The re-hiring of McFadden

[donners22]

I know there's a few versions of this story floating around, but I'd not heard this one until an appearance from Richard Arnold in Mebourne yesterday.

Firstly, he said that McFadden was flat out fired after the first season, which is no surprise. However, he said that when Muldaur was released due to conflict with Berman, plans were made to hire a THIRD person as the doctor.

When Roddenberry returned from a holiday, he was so incensed at what Berman had done (being a fan of Muldaur), he insisted McFadden be re-hired purely as punishment for Berman.

Is that a common version of the events? I've heard a few, but never that one.

 

[SonicRanger]

Never heard that one either. And it doesn't really ring true either.

 

[Kegek]

That sounds staggeringly improbable. I don't know the background, but I'm assuming they felt going back to the original character was a safer bet than gambling a third time.

One of the biggest problems with McFadden in the first season was her use of her real hair, which could seriously impede the shoot, and it was part of her returning contract that she had to wear a wig. So her practical, if not dramatic, flaws had been mollified.

 

[AJBryant]

Can someone cite the reasons she was fired in the first place? (And the reasons Muldau was fired?) I never really got the stories on those.


Tony

 

[Angel4576]

From memory, McFadden was quite vocal about her disappointment in how her character had developed (or not) in the first season. She had ideas that the producers didn't necessarily share and eventually she was released.

Muldaur, again, from memory, was incredibly unpopular, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that they'd made a mistake.

The support for McFadden's return came from a few sources. Letter writing campaigns from the fans, support from Patrick Stewart, and for whatever his motivations or encouragement, Berman personally invited her back.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I wasn't following any behind-the-scenes sources when the show was airing, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see her name in the opening credits of "Evolution".

 

[WalkinMan]

Also wasn't there this thing where someone harassed McFadden in S1?

 

[SonicRanger]

^^^

Allegedly, yes -- supposedly, McFadden said to TPTB: "It's him or me" and lost, but then that person supposedly left after the second season, making room for McFadden to return. One only need to check the change in credits between the second and third seasons to make a list of suspects.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Angel4576 said:


Muldaur, again, from memory, was incredibly unpopular, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that they'd made a mistake.

Not exactly. Plans were laid for Kate Pulaski to return for the third season; several scripts were written with her in them. Muldaur wanted to be released from the first three or so episodes so she could do a McCloud reunion movie. Berman refused. Muldaur quit shortly afterward. At least from what I recall of an interview with Muldaur (I believe it was either in the defunct Star Trek: The Magazine or Starlog).

A similar situation occured with Wil Wheaton at the beginning of season 4, which I think he goes into greater detail on his blog.

 

[Kegek]

SonicRanger said:
Allegedly, yes -- supposedly, McFadden said to TPTB: "It's him or me" and lost, but then that person supposedly left after the second season, making room for McFadden to return.

I believe that rumoured person is intended to be Maurice Hurley, the producer of TNG during season one and two who left after that.

Bear in mind I am repeating a version of the rumour I've earlier read and have no reason to give it credulity.

 

[Therin of Andor]

donners22 said:
he said that when Muldaur was released due to conflict with Berman, plans were made to hire a THIRD person as the doctor.

Essentially that is correct, and still the original story. Muldaur was not on a five-year contract. She was free to become "unavailable" by simply giving sufficient notice to TNG scriptwriters - and she really, really wanted to do a three-week shoot of the reunion telemovie, "The Return of McCloud" (she'd played regular, Chris opposite Dennis Weaver), and then return to the Pulaski role.

When she announced she'd rather not be in the first three episodes of Season Three of TNG, Berman made plans for the casting of a third (and permanent) CMO - one plan was for an alien doctor (possibly Dr Selar?) - and Berman also ordered the rewriting of the new scripts that, of course, already had Pulaski in them.

he insisted McFadden be re-hired purely as punishment for Berman.

Well, it also got the producers out of a hole with the (still very loud) "Bring Back Gates" brigade.

Is that a common version of the events? I've heard a few, but never that one.

Variations on a theme, like a game of Chinese Whispers. Richard Arnold has been an annual visitor to Australian conventions since 1988, and yes, this is still essentially the same story. While he was actually working for Rick Berman (ST IV till 1991), he left out the word "punishment".

 

[Ro_Laren]

Well I'm sure glad they didn't hire a third doctor!! Is there anyone here that actually likes Pulaski better than Crusher???

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

^I do. As I've stated in other threads, Pulaski was a more solid character than Crusher, who was rather one-note and flat being just the boy's mother and Picard's psuedo-love interest. Pulaski had some bite to her as a character, divorced three times, had an affair with Riker's father and stood-up to Picard and challenged his decision-making process.

Crusher, however, was the Janice Rand of TNG with a medical degree. Although, there was dramatic potential with the characters of Picard and Crusher since the former oversaw the mission that got the latter's husband killed. "Justice" almost played up that idea with Picard having to rescue Wesley but the tension in that episode between the characters was flat, either from the writing or the performance.

 

[Kegek]

I also prefer Pulaski. A very strong character, one of the best female characters in Star Trek (not that that's a competitive category). A McCoy clone, maybe, but a good one and McCoy's not a bad model.

 

[donners22]

I never liked the way the character treated Data. I read one review that compared the Spock/McCoy relationship to Pulaski/Data. Whereas Spock could always end the banter with a curved brow or cutting remark that left no doubt as to who was really dominant in the relationship, while Data was often left without any comeback and wound up looking like an abused child. I think the Pulaski/Picard relationship would have had some potential, though, as I could believe her challenging him a lot more than Crusher.

Also, I do recall a director commenting that Muldaur couldn't remember her lines, and that they had to use cue cards to get her through scenes. That would be rather irritating for the production staff, I suspect.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Kegek said:

SonicRanger said:
Allegedly, yes -- supposedly, McFadden said to TPTB: "It's him or me" and lost, but then that person supposedly left after the second season, making room for McFadden to return.

I believe that rumoured person is intended to be Maurice Hurley, the producer of TNG during season one and two who left after that.

Bear in mind I am repeating a version of the rumour I've earlier read and have no reason to give it credulity.

Nonetheless, you've got it pretty much on the nose.

Attendees at the 1988 Creation Con in LA may also remember Roddenberry's rant from the podium when, responding to "bring back Crusher" protestors/fans, he said "You all get to vote 'yea' and I get one 'nay' vote and the 'nays' win."

GR went on to explain to the started audience that "if I listened to everything you want, the show would be shit."

By the beginning of TNG's third year, the higher-ups at Paramount had just about had it with Roddenberry.

 

[DS9forever]

I kind of wish they had gone for a third doctor. I never really liked Crusher or Pulaski.

 

[broberfett]

They time travelled so much that they should have just brought in Doctor Who.

 

[Nebusj]

donners22 said:
I never liked the way the character treated Data. I read one review that compared the Spock/McCoy relationship to Pulaski/Data. Whereas Spock could always end the banter with a curved brow or cutting remark that left no doubt as to who was really dominant in the relationship, while Data was often left without any comeback and wound up looking like an abused child.

Though you did notice, I'm sure, that her relentless picking on Data lasted a whole two and a half weeks, and that she developed into one of his strongest boosters.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Kegek said:
One of the biggest problems with McFadden in the first season was her use of her real hair, which could seriously impede the shoot, and it was part of her returning contract that she had to wear a wig. So her practical, if not dramatic, flaws had been mollified.

I've never heard that until recently. What was wrong with McFadden's hair? Was it a giant tribble who'd eat all the catered food?