“Gene Roddenberry Up Close and Personal,” Rare, In-depth Interview with Star Trek Creator Available for First Time on DVD

For Immediate Release

Digitally Re-mastered Interview from 1981 Released in Celebration of Star Trek’s 40th Anniversary

Tucson, Arizona -- October 23, 2006—In honor of the 40th anniversary of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry Up Close and Personal, an extensive, in-depth and rarely seen-before interview with the series’ creator is being made available to the public for the first time at www.roddenberryinterview.com. Ellen Adelstein in association with Roddenberry Productions has just released the digitally re-mastered DVD, which features an hour-plus interview with Roddenberry filmed in his Beverly Hills home in 1981. Gene Roddenberry Up Close and Personal is one of the few long-form television interviews the Star Trek creator gave before his untimely passing on October 24, 1991.

Originally aired in Tucson, Ariz. in the summer of 1981 in conjunction with the first 24-hour Star Trek episode marathon, this interview has not been viewed by the public since. During the interview, Roddenberry discusses how he got his start in Hollywood, the early days of Star Trek, the challenges he faced in getting Star Trek produced (having a racially diverse show with many female lead characters was quite a feat at that time), his favorite episodes, and his philosophical beliefs on religion, writing and much more.

The interview was conducted by Ellen and the late Gene Adelstein, co-owners and on-air hosts of a local independent TV station in Tucson. Gene Roddenberry Up Close and Personal also features a special introduction by Eugene Roddenberry Jr. (Rod), Roddenberry’s son, and a post script interview with Roddenberry Jr. and Ellen Adelstein filmed in July 2006. Adelstein and Roddenberry Jr. discuss highlights of the interview and the Star Trek creator’s impact on society. To quote Roddenberry Jr., “This interview truly conveys the spirit of Gene Roddenberry. It’s a treasure and ‘must have’ for any Star Trek fan.”

With a total running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, Gene Roddenberry Up Close and Personal is available for $29.95 at www.roddenberryinterview.com and www.roddenberry.com.
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Contact Information

Ellen Adelstein

Principal/Producer/Interviewer

Beshert Productions

Contact via E-mail