Arnold On Barrett-Roddenberry

TrekToday · February 11 2009, 09:05 PM

J.J. Abram's Star Trek XI had Majel Barrett-Roddenberry's blessing according to Richard Arnold.

As reported by Sci Fi Pulse, speaking at the Fifteenth Annual SF Ball in England, Arnold spoke to the fans about Star Trek and the late Barrett-Roddenberry. According to Arnold, he spoke with Barrett-Roddenberry on the set of Star Trek XI and the topic of discussion had been Abrams and his style of directing and producing.

Both Arnold and Barrett-Roddenberry felt that the set of Star Trek XI was very much reminiscent of the collaborative spirit of a Gene Roddenberry set. There was plenty of good will on the set and it was infectious. Arnold related how Barrett-Roddenberry congratulated Abrams on that good feeling atmosphere and how Abrams modestly answered that he couldn't take sole responsibility for the good feeling.

Arnold first met Gene Roddenberry while attending the 1972 New York Star Trek convention. He assisted Roddenberry with various Star Trek duties, becoming a research consultant on Star Trek: The Next Generation and holding the title of Star Trek Archivist until Roddenberry's death in 1991.

To read more, head to the article located here. Additional information was obtained from Memory Alpha.

darkwing_duck1 · February 12 2009, 12:41 AM

Why should any of us care what Richard "the mouthbreater" Arnold has to say about Trek...the little parasite leeched onto Roddenberry and RUINED the tie ins for YEARS.

donners22 · February 12 2009, 03:52 AM

I'd rather homogenous books under his reign of terror than some of the nonsense we get written under the current administration.

USS Intrepid · February 12 2009, 07:16 PM

darkwing_duck1 wrote:

Why should any of us care what Richard "the mouthbreater" Arnold has to say about Trek...the little parasite leeched onto Roddenberry and RUINED the tie ins for YEARS.

So are you actually attacking the guy due to personal experience, or just basing your comments on the words of others?

darkwing_duck1 · February 12 2009, 07:30 PM

USS Intrepid wrote:

darkwing_duck1 wrote:

Why should any of us care what Richard "the mouthbreater" Arnold has to say about Trek...the little parasite leeched onto Roddenberry and RUINED the tie ins for YEARS.

So are you actually attacking the guy due to personal experience, or just basing your comments on the words of others?

Both. I was an avid reader/collector of the tie in materials (tech manuals, comics, novels, rpgs, etc) back in those days. What Arnold didn't shut down entirely had so many restrictions put on them that the quality went to crap overnight. I was so off-put by the pablum that was produced under Arnold's Reign of Terror, that I am only NOW starting to tenatively put a toe back in the tie in pool (what's left of it, anyways).

And from what I've read and heard, I was far from alone in that reaction.

Dennis · February 12 2009, 08:53 PM

darkwing_duck1 wrote:

And from what I've read and heard, I was far from alone in that reaction.

In other words, hearsay's good enough as long as you're in the majority. Got it.

ClayinCA · February 12 2009, 09:21 PM

It's not hearsay. It's documented fact, as reported by many of the writers and editors involved with Star Trek media tie-ins at the time.

USS Intrepid · February 12 2009, 09:57 PM

What's documented fact, is that Richard did his job and enforced certain limitations on those writers, much to their displeasure. The value of that role, and the motivations behind his actions are a matter of debate, but certainly not "documented fact".

While I completely understand why the writers in question would resent his interference, and I would probably have shared that resentment in their place, that does not mean he in any way deserves the vitriol that some people heap on him.

Richard's never struck me as the heel that some folks make him out to be, and it always irks me to see people mouthing off about a man they've never met, and really don't know anything about.

Mr. Laser Beam · February 13 2009, 01:32 AM

USS Intrepid wrote:

What's documented fact, is that Richard did his job and enforced certain limitations on those writers

Limitations which should never have existed in the first place.

We have dozens, indeed hundreds, of fine novels being written today, and I doubt any of them would have been allowed under the Arnold junta. Do you seriously believe he'd let the authors get away with writing epics like Destiny? The MU trade paperbacks? Myriad Universes? Or even the Terok Nor trilogy? Not the hack who forbade any novel to make reference to any other, or for any character other than the regulars to be in any way important to the plot (although he did let slip the character of Piper, who was basically a Mary Sue writ large).

Lashmore · February 13 2009, 01:53 AM

If he was respected and liked by Roddenberry himself...I think that says it all.

None of you, in my opinion are on the level of kindess and humility Gene has, such which does not blind a man but opens his eyes to the quality of the person he decided to be friends with.

I think I'll side with the more convincing Roddenberry on this one, and ignore immature bitching.

USS Intrepid · February 13 2009, 06:17 PM

Babaganoosh wrote:

USS Intrepid wrote:

What's documented fact, is that Richard did his job and enforced certain limitations on those writers

Limitations which should never have existed in the first place.

We have dozens, indeed hundreds, of fine novels being written today, and I doubt any of them would have been allowed under the Arnold junta. Do you seriously believe he'd let the authors get away with writing epics like Destiny? The MU trade paperbacks? Myriad Universes? Or even the Terok Nor trilogy? Not the hack who forbade any novel to make reference to any other, or for any character other than the regulars to be in any way important to the plot (although he did let slip the character of Piper, who was basically a Mary Sue writ large).

All of which is beside the point.

Making personal attacks against the man because he did his job, and did what he thought was right makes as much sense as all the attacks on B&B. It's one thing to disagree with his decisons, or the way he carried out the job he was supposed to be doing, but you don't really know him, and have no basis for making judgements about what sort of person he is.

garamet · February 13 2009, 07:11 PM

So Richard's still lurking behind the arras, eh?

darkwing_duck1 · February 13 2009, 08:03 PM

USS Intrepid wrote:

What's documented fact, is that Richard did his job and enforced certain limitations on those writers, much to their displeasure. The value of that role, and the motivations behind his actions are a matter of debate, but certainly not "documented fact".

"Just following orders" went out the window at Nuremburg...

darkwing_duck1 · February 13 2009, 08:10 PM

Lashmore wrote:

If he was respected and liked by Roddenberry himself...I think that says it all.

None of you, in my opinion are on the level of kindess and humility Gene has, such which does not blind a man but opens his eyes to the quality of the person he decided to be friends with.

I think I'll side with the more convincing Roddenberry on this one, and ignore immature bitching.

OMG!!!!

After everything that's been documented about "Emperor Gene's New Clothes" you can type that with a straight face??!?!?

USS Intrepid · February 13 2009, 08:20 PM

darkwing_duck1 wrote:

USS Intrepid wrote:

What's documented fact, is that Richard did his job and enforced certain limitations on those writers, much to their displeasure. The value of that role, and the motivations behind his actions are a matter of debate, but certainly not "documented fact".

"Just following orders" went out the window at Nuremburg...

Yeah, because disagreements over artistic direction are comparable to mass-murder.

Whatever. Enjoy your character-assasination.