Star Trek Producer Robert Justman Dies

June 1, 2008

Producer Robert H. Justman, one of the shepherd's of the original 1960s Star Trek television series and the franchise's 1980s series Star Trek: The Next Generation, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. Justman, 81, suffered complications from Parkinson's disease reportedly.

Aboard the Star Trek production from day one in 1966, Justman served associate producer and technical consultant, later rising to co-producer.  Though NBC canceled the series in 1969, the program attracted a fiercely dedicated fan base and remains a syndication staple.

Program creator Gene Roddenberry gathered much of his original team to deliver Star Trek: The Next Generation two decades later. The revival aired from 1987 to 1994. As supervising producer of Next Generation, Justman had a hand in everything from set design to script development.

Among his many contributions and achievements, however, Next Generation executive producer Rick Berman says the one that shines brightest is Justman's push for the casting of Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard. Justman decided to retire one year after working on the series.

Justman, born July 13, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jacqueline; two sons and a daughter; two sisters and one brother; and five grandchildren.