Naren Shankar

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Naren Shankar

Shankar with the 1992 TNG writing staff

Naren Shankar is a writer and producer who joined the writing staff of Star Trek: The Next Generation as an intern during the latter half of the fourth season. He then wrote several episodes for The Next Generation and for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and worked as science consultant during the shows sixth season and as story editor during the seventh season. Shankar also contributed to the video games Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity and Star Trek Generations.

He was interviewed by Bill Florence for the article "Naren Shankar - Herald of "The First Duty", published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 21, pp. 14-18. Shankar describes his position as science consultant as "...something of a misnomer, because the job generally doens't have a whole lot to do with science. I'm more of a story consultant or creative consultant with scientific overtones. I get involved with the technical jeopardy aspect of episodes."

Shankar has a PhD in engineering physics and electrical engineering from Cornell University. But he didn't want to work as scientist and moved to Los Angeles to become a writer. He sent a spec script to Jeri Taylor who didn't want to buy it but liked the writing enough to hire Shankar as writing intern on the show. Shankar himself is a Trekkie and went to the early Star Trek conventions in the 1970s. (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 21, p. 17)

After his time on Star Trek, Shankar became an associate producer on seaQuest DSV during its final season and also wrote several episodes for the series. He then became a writer for The Outer Limits from 1997 through 1999, working with Harlan Ellison, among others. After stints as a writer and executive producer of the Sci-Fi Channel's Farscape and NBC's short-lived UC: Undercover, Shankar became a consulting producer and head writer on the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He has earned a number of award nominations for his work on this program, including two Emmy Award nominations, shared with his fellow producers. He served as executive producer on CSI until 2010, and continues to write for the series, including the Trek-spoofing episode "A Space Oddity" featuring Liz Vassey, Wallace Langham, Kate Vernon, and Ronald D. Moore. Shankar also made his directing debut with the tenth season episode "Working Stiffs" (2009) for which he also wrote the story. This episode features Trek alumni Wallace Langham, Liz Vassey, Tracy Middendorf, and Tom Virtue.

Between 2011 and 2012, Shankar joined the production team of the fantasy television series Grimm as writer and executive producer. Steve Oster worked as producer on this series and Barney Burman as special effects makeup designer and creator.

Star Trek credits

As Writer

• TNG:
  • "The First Duty" (Season 5, with Ronald D. Moore)
  • "The Quality of Life" (Season 6)
  • "Face of the Enemy" (teleplay)
  • "Suspicions" (with Joe Menosky)
  • "Gambit, Part I" (Season 7)
  • "Gambit, Part II"
  • "Force of Nature"
  • "Homeward"
  • "Preemptive Strike"
• DS9:
  • "Babel"
  • "The Quickening"
• VOY: "Heroes and Demons"

As Science Consultant

• TNG:
  • "Time's Arrow, Part II" (Season 6)
  • "Realm of Fear"
  • "Man of the People"
  • "Relics"
  • "Schisms"
  • "True Q"
  • "Rascals"
  • "A Fistful of Datas"
  • "The Quality of Life"
  • "Chain of Command, Part I"
  • "Chain of Command, Part II"
  • "Ship in a Bottle"
  • "Aquiel"
  • "Tapestry"
  • "Birthright, Part I"
  • "Birthright, Part II"
  • "Starship Mine"
  • "Lessons"
  • "The Chase"
  • "Frame of Mind"
  • "Suspicions"
  • "Rightful Heir"
  • "Second Chances"
  • "Timescape"
  • "Descent"

As Story Editor

• TNG:
  • "Descent, Part II"
  • "Liaisons"
  • "Interface"
  • "Gambit, Part I"
  • "Gambit, Part II"
  • "Phantasms"
  • "Dark Page"
  • "Attached"
  • "Force of Nature"
  • "Inheritance"
  • "Parallels"
  • "The Pegasus"
  • "Homeward"
  • "Sub Rosa"
  • "Lower Decks"
  • "Thine Own Self"
  • "Masks"
  • "Eye of the Beholder"
  • "Genesis"
  • "Journey's End"
  • "Firstborn"
  • "Bloodlines"
  • "Emergence"
  • "Preemptive Strike"
  • "All Good Things..."

External links

• Naren Shankar at Wikipedia
• Template:IMDb-link