John DF Black’s STAR TREK: THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Unproduced fantasy, science fiction and horror films, TV shows and episodes…

While Jon Povill and Gene Roddenberry worked on Povill’s Star Trek movie script in 1975, Roddenberry and Paramount solicited scripts and pitches from some famous science fiction writers, including Harlan Ellison and John DF Black.

BACKGROUND

Black had been an associated producer on early Season 1 of the original series of Star Trek and wrote the episode “The Naked Time” (which Gene Roddenberry rewrote significantly) and wrote a draft of the framing story of “The Menagerie” called “From the First Day to the Last” (which Roddenberry rewrote completely).  Black left the show because he didn’t get along with Roddenberry, hating that he rewrote scripts by writers he respected (like Ellison).   Paramount did, however, ask Black (who wrote 1971’s Shaft) to pitch an idea for a Star Trek movie.

 PREMISE

The crew of the Enterprise come across a black hole that threatens to consume the entire universe.

CANCELLATION

The idea, like many of the others, was rejected because it wasn’t big enough (they didn’t want it to just be a bigger episode.)   Like some of the other writers, Black was paid $10,000 for his unused story.

LEGACY

John DF Black’s unused original series script “Revelations” a sequel to his episode “The Naked Now” and wrote the original draft of “Justice” but used a pseudonym because of extensive rewrites.

~ DUG.

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