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Screenwriter and producer Jeri Taylor has become best known for her association with the Star Trek franchise. A graduate in English from Indiana University and holder of a Master's Degree from California State University, Taylor ran an acting workshop in L.A. and directed local stage productions before turning to screenwriting in 1979. Through an agent, she secured several assignments as a freelance writer, subsequently contributing a number of scripts to the popular forensic crime series Quincy, M.E. (1976), as well as becoming story editor and producer. She also worked as writer/producer on episodes of Magnum, P.I. (1980), In the Heat of the Night (1988) and Jake and the Fatman (1987).
In 1990, on the recommendation of fellow Quincy collaborator Lee Sheldon, Taylor was contracted by the executive producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). After completing her first assignment, a teleplay for the fourth season episode 'Suddenly Human', she became a permanent fixture on the show, first as staff writer and later as co-executive producer alongside Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Taylor also became involved in other aspects of production, including casting, editing and post-production. She was promoted to showrunner for the final season in 1993.
During her tenure on TNG, Taylor attempted to put a stronger focus on the two main female characters (Troi and Crusher), elevating them from what she described as 'caretaker roles'. While many of Taylor's scripts were concerned with family issues and relationships, she also worked on notably edgy episodes, like 'Night Terrors', 'Silicon Avatar' and part one of 'Unification', which featured Leonard Nimoy's Spock. Her episode 'The Wounded' introduced the Cardassians (make-up artist Michael Westmore had tasked her with finding a name for this race and Taylor initially came up with 'Carvillians' and 'Circassians', before tweaking the name).
When TNG ended its run, Taylor joined Berman and Piller as co-creator of Star Trek Voyager, taking over as showrunner until the end of season four. After handing over the reins to Brannon Braga in 1998, Taylor continued on as creative consultant for another three years. Her management style has been described as approachable and easygoing, director Cliff Bole praising her as being "always available", while Jonathan Frakes commented "she's great to work with as a director and an actor" and she "cares about actors and writing and all aspects of the show".
Jeri Taylor has authored several Star Trek novelizations, including 'Unification', 'Mosaic' (a back story for Voyager's Captain Janeway) and 'Pathways'. She is the mother of actor Alexander Enberg, who appeared in a semi-regular role on Voyager as the Vulcan Ensign Vorik.
