments, and it seems like it's making a return to canon once and for all.
11:20As David Gerrold, a writer for the animated series, put it,
11:23arguments about canon are silly. I always felt that Star Trek Animated was part of Star Trek
11:28because Gene Roddenberry accepted the paycheck for it and put his name in the credits.
11:32And there you have it, 10 times that Gene Roddenberry hated Star Trek. If you want
11:36to keep up to date with all of our new releases, make sure you hit that subscribe button down below,
11:40and feel free to give us a follow on Twitter at TrekCulture. You can also find me on Twitter
11:44at TrekkieBree. And until next time, live long and prosper!
Comments