Robert Goodwin

Robert W. Goodwin (born ca. ), misidentified in the reference book Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series as "Robert H. Goodwin", was a producer on the aborted television project Star Trek: Phase II.

As a thirty-year-old Paramount Television producer, Goodwin came aboard the Phase II project in, somewhat against his will, as he was already slated to head as supervisor (i.e. full blown producer) a series of thirty television movies for Paramount Pictures' projected fourth network, to be called "Paramount Television Service", and for which, coincidentally, Phase II was to serve as its flagship. Due to his reputation as line producer for bringing in productions on time and under budget, he was appointed by the studio to Gene Roddenberry, who had a reputation for production delays dating back to, and to serve as a check on eccentricities which the studio perceived Roddenberry as having. (Star Trek Movie Memories, 1995, pp. 59-60) Nevertheless, Goodwin's first meeting with Roddenberry, who was assigned to work on Phase II as executive producer, won him over to embark on the project. Goodwin recalled, "Why do I want to meet him? I'm busy," but in light of having been ushered on by the studio, he continued, "It was such a kick because I guess Gene had forgotten to tell his assistant, Susan [Sackett], that he had this appointment. Then I show up, thirty years old, dressed in Levis, very casual, and I guess she thought I was an agent or whatever and she wouldn't let me see him. So I said, fine, because I really wasn't interested in working on the series, and I left. I remember I was all the way down this long street at Paramount, over on the west side of the lot, and I was just about to turn the corner, and there was Gene, stepping out the back door, way down at the end, yelling at me – 'You! You! C'mere!' [....] It was so funny. He was such a great guy about it. And in any case, he insisted'' that I produce the series. So I had to give up the movies. I had no choice." (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, p. 25) An embarrassed Sackett was magnanimous enough to relate this incident herself, in her book The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', though she referred to herself as "Gene's secretary". (p. 35)

Since Goodwin wasn't a Star Trek fan and actually had no knowledge of Star Trek lore whatsoever, he immersed himself into watching episodes of, to get a feel of the show, which ultimately enabled him to contribute to the internal guide written for Phase II, the so-called Writer's Bible, named after the one already composed for its Original Series predecessor, as well as contributing to the re-writes of scripts later on in the production. Yet, his primary responsibilities were his operational overseeing duties, coordinating the actual production of the pilot of the series, very much resembling the function his illustrious predecessor Robert Justman had on The Original Series. Actually, Justman was approached for the position by Roddenberry himself, but overruled by the studio, he was ultimately passed over in favor of Goodwin. (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, pp. 25-26; Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, p. 432)

Between July and, Goodwin wrote numerous weekly progress reports, keeping the executive producers of Phase II and his studio executive superiors appraised on the production situation of Phase II. Some of these were reproduced partially or in full in Susan Sackett's "Star Trek Report"s for  magazine, her derivative reference book, The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and in the reference book Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series.

While Goodwin's importance grew over the closing months of 1977, being called in to give his input on scripts and story outlines, for which colleague Harold Livingston was primarily brought in as co-producer, things took a turn for the worst on as far as Goodwin was concerned, though that was not yet apparent at that time. On that date, Goodwin, being part of a small inner circle, was privy to the decision of turning the television project into a full-fledged motion picture project, ultimately known as. In, Robert Wise was hired as director for the motion picture, but he insisted on becoming its executive producer as well, refusing to share full producer credit with "that kid in jeans." That meant Goodwin had to take a step back and be content with a co-producer credit, which Goodwin felt was too much of a change for him, having already given up a full producer credit, and he opted to leave the Star Trek franchise, never to return. (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, p. 76)

Career outside Star Trek
Hailing from Australia, Goodwin was born to an American father and an Australian mother. Capitalizing on his dual citizenship, he moved to the United States at the age of two; Goodwin lived for two years in Boston, and he then moved to Southern California, where he was raised. He graduated from UCLA before starting work in the mail room at CBS Studios. From there, he worked his way up to producing, writing, and directing. As a writer, he had already contributed to such television series as The Manhunter and Kaz before being accosted to contribute to Phase II.

After Phase II, Goodwin continued to make a name for himself as writer and producer for numerous television productions, including several TV movies – which he was slated to do in the first place – such as Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus (1978), Mistress of Paradise (1981), Women of San Quentin and The Winter of Our Discontent (both 1983), Secrets of a Married Man (1984), California Girls and Copacabana (both 1985), Acceptable Risks and Hardesty House (both 1986), Downpayment on Murder (1987), A Father's Homecoming (1988), Those She Left Behind (1989), Living a Lie (1991), Condition: Critical (1992), and Born Too Soon (1993). Additionally, in that period of time, he worked as such on television series including Jessie, Disneyland (on which he was co-nominated for an Emmy Award for the episode "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom"), Fresno, Aaron's Way, Hooperman, Life Goes On, Mancuso, FBI, and Eddie Dodd.

Goodwin's claim to renown, however, came when he became a writer and co-executive producer of the 1990s cult series The X-Files. In the series, his wife, actress Sheila Larken, appeared in the recurring role of Scully's mother, one of the show's two main characters. His work on the series earned him no less than four consecutive Emmy Award co-nominations, from 1995 to 1998, in the category "Outstanding Drama Series", without ever winning one.

Goodwin did win, however, the French Gérardmer Film Festival "Grand Prize" in 1996 for an episode called "Suspended". He has also been the recipient of three Golden Globe Awards.

After The X-Files, Goodwin continued to work in the same capacities on the television movies Rocky Times (2000), Flashpoint (2002), and Alien Trespass (2009), as well as the TV series Birdland, The Fugitive, Pasadena, Tru Calling, and The Cody Rivers Show. Since 1993, Alien Trespass being his last recorded motion picture credit, the Goodwins have lived in northwest Washington state.