The Williams Club

Three "Treksperts" on the making of one of entertainment’s greatest franchises. They discuss the show’s portrayal of science and technology, its influence on real-world advancements—from Motorola's flip phones to the concept of warp drive—and its trailblazing shift from episodic to serial storytelling. They also explore the role of science advisories in making the show plausible, and how Star Trek modeled inclusivity and challenged societal stereotypes.

Guests:

Mark A. Altman — showrunner of the TV series “Pandora,” writer/producer of the film “Free Enterprise,” and co-author of the bestselling “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years.” Mark is also the co-host and producer of the podcast, “Inglorious Treksperts.”

André Bormanis — television producer, screenwriter, and author of “Star Trek: Science Logs.” André was the science consultant on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”; “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”; “Star Trek: Voyager”; and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” André serves as science consultant and writer-producer on The Orville (Fox). He holds a BS in Physics.

Tom Vitale (moderator, Williams ’86) — Tom headed programming and production at the SciFi Channel for 20 years. He is currently a television and film writer/producer specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror/supernatural. He runs Vital Signs Entertainment and is the co-creator with Mark Altman of “Pandora.”

Recorded over Zoom in March 2021.

Established in 1913, the Williams Club is an alumni club in mid-town Manhattan with membership open to alumni, family, undergrads, faculty & staff of 35 affiliate institutions, including all of the schools in the NESCAC conference. Visit williamsclub.org to learn more and become a member.

Event Producer: Dale Riehl (Williams '72)
Podcast Producer: Jon Earle (Williams ’09)
Special thanks: Joe Mastracchio (Williams ‘10), Jaskaran Singh (Williams '25)