History Creator / GeneRoddenberry

* HumansAreSpecial: His idealism regarding human potential is so legendary at this point that "Roddenberry Idealism" is an actual term used to describe series that paint humanity as having/being capable of achieving emotional and philosophical greatness to the point that children will instantly accept the death of a parent without shedding a tear in grief.

* KickedUpstairs: Although he continued to provide feedback and guidance to the writers and producers until his death, the studio ultimately removed him from any direct control over the franchise after the tepid reception to ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''. His official title became "Executive Consultant," but he retained no real power over the direction of the series until the first two seasons of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (which he didn't actually want to make, but was manipulated into by his lawyer, Leonard Maizlish).
* MoneyDearBoy: He was rather infamous for finding every little way possible to pocket some extra money from ''Star Trek'', from writing lyrics for the main theme so he could get [[NominalCoauthor co-composer credit]] to making a memorabilia company then writing a scene of Spock exalting [[TheMerch a Vulcan symbol IDIC that was easily made into a pin or necklace]].
* NominalCoauthor: He wrote lyrics to the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' ThemeTune, [[ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics never used on the show, and never intended to be used on the show]], so he could lay claim to some of the royalties. The tune's composer, Alexander Courage, was new to contract law at the time and signed away his right to not have lyrics.

[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grod.jpg]]
''[[caption-width-right:275:The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.]]''

* MoneyDearBoy: He was rather infamous for finding every little way possible to pocket some extra money from ''Star Trek'', from writing lyrics for the main theme so he could get co-composer credit to making a memorabilia company then writing a scene of Spock exalting [[TheMerch a Vulcan symbol IDIC that was easily made into a pin or necklace]].
* RuleThirtyFourCreatorReactions: He found the whole thing to be ''hilarious.'' Pre Internet, where FanworkBan was the norm, he famously told his lawyers to chill because there was no way some mimeographed K/S slash zine would be mistaken for official merch and [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity the notoriety was free advertising]]. ''Star Trek'' became one of the few fandoms where one could more or less operate openly, which is why so many FanficTropes can be traced back to Star Trek in some form.

* MoneyDearBoy: He was rather infamous for finding every little way possible to pocket some extra money from Star Trek, from writing lyrics for the main theme so he could get co-composer credit to making a memorabilia company then writing a scene of Spock exalting [[TheMerch a Vulcan symbol IDIC that was easily made into a pin or necklace]].
* RuleThirtyFourCreatorReactions: He found the whole thing to be ''hilarious.'' Pre Internet, where FanworkBan was the norm, he famously told his lawyers to chill because there was no way some mimeographed K/S slash zine would be mistaken for official merch and [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity the notoriety was free advertising]]. Star Trek became one of the few fandoms where one could more or less operate openly, which is why so many FanficTropes can be traced back to Star Trek in some form.

He was married to Majel Barrett from 1969 until his death in 1991. They had one son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr..

Gene was a well-respected man, but not always well-liked. In many ways, his life and career reflects that of his British counterpart, Creator/TerryNation -- except with even more stories of outlandish and self-destructive behavior. He tomcatted around Paramount Studios; he screwed writers and composers out of their royalties; most importantly, Gene was stubbornly convinced that he always knew what was best for ''Franchise/StarTrek'' -- which, after all, he had created -- and had a tendency toward the autocratic when it came to his staff. This uncompromising attitude led to [[CreativeDifferences tremendous flareups]] between him and Paramount, which clinched [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld his removal from the Producer's chair]] after ''The Motion Picture''. While he still held creative freedom over ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Gene's recreational drug cocktails did his brain no good, and his health was in serious decline; by the end of the first season he had managed to alienate almost all long-time creative partners, including famed original series writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold (one ex-colleague told Creator/HarlanEllison the reason Roddenberry was cremated was so nobody could piss on his grave). In general, though, outside of his professional issues, many regarded him as a friendly GentleGiant of a man (excluding his skirt chasing of course). After his bitter divorce with his wife (due to him constantly cheating on her without her knowledge or consent), his attitude toward women soured considerably and he became harder to work with. He also apparently had a higher opinion of himself as TheCasanova than women did. Many suspect that the harrowing account told by Grace Lee Whitney (who played Yeoman Rand) of being trapped in a room with an anonymous man she only ever named "The Executive" who became violently angry when she rejected his advances and forced her to strip, dance, and perform sexually, was about Rodenberry himself.

* BeamMeUpScotty: Some fans and reviewers believe that Roddenberry said he would have made Kirk and Spock gay in the series if it had been possible. What he really said was an ambiguous mumble that he was pushed into by [[http://fanlore.org/wiki/Shatner:_Where_No_Man a couple of aggressive fan interviewers]] eager to promote SlashFic to canon status.
-->'''Roddenberry''': "Yes, there's certainly some of that, certainly with love overtones. Deep love. The only difference being, the Greek ideal...we never suggested in the series... physical love between the two. But it's the... we certainly had the feeling that the affection was sufficient for that, if that were the particular style of the 23rd century." (He looks thoughtful.) "That's very interesting. I never thought of that before."

Gene was a well-respected man, but not always well-liked. In many ways, his life and career reflects that of his British counterpart, Creator/TerryNation -- except with even more stories of outlandish and self-destructive behavior. He tomcatted around Paramount Studios; he screwed writers and composers out of their royalties; most importantly, Gene was stubbornly convinced that he always knew what was best for ''Franchise/StarTrek'' -- which, after all, he had created -- and had a tendency toward the autocratic when it came to his staff. This uncompromising attitude led to [[CreativeDifferences tremendous flareups]] between him and Paramount, which clinched [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld his removal from the Producer's chair]] after ''The Motion Picture''. While he still held creative freedom over ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Gene's recreational drug cocktails did his brain no good, and his health was in serious decline; by the end of the first season he had managed to alienate almost all long-time creative partners, including famed original series writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold (one ex-colleague told Creator/HarlanEllison the reason Roddenberry was cremated was so nobody could piss on his grave). In general, though, outside of his professional issues, many regarded him as a friendly GentleGiant of a man (excluding his skirt chasing of course).

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 - October 24, 1991), aka "The Great Bird of the Galaxy", was a [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks USAAF bomber pilot]], ex-cop, freelance scriptwriter, and creator of possibly the single most influential franchise in the history of television, ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

* FanNickname: "The Great Bird of the Galaxy".

--> Roddenberry: "Yes, there's certainly some of that, certainly with love overtones. Deep love. The only difference being, the Greek ideal... we never suggested in the series... physical love between the two. But it's the... we certainly had the feeling that the affection was sufficient for that, if that were the particular style of the 23rd century." (He looks thoughtful.) "That's very interesting. I never thought of that before."

Gene was a well-respected man, but not always well-liked. In many ways, his life and career reflects that of his British counterpart, Creator/TerryNation -- except with even more stories of outlandish and self-destructive behavior. Oh, yes, he tomcatted around Paramount Studios; he screwed writers and composers out of their royalties; most importantly, Gene was stubbornly convinced that he always knew what was best for ''Franchise/StarTrek'' -- which, after all, he had created -- and had a tendency toward the autocratic when it came to his staff. This uncompromising attitude led to [[CreativeDifferences tremendous flareups]] between him and Paramount, which clinched [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld his removal from the Producer's chair]] after ''The Motion Picture''. While he still held creative freedom over ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Gene's recreational drug cocktails did his brain no good, and his health was in serious decline; by the end of the first season he had managed to alienate almost all long-time creative partners, including famed original series writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold (one ex-colleague told Creator/HarlanEllison the reason Roddenberry was cremated was so nobody could piss on his grave). In general, though, outside of his professional issues, many regarded him as a friendly GentleGiant of a man (excluding his skirt chasing of course).

-->-- '''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Raphael]] [[Franchise/MassEffect Sbarge]]'''

-->--'''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Raphael]] [[Franchise/MassEffect Sbarge]]'''

-->--'''Raphael Sbarge''', actor

After 1979 and ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', virtually all of Roddenberry's creative energies were applied to ''Franchise/StarTrek''. Between all the movies, TV series, and video games, he held a wide variety of posts, but until his death in 1991 he was still the final creative authority for the Trek universe, and known to fans as "The Great Bird of the Galaxy". During this time, presumably, he also developed the concepts that would later reach television audiences as ''Series/EarthFinalConflict'' (in 1997) and ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' (in 2000). These were shepherded into existence by his by-then-widow, Creator/MajelBarrett, who was also deeply influential in ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and (unless the recent film reboot manages to create spin-offs of its own) will be the only person to have contributed to all seven incarnations of the franchise.

He later became a regular writer for both ''West Point'' and ''HaveGunWillTravel'', winning a Writers' Guild Award for an episode he penned for the latter show. [[note]] While he regularly claimed he had been the show's head writer, it didn't actually have one - as one of its producers (and a friend of Roddenberry's) Don Ingalls stated, "If anyone was the head writer, it was the story editor."[[/note]] While continuing to write freelance for other shows, Roddenberry moved into production, creating and producing the Marine Corps series ''The Lieutenant''. And after ''The Lieutenant'' came the creation that would carry him for most of the rest of his life: ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

* KickedUpstairs: Although he continued to provide feedback and guidance to the writers and producers until his death, the studio removed ultimately him from any direct control over the franchise after the tepid reception to ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''. His official title became "Executive Consultant," but he retained no real power over the direction of the series until the first two seasons of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (which he didn't actually want to make, but was manipulated into by his lawyer, Leonard Maizlish).

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 - October 24, 1991), aka "The Great Bird of the Galaxy", was a [[YanksWithTanks USAAF bomber pilot]], ex-cop, freelance scriptwriter, and creator of possibly the single most influential franchise in the history of television, ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

* KickedUpstairs: Although he continued to provide feedback and guidance to the writers and producers until his death, the studio removed ultimately him from any direct control over the franchise after the tepid reception to ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''. His official title became "Executive Consultant," but he retained no real power over the direction of the series until the first two seasons of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (which he didn't actually want to make, but was [[AmoralAttorney manipulated into by his lawyer, Leonard Maizlish]]).