Missed opportunities, TV-era guest stars coming to the movies

[alpha_leonis]

So out of all the people who appeared on the original series during its TV run, all of the "Big Seven" transitioned to the entire series of six movies. Khan and Sarek also had major roles, and there were also cameos by Chapel, Rand, Kyle, and Amanda.

Who else from the list of TOS "guest characters" could have made the transition up to the big screen?

I've always been disappointed that none of the "big three" Klingons made it to one of the Klingon-heavy movies (they did eventually make it on to DS9). Kruge in TSFS was a massive ham of a character, but then so was Koloth. In TFF, instead of General Korrd, why not General Kor (who also ended up disgraced?) In TUC, why not General Kang instead of General Chang?

I've heard rumors that Harry Mudd was considered to be the "transportation trader" in TSFS when McCoy was trying to book passage to Genesis. That would have been a better choice than IMO the goofiest looking alien character that Star Trek has ever shown.

I also think the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident" could easily have been one of the co-conspirators in TUC, in place of who-the-heck-is-Nanclus. Apparently that actress was asked to come back for TNG's "Face of the Enemy" but she wasn't available. At least we know she was still a working actor around that time.

Anybody else who could/should have made that leap?

 

[FormerLurker]

I've heard rumors that Harry Mudd was considered to be the "transportation trader" in TSFS when McCoy was trying to book passage to Genesis. That would have been a better choice than IMO the goofiest looking alien character that Star Trek has ever shown.

That guy escaped from Fantasia after getting a haircut from Caractacus Potts!

 

[Khan 2.0]

Joan collins in Generations

 

[DonIago]

Cyrano Jones or pretty much any of the major players from "The Trouble with Tribbles" could theoretically have shown up again in some capacity.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

Although Kruge became one of the great Klingon characters of Trek and a formidable opponent for Kirk, it would have been fun to see John Colicos reprise Kor for this film (or perhaps have him in place of General Chang). For other TOS characters, Commander / Captain Kevin Riley should have popped up in the background somewhere.

 

[Kor]

Captain Kang, perhaps now commanding a K'Tinga cruiser that tries to stop the Excelsior from rescuing Kirk and McCoy from Klingon space in STVI: The Undiscovered Country, or something. Wouldn't that be brilliant?

Kor

 

[Starbreaker]

I think Ro Laren was a missed opportunity. I know Forbes didn't want to do a series, but she probably would have done a movie. But they probably would have taken away all of Gates McFadden's lines at that point.

 

[Vger23]

Gorgon, the Friendly Angel as the captain of the Enterprise-B would have been cool.

 

[DonIago]

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to call the (red?) angel so we will go. Far away, for to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no Friendly Angel has gone before!

 

[Grant]

Mudd, Kor, Kang, Romulan Commander, Stiles(TV), Boma, Tal could have replaced other newly created characters and been perhaps more logical or fun as adversaries in the movies.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I definitely would have loved to have seen the Romulan Commander in one of the movies.

It would have been fun to see Samuel T. Cogley representing Admiral Kirk at the Federation Council after the Genesis incident or being present at the Federation President's office in The Undiscovered Country.

How about Trelane showing up for one of the movies?

 

[Khan 2.0]

For Trek V instead of sybok.... the return of Lazarus!

Or maybe for TVH instead of whale probe have a(nother) villain seeking revenge vs the crew..but ..who?.. Lazarus of course! (Lazarus having escaped 'the corridor' and is destroying the universe so the BoP has to go back in time to the events of 'The Alternative Factor' being careful not to run into their younger selves... so ultimately having to battle and deal with FOUR Lazarus'!)

 

[Falconer]

 

[Therin of Andor]

Although Kruge became one of the great Klingon characters of Trek and a formidable opponent for Kirk, it would have been fun to see John Colicos reprise Kor for this film

Of course, Kor was supposed to return in "The Trouble With Tribbles" and "The Day of the Dove", but both times was unavailable.

For other TOS characters, Commander / Captain Kevin Riley should have popped up in the background somewhere.

Kevin Riley was runner-up in a convention audience poll which saw Janice Rand voted in as Excelsior Communications Officer in ST VI. Then she lost a few of her lines to Christian Slater, whose mother, Mary Jo Slater, was Casting Director.

 

[Maurice]

Of course, Kor was supposed to return in "The Trouble With Tribbles" and "The Day of the Dove", but both times was unavailable.

So people say, but Justman is on record in a production memo shooting down this idea "Just think of it – billions of stars and millions of Class M-type planets and who should he [Kirk] run into, but a fella he has had trouble with before," when it was first pitched for "A Private Little War" by GR's pal Don Ingalls. If it wasn't going to get into that it wasn't getting in, period. Gerrold wrote Kor into Tribbles, but they were never going to do it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

but they were never going to do it.

So they did Harry Mudd twice instead.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I've always been disappointed that none of the "big three" Klingons made it to one of the Klingon-heavy movies (they did eventually make it on to DS9). Kruge in TSFS was a massive ham of a character, but then so was Koloth. In TFF, instead of General Korrd, why not General Kor (who also ended up disgraced?) In TUC, why not General Kang instead of General Chang?

it would have been fun to see John Colicos reprise Kor for this film (or perhaps have him in place of General Chang).

Captain Kang, perhaps now commanding a K'Tinga cruiser that tries to stop the Excelsior from rescuing Kirk and McCoy from Klingon space in STVI: The Undiscovered Country, or something. Wouldn't that be brilliant?

I am utterly amazed that anyone would ever want to replace Christopher Plummer in any film. He's CHRISTOPHER FREAKING PLUMMER, man.

I've heard rumors that Harry Mudd was considered to be the "transportation trader" in TSFS when McCoy was trying to book passage to Genesis.

It'd make McCoy look pretty foolish to trust Harry Mudd to do anything, IMO. Even if McCoy wasn't in his right mind at the time.

I also think the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident" could easily have been one of the co-conspirators in TUC, in place of who-the-heck-is-Nanclus.

I personally don't see this adding much of anything to the film outside of Small Universe Syndrome. Most of the other actors cast in the Trek movies were either known character actors or celebrities in their own rights. Joanne Linville isn't particularly known by anyone except Trek fans.

But I was never particularly impressed by the Romulan Commander in "The Enterprise Incident," anyway. She was very easily fooled.

Joan collins in Generations

This one could have worked. Joan Collins was a known actress, and it would've been better to see Kirk give up a love where we already knew how much she meant to him, instead of some random woman we'd never heard of before and never even met in the finished film. Carol Marcus also could have worked, since audiences knew and remembered her from TWOK, but I'm not sure if Bibi Besch's health at the time would've allowed her to appear. (She died in September 1996.)

But honestly, I'm fine with most other characters from the TV staying as fan service cameos. The TNG crew never doing a movie with John de Lancie as Q was a definite missed opportunity, though. I'd have certainly wanted to watch that more than Insurrection or Nemesis.

 

[Kor]

My comment about Kang was more a reference to that lousy Voyager "Flashback" episode. If that had been in the movie , it would have been a "B" story in addition to the main stuff with General Chang.

If TNG wanted star power from a TV series guest star, they could have brought back Robin Lefler and made her the main character, with the rest of the crew taking a back seat.

Kor

 

[JonnyQuest037]

My comment about Kang was more a reference to that lousy Voyager "Flashback" episode. If that had been in the movie , it would have been a "B" story in addition to the main stuff with General Chang.

Yeah, I realized that after I wrote my post. Oddly enough, I rewatched most of that episode just last night and was rather amazed at how much it doesn't jibe with what was presented in STVI. Sulu attempting a rescue mission after the Klingon Chancellor says that any attempt to do so would be considered an act of war, Praxis exploding three days before the main action of STVI instead of two months, Rand suddenly being a Lt. Commander instead of a Lieutenant J.G., and Valtine dying when he's seen as alive and well at the end of the movie... Honestly, I think we have to write that entire story off as Tuvok's mind playing tricks with him due to that whatever-it-was memory virus.

And more than that... Sulu doesn't play any part in resolving the main problem of the story! What's the point in having George Takei guest star if you're not going to have his character be integral to the story and help find the solution? They honestly could've told that Tuvok flashback story on any ship instead of the Excelsior and it would've made no substantial difference to the story.

 

[Maurice]

So they did Harry Mudd twice instead.

In the second instance he deliberately sent Norman to get the Enterprise. It didn't just happen than he and Kirk just conveniently/accidentally ended up as opponents. Once Justman was gone in S3 maybe they would have considered bringing a Kor back.