Ever notice that Robert Picardo change his voice inflection

Any fan of Voyager knows that the Dr. as played by Robert Picardo dramatically changed his voice inflection by season 2 or 3 from an obvious attempt on the actors part to make his voice sound deeper to where Picardo assumes his actual voice.

I wonder why that was? His voice as originally acted was very contrived to any viewer of the show.

 

It may have been for the same reason Kate's voice changed. TPTB thought her regular voice wasn't quite right, so they had her raise it a few degrees, but it just made it sound shrill. By the end of season 2, she was back down where her normal range is.

Maybe they thought that Bob's voice wasn't deep enough to be a good, manly representation of a doctor?

 

It's Kate's case she has in real life a 2 pack a day smokers voice so it would make sense for the directors to try to alter it since presumably by the 24th century people aren't lighting up but in Picardo's case it was odd but you could be right.

 

You know they have odd ideals on how they "should sound". Remember when they tried to have Marina Sirtis create a fake accent because she was playing a half alien character?

That didn't make sense either. It sounded weird and was dropped by the end of season one.

 

That's true. Besides the idea that a Frenchmen [Picard] would have a British accent is 1000x more absurd.

Quite frankly I'm honestly surprised that anyone in France at all likes TNG if nothing more for how they cast a French captain.

 

Strange. I've been watching quite a few VGR episodes recently, across all seasons, but I didn't notice that. What I did notice is that Picardo's performance gets more cartoonish and therefore grating with every season. But the voice? Hmm...

 

Watch the first few episodes and then jump to the end and pay attention to his voice. It's noticeably different.

 

I wonder if its also an indication he was going from a "mechanical man" to someone more personable.

 

Interestingly when his voice changed I started to like the character more.

 

I never noticed that! Cool. I'm watching the whole thing again now, there are several eppis I haven't seen before one of humans greatests inventions was released (the divine idea that is a dvd). Nice input luv, cheers.

 

I remember seeing an interview with Stewart years ago where he states that they did try rehearsing a scene with Stewart using a French accent, and that it sounded as if Inspector Clouseau had invaded the bridge which is why they abandoned the French accent. I can't say I blame them.

I never noticed that Picardo's voice changed, and I've only just finished watching Season 1 again. Hmm, I may have to go back and check out the change. There are quite a few episodes in this season that I wouldn't mind watching again anyway.

 

I think with Picardo, in season 1 he was playing the Doctor as 'under appreciated computer program' so the only emotion he showed was frustration and being pissed off. In later seasons, he was happy and considered himself a member of the crew.

I've always noticed the difference in Janeway's voice but I just thought it was because she was getting older. In early seasons she was high pitched and nasally. This also went with the bun and the quick powerful walk. Then in later seasons when the hair came down, her voice became a smoker's voice and sounded different.

 

Yeah I can't say I ever noticed their voices changing.... besides through age (which is of course very subtle) But I'd have to disagree with your assessment on the Doctor in getting more and more cartoonish.

I actually found him worse at the start then now at where we're watching (Season 5) ~ he grew a bit more of a dry sense of humor and sarcasm, but at least he's not running around trying to act like a two-bit Viking or being transported into space and nearly getting blown up by a Kazon disruptor beam.

 

Neither of which really has much to do with his acting. I found his original performance refreshing, later on (starting roughly with "The Swarm", which I watched again recently) he added all sorts of bells and whistles that, to my mind, never went so well with the notion that he's a hologram. Ryan and Russ managed to create three-dimensional characters despite the fact that the roles asked for emotional restraint and so forth. Somehow Picardo - for whom similar restrictions should've applied - steered his character away from the original intent.

Sure, it made for interesting character development, but towards the end, the Doctor was always chirpy and grandiose and as such, as I said, grating unless delivered in small doses. I understand the idea behind the actor's choices, but I don't particularly like them. The EMH was among my favorite characters in the first two seasons, and was among my least favorite by the end as a result.

Notable exceptions came throughout any time the writers purposely avoided using the EMH for comedy moments. With serious material like "Critical Care", he worked splendidly. But these occasions became increasingly rare - no doubt because the writers picked up on the direction Picardo's performances were going and supported it with according writing.

 

For you folks who don't notice his voice change, watch season 2 episode 3, Its very distinct there, presumably because the episode showcases him so he wanted/was instructed to alter his voice. It was rather cringy

 

It reminds me of what Marina Sirtis did on TNG. They insisted her voice sound "exotic," but she couldn't maintain it, and slowly over time she just let her natural accent come through, so that by the end of the series, we were hearing Marina's natural voice.

 

Wouldn't the original intent have been to let him gradually develop a personality? And other than for Tuvok - who's emotionally restrained by choice and Seven- who had it imposed on her and was profoundly damaged as a result- there seems to be no compelling reason for a computer-like mind in trek to be emotionally restrained.

Data's emotions are there, but restrained and that seems more like a deliberate choice on the part of Soong than something fundamental. Otherwise the emotion chip wouldn't have been possible either. Lore doesn't seem to be restrained to the same degree as Data for example, even if most of his emotions tend towards the negative.

Also, the EMH is shown to add all kinds of 'personality subroutines' to his program throughout those 7 years. So I see no fundamental problem here. Though I can understand you don't like the kind of personality the EMH became.

 

I always wondered why his voice inflection changed as the show progressed I first started watching Voyager (and most of Star Trek) during Season 5 of Voyager. They started airing reruns weeknights on UPN during the sixth season, and I got to see some of the earlier episodes where it is quite noticeable. As a kid, I think I convinced myself it was because the Doctor was learning how to become more human. A few other things I've noticed about Voyager's earlier seasons vs. the later seasons

1. The shuttlecraft get less TNG and more VOY shaped until we get the Delta Flyer
2. They get an equipment upgrade and switch from TNG style Phasers and Tricorders to the FC model somewhere in Season 2/3
3.Neelix's facial hair changes....somehow. Can't really describe it, but he definitely looks different Season 1 vs Season 7
4. Chakotay starts to dye his hair more in the later seasons.
5. Janeway has her Season 4-7 hairstyle for one episode of Season 2 (Partuition) When I first saw the episode I was like Temporal Anomaly? WTF?

 

Now imagining a scene that has Riker translating Picard's incomprehensible commands to the rest of the crew all the time.. ("Commander, what the hell is 'vorp 8' supposed to mean? ").. it would give him something useful to do, at least

 

The voice shift I most recall was Troi-in season 1(maybe season 2) her accent sounded way more "foreign" and "exotic" than the way Sirtis actually talks. By season 4 or 5 her voice was basically the same as Sirtis voice at convention.

I don't recall the doctor's voice changing-as for his personality it didn't get more "cartoonish" but it did get more over the top and energetic if that's the proper word.