Cliff Bole

Clifford "Cliff" John Bole directed numerous Star Trek episodes from all the three series set in the 24th century.

The Bolian race was named for Cliff Bole (he directed the first episode in which they were featured, ), an in-joke that was carried to an even more obvious conclusion in the naming of the Cliffs of Bole - a tourist destination on the Bolian homeworld. 

According to actor Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Cliff Bole was one of many directors who treated him condescendingly on the set. Wheaton elaborates, "Most of them favored grabbing me by the elbow and moving me around the set, rather than, you know, giving me direction like I was a person or a professional or anything like that. The worst offender was this guy Cliff Bole."

Bole also directed episodes of other cult series, such as ', ',  and The X-Files. In 1982, he directed the pilot of , starring William Shatner and Richard Herd and featuring Ike Eisenmann. Later, he helmed seven additional episodes of that series between 1982 and 1984, some of which also starred James Darren. Bole also directed three episodes of ', which starred Avery Brooks and fifteen episodes of ', which starred Ricardo Montalban.

Bole is featured in the "Regeneration: Engaging the Borg" special of the 2013 The Best of Both Worlds (Blu-ray) release.

Star Trek interviews

 * "Cliff Bole - Of Redemption & Unification", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 17, pp. 27-35, interviewed by Edward Gross