John Meredyth Lucas

John Meredyth Lucas was a director, writer and producer. He produced the second season of from  to. Lucas was born into a Hollywood family, being the son of actor and screenwriter. His parents divorced when he was 8 years old, and two years later director married his mother and adopted John. Curtiz got Lucas his first job in the film industry.

Prior to Star Trek, Lucas had been the co-producer of and, two of the most popular television programs of the 1960s. Later, he served as producer, writer and director on many television series, including, for which he received two Emmy Award nominations in 1972 and 1973, and (produced by Harve Bennett).

Lucas also worked as writer and director on Mannix, produced by Desilu at the same time as Star Trek. Producer Gene Coon, having a smoke at his office window, often spotted Lucas going to his car, and engaged in small talk with him. After several such accidental conversations, Coon simply asked Lucas if he would like to write an episode for Star Trek. Lucas, a life-long science fiction fan, was thrilled by the offer, resulting in. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Two, p. 178)

Incidentally, Lucas replaced Coon as producer when the latter left the series mid-season 2. Similarly to Coon, Lucas wrote his own scripts, while also doing rewrites on other writers' material during his tenure as line producer. He also served as director on "The Ultimate Computer" and replaced Ralph Senensky in directing "Obsession", when Senensky left to observe the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

Lucas was not considered to be hired to continue his tenure as the show's producer for the third season, but instead got replaced by Fred Freiberger. However, the producers still assigned him to write and direct episodes for the new season. Paramount executive in charge of production Douglas S. Cramer vetoed his hiring as director for the episodes and, due to Lucas having gone behind schedule and over budget while directing the episode. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three, p. 239)

Lucas directed the final episode of the short-lived Planet of the Apes TV series, which featured Mark Lenard and cinematography by Jerry Finnerman. He also directed several episodes of Night Gallery, also occasionally photographed by Finnerman.

Lucas died in 2002, victim of leukemia, and was survived by three children, his second wife, Patricia Lucas, and his four step-chidlren; his first wife, actress Joan Winfield, died in 1978.

Star Trek: The Original Series credits

 * As director


 * As writer
 * (teleplay)
 * (teleplay)
 * (teleplay)
 * (teleplay)


 * As producer
 * (credit only)