Discovery's lead character will be referred to in the series as “Number One”

[Shalashaska]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/76084

* “Star Trek Discovery’s” lead character, whom we learned earlier this month would be a female, human non-captain Starfleet officer, will be referred to in the series as “Number One,” showrunner Bryan Fuller told me during a radio chat late Saturday.

There's also this! Nicholas Meyer to write the second episode of the show!

* Also? The first season of “Star Trek Discovery,” which begins airing in January, will boast only 13 episodes (the shortest live-action season of Star Trek ever produced), but Fuller told me during the same KERN-FM interview he would prefer to produce only 10 “Star Trek Discovery” episodes per year. (Note that Fuller’s other upcoming series, Starz’ “American Gods,” will comprise only nine first-season episodes. And we've only gotten 10 episodes of "Game of Thrones" per year.)

* While Fuller and “Star Trek Into Darkness” screenwriter Alex Kurtzman wrote the first hour of “Star Trek: Discovery,” the second hour was scripted by Nicholas Meyer ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”).

Is this the same "Number One" that's played by Majel Barrett in The Cage?

How does this character turn into a black or latina female?

 

[locutus101]

I hope it doesn't mean that they'll be a character referred to as "number two".

 

[F. King Daniel]

It would be very cool if the lead character was Majel Barrett's Number One from "The Cage". Novels and behind the scenes materials aside, she's a blank slate.

 

[Christopher]

Presumably it isn't the same Number One. That's just a British-style form of address for first officers. Picard called Riker "Number One" as well.

 

[Seven of Five]

Yeah different characters I'd imagine. It's a nice callback to TNG and The Cage.

 

[milo bloom]

Didn't a lot of the old fanon backstory for Majel's character of Number One include stuff about being a genetically engineered life form? Could that include the ability to change her appearance?

I've always been a little bothered that Abrams' movies didn't do a thing with her but if that leaves her open for Fuller that's even better (I know we're in different timelines).

 

[Michael]

Presumably it isn't the same Number One. That's just a British-style form of address for first officers. Picard called Riker "Number One" as well.

Yeah, that's what I figure as well. I doubt they are writing the series around a secondary character from an old TOS episode.

Didn't a lot of the old fanon backstory for Majel's character of Number One include stuff about being a genetically engineered life form? Could that include the ability to change her appearance?

The genetically engineered part comes from the novel “Vulcan's Glory” by Dorothy Fontana, if I remember correctly.

What's interesting, though, is that this seems to confirm that the new main character will be the first officer of the Discovery.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

More on the subject from Trekcore: http://trekcore.com/blog/2016/08/bryan-fuller-delivers-new-star-trek-discovery-data/

From Fuller's interview with Herc:

Our character, when we introduce the protagonist, she is called ‘Number One’ in honor of Majel Barrett’s character in the original pilot.

As we were first talking about the series and talking to CBS, we said, initially, we’ll only call the character ‘Number One’ because in the Sixties, in the first pilot, Gene Roddenberry was very progressive and had a female first officer.

So since [our lead character] is a female first officer, I just loved that we were calling her ‘Number One.’

 

[locutus101]

Presumably it isn't the same Number One. That's just a British-style form of address for first officers. Picard called Riker "Number One" as well.

But Picard was FRENCH!!!

 

[Christopher]

But Picard was FRENCH!!!

And Pike was American. What's your point?

 

[milo bloom]

Ok, would have been neat for it to have been that character but still a nice callout.

 

[Danlav05]

Casting announcements in October when they're filming in September?

 

[locutus101]

And Pike was American. What's your point?

You said "number one" was an address common among British persons, so how is that relevant to Picard who isn't one?

 

[Christopher]

You said "number one" was an address common among British persons, so how is that relevant to Picard who isn't one?

They were two separate points. The real-world fact is that "Number One" is a British naval term for a first officer. Most likely Roddenberry picked it up from the Horatio Hornblower novels that were part of his inspiration for Star Trek, and had Pike use it to address his first officer in the original pilot. For some reason, he discontinued this practice in the series proper, but then two decades later he decided to resurrect it for TNG. The nationality of Picard or Patrick Stewart is irrelevant, because it was Gene Roddenberry who chose to have Pike and Picard use the term.

 

[locutus101]

They were two separate points. The real-world fact is that "Number One" is a British naval term for a first officer. Most likely Roddenberry picked it up from the Horatio Hornblower novels that were part of his inspiration for Star Trek, and had Pike use it to address his first officer in the original pilot. For some reason, he discontinued this practice in the series proper, but then two decades later he decided to resurrect it for TNG. The nationality of Picard or Patrick Stewart is irrelevant, because it was Gene Roddenberry who chose to have Pike and Picard use the term.

But neither Sisko nor Janeway ever use that term.

 

[Nerys Myk]

But neither Sisko nor Janeway ever use that term.

Roddenberry didn't create Sisko or Janeway.

 

[locutus101]

Roddenberry didn't create Sisko or Janeway.

You have to admit that it's hard to argue a rule when the exceptions are in greater numbers than the items adhering to the rule.

 

[Ovation]

You have to admit that it's hard to argue a rule when the exceptions are in greater numbers than the items adhering to the rule.

No one is arguing a rule. They're explaining a choice.

 

[locutus101]

No one is arguing a rule. They're explaining a choice.

Well, to me "number one" and "make it so" have always been specific of Picard and no one else, in the ST world that is.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

Number One: "Sir, your erratic behavior has put the crew and our mission at risk. You are relieved of command, Captain Garth"
Garth: Loooord Garth!
Number One: Yeah, that's part of the reason you're being relieved. Security, escort "lord" Garth to the bin.