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Fontana & Barrett Face the Fans, 1972 — FACT TREK

Roddenberry wrote 3 story outlines covering different story types and only then did the network pick the planet show with non-humanoid aliens.

Was that because such a story looked like the most difficult/expensive to produce and would have given the networks the best idea of how well Roddenberry and company would be able to make something on time and within budget? That was my understanding, but you and @Maurice have caused me to question anything I've ever read or heard about the production of this show, lol.
 
Really, the only things you can mostly trust are the production documents. And depending on what those are even then you have to apply a grain of salt. Memoirs and recollections are more apt to be incorrect just because people are people and memory is both selective and faulty.
 
The responses were almost as cringey as some of the questions. Fans, man.

Audience Member #29: What did Sarek see in Amanda?
Dorothy Fontana: Well, let me tell you this, this is what I saw in Amanda. And by Amanda, I mean Jane Wyatt. Ms. Wyatt is the only actor, who ever—
Audience Member: Actress.
Dorothy Fontana: Actor, actress, it’s the same thing.

Oh, 29, you dick....
I don't know. I don't think I'd classify that question as "cringey" without hearing the questioner's tone. It could just be a clumsy way of asking "How does a Vulcan fall in love?" or "How did this love story start?" And a lot of times sarcasm and irony just don't come across in print.

If it was "Man, Amanda sure stinks. What did Sarek even see in her?" then yeah, that's cringey.
 
I don't know. I don't think I'd classify that question as "cringey" without hearing the questioner's tone. It could just be a clumsy way of asking "How does a Vulcan fall in love?" or "How did this love story start?" And a lot of times sarcasm and irony just don't come across in print.

If it was "Man, Amanda sure stinks. What did Sarek even see in her?" then yeah, that's cringey.
There is a link to the audio at the bottom of the post. If you want to hear tone, there it is. :)
 
Wow, I feel ancient now. I went to Star Trek America in New York in 1996 when I was a kid and was so amazed by the size and scale of conventions.
 
Oh absolutely. But we all know Trek wasn't quite the shining progressive beacon it's often claimed to be. And even Fontana says some cringey stuff in the interview.

Dorothy Fontana: Alright. First of all, I am not a militant fem-lib.​

Clearly not. :)
How many times have I heard that from women.
"I'm not a feminist" - like that was something bad.
Women forget they should be grateful to feminists that got them votes, equal pay, the right to be pilots, astronauts, school principals...

I suppose the character of Amanda was pretty anti-feminist.

The parody element is in Shatner blowing up at the fans rather than maintaining a diplomatic facade, I guess. Though there are probably actors who have done that at conventions.

What's sad is how many people have vaguely heard something about Shatner insulting the fans at a convention and believe it's something that really happened, rather than a comedy sketch.
When I lined up at a Star Trek convention to get a picture with Shatner and Nimoy a lot of people feared what Shatner would say. One experienced person reassured us not to fear that Shatner would never say anything to you and he did not - not even a Hello. I got a hello from Nimoy though. LOL
 
When I lined up at a Star Trek convention to get a picture with Shatner and Nimoy a lot of people feared what Shatner would say. One experienced person reassured us not to fear that Shatner would never say anything to you and he did not - not even a Hello. I got a hello from Nimoy though. LOL

I've had several face-to-faces with Shatner over the years, book signings, convention signings, etc. He's always took time to be pleasant and speak to me a bit. However, I know that some have not had a similar pleasure.
 
The Fontana/Barrett recording is now part of a discussion on Memory Alpha about the origin of "Tiberius". Someone asked, "And how exactly was the date of the audio recording verified?" Would you like to comment on that?
It's all on our blog posts. But...

There were three panels recorded on the same date with Trek production people.

1972-01-21–23 Star Trek Lives! program Gatefold courtesy Kobylak KATZ WM.jpeg

They are listed in the Star Trek Lives! 1972 con program, which matches the recordings, most notably the very rare appearance of Oscar Katz talking about the two pilots.

Unknown Speaker: For those of you who did not hear the first announcement, there’s well over 2,000, I believe this is the largest science fiction convention ever held.​

^^^This is big enough for the first con, but not big enough for the subsequent ones.

Asimov intros all three recordings and in one mentions that Gene is the Guest of Honor, which matched the program.

The Roddenberry talk refers to both the other panels we transcribed.

Gene Roddenberry: Finally, before I get any further into the notes, I also want to express my thanks to another friend and a most unusual business executive, who had the kind of courage that made Star Trek possible. Although he’s left the building, many of you heard him speak, a courageous man and a man who really believed in Star Trek, Oscar Katz.

Gene Roddenberry: Dorothy would finally write the story of the Doctor’s daughter. [Unintelligible], even if I have to pay her. Dorothy is here and you’ll be seeing her on a panel, when?

Unknown voice: Four o’clock.​

The only potential inconsistency is with the Fontana-Barrett recording, in which there is reference to the time being 25 after 5, though the panel was scheduled for 4, and that Barrett is there, but such adjustments to schedules happen all the time. But then there's this...

Isaac Asimov: Here now to answer all your questions about everything you always wanted to know about Star Trek...

Majel Barrett: I can’t even anticipate this.​

Which sure sounds like this is her first time in front of fans doing a Q&A.

Bill Kobylak told us this:
I am not the original person that recorded them. I received a copy of the tapes in the late 70’s from a friend that was associated with the con. I’m not sure if she recorded them or she was also given copies. That being said, I’m merely the ‘caretaker’ of these tapes.​
 
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