The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Before she was Tasha Yar, she was Lieutenant Commander Macha Hernandez.
For the Season 14 finale of The Trek Files, Denise Crosby joins Larry Nemecek to revisit her original 1987 audition sides for Star Trek: The Next Generation, including early character descriptions that reveal a very different version of the Enterprise's security chief.
Denise first read for Deanna Troi before Gene Roddenberry made a pivotal switch, reshaping the role of Macha Hernandez into Tasha Yar to fit Denise's strengths. In this week's episode, Denise reflects on the audition process, her favorite scene between Troi and Yar that was never filmed, and what those early creative decisions revealed about the direction of TNG.
She also shares memories of those uncertain early days of production, the risk of launching a syndicated sequel to an iconic series, and the emotional complexity of stepping into (and eventually stepping away from) such a historic role. Along the way, Denise speaks movingly about loss after the Palisades fire, resilience, fandom, and what it means to revisit Star Trek decades later.
It's a revealing look at how a character evolves, how casting can reshape canon, and how even discarded script pages tell the story of Star Trek's creative DNA.
Documents and additional references
Star Trek: The Next Generation Casting Character Bios & Audition Sides (January 30, 1987) 
Original description of Lieutenant Commander Macha Hernandez and early security chief character concepts.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Pilot Casting Sides (February 11, 1987)
Troi/Yar audition scene never filmed for TNG.

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha
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In this very special episode of The Trek Files, actor Robin Curtis joins us to revisit a little-known chapter in Saavik's story, one that never made it to screen. Drawing from a pair of early Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home script drafts, we explore a scene that implies Saavik is pregnant with Spock's child, a narrative thread begun in Star Trek III but quietly dropped by the time the final film was released.
Robin shares warm memories of working with Leonard Nimoy, the late Harve Bennett, and her fellow castmates, as well as a few eye-opening truths about the unpredictability of Hollywood. Plus, she discusses her return to the role of Saavik in OTOY's Unification, and we recreate the pivotal, never-filmed scene between Kirk and Saavik.
It's an emotional, candid, and deeply human conversation about legacy, missed opportunities, and what it means to carry a character with you for decades.
Documents and additional references:
First Draft (August 23, 1985): Conversation between Kirk and Saavik revealing her pregnancy by Spock.

Second Draft (November 18, 1985): Subtle reference via McCoy's line: "I'm a surgeon, not a pediatrician."

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha
All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha
Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.
The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Before Star Trek: Discovery's final season sent its crew in pursuit of ancient secrets, Carlos Cisco had already taken inspiration from one of the most profound episodes of The Next Generation, "The Chase." In this week's The Trek Files, Carlos returns to explore the thematic connections between the 1993 TNG episode and Discovery's modern narrative arc. With Larry Nemecek, he discusses how "The Chase" influenced the creation of the alien species Progenitors and how its ideas about shared ancestry and unity resonated with the story of L'ak and the Breen in Discovery Season 5.
Document and additional references: Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase," final draft script (revised Feb 4–10, 1993)
Written by Ronald D. Moore & Joe Menosky, directed by Jonathan Frakes.
The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha
All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha
Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.
The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

This week, we're joined once again by Cash Edwards, who shares an intimate look at his longtime friendship with Star Trek: The Next Generation producer Herbert J. Wright. Their relationship, and shared history with Gene and Majel Roddenberry, sparked a bold attempt to revive one of Gene's most personal concepts: The Questor Tapes. In 2004, Herb, Cash, Rod Roddenberry, and a team that included Mike Okuda and Jules Urbach put together a new pitch for Questor—a project updated for the post-9/11 world but still driven by the timeless Roddenberry themes of evolution, ethics, and survival. From detailed series bibles to pilot treatments and fan outreach, Cash walks us through the chaotic early years of TNG, the roots of Questor, and the bittersweet story behind its final pitch.
Document and additional references: Questor promo revision 10 - 2004
The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha
All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha
Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.
The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

This week on The Trek Files: warp coils, dilithium chambers, and a whole lot of gamma rays.
Returning guest Rick Sternbach joins Larry Nemecek once again for a lively exploration of Star Trek: The Next Generation's scientific backbone. Using early technical memos and a classic 1987 warp engine sketch, Rick walks us through how the team brought real-world physics into the heart of the Enterprise-D's design and when they just had to make it up.
From working with Los Alamos physicists to devising the ejection system for the warp core, Rick shares stories of how he and Mike Okuda grounded the show's tech in reality while still serving the drama. Ever wonder why deuterium goes on top, antimatter on the bottom, or how a photon torpedo really works? This one's for the technobabble lovers and science fans alike.
Documents and additional references:
"TNG Warp Engine Concept Sketch" by Rick Sternbach, February 18, 1987

Excerpt from the internal Star Trek: TNG Technical Primer, May 1, 1989

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha
All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha
Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.
The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!