Jeri Taylor obit

Jeri Taylor, Star Trek: Voyager Co-Creator, Dies at 86

Star Trek: Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor has passed away 

She was not on the list.

Jeri Taylor, a writer, producer, and co-creator of Star Trek: Voyager, has passed away at the age of 86. Star Trek designer and consultant Michael Okuda shared the news of Taylor’s passing on social media, stating Taylor passed away on Thursday, October 24th and then sharing a touching tribute. You can find his full statement below, and our thoughts are with Taylor’s family and friends.

On Instagram Okuda wrote, “The world of Star Trek lost one of its giants yesterday with the passing of writer-producer Jeri Taylor. Jeri became a supervising producer on Star Trek: TNG’s fourth season, eventually becoming co-executive producer. Along with Rick Berman and Michael Piller, she co-created Star Trek: Voyager, on which she served as executive producer. Jeri brought humanity and compassion to her work and to Star Trek. Her scripts include “The Drumhead” (TNG), which remains one of Star Trek’s most powerful hours.

Working for Jeri Taylor was always a delight. She always welcomed ideas and suggestions, even from designers in the art department. She was thoughtful and warm, and she always made us feel like we were an important part of her team. Jeri Taylor passed away yesterday (Thursday, Oct 24) at the age of 88. She will be missed.”

Taylor helped bring Star Trek: Voyager to the screen alongside Michael Piller and Rick Berman, and she also ran the writers’ room for four years (via TrekCore). She was already a part of the Star Trek family after working on The Next Generation, and she would take over as showrunner in the series’ final season, but it is Voyager that she is most synonymous with.

Taylor would hand the writers’ room to Brannon Braga when she departed the show, and Braga also took to social media to share a tribute to Taylor. On Facebook Braga wrote, “Jeri Taylor died. She was a great writer and showrunner and, to me, a cherished mentor. Jeri was generous with her wisdom and her time, she nurtured an entire staff of young writers which is a testament to her patience. I would not have a career without Jeri’s intricate guidance. She taught us all so much. Her memory will live on in many ways, but perhaps most of all in the character of Captain Janeway, who reflected the best dimensions of Jeri herself. Jeri Taylor, we were lucky to know you.”

Over the course of her time as part of the Star Trek franchise, Taylor wrote or co-wrote over 30 episodes of Star Trek, encompassing The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine. She also wrote two novels set in the Voyager universe, and overall she was the executive producer for 93 episodes of Voyager. Outside of Star Trek, Taylor also worked on a number of popular shows, including Quincy M.E., Magnum P.I., In the Heat of the Night, and Jake and the Fatman.

Our thoughts are with Taylor’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

Producer

Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

Star Trek: Voyager

7.9

TV Series

executive producer (showrunner)

1995–1998

93 episodes

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

TV Series

executive producer

co-executive producer

supervising producer

1990–1994

101 episodes

 

William Conrad and Joe Penny in Jake and the Fatman (1987)

Jake and the Fatman

6.4

TV Series

co-executive producer

1989–1990

26 episodes

 

In the Heat of the Night (1988)

In the Heat of the Night

7.6

TV Series

supervising producer

1988–1989

22 episodes

 

Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I. (1980)

Magnum, P.I.

7.5

TV Series

producer

1987–1988

13 episodes

 

A Place to Call Home (1987)

A Place to Call Home

6.8

TV Movie

supervising producer

1987

 

Dana Carvey, Dick Butkus, James Farentino, and Bubba Smith in Blue Thunder (1984)

Blue Thunder

6.1

TV Series

producer

1984

11 episodes

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

producer

1982–1983

24 episodes

 

Writer

To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager

co-creator: Star Trek: Voyager (creator)

In Production

2024

 

Star Trek: Voyager - The Arcade Game (2002)

Star Trek: Voyager - The Arcade Game

5.8

Video Game

creator

2002

 

Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

Star Trek: Voyager

7.9

TV Series

created by

written by

teleplay by (creator) ...

1995–2001

168 episodes

 

Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell, Colm Meaney, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois, and Alexander Siddig in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

8.1

TV Series

story by

1993–1994

3 episodes

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

TV Series

television story by

story by

teleplay by ...

1990–1994

13 episodes

 

Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson in Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery (1987)

Father Dowling Mysteries

6.9

TV Series

written by

1990

1 episode

 

William Conrad and Joe Penny in Jake and the Fatman (1987)

Jake and the Fatman

6.4

TV Series

written by

1989

3 episodes

 

In the Heat of the Night (1988)

In the Heat of the Night

7.6

TV Series

written by

1988

3 episodes

 

Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I. (1980)

Magnum, P.I.

7.5

TV Series

written by

1987–1988

3 episodes

 

A Place to Call Home (1987)

A Place to Call Home

6.8

TV Movie

Writer

1987

 

Dana Carvey, Dick Butkus, James Farentino, and Bubba Smith in Blue Thunder (1984)

Blue Thunder

6.1

TV Series

teleplay

1984

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

written by

writer

executive story editor

1980–1983

15 episodes

 

ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)

ABC Afterschool Specials

7.1

TV Series

written by

story by

teleplay by

1983

2 episodes

 

Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby in The Incredible Hulk (1977)

The Incredible Hulk

7.0

TV Series

writer

1982

1 episode

 

Melissa Sue Anderson, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Richard Bull, Sidney Greenbush, Jonathan Gilbert, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush, and Katherine MacGregor in Little House on the Prairie (1974)

Little House on the Prairie

7.5

TV Series

writer

1981

2 episodes

 

Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981)

Please Don't Hit Me, Mom

6.3

TV Movie

story

teleplay

1981

 

The Secret Empire

7.3

TV Series

written by

1979

4 episodes

 

Salvage 1 (1979)

Salvage 1

7.4

TV Series

teleplay

writer

1979

2 episodes

 

Lorenzo Lamas, Marc McClure, Jimmy McNichol, and Michele Tobin in California Fever (1979)

California Fever

7.5

TV Mini Series

written by

1979

1 episode

 

Additional Crew

Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

Star Trek: Voyager

7.9

TV Series

creative consultant

1998–2001

75 episodes

 

Star Trek Continuum

TV Movie

consultant

1995

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

executive story editor

story editor

1981–1982

29 episodes