Ralph Senensky obit

Ralph Senensky, Director on ‘Star Trek’ and ‘The Waltons,’ Dies at 102

He helmed memorable episodes spotlighting Leonard Nimoy and Ellen Corby on those shows, plus the three-part pilot for 'Dynasty.'

 He was not on the list.

Ralph Senensky, the prolific TV director who called the shots for the emotional return of Ellen Corby on The Waltons, the three-part pilot for Dynasty and, before he was fired, 6 1/2 episodes of the original Star Trek, has died. He was 102.

Senensky died Saturday in a hospital in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, his niece, costume designer Lisa Lupo-Silvas, told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was 100 precent sharp until the end,” she said. “He may have been 102, but he had a mind like he was 30.”

The Iowa native also helmed multiple episodes of Dr. Kildare, Naked City, 12 O’Clock High, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Ironside, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Dan August, Nanny and the Professor, The Partridge Family, Barnaby Jones, Insight, Hart to Hart and The Paper Chase.

And in 1963 for the ABC medical drama Breaking Point, he handled one of the earliest gay storylines for television.

Among Star Trek fans, Senensky is synonymous with some of the best episodes of the Paramount/NBC series. Season one’s “This Side of Paradise” is regarded as one of the early standout Spock installments, and season’s two “Metamorphosis,” another installment that premiered in 1967, was his personal favorite.

For the third season, he embarked on 1968’s “The Tholian Web,” which saw Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Chekov (Walter Koenig) don shiny silver spacesuits as they investigate a crippled sister ship.

There was trouble ahead, however. Those zipper-less suits meant the actors had to be sewn into their costumes, then unsewn when they needed a bathroom break. By the third day of shooting, Senensky was four scenes behind schedule when he was called into producer Fred Freiberger’s office and fired.

On the pages of The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer announced that Herb Wallerstein would finish things up. Senensky got zero credit for his work.

“The article pointed out the studio’s intent to curtail the problem of films not being completed as scheduled,” Senensky reflected on his website. He said he received a phone call from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who was “outraged, apologetic and sympathetic.”

Over five years starting in 1973, Senensky directed 12 episodes of CBS’ The Waltons, perhaps none more moving than “Grandma Comes Home,” the sixth-season finale that aired on March 30, 1978.

The episode marked the return of Corby as Grandma Walton to the show after she had suffered a stroke in 1976. Writers incorporated her illness into the series, and she received top billing in the credits that week, with an Emmy nomination to soon follow.

In a 2011 chat for the Television Academy Foundation website The Interviews, Senensky noted that he spaced out Corby’s scenes across multiple days and only filmed in the morning to make it easier on her.

“They gave me two cameras at all times,” he said, “so when I was shooting her, I could shoot the over-the-shoulder and close-up all in one take.”

In the most powerful sequence, Grandma Walton — feeling as though she’s become a burden on the family — breaks down in tears opposite daughter-in-law Olivia (Michael Learned) as they snap beans on the porch.

When the dallies were shown in a screening room the following day, the director and those watching became emotional. From the back, Waltons creator Earl Hamner Jr. yelled, “Senensky, you son of a b!”

“It was the nicest words anybody ever called me,” he said.

The show’s iconic close of the family wishing “Good night” to one another was tweaked to have Corby say, “Good night, everyone” as the screen fades to black.

“How this performance came out of her in the condition she was in was truly a miracle,” Senensky said. “What she should have won was an award for a Profile in Courage.”

The older of two boys, Ralph Abbott Senensky was born in Mason City, Iowa, on May 1, 1923. His father, William, co-owned a clothing store, and his mother, Jenny, was a homemaker.

At Mason City High School, Senensky served as editor of the one-page weekly Cub Gazette and worked as a director’s assistant on school productions.

Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he registered for the draft at age 18 and was stationed in Belgium. Upon his return, he did four years of community theater, studied at Northwestern and enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse.

He eventually got his foot in the door at CBS in Los Angeles in 1955 typing radio scripts, became secretary for Playhouse 90 producer Russell Stoneham and was promoted to production supervisor. In that role, he visited Norman Felton daily, and the CBS executive producer recognized his name from a James Powers-written THR review of a play that Senensky had directed.

When Felton moved to MGM to launch Arena Productions, Senensky followed and made his TV directorial debut in 1961 on the first season of Richard Chamberlain‘s Dr. Kildare.

While working in November 1963 on the ABC crime series Arrest and Trial on Skid Row in Los Angeles, production was abruptly shut down when it was announced that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

“I remember sitting in the back seat of a car with bodies on either side of me,” Senensky recalled. “Mickey Rooney [a guest star] was in the front seat with bodies on either side of him, with the radio on, and all the inhabitants of Skid Row were around. It was like being in church as we heard the news report.”

Four months earlier, Senensky had helmed the Breaking Point episode “The Bull Roarer,” which starred Lou Antonio as a shy construction worker who questions his sexuality while dealing with his macho, dominating brother (Ralph Meeker).

The pivotal role on the Ben Casey spinoff was originally given to Dean Stockwell, but he had a change of heart after reading the script. Senensky then suggested Antonio, whom he had directed on ABC’s Naked City.

Breaking Point was produced by George Lefferts, whose contract stipulated he could choose a handful of topics usually ignored by the industry. The agreement came in handy when ABC censors objected to parts of the script.

“I think that was a historic moment in television,” Senensky wrote. “I am 99 and 44/100 percent sure that was the first time the word ‘homosexual’ was uttered in a drama in an American television show.”

Also in 1963, he directed Burgess Meredith in the hourlong Twilight Zone episode “Printer’s Devil” and two episodes of ABC’s Route 66.

In the ’70s, Senensky worked on telefilms including 1974’s Death Cruise, starring Richard Long and Polly Bergen; 1975’s The Family Nobody Wanted, starring Shirley Jones; and 1978’s The New Adventures of Heidi.

He directed just one feature, Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978), starring Barbara Eden, but he left two weeks before completion and was replaced by Richard Bennett.

Senensky then helmed the first three episodes of Aaron Spelling’s Dynasty that aired back-to-back-to-back on ABC on Jan. 12, 1981.

His final screen credit, after an absence of 27 years, was as director of the short film The Right Regrets (2013), written and produced by friend and actress Marlyn Mason.­

“Ralph was a walking encyclopedia on film history,” Mason told obituarist Eve Golden. “Watching an old classic with him was equal to a semester at Harvard. … He chose to stay in the world of television, but when you look at his work, you feel you’re looking at a feature movie.”

In addition to his niece, survivors include his brother, Ervin; his sister-in-law, Audrey; and his great-nephew, Julien.

Despite directing nearly 200 TV episodes over 25 years, Senensky realized he primarily will be remembered for those 6 1/2 Star Trek shows. (He also helmed “Obsession,” “Return to Tomorrow,” “Bread and Circuses” and “Is There in Truth No Beauty?”)

Shortly after wrapping “This Side of Paradise” — he earned $3,000 for his first Star Trek gig, he said — he received a letter from Nimoy.

“It was not only a special Spock experience, but it was special for me as well in that I felt safely in the hands of a capable and sensitive director,” Nimoy wrote. “Unfortunately, a rare experience in TV.”

Additional Crew

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

assistant to producer

1961–1962

20 episodes

 

Full Circle (1960)

Full Circle

7.4

TV Series

assistant to the producerassistant to producer

1960–1961

184 episodes

 

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Playhouse 90

8.2

TV Series

production coordinator

1958

1 episode

 

Director

The Right Regrets (2013)

The Right Regrets

6.0

Short

Director

2013

 

The Paper Chase (1978)

The Paper Chase

8.1

TV Series

Director

1985–1986

7 episodes

 

Paper Dolls (1984)

Paper Dolls

6.8

TV Series

Director

1984

3 episodes

 

Hart to Hart (1979)

Hart to Hart

6.7

TV Series

Director

1979–1984

7 episodes

 

Casablanca (1983)

Casablanca

5.6

TV Series

Director

1983

2 episodes

 

Insight (1960)

Insight

7.4

TV Series

directed by

1969–1982

15 episodes

 

Big Bend Country

TV Movie

Director

1981

 

Dynasty (1981)

Dynasty

6.4

TV Series

Director

1981

4 episodes

 

Dan August: Murder, My Friend (1980)

Dan August: Murder, My Friend

5.5

TV Movie

Director

1980

 

Dan August: Once Is Never Enough (1980)

Dan August: Once Is Never Enough

5.9

TV Movie

Director

1980

 

Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes (1980)

Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes

5.5

TV Movie

Director

1980

 

Lou Grant (1977)

Lou Grant

7.3

TV Series

Director

1980

1 episode

 

Young Maverick (1979)

Young Maverick

6.5

TV Series

Director

1980

1 episode

 

Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D. (1979)

Trapper John, M.D.

6.6

TV Series

Director

1979

1 episode

 

How the West Was Won (1976)

How the West Was Won

8.2

TV Series

Director

1979

1 episode

 

The New Adventures of Heidi (1978)

The New Adventures of Heidi

4.4

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

Richard Thomas, Will Geer, Judy Norton, Ellen Corby, Kami Cotler, David W. Harper, Michael Learned, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Ralph Waite, and Jon Walmsley in The Waltons (1972)

The Waltons

7.6

TV Series

Director

1973–1978

12 episodes

 

Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978)

Harper Valley P.T.A.

5.8

Director (uncredited)

1978

 

James at 16 (1977)

James at 16

8.0

TV Series

Director

1978

1 episode

 

Eight Is Enough (1977)

Eight Is Enough

6.6

TV Series

Director

1977

1 episode

 

Westside Medical (1977)

Westside Medical

6.1

TV Series

Director

1977

1 episode

 

Meredith Baxter, Kristy McNichol, James Broderick, Gary Frank, Sada Thompson, Michael Schackelford, and David Schackelford in Family (1976)

Family

7.7

TV Series

Director

1977

1 episode

 

Brandon Cruz, Quinn Cummings, Arlene Golonka, and Ron Masak in Jeremiah of Jacob's Neck (1976)

Jeremiah of Jacob's Neck

7.1

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

City of Angels (1976)

City of Angels

7.7

TV Series

Director

1976

1 episode

 

The Blue Knight (1975)

The Blue Knight

6.8

TV Series

Director

1975

1 episode

 

Alex Rocco in Three for the Road (1975)

Three for the Road

7.6

TV Series

Director

1975

2 episodes

 

Medical Story (1975)

Medical Story

7.0

TV Series

Director

1975

1 episode

 

Glenn Ford, Elizabeth Cheshire, Julie Harris, and Lance Kerwin in The Family Holvak (1975)

The Family Holvak

7.2

TV Series

Director

1975

2 episodes

 

The Family Nobody Wanted (1975)

The Family Nobody Wanted

7.7

TV Movie

Director

1975

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Director

1973–1975

3 episodes

 

Planet of the Apes (1974)

Planet of the Apes

7.0

TV Series

Director

1974

1 episode

 

Death Cruise (1974)

Death Cruise

5.9

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

The Family Kovack (1974)

The Family Kovack

5.8

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

A Dream for Christmas (1973)

A Dream for Christmas

6.8

TV Movie

Director

1973

 

Anthony Franciosa, Doug McClure, and Hugh O'Brian in Search (1972)

Search

8.0

TV Series

Director

1973

1 episode

 

Winesburg, Ohio

7.0

TV Movie

Director

1973

 

The Rookies (1972)

The Rookies

6.8

TV Series

Director

1972–1973

2 episodes

 

Banyon (1971)

Banyon

7.6

TV Series

Director

1972

3 episodes

 

The F.B.I. (1965)

The F.B.I.

7.4

TV Series

Director

1966–1972

16 episodes

 

Rod Serling in Night Gallery (1969)

Night Gallery

7.9

TV Series

Director

1972

1 episode

 

Getting Together (1971)

Getting Together

7.3

TV Series

Director

1971

3 episodes

 

The Partridge Family (1970)

The Partridge Family

6.6

TV Series

Director

1970–1971

7 episodes

 

Nanny and the Professor (1970)

Nanny and the Professor

7.1

TV Series

Director

1970–1971

6 episodes

 

Burt Reynolds and Norman Fell in Dan August (1970)

Dan August

7.1

TV Series

Director

1971

5 episodes

 

The Cliff (1970)

The Cliff

6.5

TV Movie

Director

1970

 

The Interns (1970)

The Interns

7.2

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

Vince Edwards in Matt Lincoln (1970)

Matt Lincoln

6.5

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

The Bill Cosby Show (1969)

The Bill Cosby Show

6.1

TV Series

Director

1969–1970

4 episodes

 

Bill Bixby and Brandon Cruz in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

7.3

TV Series

Director

1969–1970

9 episodes

 

Then Came Bronson (1969)

Then Came Bronson

7.9

TV Series

Director

1969

1 episode

 

The Name of the Game (1968)

The Name of the Game

7.6

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Star Trek (1966)

Star Trek

8.4

TV Series

Director

1967–1968

7 episodes

 

Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)

Ironside

6.9

TV Series

Director

1967–1968

2 episodes

 

Mannix (1967)

Mannix

7.4

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Bill Cosby and Robert Culp in I Spy (1965)

I Spy

7.2

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Leif Erickson, Linda Cristal, Henry Darrow, Cameron Mitchell, and Mark Slade in The High Chaparral (1967)

The High Chaparral

7.6

TV Series

Director

1967

1 episode

 

Carl Betz and Stephen Young in Judd for the Defense (1967)

Judd for the Defense

7.7

TV Series

Director

1967

1 episode

 

Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, and Greg Morris in Mission: Impossible (1966)

Mission: Impossible

7.9

TV Series

Director

1967

1 episode

 

Robert Conrad and Ross Martin in The Wild Wild West (1965)

The Wild Wild West

8.1

TV Series

directed by

1966

2 episodes

 

Lee Majors, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Peter Breck, and Richard Long in The Big Valley (1965)

The Big Valley

7.6

TV Series

Director

1966

1 episode

 

David Janssen in The Fugitive (1963)

The Fugitive

8.1

TV Series

Director

1964–1965

4 episodes

 

Richard Crenna and Maxine Stuart in Slattery's People (1964)

Slattery's People

8.0

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

The Long, Hot Summer (1965)

The Long, Hot Summer

7.3

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

Director

1963–1965

3 episodes

 

12 O'Clock High (1964)

12 O'Clock High

8.1

TV Series

Director

1965

4 episodes

 

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

Director

1961–1965

5 episodes

 

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

Breaking Point (1963)

Breaking Point

7.2

TV Series

Director

1963–1964

3 episodes

 

Zina Bethune and Shirl Conway in The Doctors and the Nurses (1962)

The Doctors and the Nurses

7.5

TV Series

Director

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Ben Gazzara and Chuck Connors in Arrest and Trial (1963)

Arrest and Trial

7.7

TV Series

Director

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Channing (1963)

Channing

7.0

TV Series

Director

1963

1 episode

 

George C. Scott in East Side/West Side (1963)

East Side/West Side

8.5

TV Series

Director

1963

1 episode

 

Naked City (1958)

Naked City

8.2

TV Series

Director

1963

3 episodes

 

George Maharis and Martin Milner in Route 66 (1960)

Route 66

7.7

TV Series

Director

1963

2 episodes

 

Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)

The Twilight Zone

9.0

TV Series

Director

1963

1 episode

 

Checkmate (1960)

Checkmate

7.5

TV Series

Director

1962

1 episode

 

Production Management

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Playhouse 90

8.2

TV Series

production supervisor

1958–1960

14 episodes

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Jack Palance in Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1982)

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

7.7

TV Series

segment director

1984

1 episode

 

Self

Inglorious Treksperts (2018)

Inglorious Treksperts

8.1

Podcast Series

Self - Director, Star Trek

2020–2024

2 episodes

 

The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast (2018)

The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Podcast Series

Self - Guest

2021–2022

6 episodes

 

Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault (2016)

Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault

7.2

Self

2016

 

Marion Dougherty in Casting By (2012)

Casting By

7.6

Self

2012

 

The Interviews: An Oral History of Television (1997)

The Interviews: An Oral History of Television

7.3

TV Series

Self

2011

1 episode