Jeri Taylor, a prolific writer and producer for the Star Trek franchise who co-created Star Trek: Voyager, has died.
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The official Star Trek website announced Taylor passed away on Thursday, Oct. 24. She was 86.
Taylor became part of the Star Trek: Next Generation team in its fourth season in 1990. By the sixth season, she had risen to the position of co-executive producer, collaborating with Rick Berman and Michael Pillar.
She later took on the role of executive producer and showrunner for the seventh and final season of the series, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Series.
Sad to hear that writer/producer Jeri Taylor has died. She wrote some of the best of the ‘80s/‘90s Star Trek, including one of my favorite TNG episodes, “The Drumhead.” RIP, ma’am. pic.twitter.com/H3qhSu0qZK
— Cully Hamner (@CullyHamner) October 26, 2024
Taylor collaborated with Berman and Piller to create Voyager, serving as the showrunner for the first four seasons from 1995 to 1998. Subsequently, she took on the role of creative consultant for the show’s final three seasons.
Jeri Taylor’s Prolific Career, From Star Trek and Beyond
Born on June 30, 1938, in Evansville, Indiana, Taylor graduated from Indiana University before pursuing her master’s degree at California State University, Northridge, per Variety.
Taylor started her writing career in 1979, contributing to shows like California Fever, Salvage 1, and The Secret Empire. She produced series such as Quincy, M.E., Magnum, P.I., In the Heat of the Night, and Jake and the Fatman, and directed several episodes of Quincy, M.E. She also co-wrote the CBS primetime movie A Place to Call Home starring Linda Lavin.
I'm very sad to hear about Jeri Taylor's death. She was an incredibly kind and modest person. She resisted interviews because she thought she was a terrible interviewee and wasn't interesting. Nothing could be further from the truth. She had a huge impact on Star Trek… pic.twitter.com/hmWJ0N6F0l
— Ben Robinson (@BenCSRobinson) October 26, 2024
Taylor went on to write over 30 episodes within the Star Trek franchise, with particular pride in her work on the Next Generation episode titled “The Drumhead,” as noted by the Star Trek website.
She also earned “story by” credits for three episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and authored three Star Trek novels published by Pocket Books.
Star Trek: Voyager was Jeri Taylor’s final TV project, airing for seven seasons until 2001. From 1995 to 1998, she donated a collection of her screenwriting materials, including outlines, scripts, and schedules, to the Indiana University Lilly Library.
Robert Picado, who played the fan-favorite hologram character The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager, paid tribute to Taylor on social media.
“What a wonderful person to work with! Jeri Taylor was the beating heart of @StarTrek #Voyager’s groundbreaking #CaptainJaneway character. I will miss her. My condolences to her family.”
What a wonderful person to work with ! Jeri Taylor was the beating heart of @StarTrek #Voyager ‘s groundbreaking #CaptainJaneway character. I will miss her. My condolences to her family. https://t.co/Lm7T0JzXir
— Robert Picardo (@RobertPicardo) October 25, 2024