Why was Uhura so underused?

[Gotham Central]

Unlike most of the other secondary characters, Uhura was rarely used beyond her console. Most instances where a woman was needed to go on an away mission, they brought in a special guest star. She was never the love interest unlike all of the other women shown on the show. I think that the only time that we saw her on an away mission was at the begining of "Mirror Mirror" (and she spent most of the rest of the episode at her console.

Why was the character so underused?

 

[Vance]

She was a recurring character, and not a 'guest star', and not a 'regular cast member', and there are union/contract rules about such beasties. This actually controlled the amount of screen time she could get, the number of episodes she was in, and so forth.

It's been rather openly speculated that part of the issue was her well-known relationship with Roddenberry, and that the 'suits' were not comfortable elevating ANYONE female in the Trek cast because of the antics going on.

 

[JNG]

She was a total fox with a nice voice. I don't think anyone would have regretted it if they'd found a way to use her a bit more. Still, it may score points for feminists and whatnot for her to never have been a love interest.

 

[siskostemper]

How about the most obvious reason. It was just sign of thed times the show was produced in. She was going to leave the show over the situation and Martin Luther King convinced her to stick it out.

 

[Noname Given]

It was the 1960ies, and she was essentially an extra (regardless of what she, Dohan, Takei or Koenig may have thought years after the fact). Hell, most shows of the 1960ies had one or two recurring characters that maybe showed up every 3 to 4 episodes. It was just the way TV shows were done in the 1960ies.

 

[Gotham Central]

It was the 1960ies, and she was essentially an extra (regardless of what she, Dohan, Takei or Koenig may have thought years after the fact). Hell, most shows of the 1960ies had one or two recurring characters that maybe showed up every 3 to 4 episodes. It was just the way TV shows were done in the 1960ies.

She was more than an extra. Besides, my point was that even amongst the second stringers, she got very little to do. Nurse Chapel got to do more. To say nothing of Scotty, Sulu and Chekov.

 

[Gotham Central]

How about the most obvious reason. It was just sign of thed times the show was produced in. She was going to leave the show over the situation and Martin Luther King convinced her to stick it out.

There might be something to this. Its just the aggregate of getting less because she was a woman (who's roles were fairly limited on the show to begin with) and then being black...so she could not fill the roles given to most of the other women.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Seems to me she was on screen more often than Sulu or Chekov. I can only recall a few times when someone else manned the Communications station. While Sulu and And Chekov were AWOL quite a bit. She also had featured roles in episodes like "The Changeling", "The Tholian Web" and "Plato's Stepchildren".

 

[sbk1234]

As I understand it, they also wanted to increase the potential love interests for Kirk (as well as others.) 1960's TV wouldn't let that happen with an African American. The only reason they got away with THE KISS, was Kirk and Uhura were being controlled in the show.
I've also heard stories that this was part of the reason why Grace Lee Whitney was given the boot. More varieties of women for the captain.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Mallory]

Uhura was also part of the landing party in City on the Edge of Forever.

 

[number6]

Uhura wasn't underused at all. For a supporting character she got plenty of screentime.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Women who went along on landing parties were quite often used in romantic subplots - this was apparently something that the producers thought would compromise the character.

 

[Therin of Andor]

She also had featured roles in episodes like "The Changeling", "The Tholian Web" and "Plato's Stepchildren".

And some great scenes in "The Man Trap", "Charlie X" and "Gamesters of Triskelion".

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

^She gets to sit in the center seat in the animated episode "The Lorelei Signal," and also leads the rescue team that retrieves Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.

 

[Red Ranger]

Don't forget her prominent role in Mirror, Mirror, where she got to chew some scenery and pull a knife on the evil, lecherous Sulu, and twist the arm of evil Marlena and disarm her.

I think the best answers have been: it was the '60s, she was African-American, and a co-star. There are a few instances where she does more than just open hailing frequencies. I do recall in Balance of Terror and one other ep I can't remember, she does take the navigator station. I always wished Uhura was always the navigator, and Rand could've been the communications officer, just because I like the idea of Uhura firing the torpedoes!

Red Ranger

P.S.: There were a couple of eps where Uhura was replaced by a Lt. Palmer, a blonde woman, yes? I only remember the one time, in The Doomsday Machine.

 

[EnsignRicky]

Probably for the same reason Chekov, Sulu and Scotty were underused; It was the Jim, Spock and Bones show. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

She wasn't underused. She got a decent amount of screentime just like Sulu, Chekov, Chapel, etc. Sulu didn't get to do much other than sit behind his console, except for a few episodes. Uhura was in the same situation. She had larger roles in Gamesters, Mirror Mirror and PLato's Stepchildren just to name a few eps. off the top of my head. She was part of the away mission in City on the Edge of Forever as well.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty to a lesser extent were the stars of the show, so they got the most screentime.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

^She gets to sit in the center seat in the animated episode "The Lorelei Signal," and also leads the rescue team that retrieves Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.

That's just a cartoon, though.

 

[EnsignRicky]

^She gets to sit in the center seat in the animated episode "The Lorelei Signal," and also leads the rescue team that retrieves Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.

That's just a cartoon, though.

Just a cartoon??!!
I'd still say it counts.

 

[TheGodBen]

The Magicks of Megas-Tu pretty much ensured that the cartoon does not count.