Roddenberry widow talks of 'Trek's' enduring appeal
Roddenberry dialogue
SepT 8, 2006
Majel Barrett Roddenberry is the first lady of "Star Trek" and the widow of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. To commemorate today's 40th anniversary of the original series debut on NBC, on which she was a semiregular, the matriarch of Trek-dom spoke with The Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond about the enduring universe that Roddenberry wrought.
The Hollywood Reporter: What comes to mind when you think about 40 years having passed since "Star Trek" hit television?
Majel Barrett Roddenberry: Well, the first thing is probably how much we had to struggle in the ratings all of those years, which is easy to forget now. We weren't close to being a hit. But we managed to run for three years and 79 episodes anyway.
THR: As you know, the original series is coming back to broadcast syndication on Sept. 16 for the first time since 1990 -- and all 79 episodes are being digitally remastered with new computer-generated effects. A lot of the "Star Trek" purists and so-called "Roddenberry loyalists" are expected to be outraged. But I wonder what Gene would have thought about his work getting a makeover.
Roddenberry: You know what? He wouldn't have been bothered by it at all. Gene did the best work he could at the time, but he was also all about the future. I think he'd have thought it was terrific that the show was being made to look better because of new technology.
THR: J.J. Abrams, one of the hottest writer-producers in town, has been signed to develop the next iteration of the "Star Trek" movie franchise. Have you spoken to him about it?
Roddenberry: No, but I imagine that once a movie gets a "go" from the studio, I'll find out more. What's nice is you know a "Star Trek" movie is still one that everybody wants. It remains Paramount's cash cow, so there's no danger of it going away anytime soon.
THR: What inspired Gene to set a TV series in space? Was it all the emphasis on space exploration in the mid-1960s?
Roddenberry: It was the studio (Desilu) mainly. They wanted a show set in space. Gene wanted to do one that was more science fiction. So he decided to combine them both and see what happens.
THR: I guess NBC liked what Gene delivered.
Roddenberry: That they did. But we went on the air with absolutely no hype. It was just another television show back then, nothing special at all. Gene knew he had created something special, but it wasn't clear until later on. He put so much of his blood and sweat and tears into that show to make it good. He agonized every detail.
THR: Did Gene ever ponder why it was that the franchise finally took off in movies and TV after the fact?
Roddenberry: He knew it was all about the characters, and he'd speak about that. His whole strategy was to avoid doing a show that was just a bunch of special effects loosely connected by bad writing. He had a great knack for creating people you cared about. He saw "Star Trek" as "Wagon Train" to the stars.
THR: How did Gene feel about "Trek" revival with the movies in the late '70s and '80s and then the "Next Generation" TV show?
Roddenberry: He was never really satisfied with the way any of them came out. It was just his own frustration at wanting everything to be perfect. It was nothing against the people he worked with.
THR: Did Gene ever speak to you about maybe feeling perturbed that once "Star Trek" became such a major brand, it overshadowed everything else he'd done as a writer and producer or did he simply enjoy the ride?
Roddenberry: He was grateful simply to have had the success he did. If he couldn't do anything else because he was so associated with the show, that was all right with him. He was proud of it and never grew tired of the concept.
THR: Once "Star Trek" exploded into such a phenomenon, did it have any negative impact on your life together in terms of time constraints or feeling overwhelmed?
Roddenberry: Oh no, not at all. We lived a typical married life. It wasn't as if Gene was so obsessed with "Star Trek" that he became obsessed. It was a great thing in terms of the success it had but it was still just a TV show, or a movie. We didn't sit around talking about it every day. It was business.
THR: What sort of a man was Gene?
Roddenberry: Well, he was a very tall and imposing-looking man, first off. He was a very adamant man. He was also very kind and sweet. He had a lot of sides to him. Our life together was wonderful. It just didn't go on long enough.
The Hollywood Reporter: What comes to mind when you think about 40 years having passed since "Star Trek" hit television?
Majel Barrett Roddenberry: Well, the first thing is probably how much we had to struggle in the ratings all of those years, which is easy to forget now. We weren't close to being a hit. But we managed to run for three years and 79 episodes anyway.
THR: As you know, the original series is coming back to broadcast syndication on Sept. 16 for the first time since 1990 -- and all 79 episodes are being digitally remastered with new computer-generated effects. A lot of the "Star Trek" purists and so-called "Roddenberry loyalists" are expected to be outraged. But I wonder what Gene would have thought about his work getting a makeover.
Roddenberry: You know what? He wouldn't have been bothered by it at all. Gene did the best work he could at the time, but he was also all about the future. I think he'd have thought it was terrific that the show was being made to look better because of new technology.
THR: J.J. Abrams, one of the hottest writer-producers in town, has been signed to develop the next iteration of the "Star Trek" movie franchise. Have you spoken to him about it?
Roddenberry: No, but I imagine that once a movie gets a "go" from the studio, I'll find out more. What's nice is you know a "Star Trek" movie is still one that everybody wants. It remains Paramount's cash cow, so there's no danger of it going away anytime soon.
THR: What inspired Gene to set a TV series in space? Was it all the emphasis on space exploration in the mid-1960s?
Roddenberry: It was the studio (Desilu) mainly. They wanted a show set in space. Gene wanted to do one that was more science fiction. So he decided to combine them both and see what happens.
THR: I guess NBC liked what Gene delivered.
Roddenberry: That they did. But we went on the air with absolutely no hype. It was just another television show back then, nothing special at all. Gene knew he had created something special, but it wasn't clear until later on. He put so much of his blood and sweat and tears into that show to make it good. He agonized every detail.
THR: Did Gene ever ponder why it was that the franchise finally took off in movies and TV after the fact?
Roddenberry: He knew it was all about the characters, and he'd speak about that. His whole strategy was to avoid doing a show that was just a bunch of special effects loosely connected by bad writing. He had a great knack for creating people you cared about. He saw "Star Trek" as "Wagon Train" to the stars.
THR: How did Gene feel about "Trek" revival with the movies in the late '70s and '80s and then the "Next Generation" TV show?
Roddenberry: He was never really satisfied with the way any of them came out. It was just his own frustration at wanting everything to be perfect. It was nothing against the people he worked with.
THR: Did Gene ever speak to you about maybe feeling perturbed that once "Star Trek" became such a major brand, it overshadowed everything else he'd done as a writer and producer or did he simply enjoy the ride?
Roddenberry: He was grateful simply to have had the success he did. If he couldn't do anything else because he was so associated with the show, that was all right with him. He was proud of it and never grew tired of the concept.
THR: Once "Star Trek" exploded into such a phenomenon, did it have any negative impact on your life together in terms of time constraints or feeling overwhelmed?
Roddenberry: Oh no, not at all. We lived a typical married life. It wasn't as if Gene was so obsessed with "Star Trek" that he became obsessed. It was a great thing in terms of the success it had but it was still just a TV show, or a movie. We didn't sit around talking about it every day. It was business.
THR: What sort of a man was Gene?
Roddenberry: Well, he was a very tall and imposing-looking man, first off. He was a very adamant man. He was also very kind and sweet. He had a lot of sides to him. Our life together was wonderful. It just didn't go on long enough.
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