Jeri Taylor, writer and producer of ‘Star Trek’, dies at 86

Jeri Taylor, writer and producer of several Star Trek shows, died Thursday, October 24, at the age of 86. StarTrek.com broke the news of her death.

Taylor was known by fans for writing the “Star Trek: Next Generation” episode “The Drumhead.” She also served as co-executive producer on the show’s fourth, fifth and sixth seasons and as showrunner and executive producer for the show’s final season.

Taylor also joined “Star Trek: Voyager” as showrunner and served as head of the writers’ room for four seasons.

Taylor surprised fans when she showed up at the Mission Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas in 2021, having been retired for years. She told fans that “Voyager” co-creators Rick Berman and Michael Piller “didn’t need me” on the show.

“They knew what they were doing, they could have handled it themselves. And I guess part of the thinking was that it would just be a good thing to have a woman on the team, that you get a female captain, and I’m forever grateful that they thought that and so we started to get together at lunch, the only time any of us had a free hour, he ordered his lunch into Rick’s office and started passing it out,” she explained.

Taylor added that she always identified with Captain Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew. “I always thought Janeway is just me, I wrote her,” she said. “I can’t say I wrote her as I am, but as I would like to be. I felt full of her.”

Jeri Taylor was born on June 30, 1938 in Evansville, Indiana. In addition to her work in the “Star Trek” universe, she wrote scripts for “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Incredible Hulk” and also worked as a producer and director on “Quincy, ME” and “Jake and the Fatman.” .”