Rod Roddenberry Talks Mission Log: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
By Captain Pyke | August 13, 2012 - 11:46 pm
A brand new podcast has hit the cyber "airwaves" recently and is set to examine every single episode of Star Trek. The best part about the new show is that it's a Roddenberry Entertainment production. Mission Log, hosted by DVD Geeks' John Champion and "Mac OS Ken" Ken Ray, will start with the TOS pilot "The Cage" and run all the way through the final episode of Enterprise.
With the new episode launched last week, we got the chance to ask executive producer Rod Roddenberry a few questions about the new show.
SSC: It seems that the podcast will be a continuation of the themes explored in Trek Nation. What else can Trek fans expect from the new show?
RR: In many respects the podcast is an extension of my journey documented in Trek Nation. I always wanted the opportunity to examine the philosophy of each Star Trek episode from the Roddenberry perspective and get to the core of what has been inspiring fans for decades. I’m excited fans will be able to explore these themes with me.
SSC: Will you be hosting the podcast? If not, who will be, and will you be joining them from time to time?
RR: Veteran podcasters and Star Trek aficionados John Champion and Ken Ray will host the show, and I’m definitely looking forward to being a guest on the show from time to time. John and Ken will offer a balanced yet critical analysis of the underlying themes, metaphors and subtexts intertwined in each Star Trek episode. They’ll dialogue around the plot points, principles and philosophies of Star Trek and how it relates to humanity both during its original airings and today. There will be plenty of wit and humor to balance their analysis. John and Ken are very entertaining, sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing, but always looking at multiple perspectives.
SSC: Can we expect any sound clips or media from the Roddenberry archives?
RR: The podcast will feature items from the Roddenberry archives. I’ve offered up some rare historic resources I found in my family’s archive, such as my father’s handwritten notes on original scripts.
SSC: What can Trek fans expect on each episode?
RR: The podcast will examine each episode of the Star Trek TV series’ starting with the series pilot, “The Cage,” and progress sequentially through the final season of Enterprise and include all animated productions and movies in between.
Be sure to check out the official website for Mission log, where you can download each episode as they're made available. You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
UPDATE: Check out the official press release below.
Roddenberry Entertainment Partners with Nerdist Industries on New Star Trek Podcast
Science fiction leader teams up with online trailblazer and launches free podcast at Star Trek Convention
LOS ANGELES; August 15, 2012 — As the successor of the science fiction pioneer that brought television and film audiences Star Trek, Roddenberry Entertainment has partnered with Nerdist Industries to bring fans a new podcast series with the sole purpose of exploring the Star Trek universe one episode at a time. Titled Mission Log, the podcast features an entertaining and provocative examination of the legendary franchise’s more than 700 hours of television programming. Starting with the series pilot, “The Cage,” and progressing sequentially through the final season of Star Trek: Enterprise, Mission Log delves into the most historical and interesting aspects of science fiction that Star Trek has to offer. The podcast is the first time Roddenberry will lead the dialogue surrounding the plot points, principles and philosophies of Star Trek and how they relate to the human experience.
"I’ve always wanted the opportunity to examine the philosophy of Star Trek from a Roddenberry perspective and get to the core of what has been inspiring fans for decades,” said Executive Producer Rod Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. “I can think of no better homage to the franchise than to take on 30 seasons of television, comprised of six different series, by journeying into every one of the 726 Star Trek episodes.”
Mission Log will be joining Nerdist’s roster of vastly different, yet equally entertaining podcasts including: The Nerdist Podcast, The Indoor Kids, The Todd Glass Show, Sex Nerd Sandra, Pop My Culture, Mike and Tom Eat Snacks, Comic Book Club, FEAB and more.
Hosted by veteran podcasters John Champion (DVD Geeks) and Ken Ray (Mac OS Ken), Mission Log will offer a balanced yet critical analysis of the underlying themes, metaphors and subtexts intertwined in each Star Trek episode. Along with a variety of guests and interviews, the podcast will attempt to explore Star Trek’s ethical subtext, understand its complex metaphors and finally figure out what was the trouble with those tribbles. Unique to Mission Log, producers and hosts have the opportunity to research the exclusive Roddenberry family archives to consult historic resources, such as Gene’s handwritten notes on his original scripts.
Nerdist Founder and Chief Creative Officer Chris Hardwick said “To be able to facilitate a deep--?dive into the Star Trek universe for its fans is like a weekly trip to Risa for your brain. You could ONLY accomplish such an undertaking with the generosity and thoughtfulness of Roddenberry Entertainment. I am honored to have Gene's name and legacy associated with Nerdist!”
Mission Log marks the first piece of new entertainment from Nerdist since their recent purchase by Legendary Entertainment. Much like how Star Trek created an intersection between technology and entertainment, Mission Log ventures into new media while providing audiences with new and interesting perspectives on one of the largest science fiction phenomena of all time.
“As admitted geeks, we are all fans of Nerdist because their entertainment understands and empowers the nerd culture we care so much about,” said Trevor Roth, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Development at Roddenberry Entertainment. “We’re beyond excited to partner with Chris Hardwick and his team and believe this will be the first of many collaborations with them.”
Mission Log will be produced weekly and be available for free download every Thursday on MissionLogPodcast.com and Nerdist.com. Fans are encouraged to engage in the dialogue by posting comments on Facebook.com/MissionLogPod and tweeting at @missionlogpod. Select comments will be incorporated into upcoming podcasts.
For more information visit http://www.missionlogpodcast.com/.
About Roddenberry Entertainment
Roddenberry Entertainment is a science?fiction leader with a tradition of revolutionary entertainment. Originally founded in 1967 by Gene Roddenberry, the company has since led a steady stable of science?fiction successes including Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and, most notably, Star Trek. Roddenberry Entertainment has continued to bring the Roddenberry philosophy to a new generation and has evolved its groundbreaking science fiction into an innovative, multimedia portfolio of graphic novels, comics, television and film projects, while continuing its unique tradition in quality merchandising. With insightful explorations of humanity, Roddenberry Entertainment has set itself apart by creating smart and provocative science fiction that challenges its audiences to think, question and explore the world, as well as those beyond. For more information on Roddenberry Entertainment please visit www.Roddenberry.com. Roddenberry Entertainment can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
About Nerdist Industries
Nerdist Industries is a multi-platform creator of genre and popular culture content. Nerdist was founded in 2008 by comedian, author, podcaster, new media personality and AMC's The Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick. In 2011, Nerdist and GeekChicDaily merged to form Nerdist Industries with Hardwick serving as Founder and Chief Creative Officer and digital media entrepreneur Peter Levin, serving as Chief Executive Officer of the new company. Levin had previously co-founded GeekChicDaily with Peter Guber’s Mandalay Enterprises. Nerdist Industries now consists of a popular website at Nerdist.com; a premium YouTube channel (youtube.com/nerdist), a top comedy/popular culture podcast network on iTunes that is also produced as a TV show on BBC America; the Nerdist News daily e-newsletters, a following of over 1.6 million Twitter fans, a book, The Nerdist Way, by The Penguin Group; a plethora of live events and much more. Nerdist Industries is headquartered at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood, CA.
