Tracy Tormé Obituary

Tracy Tormé, a renowned UFO expert and the son of the suave crooner Mel Tormé, passed away at the age of 64. Tormé, who co-created the 1990s series Sliders and played a pivotal role as the head writer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, succumbed to complications from diabetes in Escondido, California, on Thursday, as confirmed by his sister, actress Daisy Tormé, and brother, recording artist James Tormé, to The Hollywood Report.

In addition to his contributions to television, Tormé served as a writer on Saturday Night Live during its eighth season (1982-83). He collaborated with Travis Walton to write and produce the fantasy drama film Fire in the Sky (1993), featuring D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick. Tormé also worked as a consultant on Robert Zemeckis’ acclaimed sci-fi drama Contact (1997).

His involvement extended to the realm of film, where he crafted the original treatment for I Am Legend (2007), directed by Francis Lawrence. Tormé received co-producer credit for the film, which grossed an impressive $585.4 million for Warner Bros. Starring Will Smith, the post-apocalyptic thriller depicted Smith battling mutants as the last human in New York and was based on a Richard Matheson novel.

During the first two seasons (1987-89) of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tormé penned the episode “The Big Goodbye,” earning a Peabody Award—the only episode across all Star Trek series to achieve this distinction. His influence was crucial in establishing the Holodeck as a centerpiece for the show. Tormé also served as an executive story editor and creative consultant before parting ways with the series.

Notably, Sliders, co-created by Tormé and Robert K. Weiss, featured Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys-Davies, and Cleavant Derricks. The show, which followed a group of characters “sliding” between different Earths in parallel universes, ran for five seasons from 1995-2000 on Fox and the Sci-Fi Channel. Tormé departed the series during the third season due to creative differences with network executives.

Born on April 12, 1959, in Los Angeles to model Arlene Miles and Mel Tormé, Tracy Tormé was profoundly influenced by films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Planet of the Apes movies during his teenage years.