IIRC, one of the many responsibilities the producer of any television show has is the difficult task of keeping the cast members happy. In Hollywood, that could be a full time job.
Gene Coon Biography
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IIRC, one of the many responsibilities the producer of any television show has is the difficult task of keeping the cast members happy. In Hollywood, that could be a full time job.
I've read that GLC was NOT a fan of actors. He was a writer first and foremost. I suspect he left alot of dealing with the cast to Justman and Roddenberry (when things got hot). Also, it was under his tenure that Shatner/Nimoy became particularly difficult to deal with, making it tough on directors, etc.
Maybe that's one reason why he left TOS.
That's my understanding too. With Shatner, Nimoy, AND Roddenberry! Although that wasn't his only reason. I think Roddenberry wanted control back (according to some). His divorce and remarriage. Other factors too.
Gene L. Coon: The Unsung Hero of Star Trek now available on Amazon Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DX1CL...8&qid=1501522566&sr=1-1&keywords=Gene+L.+Coon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DX1CL...8&qid=1501522566&sr=1-1&keywords=Gene+L.+Coon
TOS always seemed to be on the verge of cacellation. Gene Coon probably temporarily saved the series with his writing and production.
Gene Coon, the man responsible for a lot of Star Trek classic stories! Sad how he died though...
JB
JB
Gene Coon, the man responsible for a lot of Star Trek classic stories! Sad how he died though...
JB
It would have been interesting to see if Gene Coon could have salvaged that travesty of movies, ST:TMP.
Without Coon, Trek would have only lasted half a season.
He came in after the first ten regular episodes.
Solow and Justman devote a whole chapter of their book to his numerous. contributions to TOS.
As do Shatner and Nimoy, both their credit and Solow/Justman's as well.
An audiobook is in its early stages. No telling if there will be a hardcover/paperback.
Gene Coon started work on Star Trek on August 8, 1966. The show was picked up for a full, first season order sometime in November of 1966 (I do not have the exact date handy). So, before any episodes he worked on aired, but after he had been with the show for three months.
The network may have been happy to have an old pro like Coon join the staff, but I agree with @Maurice on this one. Coon probably didn't have much influence on this first pick-up.
When writing this, I did get the feeling he joined the show at some point before it aired. If I'm not mistaken, Miri was Coon's first episode.
A few years back I was watching Disney's Zorro re-airing on cable, and there was a particular episode and scene that I thought was exceptionally good. I don't always read credits, but when I checked to see the writer on this one, it was Gene L. Coon! He had a way to bring characters alive.
I have read that at least one disagreement between the Genes was that Roddenberry wanted Star Trek to be more serious. Hence the overly dour 3rd Season... It also explains why Coon wrote Spock's Brain. He thought GR took the series way too seriously. Little did GR realize it would be Coon's humor infused into the series that eventually allowed Star Trek to be appreciated by mainstream audiences and enter pop culture.
I have read that at least one disagreement between the Genes was that Roddenberry wanted Star Trek to be more serious. Hence the overly dour 3rd Season... It also explains why Coon wrote Spock's Brain. He thought GR took the series way too seriously. Little did GR realize it would be Coon's humor infused into the series that eventually allowed Star Trek to be appreciated by mainstream audiences and enter pop culture.
Hey, wait a minute. Something looks different here....
Well, we can't replay history. TOS might have done just fine without the humor and the space family vibe GC infused into it. Might have done better. I am biased, by the way in favor of the early S1 vibe. My son, however, when little, always liked Gene L Coon episodes and when we watched credits, he'd say something like, "Yup, knew it would be a Gene Coon episode, it was so good." So he's a fan.
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