Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. DeForest Kelley appeared in Gene scripts in Boots and Saddles, Shannon, and the unsold legal drama pilot 333 Montgomery. It's obvious Gene was a DeForest Kelley fan. In this supplemental episode, we welcome another DeForest Kelley fan, Trek Files host Larry Nemecek, to explore the long friendship between an actor and a writer whose work together would lead to an icon...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Gene Roddenberry's second Shannon script was entirely his own, and both its main guest star and its concepts are clear signs of things to come in both the 21st and 23rd centuries. We hitch a ride with "The Pickup" for a glimpse into Gene's future you won't want to miss. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's e...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 75
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Assigned to polish another writer's premise for the '60s action show Shannon, Gene Roddenberry turns in a script that hits all the necessary action beats but leaves questions about the characters and their beverage choices. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television scripts, including his lesser-k...
Jun 16, 2025•59 min•Ep. 74
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Twice before, the Joan Crawford Show was piloted - would the third time, with a pilot written by Gene Roddenberry, have been the charm? Ashley and Earl find a lot of charm and a considerable amount of progressive thought in this unproduced 1961 script. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television sc...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 73
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Gene co-write a single script for the Screen Gems western Two Faces West, finishing the script of another writer's story. But it made effective use of the series' recurring mistaken identity gag, and featured a compelling guest character who was ahead of her time. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early t...
Jun 02, 2025•55 min•Ep. 72
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. In Gene's final script for the British-Australian series Whiplash, an actress from a roaming theater troupe finds herself giving an improv performance with the highest possible stakes, and we find Gene slipping the audience a message about grace and mercy. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early televisio...
Apr 28, 2025•59 min•Ep. 71
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Much has been made of how progressive Gene Roddenberry's TV writing was, but one line from the original script for "Dutchman's Reef" caught even your hosts off guard - and shows just how far ahead of his time Gene was. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television scripts, including his lesser-known ...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 70
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Gene's second episode of Whiplash, "Sarong", proves to be a surprisingly progressive stew of villains you love to hate, pearls, hungry sharks, amazing filming locations, sisters doin' it for themselves, and Peter Graves jumping off a horse like nobody's business. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early te...
Apr 14, 2025•57 min•Ep. 69
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. Welcome to Whiplash, a show about Australia's old west whose makers tried to lure Gene to live and work in the UK! His first script for this western starring Peter Graves left little doubt that it was the work of Gene Roddenberry. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's early television scripts, including his l...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 68
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. We've read all the Wrangler scripts, considered all the stories - the only thing left to do was for Ashley and Mission Log: Prodigy's Charlynn Schmiedt to visit the UCLA Library and watch the seven produced episodes for themselves. Even the pilot. What they found was still surprising. Hosted by Ashley Thomas, Charlynn Schmiedt & Earl Green About Gene-ology Gene-o...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 67
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry. As we set course for the Wrangler off-ramp, we examine one last script - the one that was never even filmed, namely, Edward J. Lakso's "Incident of the Magic Elixir", which has some themes that fit nicely into a Gene Roddenberry creation...and plenty of themes that don't. Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas About Gene-ology Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry's...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 66
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Was this the final aired episode of Wrangler, or was "A Crisis Named Wavelin" left on the cutting room floor? Which would have been better? Gene-ology examines Gene Roddenberry's final Wrangler script, which has a troubling tendency to use some disturbingly heavy themes as a source of...humor? Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing sha...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 65
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology keeps reliving the travels of the Wrangler, this time running afoul of a town riddled with corruption and violence. What does justice look like in a town where the lawmen think they're above the law? Gene's script for "Encounter At Elephant Butte" offers a grim look. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbr...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 64
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! It's a Gene-ology with an interesting twist: it may be another script for Wrangler, the 1960 western series Gene created, but it didn't reach the screen in this form. We start the process of asking what changed and why - though we're able to take some educated guesses. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking wo...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 63
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology continues chronicling Pitcairn's Wrangler adventures, with Gene's script presenting a character-focused ethical dilemma that raises quite a few more questions than it answers - especially with one deleted line from the earlier draft of the story. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he woul...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 62
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! It's a Gene-ology first - a Wrangler script written by someone other than Gene himself. Does future Star Trek writer George Slavin's "Affair At The Trading Post" fit in with Pitcairn's world... and does it still feel like a Gene Roddenberry show? Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he would later bri...
Jan 20, 2025•53 min•Ep. 61
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology tackles a tense adventure for Gene's 1960 series Wrangler, where one man has decided that "A Time For Hanging" is now - and isn't willing to listen to any voices of reason before executing Pitcairn, tackling multiple meaty topics in a single half-hour show in a very Gene Roddenberry way. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writin...
Jan 13, 2025•53 min•Ep. 60
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! You've heard the story behind the making of the first series created by Gene Roddenberry. Now Gene-ology gives you the storyline of Wrangler's first episode, and meet the show's recurring hero, Pitcairn. Was he boldly going where Paladin had gone before? Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he would l...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 59
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene Roddenberry created a series that made it to air in 1960 - for mere weeks - and it has faded almost entirely from history, despite the fact that the tapes still exist. And John Champion and Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry have seen them. They stop by Gene-ology to take us on the deep dive into Wrangler... and why it's disappeared from history. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry ...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 58
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Norman rejoins Earl and Ashley for another look back at Paladin's adventures in five further Gene Roddenberry-written episodes of Have Gun - Will Travel. Was Tuttle redeemable? Was the Golden Toad underplayed? The Les Girls/Mudd's Women debate continues, and much more! Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking wo...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology enters the world of Gene Roddenberry, show creator and producer, with the unsold 1960 pilot "333 Montgomery". Even though the show didn't sell, it did cement a long friendship that would affect the casting of a future starship forever. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he would later bri...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 57
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! It's a more light-hearted return to the old west as Gene-ology examines Gene Roddenberry's only script for Sam Rolfe's Hotel de Paree series. But can even a comedy script shortchange one of its central characters? Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he would later bring to our screens. Hosted by Earl...
Dec 02, 2024•53 min•Ep. 56
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene Roddenberry's second and final script for The Detectives has enough relentless action and a ticking clock, it's enough to raise someone's blood pressure! But does it say what Gene intended it to say about police work - especially when compared to an earlier professional paper Gene authored? Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing s...
Nov 25, 2024•46 min•Ep. 55
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology begins its examination of Gene Roddenberry's 1960s TV writing with "Karate", a episode of The Detectives starring Robert Taylor, where our hosts find plenty to talk about, including some surprisingly heavy topics. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the groundbreaking worlds he would later bring to our screens. Hos...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 54
Does Gene's Paladin line up with Paladin in the rest of Have Gun -- Will Travel? Was Gene writing Paladin as Sam Houston? All three of Gene-ology's hosts - Ashley, Earl, and Norman C. Lao - gather to consider the story so far across Gene Roddenberry's scripts for Have Gun -- Will Travel.
Nov 11, 2024•57 min
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! Gene-ology examines "Beyond Atlas" , a one-off script for an unmade series might have been "West Point, but for the Air Force Academy" - except that, as written by Gene Roddenberry, it reads like a pitch for Starfleet Academy, which is impressive considering it was written mere weeks after Sputnik changed the world. Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how G...
Nov 04, 2024•52 min•Ep. 53
Welcome to Gene-ology, where we explore the earliest TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek! The fourth and final episode Gene Roddenberry wrote for Boots & Saddles is a challenging piece of work; the story pitch that got him hired to write the episode is even more challenging and perhaps a bit shocking. Gene-ology takes a deep dive into " The Rescue of the Strangers ." Join us as we dig into the Roddenberry archives and discuss how Gene’s early writing shaped the gro...
Oct 28, 2024•53 min•Ep. 52
Gene-ology has been covering Gene Roddenberry's early TV writing for a year now, so it's an opportune time for Ashley and Earl to take a well-deserved break from the wild west and dig into your comments and questions on past episodes of the podcast.
Oct 21, 2024•43 min
Gene-ology examines the last produced script Gene Roddenberry wrote for the western series Boots & Saddles, one which happened to mark his first collaboration with one DeForest Kelley. But did Gene's script land a knockout punch? Guest starring Jeff Gauntt as Captain "Shank" Adams and Larry Nemecek as Captain Merriweather
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 51
Gene Roddenberry's short stint as a writer on the 1957-58 western Boots & Saddles continues in his second script, "The Prussian Farmer", which thrusts a pacifistic retired soldier into a situation where he may have to fight once more. Guest starring John Billingsley as Franz Mueller, Bonita Friedericy as Mrs. Mueller, and Jeff Gauntt as Captain "Shank" Adams
Oct 07, 2024•54 min•Ep. 50
