Robert Justman Robert " Bob " Harris Justman was one of the pioneers behind the " Star Trek " phenomenon , as an assistant director and later a producer on , and as Supervising Producer on . As far as the " Star Trek " community at large is concerned , Justman is considered the most influential staffer responsible for the creation of the " Star Trek " phenomenon , second only to creator Gene Roddenberry . " Star Trek " affiliation . In early - , Gene Roddenberry wanted Justman to become the associate producer on , the first pilot episode of Roddenberry ' s " Star Trek " . However , Justman rejected the offer , fearing he doesn ' t have enough post - production knowledge which such a show might demand . He recommended his friend , Byron Haskin for the work , not knowing that Roddenberry already contacted Haskin , who eventually got the job . ( " " , pp 29 - 31 ) " Star Trek : The Original Series " . Nevertheless , a few weeks later , Desilu Studio Executive Herbert F . Solow contacted Justman to hire him as the assistant director for the same project ( after he was recommended by various director friends of Solow , including James Goldstone ) . Justman by that time however , had already committed himself as assistant director to the production of the esperanto language horror movie , " Incubus " , incidentally starring William Shatner , of writer / director / producer ( creator of " The Outer Limits " ) and with whom he had a long professional association . Yet , Stevens agreed to loan him for the job , as the pre - production of " Incubus " went overdue . Justman was eager to accept the job . ( " " , 1997 , pp 30 - 33 ) When NBC rejected " The Cage " but allowed Roddenberry to make a second attempt at a pilot , Justman was brought back as both associate producer ( replacing Haskin , who often had tense arguments with Roddenberry ) and assistant director for . NBC accepted this pilot and picked up the series , and Justman was brought aboard as an associate producer on the show . also desperately wanted Justman to work on his series , " " , but Roddenberry had already signed him for " Star Trek " . ( " " , 1997 , p 69 ) Justman was creator Gene Roddenberry ' s right - hand man on " Star Trek " , managing the series in close collaboration with Gene L . Coon and particularly Executive Solow . " " If a problem arose that needed a solution , Herb could and would walk into Gene ' s office , or my office , and find a solution . He protected us , took care of us . He was the strong arm between us and the Desilu staff . I ' ve said this before , but Herb has never heard it : I worked with Gene , but I worked FOR Herb , " " Justman clarified on a later occasion . At first , Justman shared associate producer responsibilities with John D . F . Black , but Black left the series after the first season episode . While Roddenberry , Black , and D . C . Fontana focused on the scripts , Justman was the producer on the set . He handled much of the hiring and firing of the production staff , as well as various other functions including budget , set dressing , and props . Justman was " Star Trek " s co - producer for the first fifteen episodes of its third season , after which he resigned , nearing complete nervous exhaustion and believing the series had declined in production and script quality . In his book , he co - wrote later on his experiences on the " Original Series " , Justman has cited Roddenberry ' s defection at the start of the season , as the direct cause for the perceived drop in quality of the season ( absolving Roddenberry ' s successor , the in lore reviled Fred Freiberger and his writing staff , of any blame for this ) , leading up to him prematurely leaving the series . Additionally , Justman felt the show was receiving poor treatment by NBC , which slashed its budget during the third season . The ever continuous battle for funding took his toll on Justman , " " I was tired from three seasons of exhausting work . The thrill was gone . ( . . . ) I despaired about the show ' s loss of quality . ( . . . ) My never - ending battle to cut costs without compromising quality had failed . The " Star Trek " I knew , and was proud to be a part of , was no more . By the midpoint of the production season , I dreaded coming to work every day . It felt like being in prison - and I wanted out . ( . . . ) I was just plain burnt out . I needed to leave " Star Trek " . " " ( " " , 1997 , pp . 395 - 398 , 407 - 408 ) While Justman was all too often aghast with upper studio management , with the exception of Solow , who he held in high regard , he had nothing but praise for the members of his production team , whose devotion to the show he immensely valued . There were two members however , he frequently singled out for particular praise in his book ; his Post - production Supervisor Edward K . Milkis and his Art Director Walter M . Jefferies , key staffers who " saved our bacon " on many an occasion , as Justman had put it . Besides his producing job , Justman also appeared in three voice - over cameo roles in the series ' first season . Twice , as a security guard ( in and ) and once as an engineer ( in ) , talking to Kirk through the intercom . " Star Trek : Phase II " . In 1977 , Justman was asked by Roddenberry to help with the production of , or rather its immediate predecessor , " " , yet never returned any of Justman ' s calls when he reported for work . Justman claimed that if he had been there , some of the mistakes in the making of the film could ' ve been avoided . ( " " , 1997 , p . 432 ) As it turned out , Roddenberry was overruled by the studio , who brought in their own line producer , Robert Goodwin , with the express intent to keep tabs on Roddenberry . ( " Star Trek Movie Memories " , 1995 , p . 60 ) Return to " Star Trek " . In early , nearly two decades after leaving the original " Star Trek " , Justman , together with his " Original Series " co - workers David Gerrold , Ed Milkis and D . C . Fontana , were brought back by Roddenberry to form the original production nucleus for the pre - production of . ( " " , pp . 9 - 11 ) Justman served as Supervising Producer on " The Next Generation " for eighteen episodes of its first season . Justman was one of the driving forces in the formation of this series , influencing the creation of the characters and the casting . It was Justman who discovered and pushed for the casting of Patrick Stewart for the role of Captain Jean - Luc Picard . Rick Berman recalled , " " Roddenberry was very against the idea of a bald British actor playing the next Capt . Kirk , but Bob was very persistent , and Patrick became Capt . Picard . " " Justman also brought LeVar Burton to the series , having been working together with him on a medical show pilot titled " Emergency Room " . As the first season was winding down , however , Justman decided to retire , though that had not been his original intent . For the last eight episodes of the season , he was credited as a Consulting Producer . He left the series after the first season and effectively retired from his nearly forty - year - long career in the entertainment industry . Aside from wanting to enjoy his retirement , Justman ' s decision to do so was also very much expedited by Roddenberry ' s uninitiated attorney and business partner Leonard Maizlish , who " destructively " meddled with the creative decision making for the new series . Justman later clarified , " " And I stayed " [ note : after friend Milkis left very early in disgust because of Maizlish ] " – but only for a while . Even before the first season ended , I told Gene and Paramount that I didn ' t want my option picked up for a second year . I didn ' t tell them the real reason : that Leonard Maizlish ( who had promised that I would get a " piece " of the show – a piece that somehow never materialized ) had gotten to me as well . For the first time in my life , I began to suffer from hypertension . Despite all the hugs and kisses and an offer to bump me up to Executive Producer , I left the show in late , after completing my work on , the last episode of the new series ' first season . I had some good years left and wanted to enjoy them . " " ( " " , pp . 433 - 434 ) As it turned out , it was Maizlish who was mainly responsible for the departure at the conclusion of the first season of all the " Original Series " production staffers , Roddenberry had initially brought in to work in " The Next Generation " , and none , besides Roddenberry , were left at the start of the second season . Despite leaving TNG early , Justman ' s legacy can be seen later in the series : executive producer Rick Berman named the shuttlecraft " Justman " in honor of the former producer and director . The " Justman " was first seen in the sixth season episode and appeared again in season seven ' s . Justman visited the set of TNG , when the " Original Series " bridge was partially reconstructed for the sixth season episode . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 24 , issue 3 / 4 , p . 27 ) In , Justman visited the sound stages to see the recreated sets for . ( David Gerrold ' s introduction , " Trials and Tribble - ations " novelization ) Also in 1996 , Justman and Herbert Solow wrote and published " " , a book which chronicled their work on the original " Star Trek " series . Justman had already been planning for such a book before he was approached by Solow , " " Well , I had started to , with Steve Poe , and we never finished even writing a presentation , because Steve got busy with several other projects when Star Trek : The Next Generation " [ sic : Justman meant " " ] " started . So I put my research on the back burner . Then , later , Herb came by and said he was writing a book , and I said " What about me ? " " Like Solow , Justman had in their book expressed for the first time a far more critical view on the series ' creator , Roddenberry , than was hitherto commonplace , but unlike Solow , Justman was , due to his " Star Trek " status , shielded from the negative backlash from the more puritanical elements of " Trekdom " . Subsequently , Justman also authored a series " From the Wormhole " articles for , explaining for its readership some of his reflections on those productions of the " Star Trek " franchise , he himself had participated in . These articles are of interest , as Justman in them covered subject matters he either had not touched upon in his book , or delved deeper into ones he had mentioned , and as such can be considered addenda to the book . Upon completing the work of putting his recollections on paper , Justman sold off his personal " Star Trek " possessions in two specialized Profiles in History auctions ; the 2001 " The Star Trek Auction " , the 2002 one that bore his name , " The Bob Justman Star Trek Auction " , and with the remainder of his " Star Trek " possessions auctioned off in the 2003 " The Ultimate Sci - Fi Auction " . More recently , Justman served as a technical consultant for CBS Digital for the " remastering " on the original " Star Trek " episodes . Shortly before his death , he provided some editorial services to author Marc Cushman for his reference book " " , which Justman had fully endorsed . Concurrently , Justman was interviewed on " Star Trek " by authors Máire Messenger Davies and Roberta Pearson for their entry in the 2007 reference book " " . When started its run , Justman became one of the veteran production staffers who voiced his concern that the 1990s proliferation of " Star Trek " productions would overextend the appeal of the franchise . " ( . . . ) " less is more , " " stated Justman , " " I think the show has been flogged unmercifully and its going to rebound . The reaction is essentially going to be a negative reaction . If it is around in another 30 years , I don ' t think it ' s going to resemble what it has been in the past . " " Justman lived long enough to find the first part of his fears validated , as events pursuant and proved him largely right , but did not live long enough to see the prophetic second part of his prediction come true – missing the premiere of the re - imagined 2009 alternate universe movie by almost exactly a year – seventeen years earlier than even he predicted in 1996 , when making the statement . For all the turmoil , frustration , and stress Justman had endured during the two " Star Trek " productions , he had relished his time on these as " Deep Space Nine " Scenic Artist and Video Coordinator Denise Okuda could testify to , when Justman visited the sets , " " Bob honored us with a visit to the Deep Space Nine stages , just before the show went on the air . Doug , Mike , and I were proud to show him around the new sets , and he was very complimentary about them . At one point he turned to us and said something like , " You all look pretty tired . " We had all been working very long hours ( along with the rest of the production crew ) , so we agreed . Bob smiled at all of us . He looked each of us in the eye and said " Remember these times . In years to come , you ' ll look back on these as some of the best days of your lives . " " " Despite all the " disappointments " , as Justman had coined them , Gene Roddenberry had inflicted upon him , and despite his criticism he had of him in his book , Justman always remained fond of the man , holding him in warm regard . " " It was wonderful working with Gene again , though , " " stated Justman when " The Next Generation " went into production , " " He was affectionate like he had never been before . Gene was really , really affectionate , almost as if — no , I think it was because he sensed that his end wasn ' t that far off , and he had a second chance at a relationship with me that never could have happened otherwise , and he wanted to make up for some of the disappointments he had caused me . " " ( " " , 1997 , pp . 432 - 433 ) Career outside " Star trek " . Justman was born and raised in New York City . His father was a businessman , who also invested in the movie business , being young Justman ' s first connection to filmmaking . He enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II . He served two years and was discharged as a Radioman Third Class . He then attended the University of California in Los Angeles before entering a career in film and television production . Early life and career . Early in his career , Justman served as a production assistant on such films as 1951 ' s " The Scarf " ( featuring Celia Lovsky ) , " New Mexico " ( featuring Jeff Corey and John Hoyt ) , " M " ( featuring Norman Lloyd and William Schallert ) , and " He Ran All the Way " ( also with Norman Lloyd ) , 1952 ' s " Japanese War Bride " ( with George D . Wallace ) , " Red Planet Mars " , and " Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd " ( with Leonard Mudie ) , and 1953 ' s " The Moon Is Blue " and " The Moonlighter " . He then moved on to become a television producer and an assistant director for both film and television projects . As an assistant director , Justman worked with director on several projects . They first worked together on the 1952 - 53 NBC series " The Doctor " , after which they collaborated on such films as " Kiss Me Deadly " ( 1955 ) and " Attack " ( 1956 , featuring William Smithers ) . Justman ' s other assistant directorial film projects include the classics " The Big Combo " ( 1955 , featuring John Hoyt and Whit Bissell ) , " Blood Alley " ( starring Paul Fix ) , " While the City Sleeps " ( 1956 , with Celia Lovsky ) , " Green Mansions " ( 1959 , starring Nehemiah Persoff ) , and 1962 ' s " Mutiny on the Bounty " ( featuring Antoinette Bower , Torin Thatcher and stunts by Paul Baxley ) . Justman was also an assistant director on television shows such as " I Married Joan " , " Letter to Loretta " , " Lassie " , " The Thin Man " , " One Step Beyond " , and " The Outer Limits " . He served as a Production Manager on the latter series in 1964 and appeared in the episode " A Feasibility Study " ( directed by Byron Haskin , written by Joseph Stefano , and starring David Opatoshu ) that same year . In addition , Justman was both an associate producer and assistant director on the classic series " The Adventures of Superman " . He worked on this series from 1953 through its cancellation in 1958 , and was an assistant director on the show during its 1954 - 55 season . Later career . The two " Star Trek " pilots were Justman ' s last projects as an assistant director ; he thereafter began to focus on producing . He was briefly an associate producer on " Mission : Impossible " , which , like " Star Trek " , was produced by Desilu . From late 1968 to 1970 , working under Herbert Solow at MGM , Justman produced the short - lived NBC adventure series " Then Came Bronson " . Directors on the series included Jud Taylor , Marvin Chomsky , Ralph Senensky , Robert Butler , Lou Antonio , Russ Mayberry , Corey Allen , and Michael O ' Herlihy . Writers included Don Ingalls , D . C . Fontana , Rik Vollaerts , Meyer Dolinsky , and Robert Sabaroff . He again worked with Solow on another short - lived NBC series , " Man from Atlantis " , in 1977 . Directors included Marc Daniels and Michael O ' Herlihy , while John D . F . Black , Jerry Sohl , Stephen Kandel , Peter Allan Fields , and Shimon Wincelberg were among the writers of the series . During the 1972 - 73 TV season , Justman executive produced " Assignment : Munich " , the pilot for what became the short - lived ABC series " Assignment Vienna " . Also during this time , Justman returned to work with Leslie Stevens , and produced Stevens ' adventure series for NBC , " Search " , which lasted for one season . Directors of this series included Joseph Pevney , Marc Daniels , Ralph Senensky , and Russ Mayberry . Justman reunited with " Star Trek " creator Gene Roddenberry in 1974 to produce the science fiction pilot , " Planet Earth " . Marc Daniels directed this pilot , which starred such " Star Trek " alumni as Majel Barrett , Ted Cassidy , Diana Muldaur , and Patricia Smith . However , the pilot was not picked up as a series . In 1979 , Justman was Producer and Executive in Charge of Production on " Gideon ' s Trumpet " , a two - hour " Hallmark Hall of Fame " TV movie featuring David Clennon , Jerry Hardin , Richard Lineback , Michael Cavanaugh , and Seamon Glass . Justman then produced the NBC drama series " McClain ' s Law " and the ABC series " MacGruder and Loud " . He also produced the 1983 TV movie " Emergency Room " , which starred a pre - TNG LeVar Burton and a post - TOS Gary Lockwood . Justman ' s last non - " Trek " production was the 1986 TV movie " Dark Mansions " , featuring Byron Morrow . Death . Justman died at his home in Los Angeles due to complications from Parkinson ' s disease . He was 81 years old . He is survived by his wife of 51 years , Jacqueline , and their three children : a daughter , Jennifer , and two sons , Jonathan and William . Also surviving Justman is his brother , Anthony ; his sisters , Estelle Osborne and Jill Roach ; and five grandchildren . " Star Trek " credits . Performer . As " Enterprise " security guard / engineer ( voice only ) Interviews . Justman was interviewed on his work on " Star Trek " on the following occasions : " Star Trek " DVD and Blu - ray special features : Print publications : " Star Trek " documentaries :