Cushman "These Are The Voyages" Season 3 - Who is "M.D.R."?

In book 3 of These Are The Voyages, Marc Cushman describes a writer he refers to only as M.D.R. who wants to be a third season story consultant, submits a script that's way off base, gets very demanding and unpleasant, finally Roddenberry writes him a note telling him to get lost.
Given that this is Cushman, I understand it's not that reliable, but if there's any truth to it I wonder if anyone has an idea who M.D.R. might be.

 

A Manic Depressive Relative?

 

I wish more fans felt this way. May I use this as my signature?

 

Okay, so I've read all three volumes, and I have to say, as I went along, my opinion of the man declined considerably as it went. The first volume, pretty good read, interesting stuff, I come here and I see the forum is tearing it apart. I shrug. Order book 2.

Read that one. Eh, things aren't as good, but I'm in denial. Come back here and fight. It must be right, after all! (Right?)

Book three. Oy. I just finished it last week. And yeah, I have to agree on the reliability of the man. There was just so much off about this volume. I don't buy it at all anymore.

It's an interesting idea for a project, I'll say that much. There may be a nugget or two of truth there with a great bibliography behind it, but much of it, just seemed poorly executed. So, yes, I'm with ya'all on this one now.

 

Google wasn't any help. Maybe someone that Cushman made up?

We need a signal for Harvey, like the Bat-signal.

 

Noted "historian" Cushman...

 

I'd be interested to know what specifically about the third year book is more off than the others, in your view. I found it lacking mostly because the "just as many pages of info, if not more" was literally filled with blatant speculation, opinions from Frieberger's "almost" biographer and viewer reviews of episodes years after the fact (did we really need to know what Vic Mignona thought of various episodes?).

I still found a lot of it very interesting and a worthwhile read for the evolution of the scripts and learning more about Freiberger and Singer, but disappointed at how little we can trust overall.

 

Why doesn't Cushman write a book about his real profession; at least he would be coming from a position of knowledge.

Not that anyone in their right mind would want to read the horrid details.

 

I for one don't want to find out if he employs a Roddenberry-esque "casting couch" approach.

 

No idea, off the top of my head. Does the OP or someone else have a quote? I haven't read book three, so I can't comment about it specifically.

 

Cushman "cleverly" reverses the writer's initials. It was in fact, four-year-old Ronald D. Moore who submitted the script.

Sir Rhosis (hopefully no smiley is necessary)

 

I shall be honored, sir.

 

Anti-Cushman signatures are the best!

Neil

 

Just saw an ad on MeTV for the books tonight, during "The Mark of Gideon."

 

Well, I have to give it to Cushman and Osborn -- there's probably no better place to advertise these books than Star Trek reruns on MeTV. The rates are probably affordable, and I'm sure they are reaching an audience that isn't active enough online to have heard of them.

Too bad the scholarship isn't as savvy as the marketing.

 

Marketing is easier.

 

Something more painful than a catheter ad, no doubt.

Neil

 

At least some catheters are self-lubricating, unlike Cashman's writings.

 

I saw the ad last night during "That Which Survives", around 9:30. It features a similar voice-over to the one currently on the TATV website under many behind-the-scenes photos. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the photos used in this TV ad originated from startrekhistory.com.

Neil

 

I'm sure they did the due diligence of clearing the ad with all the people shown in it, right?

Isn't that what their "legal console" is for?