I know Robert Lansing got an upfront credit at the beginning of Act One, which was unprecedented (iirc) on the program. Would he have commanded a higher-than-normal guest star salary?
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The Roddenberry Reputation
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Probably, but that wouldn't have blown the budget.
Geez, they wrote DOOMSDAY MACHINE with Robert Ryan in mind (during a period when he did major roles in feature films THE PROFESSIONALS, HOUR OF THE GUN with Steve Ihnat and Windom, and THE WILD BUNCH), he would have cost them a lot more than anybody they actually had guesting on the show.
Geez, they wrote DOOMSDAY MACHINE with Robert Ryan in mind (during a period when he did major roles in feature films THE PROFESSIONALS, HOUR OF THE GUN with Steve Ihnat and Windom, and THE WILD BUNCH), he would have cost them a lot more than anybody they actually had guesting on the show.
All possibilities; unfortunately, I only had time to write down the final cost of each episode (except for a few late season two outings, I was able to collect all this data at least) when I was looking at those materials, and no time to reproduce or analyze where the money went.
That will require another visit on another day.
That will require another visit on another day.
As well as mission control and the armature thingy.
Also, didn't Desilu (upon sale to Gulf+Western) change their billing practices wherein they went from getting somethings gratis to then having to pay for everything?
And that, I believe, was on top of overall budget reductions.
If anyone would have it would have been him. Robert Lansing was in lots of productions and considered very much a leading man in his own right. He stood out and elevated even the most mundane offereings.
Always enjoyed the intimation that Cochrane was the fictional version of Roddenberry in First Contact, specifically this exchange:
COCHRANE: Please ...don't tell me it's all thanks to me. I've heard enough about the great Zefram Cochrane. I don't know who writes your history books or where you get your information from, but you people got some pretty funny ideas about me. You all look at me as if I'm some kind of saint or visionary or something.
RIKER: I don't think you're a saint, Doc, but you did have a vision. ...And now we're sitting in it.
COCHRANE: Please ...don't tell me it's all thanks to me. I've heard enough about the great Zefram Cochrane. I don't know who writes your history books or where you get your information from, but you people got some pretty funny ideas about me. You all look at me as if I'm some kind of saint or visionary or something.
RIKER: I don't think you're a saint, Doc, but you did have a vision. ...And now we're sitting in it.
As for the budget on Assignment earth, I think we are overlooking the obvious.
It was a pilot for a new series, and as such most likely had additional production costs.
Also I don't think Norway Productions would not have been above some money shuffling.
I don't know this as fact, but I would not be surprised.
It was a pilot for a new series, and as such most likely had additional production costs.
Also I don't think Norway Productions would not have been above some money shuffling.
I don't know this as fact, but I would not be surprised.
Extra pilot start-up costs were my first thought, but when you think about it, the episode doesn't have much out of the ordinary budget-wise. You have two actors intended to be regulars (Lansing and Garr) and an unimpressive office set with some futuristic devices in it (partially cannibalized from an earlier episode).
That doesn't reasonably add up to $288,049.00 (the budget in question).
In comparison, "The City on the Edge of Forever" cost $250,396.71. The first plot cost $615781.56, and the second pilot cost $354,974.00.
That doesn't reasonably add up to $288,049.00 (the budget in question).
In comparison, "The City on the Edge of Forever" cost $250,396.71. The first plot cost $615781.56, and the second pilot cost $354,974.00.
Well, your info does add credence to Justman's claim of "City on the Edge of Forever" being a budget problem.
Again, I would profer the point some of the disparity between "Assignment Earth" and "City on the Edge of Forever" stemmed from a company wide change in billing practices due to the sale of Desilu to Gulf-Western whereby some goods & services that were provided free of charge in season one had to be paid for in seasons two and three. It was Robert Justman, I believe, who said something to the effect that they had gone from being members of the family to paying tenents. Budgets swelled because of it.
I don't believe it worked that way. The budgets and money were handled by Desilu then Paramount Television after the sale. It has been mentioned many times that Roddenberry had to submit vouchers for reimbursements. IOW, neither he nor Norway Productions were ever given direct charge of the checkbook.
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For AE, casting had to rent a cat that could change into a human female. That can't be cheap.
I also wondered back when Majel was on Babylon 5 her character made a statement where she said something to the effect as she was now on board the station that this was her husbands dream. The way she said it with such emotion and conviction made me wonder if B5 had captured Genes vision and not DS9.
Danger, Danger!
Back on a previous post in this thread, I don't think the polished stone is a smoking gun because we don't know it's chain of possession, the offender could have gotten it from GR, or a completely other source and gave it to GLW, if GLW said the executive said "I made it myself" then that would be more direct, but still not certainly GR. Just saying, because it sure sounds like it could be he, GR himself.
By coincidence, I was going to make a thread like this over in General Discussion entitled "Have we finally got over the demonisation of Roddenberry?"
I agree with most of what the OP said; for years Roddenberry was built up as the "Great Bird", a visionary etc. Yes, it was way off base.
However, in the last couple of decades we've had nothing but people slagging him off, saying some pretty shameful - and accusatory - things (rapist!? Really??). It's disturbing that so much of this has only been said when the guy can't defend himself.
Even in this thread there's so much theory and assumption being passed off as fact.
He was a flawed human being that often did questionable and objectionable things; he cheated on both wives, took credit for other people's work etc. But it riles me when people seem to ignore or intentionally disregard the contribution he made to Trek. It was MORE than "just the initial idea"; By all means let's burst the myth and acknowledge others' contributions, but I just feel the demonisation of Roddenberry has become something ludicrous within fandom.
I agree with most of what the OP said; for years Roddenberry was built up as the "Great Bird", a visionary etc. Yes, it was way off base.
However, in the last couple of decades we've had nothing but people slagging him off, saying some pretty shameful - and accusatory - things (rapist!? Really??). It's disturbing that so much of this has only been said when the guy can't defend himself.
Even in this thread there's so much theory and assumption being passed off as fact.
He was a flawed human being that often did questionable and objectionable things; he cheated on both wives, took credit for other people's work etc. But it riles me when people seem to ignore or intentionally disregard the contribution he made to Trek. It was MORE than "just the initial idea"; By all means let's burst the myth and acknowledge others' contributions, but I just feel the demonisation of Roddenberry has become something ludicrous within fandom.
Three cats, actually.For AE, casting had to rent a cat that could change into a human female. That can't be cheap.
And they all turned into the same chick? Dayum.Three cats, actually.For AE, casting had to rent a cat that could change into a human female. That can't be cheap.
And they all turned into the same chick? Dayum.Three cats, actually.For AE, casting had to rent a cat that could change into a human female. That can't be cheap.
To make a comic-book reference:
It was obviously Tripli-Cat Girl.
(Bad Legion of Superheroes pun, but I couldn't resist.)
I've kind of settled into this:
Roddenberry was a deeply flawed human being who got something incredible off the ground and, for that, he deserves at least a modicum of respect, while acknowledging that Trek would not be what it is and was without the enormous talent of the hundreds of people that toiled day and night on it.
Roddenberry was a deeply flawed human being who got something incredible off the ground and, for that, he deserves at least a modicum of respect, while acknowledging that Trek would not be what it is and was without the enormous talent of the hundreds of people that toiled day and night on it.
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