Line #39 Main/CaptainsLog


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4	[[quoteright:349:[[Manga/OnePiece https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oden_log.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:349:"And now I can narrate over the next pages with a [[PaintingTheMedium cool parchment style!]]"]]
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10	->'''Zapp:''' Captain's Log, stardate... uhh...\
11	'''Kif:''' ''[sighs]'' April thirteenth!\
12	'''Zapp:''' April thirteenth... point two.
13	-->-- ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', "[[Recap/FuturamaS1E4LovesLaborsLostInSpace Love's Labours Lost in Space]]"
14
15	A voiceover of the lead character talking out a journal or diary entry. At the beginning of the show, this is used to allow the main character to be MrExposition, or to remind watchers of a StoryArc of which the current episode is a part.
16
17	Given that this usually supposed to be an official record of a commander's duties, there's some opportunity for humor when he experiences some embarrassing problems or has to make a difficult decision. In that situation, he often has to struggle to phrase his log recording in a way that could downplay it without getting into trouble for writing a false report.
18
19	In the beginning of the show, it's used to quickly establish exposition and the background of the story, and perhaps mention a ChekhovsGun.
20
21	In the middle of the show, it's used to move slow plot points forward (usually things that you suspect were once scenes but were cut for time, budget and/or script pacing).
22
23	At the end of the show, it's used to sum up the plot and deliver a LessonOfTheDaySpeech.
24
25	One element of this trope that often goes unexplained is the question of when the character had the time to make all of these entries (always in [[NarratingThePresent present tense]]) while in the middle of said dangerous situations. Especially when he wouldn't plausibly have any down or quiet time, let alone access to a recording device. Is he keeping a log in his head?
26
27	If it's being used for exposition purposes when the viewpoint characters are LateToTheTragedy it probably fits better under ApocalypticLog, but [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible the two can overlap]]. Compare PrivateEyeMonologue, a similar narrative style typically used in FilmNoir, and RecapByAudit, in which the description takes the form of financial report.
28
29	Has absolutely nothing to do with a NinjaLog.
30	----
31	!!Examples:
32
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Trope Namer]]
36	* Classic ''Series/{{Star Trek\|The Original Series}}'' uses this trope in virtually every episode, and the trope is named for it. Kirk would often dictate his log at the start of the show and after every commercial break. Sometimes this discarded all logic, as when he dictated about things he didn't know yet, or recorded his log when he was nowhere near a recording device. The Captain's Log was planned as the narrative device for the show by Robert Justman and Herb Solow as a quick way of orienting the viewer in situations that could have been confusing. Variations of the concept throughout the franchise include:
37	** In the original series, in Season 2, there was at least one case when the log was played when Kirk was captive (with hands up etc.) so it was apparently recorded from memory.
38	** In ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'', Kirk tries to record his log into an electronic device... and the device malfunctions. "GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN."
39	** In ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', the log is actually a plot point. It's used in Kirk's trial with the Klingons, which leads to him figuring out who TheMole was since it was the only person who could have heard him making the recording.
40	** Sometimes Kirk will forget that the plot device isn't a diary, and he's not supposed to put how sad and helpless he feels when (usually) Spock is in trouble. However this often involves a Personal Log which is presumably not part of the official Starfleet record.
41	* The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E15YesterdaysEnterprise Yesterday's Enterprise]]" takes place in an alternate timeline where the Federation has been at war with the Klingons for twenty years. Captain Picard gives his usual voiceover, but he's recording a "military log" and using "combat dates" rather than Stardates.
42	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
43	** Odo starts recording security logs in "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E08NecessaryEvil Necessary Evil]]" at the request of Sisko. He gripes: "The reason for this exercise is beyond my comprehension, except perhaps that Humans have a compulsion to keep records and files -- so many, in fact, that they have to invent new ways to store them microscopically. Otherwise, their records would overrun all known civilization. My own very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet, I am pleased to put my voice into this official record of this day. Everything's under control. End log." Right after this however, Odo finds himself investigating a murder mystery and his log entries become the equivalent of a PrivateEyeMonologue.
44	** The episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E19InThePaleMoonlight In the Pale Moonlight]]" uses the Captain's Log as a framing device for the story as Sisko recounts how the Romulans were convinced to join on the Feds side of the War. Since the story involves several serious crimes Sisko was party to and is struggling to live with, Sisko actually winds up destroying the logs.
45	** When the Cardassians retake Deep Space Nine from the Federation, Gul Dukat actually makes some log entries of his own. This isn't too surprising, since Cardassians being obsessively thorough about records (to the point their military academies had filing instructors) was a frequent plot point.
46	* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'':
47	** "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E5TheCloud The Cloud]]" [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the franchise staple with something similar to LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn. Janeway makes the usual episode-opening log entry as a voice-over monologue while on a stroll through the ship, ending with:
48	---> '''Janeway (voice-over):''' ... I only wish I ''felt'' larger-than-life.\
49	'''Janeway (speaking aloud):''' Computer, delete last sentence.
50	** In "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS2E15Threshold Threshold]]" Chakotay and Tuvok witness the results of the hyper-evolved Paris and Janeway coming out of the hole they were hiding in and heading for the nearest swamp. Chakotay remarks that he's not entirely sure how he's going to enter all this into the log, and Tuvok tells him that he looks forward to reading those log entries.
51	* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'':
52	** Archer is often shown dictating his starlogs in real-time rather than a simple voiceover, more so than the other captains. He also has a tendency to pause his recordings to discuss things with his dog, Porthos.
53	** The MirrorUniverse two-parter treats us to the villainous logs of Captains Forrest and Archer in turn.
54	* On ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', all the log entries we get to hear (at least in season 1) are recorded by Michael Burnham, who isn't a captain (save for when she [[spoiler:impersonated her MirrorUniverse counterpart as captain of ISS ''Shenzhou'']]). Future seasons include the logs of the other officers.
55	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy'' started using these in the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekProdigyS1E4Dreamcatcher Dreamcatcher]]", although it doesn't happen in every episode. Usually it's Dal, the self-appointed Captain, doing these but sometimes another character will do them.
56	* Not only does the Captain keep an official log, but so do a number of officers -- including the science officer, second officer, chief engineer, chief medical officer, and so on. Many people were shown to keep personal logs which may be in addition to their official logs. In both the ''Next Generation'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E7Reunion Reunion]]" and the ''Deep Space Nine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E14Whispers Whispers]]", K'Ehleyr and Chief O'Brien respectively go through each log in turn for specific time frames trying to find out just what the hell is going on.
57	* ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'' may take the cake in this regard, as seemingly everybody in the cast gets a turn at narrating a log at some point in the first season. From Captain Pike and Science Officer Spock it's expected due to their respective positions, but later Cadet Uhura gets to do a few. Even T'Pring gets in on the action, and she's not even a member of Starfleet (she works on Vulcan trying to rehabilitate criminals.)
58	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' continues the tradition of Captain's logs and logs from other Senior officers, but now also has logs from the lower ranking Junior officers who, [[LowerDeckEpisode as the name implies]], are the main focus of the series.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
62	* ''Manga/AstraLostInSpace'': Aries gives the brief overview of what's been going on as the group pass through and explore planets.
63	* Midori's diary entries in ''Manga/MidoriDays''.
64	* Arika's letters to her mysterious patron early in ''Anime/MyOtome''.
65	* Kamiyama's letters to his mother in ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool''.
66	* ''Literature/{{Baccano}} 1711 - Whitesmile'' is separated by several interludes in the form of status reports sent by Victor to his employer, Lucrezia de Dormentaire. The thing is, he was also sleeping with her. And since he figured that Szilard and Carla would send more formal reports covering all the boring details anyways, he decided to personalize his own. Acquiring [[CompleteImmortality immortality]] shortly after the mission, he comes to regret this in 2002 when one of his underlings finds them in a dossier regarding the Lotto Valentino bombings.
67	-->'''Inspector Jennifer:''' Would it be acceptable to begin my reports to you with 'Hey. How've you been? Feel any lonely 'cause I haven't written to you in so long'?
68	* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'': The Sega Saturn game has each of the three protagonists write illustrated diary entries about the towns they visit. Given that they're a PowerTrio of fourteen-year-old girls (Hikaru as TheKirk, Umi as TheMcCoy, and Fuu as TheSpock) they are subject to UnreliableNarrator and [[invoked]] AlternateCharacterInterpretation about their adventures and the people they meet. One of the villains [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/ea3c3d9184eb2c20711b85a76c384c3f/tumblr_mrbubpD7db1s6nyupo1_1280.jpg also records one]] about how he's SurroundedByIdiots.
69	* ''Manga/OnePiece'': As a series about pirates and sailing, logbooks occasionally show up every now and then. The most straight example was Kozuki Oden's, as he kept a log of his adventures solely because he was interested in sailing and it serves as a sort of narrative complement to the actual manga panels of his flashback. It's also an important {{MacGuffin}} due to the information written on it being quite valuable.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Comic Books]]
73	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsMilesMorales Miles Morales]] had one in the first issue of ''ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan2022''.
74	* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': ''Explorers on the Moon'' has a few all-text panels headed "Extract from the Log Book by Professor Calculus."
75	* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Rorschach's journal, at least to some extent.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Fan Works]]
79	* ''Fanfic/TheNextFrontier'' spoofs the TropeNamer (or its local equivalent) in-universe with the Captain's ''Blog'' but nevertheless uses it straight as a FramingDevice for exposition and world-building that pulls double-duty as a FourthWallMailSlot.
80	* The lead character of ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' occasionally begins the story with an entry in his personal journal, and in some stories updates his journal with things that took place in the story from his perspective.
81	* The same thing also happens with the lead character of ''Fanfic/HeroTheGuardianSmurf''.
82	* ''Fanfic/{{Bait and Switch\|STO}}'' fics usually ignore this entirely, in keeping with the MildlyMilitary nature of Captain Kanril Eleya, but "Fanfic/{{Frostbite}}" opens with a classical ''Franchise/StarTrek'' log entry from her executive officer Commander Tess Phohl.
83	-->"First Officer’s Log, Stardate 87234.2. The ''Bajor'' has been on patrol in the Rolor Nebula north of Deep Space 9 for the last week. Twelve hours ago our long-range sensors detected a previously uncharted Class M world orbiting Alpha Quinque Fratres, a G2V yellow dwarf star, same as Sol or B’hava’el. Per standard protocol we’re now on approach to investigate."
84	* ''Fanfic/ProdigalSon'': ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10699391/15/Prodigal-Son How to Train your Dragon]]'' by Hiccup Haddock III.
85	* Not surprisingly for a story that owes so much both to the trope namer ''and'' ''Literature/TheMartian'', ''Fanfic/TheWesterosi'' uses this trope extensively; everything written from Captain Hasegawa's first-person POV is taken either from her literal Captain's Log or messages to and from Starfleet.
86	* ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager''. Captain Janeway verbally dictates her captain's log, but because she's in a 1950's PulpMagazine sci-fi story she has to [[ZeeRust splice and tape her log by hand]] rather than tell her computer to delete her last sentence when she does a VerbalBackspace. She also gives an ordinary date instead of a stardate, as humanity hasn't discovered FasterThanLightTravel yet.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Film]]
90	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' with Jake Sully's video logs.
91	* ''Film/TheBounty'' had both Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian keeping logs.
92	* Subverted in ''Film/ItTheTerrorFromBeyondSpace'', which opens with Colonel Carruthers narrating but he's not TheCaptain. Colonel Van Heusen is the captain commanding the relief spaceship and Carruthers is under detention pending his court-martial back on Earth, accused of having murdered the [[SoleSurvivor rest of his crew]].
93	* ''Film/TheManWhoSkiedDownEverest'': For this documentary about Yuichiro Miura's quest to climb up Mt. Everest so he could ski back down it, the narration is actually excerpts from Miura's diary, written as the expedition went along.
94	* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'' featured an FBI agent who was constantly giving a running commentary on what he was doing into a concealed tape recorder, presumably to be used as a record of what [[UnwittingPawn he thinks]] is a semi-legitimate investigation into a drug lord.
95	** If one assumes that he is the HeroOfAnotherStory (as he is presented in the movie), then this could very well be the source of the narration if he ''were'' the star. As it is, he ends up spending much of the movie talking to himself and [[LampshadeHanging commenting on]] whatever foolish thing he is about to do.
96	* Used by April O'Neil in ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990''.
97	* Various entries in the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' franchise use this plot device to justify Sarah Connor's voice-over narration.
98	* ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' has Rorschach's journal.
99	* ''Film/TwelveToTheMoon''. A member of the crew (not TheCaptain) records the historic events of the first Moon landing as they happen; unfortunately as the audience can also see it happening, this becomes a CaptainObvious Log instead.
100	-->''[While being bombarded by meteors]'' "We are constantly being bombarded by falling rocks."
101	* A different take on this occurs in ''Film/{{Gravity}}''. Despite being cut off from MissionControl, the protagonists continue to transmit to them (even asking permission for various actions) in case they or someone else can hear their transmissions and help in some way. This serves as a handy means of exposition for the audience, as well as providing dialogue when a protagonist is by themselves.
102	* Tom Servo makes a few jokes about this trope in ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K: The Movie]]''
103	--> "Captain's Log: a bunch of our ship fell off and no one likes me."
104	* In ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'', Skipper delivers one after the penguins are stranded at sea without food and water.
105	* As ''Film/WomanInTheMoon'' is a silent movie, the audience is shown a close-up of the log being written, though it's still used for the same exposition reasons.
106	* In ''Film/OperationPetticoat'', Captain Sherman makes a few log entries that [[ItMakesSenseInContext only make sense to anyone privy to the bizarre circumstances of their voyage]].
107	--> "Sighted tanker; sank truck."
108	* ''Film/CaptainRon'': Boat owner Martin starts a log of their adventures as they sail through the Caribbean doing up their old sailing yacht on the way, but his jealousy of Captain Ron's easy charm with his family leads to it becoming just a book of complaints about everything Ron does. After Ron saves them from the real life version of the pirates of the Caribbean, Martin starts a new log which is much less crabby and notes that the previous log mysteriously got destroyed by the pirates.
109	* In ''Film/{{Solo}}: A Franchise/StarWars Story'', Lando Calrissian tries to record an entry on Kessel, but gets interrupted when their mission goes OffTheRails.
110	* Given a ShoutOut by ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'': When Buzz first "lands", he begins recording, and says "stardate". He later gives a Vulcan Salute to Woody.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Literature]]
114	* Averted in the Literature/AubreyMaturin books. Aubrey's log is referred to occasionally, along with the logs kept by the Sailing Master, the midshipmen (which Aubrey reviews as part if their training) and there is also a scene where Aubrey specifically refers to his log while appearing before a Navy Board, but the use of "Captains Log" as exposition never appears.
115	* Franchise/StarWarsLegends:
116	** Taken a few steps further in one of the ''Literature/XWingSeries'' novels, where [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Wraith Squadron]] captures an enemy ship where the Captain stores his Captain's Log in hologram form. We're talking ''hours'' of holo-footage here. There's so much of it that the Wraiths are able to use it cobble together a CGI Captain to [[OfCorpseHesAlive mess]] [[DeadPersonImpersonation around]] with the BigBad of the novel in a rather delicious IndyPloy. The sequence is a subtle TakeThat to ''Star Trek'', as the characters find the concept ridiculous and lambast it as an example of the captain's arrogance.
117	** Mace Windu records a series of journal entries in the novel ''Literature/{{Shatterpoint}}'', one of which includes commentary from [[PluckyComicRelief Nick Rostu]].
118	** In ''Literature/StarWarsKenobi'', Ben's meditations, addressed to his SpiritAdvisor Qui-Gon--who has yet to answer--take the place of journal entries, sharing his thoughts on the book's events with the readers. Other than in these meditations, Ben is a NonPOVProtagonist.
119	* The first couple of paragraphs of ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' form an opening narration that [[{{Exposition}} sets the scene]], then goes above and beyond {{Foreshadowing}} only to ''explicitly lay out the premises'' of the story that is about to come, namely that [[spoiler:we are about to witness an invasion, that the invaders will be from Mars, and that they will ultimately die]], mentioned in reverse order.
120	** Music/JeffWayne's [[Music/JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds album]] gives Creator/RichardBurton a much shorter narration, in which only [[spoiler:invasion]] is intimated.
121	* Frequently used by Creator/JohnWyndham, with several books opening with a description of what situation humanity will be in by the end of the book. In addition, since the books are often framed as an in-universe account by the main character, some entire books could be seen as fitting the trope. ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids'' and ''Literature/TheKrakenWakes'' are probably the two best examples.
122	* Parodied in ''Literature/TheWitchesOfKarres'': Captain Pausert makes an entry about battling space pirates to explain some unauthorized target practice on a nearby asteroid.
123	* The original ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' uses this trope for exposition in one chapter, and somewhat unusually the result bears a passing resemblance to a genuine ship's log of the period; remarks about the increasingly weird goings-on aboard the ship initially take a back seat to everyday stuff like position, condition of the ship and provisions etc.
124	* A bit over half of the text of ''Literature/TheMartian'' is astronaut turned reluctant Martian colonist Mark Watney making these sorts of log entry, partly for posterity but also because [[TheAloner it's that or talk to a volleyball or something.]]
125	* The first chapter of ''[[Literature/{{Ravenor}} Ravenor Returned]]'' has the titular Inquisitor writing a report for his superiors, summarizing the events of the previous book and explaining how he plans to continue his investigation.
126	* Suspecting that something is very wrong with Captain Kirk in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' ''[[Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel]]'' ''Ghost-Walker'', Spock reviews Captain Kirk's official log and hacks into Kirk's private, personal log. He quickly realizes that the style changed drastically in Kirk's official log after the visit to Midgwis and made no entries at all to his personal log since leaving that world. While Kirk didn't make entries to his personal log every day the length of time since he had made an entry was unusual. This leads Spock to conclude that Kirk was not himself. (Later he would realize that Kirk's body had been taken over by a Midgwin and the "ghost" haunting the ''Enterprise'' was actually the disembodied spirit of Captain Kirk).
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130	* JD of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' constantly talks in voice-over, a internal monologue, and so serving the same role as a Captain's Log. These voice-overs also serve as AnAesop and DoubleAesop in, quite literally, every episode.
131	* Agent Cooper's dictaphone notes to Diane (his never-seen secretary) on ''Series/TwinPeaks'' serve a similar function.
132	* Janeane Garofolo's character on ''Series/{{Felicity}}'', as the never-seen therapist sending dictated comments serves as both AnAesop and a Captain's Log in reverse.
133	* And of course both ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'' and Carrie Bradshaw of ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' summarizing their episodes, quandries and lessons into their computers. In Carrie's case, speaking out loud as she writes her column.
134	** In Doogie's case, this continues in the [[Series/DoogieKamealohaMD reboot]], but in an update, Doogie is not writing a journal for a study he's in, but is a teenaged influencer making a vlog.
135	* Early seasons of ''Series/TheXFiles'' had AgentScully writing reports to her superiors at the end of many of the MonsterOfTheWeek episodes. In the final seasons, after David Duchovny left the show, Scully read her journal entries as letters to the missing Mulder.
136	* John-boy Walton of ''Series/TheWaltons'' kept a journal, and apparently couldn't write without moving his lips...
137	* The early episodes of ''Series/RedDwarf'' often had the ship's AI, Holly, give a spoof captain's log, which (with one exception) were merely one-line gags with no relevance to the plot of the episode.
138	** And again, in later episodes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_0xaOQWg6I where a hologram from a hologram ship "beams" aboard Starbug]] and documents the surroundings into a Dictaphone, Lister whips out a cigarette packet and gives his own captain's log. They both trade witty banter discussing each other until Lister mentions having a holo-whip capable of causing pain to holograms which ends the scene. Lister also ''ate the cigarette'' for some reason.
139	* On the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Sliders}}'', Quinn Mallory keeps a videotaped log, so that the audience can follow along with what he's doing. Later, Wade's handwritten diary is used for the occasional introductory voiceover.
140	* ''Series/BabylonFive'' uses this fairly frequently, especially in the later seasons. In this case, not only Captain Sheridan keeps a log, but also Commander Ivanova and Doctor Franklin. Sometimes a distinction is made between their personal and professional logs, and occasionally other characters narrate in a similar way, though without the "Log" intro at the beginning of the voiceover. They are generally used to show the characters' thoughts and reactions in a way that couldn't be done through dialogue, and they additionally help with the intended feel that the show is a historical record of events long-past.
141	* ''Series/{{Quark}}'' parodies this, along with almost everything else from the original ''Star Trek''.
142	* ''Series/{{Starhunter}}'' has a few of these, which is to be expected since it's a space exploration show. There's no stardates though, and he's a bit more of a TerseTalker than normal captains.
143	* When ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' did {{story arc}}s, Dick explained [[PreviouslyOn what happened last week]] with a ''Trek''-style "High Commander's Log". Sally and Tommy later got into the act as well and, in fact, the first time Sally did this, she opened with "Lieutenant's Log; yes, I have one too."
144	* The earlier episodes of ''Series/{{Roswell}}'' began this way. It even became a PlotPoint in one episode when Liz lost the journal and had to recover it before anyone discovered what she had written about the aliens.
145	* The main character in ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'' starts every episode with a famous quote, usually foreshadowing the episode's plot.
146	** One episode had Darien narrating a flashback and starting it off with a quote, causing the listener to stop him ask him about his quoting.
147	* Each ''Series/FirstWave'' episode starts with a fake Nostradamus quote, followed by the hero's exposition of what it could possibly mean. Sounds like he is reading from a journal.
148	* Sheldon keeps a log on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', including stardate. With appropriately geeky attention to detail, the stardate is ''correct,'' working from 1987 (the first season of STTNG) as stardate 41000.
149	* ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'': The titular baby's big sister Teddy is a recording a video diary with pearls of wisdom (mixed in with her own self-glorification) for her sister when Teddy (being a decade and a half older) is out on her own. It forms a substantial portion of the narrative.
150	* The "Dear Dad' episodes of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' used Hawkeye's letters home for the same purpose. Letters by Fr. Mulcahy, Radar, Klinger and Col. Potter were also used. Major Winchester taped nearly all his correspondence to his family, creating an actual (rather than mental) vocal narrative.
151	* The title character's diary on ''Series/MrBelvedere'' is the "end-of-the-episode" version.
152	* The first few episodes of ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' begin and end with bits from Elena's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysonTheTin diaries about dating Stefan (who's a vampire)]] [[{{Narm}} and coping with life and stuff]]. These voice-overs were ditched at the same time the show [[GrowingTheBeard became awesome]].
153	* The captain's log becomes a plot point in Season 2 of ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. After the ''Galactica'' encounters the ''Pegasus'' and [[GeneralRipper Admiral Cain]] takes command of the fleet, she reorganizes the crews of both ships specifically in response to the picture of [[AFatherToHisMen favoritism]] toward [[TheHero Apollo]] and [[TheLancer Starbuck]] painted by [[TeamDad Commander Adama's]] own words.
154	* Michael Weston's voiceovers in ''Series/BurnNotice'' function this way, as though he were teaching a class or writing a book on how to be a spy.
155	* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. In "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS1E13Orac Orac]]", Blake uses a Flight Log entry to fill in Avon [[PreviouslyOn and the audience]] on the previous episode's events. We never see any reference to this trope again, which is just as well because a RebelLeader keeping a log of his activities would be a major IdiotBall if the Liberator were captured, which it is on several occasions.
156	* Used in the TitleSequence of ''Series/ArkII'' to introduce the main characters.
157	* Music/BillyRayCyrus' ''Series/{{Doc}}''. Each episode ends with the titular character, NYC transplant Dr. Clint Cassidy, doing a voice-over monologue as he types out an email to his mentor back home in Montana about recent events and the life lessons learned from them.
158	[[/folder]]
159
160	[[folder:Music]]
161	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X69aDIFFsc Back To The Ship]] follows the increasingly [[MushroomSamba nonsensical]] Captain's Logs of Captain Kirk after he ingests way too much LSD. In particular, it does a great job of mocking the precisely numerical nature of the original logs:
162	--> "Stardate 2 point... something, f*** it, I've taken too much LSD."
163	* "Film/{{Nosferatu}}" by Music/BlueOysterCult combines this with ApocalypticLog:
164	-->The ship pulled in without a sound\
165	The faithful captain long since cold\
166	He kept his log 'til the bloody end\
167	Last entry read: "Rats in the hold\
168	My crew is dead, I fear the plague"
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Podcasts]]
172	* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'': Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, introduces himself, explains his job and makes his excuses for the chaotic state of the archive at the beginning of the first episode.
173	[[/folder]]
174
175	[[folder:Radio]]
176	* ''Radio/YoursTrulyJohnnyDollar'': The title character's [[RecapByAudit expense account entries]] as a way to summarize what he's been up to; in the show's introduction, Johnny is credited as "The Man with the Action-Packed Expense Account".
177	* Episodes of the 1940s radio series ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyage_of_the_Scarlet_Queen Voyage of the Scarlet Queen]]'' began and ended with Philip Carney, the Queen's captain, making entries in the ship's log.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Video Games]]
181	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': In her search for her brother, Ann comes across voice messages left behind by Ryan detailing his search for [[{{Panacea}} N540]] after receiving an anonymous tip.
182	* ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' plays this straight. In this case, though, it goes: ''Captain's '''Report''', February 14, 2531.'' Just to be different.
183	* The ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' module "Dark Waters" has a parody of this trope as a dialogue option at the end of the first chapter, with the player commenting that he didn't bang any {{green skinned space babe}}s on this particular voyage, and Daniel and Heather giving classic Spock/[=McCoy=] reactions.
184	* [[OriginalGeneration Kazuma Ardygun]] from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsW'' keeps a diary that he writes on at the beginning of each chapter. When he can't update it, his sister Mihiro takes over for him.
185	* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' has many ECHO logs from a variety of characters, but the one that matches this trope best is the collection of logs made by General Knoxx. He [[http://borderlands.wikia.com/wiki/General_Knoxx#Quotes tends to complain about]] [[{{Nepotism}} the Admiral]], [[CrapsackWorld his life on the planet]], [[RunningGag the Admiral]], [[NoodleImplements sponges, cupcakes]], [[OverusedRunningGag the Admiral]] and [[OverlyLongGag the Admiral]].
186	* ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' opens with Guybrush recounting the events of his adventure up to that point, while adrift in a bumper car.
187	* ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'': The Egg Memos obtained by fishing and trading tokens with Big are audio logs created by Eggman, showing his perspective during the game's events.
188	* ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestVTheNextMutation'': Roger Wilco begins with this, before escalating into an intense battle...that gets suddenly interrupted by Captain Quirk who tells ''Cadet'' Wilco to [[UnwinnableTrainingSimulation get out of the bridge simulator.]]
189	%%* ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'': One of many {{Shout Out}}s by [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} George]].
190	* ''VideoGame/BattleZone1998'': Missions start off with a spoken journal record of the PlayerCharacter -- [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Grizzly One]] detailing his thoughts and feelings about being in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar [[TheGreatestStoryNeverTold gone hot]]. The sequel, ''Battlezone II: Combat Commander'', likewise starts each mission off with a journal by the player character, John Cooke, showing his divided loyalties when [[BlindJump stranded halfway across the universe god-knows-where]].
191	* ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}}'' has [[TheCaptain Kayto Shields]] dictate entries for his captain’s log on several occasions.These entries usually indicate that the plot has jumped ahead a few days or weeks, and serve to bring the player up to speed on what’s happened since the last scene. He even prefaces them with the words "Captain’s log", in a shout out to the TropeNamer.
192	* ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'': Hat Kid has a diary, but she's hidden it on her spaceship. [[spoiler:It's under the pile of pillows in her bedroom. Use the Ice Hat to reach it.]] The diary will have messages based on the last level you played.
193	* ''VideoGame/Pikmin2001'': At the end of every day, Olimar will make an entry in his log, the contents of which depending on his accomplishments and discoveries during the day. He may chronicle his observations about the characteristics of the different Pikmin types, describe the various hostile creatures encountered, reminisce and worry about his family back home, or even wax philosophical about the nature of the alien planet on which he's stranded.
194	* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTetris'': Tee regularly logs reports about what is currently happening to his partner O which go...somewhere, not even Tee is certain where or who they go to. [[spoiler:It’s revealed later on that they go to Ex, the Keeper of Dimensions.]]
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Web Comics]]
198	* ''Webcomic/StarSomething'': Spoofed. The [[http://starsomething.comicgenesis.com/d/20020209.html very first comic]] shows the lead character assigning a random number to the stardate (and wondering why anyone else would be listening as it's a private log), and later we see [[http://starsomething.comicgenesis.com/d/20021005.html why exactly it's called a captain's log]].
199	* Both ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' and ''Webcomic/{{Starslip}}'' have modernised/spoofed this with the "Captain's '''B'''log".
200	** In ''Sluggy'', it's also parodied with a different "Captain's log" (he's a rabbit; it's the wooden kind of log, which he scratches and bites as I guess rabbits do) and then right away in the same comic by having the "text" he appears to be writing actually be another character speaking out loud. Basically amounts to a [[ZigZaggingTrope triple subversion]].
201	* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'' gets a lot of mileage out of this trope in [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0521.html Episode 521]]; playing the trope dead straight while at the same time giving a ShoutOut to the TropeNamer and doing an in-character AsYouKnow. And it wouldn't be ''Darths and Droids'' without the GM taking a dig at the players for going OffTheRails.
202	* In ''Webcomic/{{Far from Home\|MightyMartianStudios}}'', the log of the scout ship ''Calvin''.
203	[[/folder]]
204
205	[[folder:Web Original]]
206	* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'': In Episode 12, Krillin makes a log during the trip to Namek.
207	-->'''Krillin:''' Krillin's log, Stardate... uhh, November 28th. We've been flying for two weeks now. Starting to feel ''very'' pent up. Not just from being trapped on the ship of course, but from Bulma walking around in ''nothing but her underwear!'' I would relieve this tension, but I have had no alone time because ''THE TOILET KEEPS SCREAMING AT ME!!''\
208	'''Toilet:''' [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Scheißen sie auf meinem gesicht]]![[labelnote:translation]]Shit in my face![[/labelnote]]\
209	'''Krillin:''' I'm not sure how much longer I can last.\
210	'''Bulma:''' Krillin, are you saying something?\
211	'''Krillin:''' Nothing! (''sotto voce'') [-Goddamn cocktease...-]
212	* [[http://dragongate.blog.com/ The Logs of the Starship "Sierra Nacho"]] is obviously entirely told through the Captain's Log. And everybody else's logs as well.
213	* At the very beginning of ''Theatre/{{Starship}}'', we see the captain's log from the starship that crashed on the bug planet 18 years ago.
214	* The video variant of this forms the framing story of ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. He even answers viewer mail.
215	* In ''Podcast/AliceIsntDead,'' the story takes the form of the narrator, a long-haul trucker, recording audio diary entries[=/=]letters to her wife Alice in the cabin of her truck, while fleeing a HumanoidAbomination stalker.
216	* The Youtuber "Captain Shack" of the channel 'TheXPGamers" Does a vlog series entitled "Captain's Vlog"
217	* ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'': In "Second Chance", the captain of humanity's first exploration mission out of their system makes use of one.
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder:Western Animation]]
221	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''' three part {{pilot}}, Spike uses his diary at the end of each episode as a framing device, but this was never used again. The Transformers Ladybird Books however, borrowed this from the show and used it occasionally.
222	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' when Peter "narrates" his life for some reason
223	* The PilotMovie of ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' takes the homage further than [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 its source material]]; having Buzz making log entries ''incessantly'', to the point where he's about to be brainwashed by the bad guys and opts to record his final moments — and the bad guys lampshade it but write it off as Buzz being a control freak as usual. [[spoiler:Too bad for them he wasn't recording, he was ''transmitting'' and calling in the [[BigDamnHeroes Big Dang Heroes]].]]
224	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Love's Labours Lost [[JustForFun/RecycledINSPACE in Space]]" parodies this over and over again. Zapp trying to use ''Star Trek'''s "Stardate", which is nonsense in the ''Futurama'' world, Leela giving up when she fails to find AnAesop in the episode, and then there's this exchange:
225	-->'''Zapp:''' Captain's journal, stardate 3000.6.
226	-->'''Kif:''' Who are you talking to, sir?
227	-->'''Zapp:''' You! Aren't you getting this?
228	-->'''Kif:''' (sighs)
229	** A cut scene from "Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" was also to have featured Zapp's voice over to the Captain's log... a literal fallen tree that he found in the jungle.
230	** ''Beast with a Billion Backs'' adds "Stardate... The Year of the Tiger."
231	** Fry does a "delivery boy's log" in ''Into The Wild Green Yonder'' where he mentions he became part of Leela and Farnsworth's environmental survey because he fell asleep on what he thought was the toilet.
232	* Practically every episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', involves Doug writing the episode's events into his journal.
233	* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk1996'': Many of the episodes open with Bruce talking into his tape recorder as part of an audio diary.
234	** ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSmash'': This cartoon features A-Bomb (Rick Jones) using social media as a way to create good publicity for Hulk and his team. Each episode usually begins with A-Bomb explaining the episode's plot [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall to his social media fans]] and ends with Hulk himself (Banner is now in control of Hulk's mind) explaining the Aesop of the episode to social media followers as well.
235	* A short on ''WesternAnimation/IAmWeasel'' that featured Weasel and Baboon as a captain and first mate on a ship has Weasel doing the traditional approach with paper, and Baboon using [[LiteralMinded an actual]] [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} log]]. Eventually, Weasel runs out of paper and has to use Baboon's log.
236	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' started every animated segment with Mario's "Plumber's Log", setting up the exposition.
237	* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' had an episode in which in the first few minutes, Dexter does a voice-over starting with "Dexter's Log, stardate 1234.5". This was one of the show's many homages to ''Star Trek'', but still...
238	* Skipper from ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' keeps his log on a handheld tape recorder.
239	* One of the space episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' has Captain Ren reporting to his log (not that one) with a helmet that sends thoughts bulging down a wire into a computer.
240	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight Sparkle's letters to Princess Celestia on the lesson of the episode are like this. Granted, unlike most examples, this happens at the [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle end]] of each episode, but the basic idea is the same.
241	** In season four the main cast actually get a collective diary to track the aesop of the day.
242	* In the direct-to-video episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'', Captain Zidgel does this at the end of the episode. In the T.V. version, he does so at the beginning of the episode.
243	* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Hereafter", Superman finds himself depowered under a red sun. His commlink is working, but he isn't getting audio. On the off chance that his teammates ''are'' getting audio on the other end, he describes his situation with occasional updates.
244	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Parodied in "Your Mother and Mine" and "Letters to Lars". Lars, stuck in space as the de facto captain of a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits ragtag bunch of rejected "off-color" Gems]], tries to give a captain's log. However, he's not certain of the date due to not having a way to tell time in space (saying things like "Captain's Log... I think it's Friday"), and the former episode shows he's not really recording it but just monologuing out loud, and Rhodonite wonders if they should be writing it down.
245	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': A few episodes like "What's Up With Saturn's Rings?", "The Mindysphere", and "One Small Step" show Sean recording monologues into a tape recorder, which he calls "Astronaut's Logs"
246	[[/folder]]
247
248	[[folder:Real Life]]
249	* This trope and human spaceflight are well-glued together. [[TropeMaker Vostok 3KA]] carried an onboard tape recorder, and the pilot was issued [[http://www.wise-travel.ru/images/reviews/64849.jpg a notebook]] (complete with SigilSpam, yes). The process of journal-keeping was not without incidents, however.
250	** [[UsefulNotes/YuriGagarin Yuri Gagarin]] was conducting a microgravity experiment ([[ExpospeakGag he let his notebook and pencil float in front of him]]) while helping himself to his [[FoodPills tubes of food]] when his pencil worked itself loose of the safety strap and got lost. The automatic tape recorder was being constantly triggered by the loud cabin fan, running out less than halfway through the flight; Gagarin chose to set it to manual, rewind the tape and overwrite much of the early flight - which instead was recorded by MissionControl.
251	** [[TheSquadette Valentina Tereshkova]] broke ''both'' of her pencils. [[EpicFail Somehow]].
252	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CaptainsLog