Jeri Taylor
Encyclopedia
Jeri Taylor is a television scriptwriter
and producer
who is known for her contributions to the Star Trek
series. She is an alumna of Indiana University
, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
.
and The Incredible Hulk, and served as a producer and director on Quincy, M.E.
and Jake and the Fatman
, Jeri was recommended to the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation
by Lee Sheldon
, with whom she had worked on Quincy.
Jeri joined The Next Generation staff at the beginning of the fourth season as a supervising producer, co-writing the second episode to go into production Suddenly Human
(which actually aired fourth). After two years, Jeri became co-executive producer with Rick Berman
and Michael Piller
and served as an executive producer for the final seventh season of The Next Generation. During this time she received credit on a number of episodes including Wil Wheaton
's final episode as a regular character (Final Mission), the episode that introduced the Cardassian
race, which featured heavily in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
(The Wounded), and the first part of the two-parter that featured Spock (Unification).
During the last year of The Next Generation, Jeri worked with Rick Berman and Michael Piller to develop the fourth Star Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager
. When The Next Generation production ended, Jeri transferred over to the Voyager production staff and served as executive producer with Rick Berman during the first four years. At the beginning of the second season, when Piller moved to a reduced creative consultant role, Jeri became head of the writing staff and stayed in that role until the end of the fourth season, when she retired and handed over control of the writing staff to Brannon Braga
.
During her time on The Next Generation and Voyager, Jeri wrote three Star Trek novels for Pocket Books
: a novelization of Unification that she wrote at the same time she was scripting the first part, and two Voyager novels that expanded on the background of the characters she had helped create for the series. In Pathways, for example, she uses a fix-up
presentation to describe several characters' childhood and early adult experiences leading to joining the Voyager crew.
from 1963 to 1973. Their son Alexander Enberg
has played a Vulcan in both The Next Generation and Voyager. Jeri married Producer, Director, writer David Moessinger in 1986.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
who is known for her contributions to the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
series. She is an alumna of Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
.
Star Trek screenwriting
Having previously written scripts for television series like Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
and The Incredible Hulk, and served as a producer and director on Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
and Jake and the Fatman
Jake and the Fatman
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series...
, Jeri was recommended to the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
by Lee Sheldon
Lee Sheldon (writer)
Lee Sheldon is a game designer, book author, and television producer and scriptwriter. He is the author of the mystery novel Impossible Bliss, the non-fiction books The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game and Character Development and Storytelling for Games. He was lead writer on...
, with whom she had worked on Quincy.
Jeri joined The Next Generation staff at the beginning of the fourth season as a supervising producer, co-writing the second episode to go into production Suddenly Human
Suddenly Human (TNG episode)
"Suddenly Human" is an episode from the fourth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Plot:The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Talarian vessel...
(which actually aired fourth). After two years, Jeri became co-executive producer with Rick Berman
Rick Berman
Richard Keith “Rick” Berman is an American television producer. He is most famous for his work as the executive producer of several of the Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager; and, several of the Star Trek theatrical productions, and...
and Michael Piller
Michael Piller
Michael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was most famous for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:Piller was born in Port Chester, New York...
and served as an executive producer for the final seventh season of The Next Generation. During this time she received credit on a number of episodes including Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
's final episode as a regular character (Final Mission), the episode that introduced the Cardassian
Cardassian
The Cardassians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. First introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", the species originating on the fictional Alpha Quadrant planet Cardassia Prime...
race, which featured heavily in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
(The Wounded), and the first part of the two-parter that featured Spock (Unification).
During the last year of The Next Generation, Jeri worked with Rick Berman and Michael Piller to develop the fourth Star Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. When The Next Generation production ended, Jeri transferred over to the Voyager production staff and served as executive producer with Rick Berman during the first four years. At the beginning of the second season, when Piller moved to a reduced creative consultant role, Jeri became head of the writing staff and stayed in that role until the end of the fourth season, when she retired and handed over control of the writing staff to Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
.
During her time on The Next Generation and Voyager, Jeri wrote three Star Trek novels for Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
: a novelization of Unification that she wrote at the same time she was scripting the first part, and two Voyager novels that expanded on the background of the characters she had helped create for the series. In Pathways, for example, she uses a fix-up
Fix-up
A fix-up is a novel created from short stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material—such as a frame story—is written for the new novel. The term was coined by the science fiction...
presentation to describe several characters' childhood and early adult experiences leading to joining the Voyager crew.
Personal
Jeri was married to Sports broadcaster Dick EnbergDick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
from 1963 to 1973. Their son Alexander Enberg
Alexander Enberg
Alexander Enberg is an American actor and film producer who is the son of television screenwriter and producer Jeri Taylor and sportscaster Dick Enberg...
has played a Vulcan in both The Next Generation and Voyager. Jeri married Producer, Director, writer David Moessinger in 1986.