Interview with Don McLeod

TV Interview!

 

Actor Don McLeod - photo by Andrew Gerard on IMdB

Interview with actor/writer Don McLeod of “Fox and Hunter” and “Christmas Cab Ride” by Suzanne 2/21/24

This was kind of a funny interview because I had researched the wrong actor! There’s another actor with the same name, and I stupidly chose the wrong one. Fortunately, we had a good laugh about it. I hope you enjoy the interview! Besides being an actor and writer, he’s also a singer/songwriter and goes by the name Donny Mac.

Another good interview with Don McLeod

MORE INFO:

Actor Don McLeod - photo by Andrew Gerard on IMdBBiography

When asked “where did you grow up” Don McLeod usually answers “I haven’t yet, but I’ve been getting older in Vancouver BC”. Don admits that he fell into the film and TV industry simply by wanting to try it out. In 2010, for the winter Olympics in Vancouver, he was asked to put on a songwriting contest and the city brought in actor Graham Wardle (from CBC’s long running TV series Heartland). They became good friends and Don credits Graham for opening his mind and the door to acting as a career. Graham also introduced Don to fellow actor Jesse Hutch who would eventually become Don’s business partner.

Don soon signed with an agent and would go on to book notable roles on series such as CBC’s hit “Heartland”, The CW’s “Tomorrow People”, “Arrow” and “Frequency”, Hallmark Channel’s “When Calls the Heart”, and Netflix’s “Travelers”. Most recently, Don has appeared in NBC’s “The Irrational” and History Channel’s “Project Blue Book”.

Before becoming an actor Don had a prolific career as a recording artist, writer and record producer. As a producer and award-winning song-writer he has worked with many amazing writers and artists including; Jim Vallance, Jim Riley, Vincent DeGiorgio, Brian Howes, Sean Hosien, Dane DeViller, Dallas Smith, Danny Craig, Dale Russell, Shaun Verreault, Trevor Guthrie, and Chin Injeti, to name a few. Don has crossed over his song-writing abilities to other mediums such as commercials and Film and TV soundtracks for such popular series’ such as “Highlander”, “Heartland” and “So You Think You Can Dance”. He has shared his ability with up-and-coming artists through record production, mentoring, teaching song- writing, performance coaching & artist development.

In late 2023 he finished recording his album titled: Donny Mac “A Journey Through The Story” which was produced by Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts) and mixed by GRAMMY-winning engineer Sean Neff.

Since meeting in 2012, Don joined forces with Jesse Hutch to create Stone Rabbits Productions. Together they have written 24 film and TV scripts/concepts. Two notable projects include a feature film titled “Christmas Cab Ride” which has been green lit for production and an episodic called “Fox and Hunter”, an undercover buddy cop action comedy starring Don McLeod as John Hunter and Jesse Hutch as Blake Fox. Both are slated to film in 2024.

Project

SERIES: FOX AND HUNTER

ABOUT THE SERIES: FOX AND HUNTER follows

the daily life of high energy BLAKE FOX (Jesse Hutch), and his veteran partner JOHN HUNTER (Don McLeod), along with a full undercover unit as they are repeatedly detoured from their work by discussions, explosions, foot races, car chases, personal issues and evidence.

CHARACTER: John Hunter

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: John is a hard-edged, focussed, calculating, and efficient lone wolf. He has a mysterious and physical presence and keeps to himself. No one seems to know where he came from. He has a moral code, keeps his private life private and is definitely NOT interested in making friends. To say he’s pissed off and feels disrespected when the BOSS forces him to take a partner is a massive understatement.

When I was younger I was on multiple track and field teams, was captain of the wrestling team and wanted to be a professional athlete. I had no interest in acting or being a musician.

As much as I enjoy food and consider myself a foodie. I’m an extremely picky eater. That said, garlic mashed potatoes can be devoured almost any day. And unprocessed, home style REAL chocolate peanut butter ice cream… YES PLEASE!

April 20th 1992 I was pronounced dead after a serious car accident, then a little over an hour later discovered alive.

I have a weekly video series called “Prayer Walks”. Where I go to different locations to walk in nature, ask questions about faith, discus various challenges life has and of course pray. There are currently 72 episodes that occur in trails from Vancouver BC to Key West Florida and in-between.

To prepare for a role, I once locked myself in a warehouse and fasted for two days.

For other films and general self improvement. I trained weapons, tactics, survival and combat with military special forces operators for over 5 years.

I’ve trained in Krav Maga, Jeet Kun Do, Jujitsu, Kempo, Kali, sword fighting and knife fighting.

I went over 10 years without cooking a meal at home.

I almost never get sick. I get a sniffle for a week once every couple years.

SOCIAL

IG @donnymaccountry

IMDB Don McLeod

YouTube @DonnyMacMusic

www.donnymac.com

Actor Don McLeod - photo by Andrew Gerard on IMdB

Photos credit: Andrew Gerard

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Interview with Larry Thompson

TV Interview!

 

Taylor Ann Thompson who also stars in Ladies Of The '80s: A Divas Christmas with Larry Thompson, Executive Producer Courtesy of Larry Thompson Entertainment

Interview with Larry A. Thompson, producer of “Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas” on Lifetime by Suzanne 10/23/23

In a normal year, I would have been able to interview one of the great actresses in this movie, or possibly all of them. However, this interview was during the SAG-Aftra strike, so I was only allowed to speak to the movie’s executive producer. However, it was a great chat because he’s been around a long time. He worked with the Beatles when he was just starting out as a lawyer for EMI! He’s not only a producer, but a manager. In fact, he manages William Shatner, whom I love and would very much like to interview one day. It was awesome to hear his stories in this interview. I hope you enjoy it, too!

The movie is very fun – especially if you enjoy romantic Christmas movies, or if you watched primetime soaps like “Knots Landing,” “Dallas,” “Desperate Housewives,” etc. because the “ladies” of the title are LInda Grey (Sue Ellen on “Dallas”), Loni Anderson (Jennifer of “WKRP in Cincinnati, among other roles – the only “lady” not known for soaps), Morgan Fairchild (of Falcon Crest, Paper Dolls and many daytime soaps), Nicolette Sheridan (Paige of “Knots Landing” and Edie of “Desperate Housewives”), and Donna Mills (Abby in “Knots Landing”). It was great to see them all in this charming film. Thompson’s daughter, Taylor Ann, is the ingenue of the movie.  Christopher Atkins has a small role as Grey’s son (This is hilarious to me because in “Dallas,” their characters had an affair!).  I enjoyed it. It’s fun and very Christmasy. The male lead, Travis Burns, is very handsome and has a killer Aussie accent. Happy Holidays! Don’t miss the movie tomorrow, December 2nd, 2023!

 

MORE INFO: Official Site Trailer

"Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas" key artIn Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas, five glamorous ‘80s soap opera stars reunite to share the spotlight to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running soap opera. The producer, Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson), old college friends, do their best to keep things on the rails but as the ladies come together, old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the whole production apart. With the show nearly canceled before it even begins due to the ladies’ famous diva behavior, they reluctantly agree to set aside their differences and past secrets to “act” as if they all still love each other.  When old sparks reignite between Alex and Nell, the ladies become eager to play cupid and conspire to bring the couple together. Along the way, the divas also discover that the love between them all is still very strong too.

The movie’s theme song Ladies of the ’80s was written by Song Writer Hall of Fame’s Steve Dorff and Michael Jay, produced by Steve Droff, and performed by ’80s pop sensation Tiffany (I Think We’re Alone Now).

Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas is executive produced for Lifetime by Larry A. Thompson (Liz & Dick, Amish Grace). Christie Will Wolf (Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, The Art of Passion) directs from a script by James Berg & Stan Zimmerman (The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls) with Robert G. Endara II and Ed Polgardy producing.

About Larry Thompason

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Larry Thompson, Executive Producer, has his hands full while producing Lifetime's Ladies Of The '80s: A Divas Christmas starring (L-R, Linda Gray, Loni Anderson, Larry Thompson, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, and Nicollette Sheridan). - Courtesy of Larry Thompson Entertainment

 

Interview with Joseph Kay

TV Interview!

 

Joseph Kay, creator/showrunner of "Transplant" on CBC and NBC (photo from Twitter)

Interview with creator/producer Joseph Kay of “Transplant” on NBC by Suzanne 10/10/23

It was great to speak with the creator/writer/executive producer of such a good show as “Transplant,” which returns for season 3 October 12th! It’s a Canadian show, and they’re watching season 4 right now (which, unfortunately, is the last season). You don’t want to miss this one! If you haven’t watched the first two seasons, go watch them now on Peacock! You’ll be glad you caught up on some a unique show with interesting characters.

 

MORE INFO:  Official NBC Site Trailer

Transplant

New Season Premiering Thursday, October 12 on NBC (9 p.m. ET)

 

The new season of “Transplant” finds Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq, “My Salinger Year”) continuing his journey to start over, but with each new milestone comes a new challenge. While pursuing Canadian citizenship for himself and his younger sister, Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus, “Orphan Black), Bash closely examines who he’s becoming in his adopted country.

Bash, still being asked repeatedly to prove himself, works closely with his colleagues as they move forward following the dramatic conclusion of season two. Everyone continues to find themselves looking to adapt to change and understand how they fit in, both within and beyond the walls of York Memorial Hospital.

After Dr. Bishop’s shocking departure, the team gains a new boss with the forward-thinking Dr. Neeta Devi (Rekha Sharma, “Yellowjackets”). Dr. Devi has big ideas when it comes to overhauling the emergency department at York Memorial.

“Transplant” also stars Laurence Leboeuf as Dr. Magalie “Mags” LeBlanc, Ayisha Issa as Dr. June Curtis, Jim Watson as Dr. Theo Hunter, Torri Higginson as head nurse Claire Malone, Gord Rand as Dr. Mark Novak and Sirena Gulamgaus as Amira.

Creator Joseph Kay serves as showrunner and executive producer. Rachel Langer, JosĂŠe VallĂŠe, Jocelyn DeschĂŞnes, Bruno DubĂŠ, and Stefan Pleszczynski also executive produce.

“Transplant” is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

 

Please visit the official show site at: https://www.nbc.com/transplant.

For the latest “Transplant” news, videos, and photos, please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/NBCTransplant/
https://twitter.com/NBCTransplant #Transplant
https://www.instagram.com/nbctransplant/

Joseph Kay

Executive Producer, “Transplant”

Joseph Kay is creator, showrunner and executive producer on the NBC drama “Transplant.” He has served as showrunner, writer and executive producer for each of its seasons, winning four Canadian Screen Awards in his roles as writer and producer.

Prior to “Transplant,” he adapted and served as executive producer on the CBC drama “This Life.” Previous credits include the World War II drama “Bomb Girls” for Global TV and the CBC hit action/comedy “Republic of Doyle.”

Kay also co-created the single-camera comedy “Living in your Car” for HBO Canada.

Before becoming a screenwriter, he worked as a transactional lawyer at one of Canada’s foremost securities law firms.

Our previous “Transplant” interviews!

Hamza Haq (Bash) 7/12/22

Laurence Leboeuf (Mags) 3/29/22

 John Hannah and Hamza Haq (Bishop and Bash) 3/1/22

Laurence Leboeuf (Mags) 10/30/20

Hamza Haq (Bash) 10/9/20

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Joseph Kay, creator/showrunner of "Transplant" on CBC and NBC (photo from Facebook video).

 

Biography – Jodi W.

Jodi Williams

Jodi Williams

Jodi Williams loves TV Shows and movies. Besides the classics of American cinematography, she also loves watching all the newest streaming additions to Netflix. She loves design and hopes to have an online magazine of her own one day dedicated to interior design.

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Biography – Jonathon M.

Jonathon Massey Moss

Jonathan M.

Jonathon is an international man of mystery.  His vast experience at traveling and story-telling makes him an ideal candidate for writing for our site. He enjoys surfing, horseback-riding and kayaking as well as quiet evening walks and sipping mai-tais. He watches many exciting TV shows and writes about them sometimes for our site.

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Biography – Barbara B.

Barbara B.

Sharon Case (not Barbara) fan art

I am a retired Librarian and a native New Yorker.  Daytime soaps have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I’ve watched all of the ABC soaps at one time or another as well as many others.  I started watching The Young and the Restless several years ago, and I really enjoy it.

Among the things I like to do are walking, emailing with friends around the country, baking and art projects.

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For Volunteers and Contributors

For the Site’s Volunteers to Read!




Black-ish cast

Welcome, new volunteer/contributor for the TV MegaSite!  This probably seems like a lot to read, but it gives you a lot of information and shows how I feel about the site and you.  So please read it, and share any thoughts and concerns you have! Thanks!

HISTORY — Misc. Facts

The TV MegaSite used to be part of my personal site at http://suzann.com The site got too big and used too much bandwidth (got too popular), so my ISP at the time asked me to cut it down.  Instead, I took the TV part and made it a separate site.  I joined with Amanda D., who had a great Y&R site, and we built up the site to include all of the daytime TV shows and much more.  Eventually we looked for volunteers and added daily summaries and transcripts for the soaps and many links for all the shows.

We also have a few other sites that are not directly under the that domain (you can find them on our old Site Map).

We had to move the site many times in order to find a good home for it.  Because of how large the site is, and how many hits we get now, it is hard to find a cheap or free place to host it.  We finally have found a good host that we can afford and that has worked out very well for us.

Back when the dot.com’s were making lots of money, I thought perhaps that we could get some advertising for our site and make some money, at least enough to pay the volunteers.  Unfortunately, by the time we got enough hits on the site to make it worth it for advertisers, the dot.com’s were going downhill and Web advertising dollars were virtually gone.  Add to that the fact that none of us really knows anything about advertising and marketing, particularly on the internet, and things just didn’t go well in that regard.  We made a few bucks off affiliate programs, but for most years what I got barely paid for the Christmas presents and cards that I buy for the volunteers every year.  So we know this has to be a labor of love! 🙂  What we get now in advertising pays for most hosting costs and other expenses. Anything left goes toward volunteers’ holiday gifts.

Because of the nature of volunteerism, we have a rather high turnover of volunteers.  Fortunately, there always seem to be more that come in and take up the slack for the ones who leave.  We get new volunteers all of the time. Occasionally I post for new help on other people’s forums and boards, but I don’t have too much time to do that.

Our volunteers are listed on the credits page as well as on other places in our site.  We have volunteers of all ages, races, backgrounds, genders, sexual orientation, and nationalities.

Although this site is a “fan site”, it is a business as well. It is a corporation, mostly for tax and legal reasons. There is no budget and no one draws a salary.

THIS AND THAT

Besides whatever work you have volunteered to do, we would really like you to go to our volunteers forum at least once a month to read the posts in the “Announcements/Reminders” topic. It’s at http://forums.delphiforums.com/tvmeg/ It is by invitation only, so if you have not received an invitation from me in a week from now, please email to remind me.  This is for our volunteers only and not anyone else. I used to send announcements  (about important things to do with the site) out in email, but this is easier and doesn’t rely on my having to make sure everyone’s email is working.  Delphiforums.com is free; they just require you to register (if they ask personal info you don’t like, put in fake info).  This is not optional!  If you post on the forum and introduce yourself, and chat with others about the site, that’s great!!  But that part’s not required.  It really doesn’t take any more time to do this every month than reading an email from me.

Besides our credits pages, we have bio pages for the volunteers, with their pictures.  We need you to send us your bio and a picture to put up as soon as possible.  Your bio is just a paragraph or two about yourself; you can talk about your personal life, your hobbies, your favorite TV shows, etc.  It’s up to you.  You can click on the link to read other people’s bios, to get an idea of what to write.  We can work with you to help you get a picture, if you don’t already have one.

If you want a business card for the site with your name and other info, let me know..  We get them from dcp-print.com.  Here is an example of what the current card looks like.  At the current time, we do not pay for cards for  volunteers. Note that any volunteer who will be attending an event where they can take photos of celebrities will get cards or letters if they need them to obtain press access. The cards cost about $50. They cost more if you want it glossy, rounded corners etc.

We mostly use WordPress now for our site, so it’s helpful if you can learn that.  Our older site uses Microsoft Frontpage or Expression web.  These are much harder programs to use. You’re not required to learn WordPress; it depends on what you’re doing for our site.

If you find you want to change jobs or add more responsibilities, let me know!  I am not always good at remembering what everyone can do.  And you can always send me a message on Facebook, or even phone me if you prefer.

We always can use more content, so if you get an idea for an article, a list, a puzzle or game, or anything, please let me know!  We can always use more people to help with soaps updates, scoops, rumors, and predictions, too.

I urge you to look around the site and really get to know both tvmegasite.net and TVMEG.COM. The sites are really huge and have tons of content.

I am always open to new ideas and designs!  I may not always be able to implement them or do them right away, but I appreciate anyone’s opinion, expertise, and viewpoint.

If you are going to be using Frontpage for the site, please configure your version so that it is compatible with both Internet Explorer and Netscape, versions 4.0 and above. (If you don’t know how to do that, ask me and I will send you details)  This site should be completely visible in both of those browsers.

All of our volunteers fill out the questionnaire on this page.  It is just so that I can keep track of everyone and only I see the answers.  Feel free to leave out anything you feel is too personal.  I need to know your name and email address, at least.  If you want to get a present during the winter holidays, we generally need your mailing address.

If you are going to be a soap update (summary) writer, please read this; it’s what I usually tell our new writers:  We like detailed summaries, not just short recaps.  Don’t ever worry that you are writing too much because that’s usually not a problem.  People come here to find out what happened on their soaps, not just the bare essentials.  You can find good examples and other info on this page. You will be putting them up through a form on the Web. As soon  as you let me know you are going to do this, then we will give you the details about that…  They need to be in as soon as possible after the show airs. The sooner the better because the earlier they get in, the more people who will come to our page to read them. The very latest we will accept is midnight central time. We are not strict if you have an emergency or can’t do them, but we do ask that you let us know if you can’t do them or if it will be later than that.

ABOUT WORKING

First let me say I am VERY GRATEFUL that you chose to work for our site and to donate your time and effort.  This site would be nothing without the volunteers and the visitors.

I consider this site not only “my site” but “our site”.  Sure, I pay to host it, I built much of it, and it is “my baby” 🙂 But I could not run it without the help of all the people.  It is just too big now.  I place the site and how I think it should be run over anyone or just about anything else.  What’s most important to me is “what’s good for the site”, and that means more than my own ego or gratification, or yours.

Brenda is our Editor-in-Chief; she is the person that you can ask questions or send things to if you’re having problems posting.  Please make sure that her  and my email addresses are in your address book, so you can receive her messages.  Make sure to always reply to her or my emails so we know you are reading them and not ignoring us! You can email me for her address.

The internet is a difficult place for communication. I cannot see you or meet you in any real way.  I don’t know what you look like, who you are, what your life experiences are, or in many cases, why you choose to work for my/our site.  You don’t know any of that about me, either.  That is both a good and bad thing.  When we communicate, it must be through email or IM, neither of which is great for real communication.  Sometimes people misunderstand things or say things the wrong way, and that can lead to problems.

Please know that I always say what I mean, but that doesn’t mean that you always will know what I mean. 🙂  Try to take what I say at face value and not get offended.  I will do the same to you.  I usually assume that people say what they mean and that they are nice, pleasant people, and I’m not disappointed too often.  I prefer that if you have a problem/question/concern that you ask me directly and we can work it out.  If I have said something to offend you or put you off in some way, chances are I didn’t know it and I wasn’t trying to do that.  You need to tell me, if you think it is that important, and especially if it means you want to stop being a volunteer or you are somehow disgruntled.  I’m not like your real boss; I won’t fire you (well, hardly ever) because I really really need you and I can’t afford to pay you or anyone else like you!  I won’t ever yell at you, curse you, call you names, or get upset with you for quitting or making mistakes.

Please think of me as the director of the site, rather than the boss, but I do have to give instructions on how things should be done.  When I make suggestions or tell you that I think something needs to be changed, it is because I have a certain standard for the site and what I want it to be like, and I want your work to fit into that.  If you don’t like what I’m saying, you are very free to let me know that and then we can take it from there.  I just ask you that you try not to get upset or angry, or take it personally, and that you be upfront with me.

I know that a volunteer worker is not the same as a paid worker. You don’t have the same expectations, and neither do I.  I can’t ask you to donate more time than you are able/willing to give.  However, I do expect you to take it seriously.  That is, if you commit to doing something, in a certain way, in a certain time, I expect you to follow through on that commitment.  I know that life can interfere with these things, and that’s fine for the occasional mishap when your computer needs repair, you have a family emergency, you have to take on a second job, etc.  Please let me know that, though; I’m not psychic.  In other words, I need to be able to depend on you and you need to be reliable, as much as possible.  Mostly I need you to communicate with me, especially if you can’t do the job you promised to do.

For instance, if you are a soap opera summary writer, I expect you to upload the summaries in a timely fashion (as early as you can, and no later than midnight) and to let me know if you can’t do it, or if it has to be late.  If you are constantly unreliable, or late, I may be looking for someone to replace you. More importantly, you are hurting the site and not living up to your word.

If you agree to keep something updated on my site, and you don’t do that, I need to know why.  And if you change your mind about volunteering and decide to quit, please let me know.    Otherwise, I have to sit around, wondering whether I will hear back from you and whether you will email me, and keep emailing you until I give up.  Believe me, a lot of people do this to me, and though I’m used to it now, I still think it’s rude…I would never do that to you!

If you are writing something for the site, I expect you to run spellcheck on your contribution first, and then proofread it for typos, punctuation errors, grammar, and any spelling problems that spellcheck may have missed. Again, I understand that no one is perfect, and if you have a problem with spelling (or whatever) or you can’t use spellcheck, please let me know and we can work something out.  We don’t have proofreaders any more, so it’s best if you do your own proofreading.

Any content given to or written for this site is the property of the site.  That is, if you write an article, poem, fanfic, etc. for The TV MegaSite, or any part of The TV MegaSite, it stays part of The TV MegaSite, whether you still continue to work for The TV MegaSite or not. This is also true of TVMEG.COM

Most of the volunteers on this site have been great and do wonderful work, thank goodness!  Occasionally we get some prima donnas who don’t like to be given instruction or who think that they know the best way to run a website.  That type of attitude is not useful or constructive.

So, please, feel free to share with me any concerns, problems, etc. but please don’t get overly upset or quit without telling me.  NO website is more important than our real lives or our human interaction. We just ask for simple courtesy from you.

I try to thank everyone who contributes work to the site and I try to always let you know how valued you are.  But just like you, sometimes real life interferes with what I do, too, and so I may not always tell you how much I value your work.  I’m very busy, as I know you probably are, too.  There are many helpful people who have contributed to the site and I value every person who has worked on it.

And if you ever need to get a job recommendation from me, just ask, and feel free to put us on your resume.  This is a job, whether you get paid for it or not. I hope it’s fun, too!

Please go back right now and fill out the questionnaire mentioned above, and also write the bio and send it to us, along with your pic!

Page Updated 10/18/23

Welcome to our team!

SUZANNE




Friends cast

20 Questions with David Gerrold

Interview with Author David Gerrold of “Star Trek” and many other shows 6/20/20

David Gerrold


David Gerrold is a renowned author, screenwriter, producer and more.  He first grew to fame writing “The Trouble with Tribbles” for the original “Star Trek” series. He also wrote other episodes and wrote some books about the show, including “The World of Star Trek.” He has published many scifi short stories and novels, as well as co-created “Land of the Lost,” and wrote for “Babylon 5” and quite a few other series. He’s been my Facebook friend for many years.  He is very Starcon 77 Programthoughtful, eloquent and passionate when writing about anything, including politics and news.  I’m very grateful that he allowed me to send him some questions!Suzanne as Princess Leia, holding tribbles

In 1977, after “Star Wars” came out and was a huge hit, especially among scifi and fantasy fans, my friends and I were in love with that groundbreaking movie and its characters. I dressed up as Princess Leia many times. My friend Cindy and I, and my high school boyfriend Tony, went to Starcon 77 in San Diego. I walked into David Gerrold’s panel late, and he proceeded to make fun of my “huge buns.”  As a shy teenager, I was both a little embarrassed as well as thrilled that someone so famous, and connected with “Star Trek,” my favorite TV show in the world, would notice me.  I had no idea, of course, that years later we’d be Facebook friends and that I’d get to interview him.

Here’s the interview!

1.  Thank you for the interview!  I knew you had written for Star Trek, but I had no idea you were so young when you did!  Before that, had you already been writing scifi?  Were you one of these people who just started writing early on, or not?  Or did Star Trek just inspire you in a way nothing else had, to write?

I grew up with science fiction. The Van Nuys Public Library introduced me to Robert A. Heinlein, A.E. Van Vogt, Isaac Asimov, Murray Leinster, Groff Conklin’s wonderful anthologies, and too many others to list here. I was reading a book a day, so by the time I wasa 19, I had pretty much scoured almost everything that was available, including back issues of the major magazines and everything I could find in used book stores. And I had been fumbling my way through my own stories for a while as well. But it wasn’t until college that I began to learn how to structure a story and how to phrase a coherent paragraph. Star Trek was a lucky opportunity. I knew science fiction and I knew scriptwriting.

2.  You have written for many TV series over the years, but you haven’t written quite as much this century. Is there a reason for that?

That is a long involved story — but the major part of it is that I adopted a little boy in 1992 and put much of my television writing aside so I could work at home and be there to be a full-time dad. I still did a few scripts here and there. Babylon 5 and Sliders were most notable.

3.  I was surprised at all of the mention of tribbles in “Star Trek: Discovery.” Do you watch that show? If so, do you like it?

I haven’t seen Discovery. I didn’t know they included tribbles. Nobody at Star Trek ever picks up the phone and says, “Hi, David. What are you up to these days?”

4.  Have you seen the “Short Trek” episode about tribbles (second episode -“The  Trouble with Edward”)? And if so, what did you think of it? Do you approve of the tribble backstory they created?

No, I have not seen it. The only tribble backstory is that they evolved on a planet with such voracious predators that they had to evolve to reproduce rapidly for the species to survive.

5.  By the time “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” came around, Gene Roddenberry had passed away. How did it come about that you did a tribbles episode (“Trials and Tribble-ations”) for that series? Did you have the idea and submit it, or did they contact you about writing it?

I didn’t do that tribble episode. The entire staff of DS9 collaborated on it and they wrote a brilliant script. The cast and crew did an amazing job. I was invited to be an extra in the episode.

6.  Have you watched “Star Trek: Picard?” And if so, what do you think of it?

I haven’t seen it. I’ve been too busy with other things. I hardly watch much television these days. There are a lot of great shows I’ve missed.

7.  A lot of fans of the original Star Trek were not too thrilled with the Star Trek reboot movies they made. Did you see them? I thought the first one was “just okay,” the second one was awful, and the third one was pretty good (most like the original).  What did you think?

I haven’t seen any of the recent Star Trek movies. So I can’t really comment...

Of the older movies, I thought Star Trek: The Motion Picture was ambitious. I thought The Wrath of Khan was great fun. But after they destroyed the Enterprise in Star Trek III, it wasn’t the same Star Trek for me anymore. Star Trek IV was a very good film, but I missed the original TV series because it wasn’t about villains, it was about exploration and discovery.

8.  You’ve written so many different stories and novels, as well as TV. I read an interview with you from the 1980’s where you said that you had to come to terms with the fact that you were probably always going to be known as “the tribble guy.”  How many years did it take you to become comfortable with that idea?

I never thought about it until someone asked the question. I do know that the tribbles opened a lot of doors for me. I’m grateful for that. Not every author gets to have that big an impact.

9. I know it’s hard to choose, but which story, book or series do you like the most? Which are you most proud of?

It’s not hard to choose at all. “The Martian Child” is about how I met my son, how I adopted him, and how I fell in love with him and became his dad. That’s the most personal story I’ve ever written and I doubt I will ever write anything that surpasses that.

10.  For a scifi fan that is not too familiar with your written work, which story, book or series would be the best to start with?

I would recommend starting with the Dingilliad trilogy — JUMPING OFF THE PLANET, BOUNCING OFF THE MOON, and LEAPING TO THE STARS. From there, the newest book, which takes place in the same universe, HELLA.

11.  What was the first book you ever read (if you remember)?

The first science fiction book was Rocket Ship Galileo by Robert A. Heinlein. Before that, Dr. Dolittle, Mary Poppins, Freddy The Pig.

12.  Which author had the most influence on your writing?

Probably Heinlein, but also Harlan Ellison and Theodore Sturgeon.

13. You write a lot of Facebook posts, many of them about politics/news. Have you ever had any political essays published elsewhere?

I’ve been quoted and published in a lot of places. I did columnns in Starlog and Future Life that touched on political issues.

14. Since you do write a lot online…do you think that this writing ever detracts from your wanting to write books or stories?  If you get an idea, for instance, how do you know whether it’s something you want to talk about on Facebook or put into a novel (or do you sometimes do both)? I know that you started writing long before the internet, so I’m curious if you think there is any difference in how your writing is affected by being on the net or not?

Social media is a necessary connection to other people. Other people are source material — how they speak, act, think, and feel.

It’s also valuable research, I have a lot of skilled people on my friend list who will share a lot of interesting insights.

15.  On that same note… Many people find the net or social media distracting from work. Do you?

No.

16. Do you read all of the comments on your Facebook posts (or any)?

I skim most threads. I read the longer comments because those are usually substantial.

17. What writing are you doing right now (what are you working on)?

I’m working on A NEST FOR NIGHTMARES and HELLA II.

18. What TV shows do you watch for fun now?

Mostly, I’m watching movies.

19. On Facebook you’ve often mentioned you like redheads and chocolate. I completely understand the chocolate part. Why redheads (if there is a reason)?

It’s a tribute to someone who once made a huge difference in my life.

20.  Which is your favorite chocolate?

Chocolate.

David Gerrold’s Website

Other Star Trek Interviews and Reviews

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David Gerrold and Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura)

 

Volunteer Jobs!

We always need lots of help!

NOTE: All written content submitted to our site should be ORIGINAL (nothing that is already on another page). You can use other sites for research or information, though (credited).

We have about 25 part-time volunteers, and we are ALWAYS looking for more! This is an excellent resume-builder if you are unemployed, a student, stay-at-home mom, disabled, etc.

Please note that we have NO income for this site, so we can’t afford to pay anyone. We have ads that pay for the site’s hosting and other expenses. We do usually give out Amazon gift certificates at the holidays…

No experience or particular skills are necessary for many of these jobs! We just need people with some extra time who are willing to help!!! Below is the help we need, but we are open to other content suggestions!

Why volunteer? Follow the link to learn about the benefits of volunteering in general.

Even though there is no pay for these jobs, we expect you to act professionally and take your responsibilities seriously like the rest of us do.

New Volunteers, please read our Volunteers Page!

For reference purposes, you can see a list of all of the shows we cover in depth.

We have these positions below available; click on the link to see the details of each job. Please ask if you have any questions, and any suggestions about jobs not listed here are welcome!

Just want to do something one time for our site, or try something easy? Check out our list of Quick, easy or one-time jobs!

Here are the jobs we are MOST in need of right now!

See more detailed descriptions and info below

  • Short Recap Writers for Bold and Beautiful , General Hospital and/or Young and the Restless
  • Update writer for Bold and Beautiful, Young and The Restless and/or General Hospital (updates are detailed recaps)
  • Best Lines chooser for Bold and Beautiful and/or General Hospital
  • Soap Opera Digest summarizer (Saturdays or Sundays)
  • Days and GH Transcript Proofreaders (very involved-requires you watching the show a few times)
  • News Manager (posting press releases and other news to our site regularly at TVMEG.NEWS
  • Primetime schedule builder (daily/weekly – helping to build our weekly primetime schedule by editing and posting)
  • Bold and Beautiful, Days of Our Lives or Young and The Restless transcript proofreader (a lot easier)
  • Fill-in Writer for all Daytime Soap Short Recaps and Updates
  • Editor to transfer content to WordPress (fairly easy and at your own time)
  • Days of Our Lives article writer

(Here is a list of suggested content you can contribute as well…)

  1. Daily Soap Summary Writers
  2. Soap Opera Digest summarizer
  3. Transcribers
  4. Content Managers
  5. FrontPage Editors
  6. Newsletter Editor
  7. Link Checkers/Finders
  8. Expert Proofreaders
  9. Transcript Proofreaders
  10. Writers – both daytime and primetime needed!
    1. Character Descriptions
    2. Trivia Quizzes
    3. Top Ten Lists
    4. Fan Fiction
    5. Articles/Essays
    6. Puzzles
    7. Poetry/Haiku
    8. Predictions/Rumors
    9. Best Lines or Quotes
    10. Episode Guides
    11. Primetime Reviews
    12. Interviews
    13. TV Blog
  11. Appearances finder
  12. Graphics–Slideshow Maker
  13. Promoter
  14. Search Engine Promoter
  15. Forum Managers
  16. Daytime Manager
  17. Primetime Manager
  18. News Manager
  19. Volunteer Manager
  20. Screen Capture Maker
  21. Primetime Schedule Builder

Daily summary writers for the daytime soaps.  We often need someone new for these as people come and go quite often.  Right now we need these volunteers below.

You must be a pretty good writer (good with grammar, punctuation, and with writing clearly) and able to put detail into your updates.

We just lost our GH and B&B update and recaps writer, so we need someone to take on the job for either. Even if you can do just one day per week, it would be a big help!

We need  backup writers for most of our other daytime summaries (people to fill in when our volunteers can’t do it).   These still have to be written well, with details, but they don’t have to be on time.

We may also sometimes need some writers for short recaps. These are just 1-2 short paragraphs that describe the main points of what happened (no details needed).

    This requires someone who watches the show to write summaries for the days they choose.  They will be put up at a page like this.  Some good examples of the kind of summaries we need, and instructions on how to write them, are at this page.  We like them fairly detailed.  

NOTE: This list changes often because our volunteers come and go often.  WE ARE VERY PARTICULAR about the type of writing we need so please make sure to follow the instructions!  However, we are willing to work with ANYONE on improving writing skills or getting it just right to suit our needs.

Soap Opera Digest Summarizer
Weekly-we need someone who can summarize the news and spoilers parts of the magazine weekly. We would supply you with a link to our Zinio account so you can view the magazine to use it. It should be done no later than Sunday night. It’s usually available Fridays on their site.

This is not difficult to do at all as long as you’re not a bad writer. It might take a few hours if you’re a slow reader/writer. It gets faster, the longer you do it.

Transcribers
We need some interview transcribers for when we have one-on-one phone interviews with actors.Even if you can transcribe only one thing occasionally, it would be helpful!

We might also have some older daytime soaps that you can transcribe for us (mostly online, or we can send you some on DVD).

These have to be very exact. You can’t leave parts out. It would be difficult to do if you don’t have a lot of patience or don’t know proper punctuation. You have to be able to watch the show while you type, and pause the show when necessary.

NOTE: We need some people to help us specifically with our “General Hospital” weekday transcripts. We have a device that grabs the closed-captioning from the shows, but ABC has changed the way they the CC, and now we have to put in all of the characters’ names and separate each line of dialogue. It’s not quite proofreading and not quite transcribing. It requires that you watch the show while you fix it up, so you can see who’s saying what. You also have to edit out any commercial bits and put in line dividers between each scene as well as fix any other mistakes you see. Even if you can only do ONE day a week, it would be a big help!

We also have some transcripts for primetime shows like “Smallville” that are not finished; just like the GH transcripts above, you need to put in the names and listen to the dialogue from the show and fix it up on the transcript. These need to be exact. You have to have good knowledge of English grammar and punctuation as well as have a good ear and attention to detail. We may also have transcripts some for other shows like “Gotham” and “The Flash” that also need the same type of editing.

Managers of each section of our site
This requires that you have a good knowledge of TV or of a particular show we cover.  For instance, you have to be a fan of The Bold & The Beautiful to manage the B&B section.  You have to be a fan of Star Trek to manage the Star Trek section.  Or you have to have a good knowledge of most of the soaps to manage the daytime section. And so on…It would help if you know MS Frontpage (FP) or Expression Web (EW) or are willing to learn it.  Your duties would include finding more volunteers to make content, making content yourself, helping to publicize your section, making sure your section’s pages match up, putting up ads or other changes, etc.  We especially need people to run each of our soap sections and our sections for current shows like Arrow, The Flash, Big Bang Theory, Law & Order, Gotham, Grey’s Anatomy, South Park, and others.  Please see this list for all shows we cover.  We have managers already for Days of Our Lives. We also need someone to run our sites for soap actors Cady McClain, Hunt Block, Tamara Braun, Maurice Benard, Agim Kaba and more.

Editors to edit the site using the software Microsoft Frontpage or Expression Web.
We only will take someone who we can trust and who has a lot of experience in FrontPage or Expression Web.  We need people to help us update the old site and move sections over here to WordPress. We can help you learn FrontPage or Expression Web, so email us! Requirements: knowledge or interest in learning Frontpage or Expression Web, owning the software, and an aptitude in using software. Right now we mostly need people who don’t mind fixing problems or maintain sections of the site, which could involve writing or finding information.

 We really need some people for this, to help us putting new content on pages, putting the existing older pages in the newer design, and building new pages. This is top priority for our site!

WordPress Editor
WordPress knowledge required, for transferring content from our old site to our new site.

We’re moving content to our new site at https://tvmeg.com Content must be updated and tranferred one page at a time.

Newsletter Editor
We have newsletters for scoops/spoilers for each of the soap operas, so the editor gathers the info from select web sites and puts it together. This must be done either Sunday night or early Monday. We need someone to do our weekly GH, and/or CBS spoilers newsletters.  We also have a monthly newsletter for SciFi TV and one for jokes.  No special skills needed, but you have to be reliable and able to copy/paste text.

Volunteers to find new links for all/any daytime and primetime shows and check existing ones
We have tons of links pages for many shows.  Web pages come and go very quickly so we need to get rid of any dead links and surf the net looking for new sites. It’s not hard and again, we can teach you how to do this if you’re not sure how.  We need LOTS of people for this! Requirements: internet connection to the web and ability to follow directions.  Knowledge of shows helps! VERY EASY JOB!!!

Proofreaders to proofread parts of the site for us and soap opera summaries
You must be an excellent proofreader and have a great knowledge of grammar and spelling.  It helps if you know Frontpage or HTML but it’s not required.  We require that you take and pass a proofreading test that we supply. We also need proofreaders for our primetime episode guides and some fan fiction.

Proofreaders to proofread soap opera transcripts
For Bold & Beautiful, Days of Our Lives  and Young & The Restless–You should be able to run the spell-check, read through to catch mistakes, and insert horizontal lines between the scenes.  Very easy.

For General Hospital–We need someone who can watch the show while they read the transcript; put in the characters’ names and separate each line of dialogue as well as the above.

Writers to generally add more content to our TV show pages (either daytime or primetime) ; here is a list of our shows
We have made a good start but we need to add a lot of content to all of our television show pages.  Any suggestions are welcome.  Some more specific ideas are below.    Requirements: knowledge of a particular daytime or primetime TV show or of shows in general.  If you have one show you really like, you can be in charge of that whole section!  Especially if you know WordPress, Frontpage or HTML.

Writers of Character Descriptions;
These are a description of what the character’s personality is like.  Are they a good guy or a bad guy?  What are their habits, who are they related to, who are their friends, and some personal history.  Example here, but it doesn’t have to be that long.  We currently have someone writing them for Days and Passions, but all others are available.

Writers to make trivia quizzes about each show (either daytime or primetime) ;
These are like multiple choice questions; you send in 5-10 questions, with multiple answers, and also the answer key to tell which is the right answer.  It can be about the current storyline, past storylines, the characters, the actors, anything.  Example here

Writers to write top ten lists for all/any daytime and primetime shows
This would be writing funny top ten lists (a la David Letterman) about any given TV show.  Here are some examples for Bold and the Beautiful, As the World Turns, and Passions.  We are NOT picky about the writing or humor!!!  We will take them for ANY show that we already have a page for (either daytime or primetime) and will consider them for other shows that we don’t have yet.  Requirements: knowledge of a particular primetime or daytime TV show or of shows in general.

Writers to write fan fiction for all/any daytime and primetime shows
Here are some examples on our site of fan fiction for One Life to Live and Y&R.  We are not particular about writing style, length, subject matter (as long as it’s about a TV show…racy is okay, but no porn), which show, or how often you send in a segment.  The only requirement is that it be about a TV show and that it be finished at some point.  It should also be original and be written well, in story format (not all dialogue).  Requirements: knowledge of a particular primetime or daytime TV show or of shows in general, writing skills.

Writers to write opinion articles or reviews (prefer funny but not necessary) for daytime and primetime shows, as well as new DVDs.
We need essays/observations/columns/articles about TV and/or TV shows.  They can be funny, obnoxious, or anything you like.  We are not particular.  Here is an example of some General Hospital and Days of Our Lives essays on our site.  Requirements: knowledge of a particular primetime or daytime TV show or of shows in general; writing skills.

Writers to make puzzles for all/any daytime and primetime shows or general TV/soap ones
We will take any kind of puzzles, word games, etc. that use TV or TV shows as the theme.  It’s VERY easy to make puzzles; we will show you how if you are interested.  You can download a free computer program to do most of the work or there are some sites where they can make them for you.  All you have to do is come up with the clues and answers, which should be easy if you are knowledgeable about any TV show.   Requirements: knowledge of a particular primetime or daytime TV show or of shows in general.  Access to a PC.

Writers to write poetry or haiku about shows
We have some for OLTL, AMC, PC, and Passions, but it would be good to get more for ANY show. It’s easy and fun!  Example here

Writers to help contribute to our Predictions and Rumors section for each show
This requires someone who watches the show and would like to tell us what they think will happen on the show or pass on any rumors they might hear about in mailing lists/groups/forums.  Example here

Someone to find celebrity appearances
Requirements: Just time to find appearances on the net, copy them and send them in regularly. In-person appearances at book-signings, conventions, etc. as well as in movies, other TV shows or on talk shows.  We know where they are and can tell you where to look. It’s not hard.

Fans to choose “Best Lines” or “Best Quotes”
Requirement: watch the show every day or week and pick out the best lines of dialogue and send them to us.  For the soaps, we have daily transcripts so you can use those as references. Example here We currently need them for General Hospital and many primetime shows.

Episode Guide Writers for primetime shows We currently need them especially for “South Park”,  and our newer sections for “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Flash”, and more.  If you want to write them for other shows, we might accept those as well.  Please see our list of primetime shows to see what we cover.
Requirement: Watch every episode of the show live or on tape/DVD and write summaries of what happened on the shows.  They can be either detailed or short, as long as they are descriptive enough so that you can tell one episode from another.    If you are proven to be reliable, we could rent or buy you the DVDs when needed.

Primetime Show and DVD review writer We need someone who watches new TV shows or new TV DVD’s to write short reviews for our site. We can send you new DVD’s to review for us and you can keep them when you’re done!

TV Blog Writer We have a TV Blog that we never have time to write in. It needs someone to write in it weekly/regularly about what’s going on in TV, your opinions or other things about TV. Basically, you can write anything you want, as long as it’s about TV (and not just all about the same show over and over).  Plus we might ask you to also put in photos and references to some of our pages on our site, for promotional purposes.

Graphics Person to make slideshows using RealSlideshow or other programs.
We would like slideshows for all of our shows. We have some right now for General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Smallville. These are animations or videos with music.

Promoter to advertise our site on the web, in newsgroups, etc.
Right now we need someone to post on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Facebook regularly. This would require that you know how to post on those sites as well as simple graphics creation.

We also need someone to post on message boards and newsgroups for more help.  Requirements: This does not require any special knowledge or skill; we will tell you where and what to post.

Later we will need someone to post on all those places to let people know about our great site.  We currently do this ourselves.

Forum Managers

We need a co-manager for our Primetime Forum Manager to help run our forum at TVMEG.NEWS.  You would need to post news and press releases as well as promote the forum around the net and get conversations going.  You would also need to read what anyone else posts to make sure there is no spam or fights.

We also need a manager for our ABC Soaps Forum at http://forums.delphiforums.com/ghbella Same basic description as above except it’s only about General Hospital, All My Children and One Life to Live, not the rest of TV. (Mostly it’s about GH since the others have been canceled)

We also need a manager for our CBS Soaps Forum http://forums.delphiforums.com/Oakdale2000 Same basic description as above except it’s only about The Bold & The Beautiful and The Young & The Restless (knowledge of past CBS soaps is helpful, too, but not required).

Daytime Manager
This person would be in charge of our entire daytime section, posting info when it is sent to him/her from other volunteers, finding news and spoilers to keep current pages updated, etc. Requirements: Knowledge of WordPress/Microsoft Frontpage or Expression Web, and at least a few free hours per week. Ability to follow instructions and fairly good writing skills.

Primetime Manager
This person would be in charge of our entire primetime section, posting info when it is sent to him/her from other volunteers, finding news and spoilers to keep current pages updated, etc.  Requirements: Knowledge of WordPress/Microsoft FrontPage or Expression Web, and at least a few free hours per week.  Ability to follow instructions and fairly good writing skills.

News Manager
We need someone to post some news items sent to us by various networks and their publicists, such as USA Network, Discovery, History, MTV, HBO, TVLand, FOX etc. The items are posted on our news page and some of our other news and spoilers pages. WordPress and/or FrontPage/Expression Web knowledge required.

Volunteer Manager
We need a new person to do some administrative chores to help us keep more organized about our volunteers.  We have 25-50 volunteers at any given time, and people come and go often, so we need someone to help keep track of people in our spread sheet.  We also need this person to keep track of the work people do, remind them to do the work and to go to our Volunteer Forum, add to and remove them from the forum, send them Birthday e-cards, etc.  Requirements:  Ownership of and Knowledge of Excel is helpful.  You must be a detailed, organized person with fairly good social skills online, since you will be contacting our volunteers via email quite often.

Volunteer to make pictures for our site (screen captures)
We need some more pictures for our site all of the time.   We do not want someone else’s pictures (unless they are your own that you took at a fan encounter or from the set of a show) or pictures scanned in from magazines because they are copyrighted.  You can make the caps from the shows online very easily (we can tell you how) or by using a Snappy or ATI device.

Interviewer
We need someone with TV contacts to do interviews with TV actors. You must have some experience or be able to figure out how to get interviews with them via their publicists or agents.

You must be able to either take shorthand or record the phone interview so you can then write it up as an interview or transcript. This requires some skills for writing and interviewing. You should have a good phone voice and be clear and professional on the phone. You should be able to come up with 10-15 minutes of questions if necessary, even if it’s someone you don’t know or for a show you have never seen (i.e. do research online). We can help you out with suggestions, but you must do the bulk of the work.  We need reliable people who will do this regularly.

Daytime Soap screencap maker
We need someone to make 4-6 screencaps for the soaps Monday through Friday, so we can put them in our Updates. This is very easy. You must live in the US so you can see the soaps online.  Helpful if you know how to work with graphics, but it’s not required.  We just recently lost our regular volunteer who did this for us for years.

Primetime News and Schedule maker
We need someone to help build our weekly schedule of shows. The ideal candidate would work on it daily, but we’ll take however many hours per week you can handle. It requires that you gather press releases (or get them from our news page), edit them into small blurbs, add some information such as network and date, organize them in a certain way and find promos for each if you have time.

Contact us if you are interested!   Only dependable people who are serious about helping us and can donate at least a few hours a week should contact us. Thanks!


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