Harve Bennett
(August 17, 1930 - February 25, 2015)Harve Bennett was a television producer and writer since 1968 for numerous television series, most notably including The Mod Squad (starring Tige Andrews and Clarence Williams III), The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Time Trax.
For Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Bennett executive-produced and developed the story with Jack B. Sowards. He both wrote the script and produced Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, as well as providing the voice for a flight recorder. Along with producing Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, he and Leonard Nimoy developed the story while he wrote the script with Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, and Nicholas Meyer. And lastly, Bennett produced Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, developing the story with William Shatner and David Loughery. He also made a cameo appearance as Starfleet Chief of Staff Admiral Robert Bennett. He filmed his scene on Tuesday 11 October 1988, the first day of principal photography.
In the wake of the film’s poor performance and reception, he departed the film series and was replaced by his associate producer Ralph Winter. He was interviewed for the Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special documentary in 1991.
In 2009 Bennett was interviewed for the special feature “Star Trek: The Three Picture Saga” on the DVD box release of Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection, alongside Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens, Peter Krikes, Steve Meerson, Nicholas Meyer, and Ralph Winter.
In 1965 Bennett worked as ABC network executive in charge of the Gene Roddenberry-produced unsold pilot The Long Hunt of April Savage, which starred Robert Lansing and featured Charles Dierkop. According to Robert Justman, Roddenberry threw Bennett off the set in a moment of anger. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story)
Bennett passed away in Medford, Oregon on 25 February 2015. He was 84.