Talk:Fred Freiberger

I find it hard to believe that Freiberger wasn't responsible for the decline of 3 shows... – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.71.243.116.

How is this even relevant to this article? – Morder 23:13, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Interesting list, but what about Trek?

This page is mainly a list of his other works, with virtually nothing about his involvement with or influence on Trek. I was hoping to learn about his affect on the final season of TOS, but there's nothing here. Can anyone add some relevant info?

— Cepstrum ^(talk) 01:39, December 27, 2010 (UTC)

Added "pna-incomplete" tag

See above for one: I thought the consensus was that the third season of TOS was markedly different, though I actually haven't seen many TOS episodes, so I have no clue. I'd like to know what role Mr. Freiberger played in the third season after Gene was "kicked upstairs" (and eventually left). Was it for good or ill? Was he a friend of Roddenberry or a lackey of NBC? I know these are kind of strange, vague, questions, but I'd like to know whether he made the (usually derided) third season worse, or kept it from being worse. This info isn't on the TOS season three article either, but even if it was, shouldn't the relevant portions be here as well? Some quotes from that article:

• Behind the scenes changes resulted in the season being poorly received by many fans and cast members.
• Some production staff members were disappointed with season three.
• Ira Steven Behr once said that both he and his sister were disappointed "with the third season".
• In a 2006 interview, Leonard Nimoy called it "very weak in general, but it was especially not good for Spock."

None of it says what role the producer himself had to do with any of this, though the article does mention problems with a few production staff, and in particular, the writing staff (viz., story consultant Arthur Singer). Does anyone know what was said about Mr. Freiberger?

Also, there are no citations or sources for the information – not even for his alleged internment as a POW in World War II. Is it all derived from the (not always reliable) IMDb? From Wikipedia? A background/behind-the-scenes book (which, sad for me, I have none)? The only link is to the IMDb. I would think at least one of the many books about the production of TOS mentioned him. But maybe none did. If so, then I guess we can take down the pna tag and just list his movie credits from the IMDb.

— Cepstrum ^(talk) 13:59, December 28, 2010 (UTC)

Ok, I found (from Wikipedia) that Nichols and Shatner explicitly referenced Freiberger, with both asserting he didn't deserve blame for the drop in quality in the third season. It's still lacking much: eg, I don't know where the WWII reference came from, so I added an in-cite tag to it.

— Cepstrum ^(talk) 14:23, December 28, 2010 (UTC)

For what's it worth - in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, Herbert F. Solow and Bob Justman pretty much 'exonerate' Freiberger as well. They rather blame Roddenberry for practically abandoning the series. A few choice quotes:

"[Gene] Roddenberry moved away from the Star Trek office building and into a small single room at the other end of the lot, turning his back on the series although he continued to draw his Executive Producer salary." (p. 395)

They quote Freiberger as stating it was the most unpleasant experience of his life. "My ordeal in a German prison camp only lasted two years. My travail with Star Trek has spanned twenty-five years and still counting." (P. 395)

"It wasn't too difficult to understand Freddie's pain. Not only was he thrown into a nest of feuding actors at a recalcitrant studio; but when the show's captain, Roddenberry himself, deserted ship and turned over his command, Freiberger was suddenly alone at the top." (p. 396)

"To this day, Freiberger continues to fend off the negative comments advanced by Roddenberry, Nimoy, and other series regulars relative to Fred's creative guidance of Star Trek's final year." (p.398)

– Cleanse ^{( talk | contribs )} 00:46, December 29, 2010 (UTC)