Was Beverly a waste of space?

[Captain Kathryn]

Beverly wasn't particularly lively or funny like The Doctor or McCoy. Even Bashir had more excitement. But for a ship of families, she was okay. I think that she and Picard had good chemistry with one another. I wanted them to get together right from the get go.

Also...definitely not a waste of space. Every ship needs a doctor!!

Pulaski, even though a weird Season 2 thing for no apparent reason...had a little bit more of a funnier, sarcastic, and edgy personality. I did not like her initial treatment of Data though. Of course that was rectified by the end of the season anyway.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Eh, I thought she was rather condescending to Data in that episode too. Maybe with good intentions this time, but no less so.

Pulaski was condescending to Data towards the whole first part of the season.

I didn't get why her name was not on the main credits during that season...she was in a lot of episodes, almost the same as Crusher might have been. I didn't really get it.

But yeah as for the way she acted towards Data at first...that is why she turned me off. But she seemed to have rectified that towards the end.

 

[Pavonis]

I didn't get why her name was not on the main credits during that season...she was in a lot of episodes, almost the same as Crusher might have been. I didn't really get it.

Because Diana Muldaur didn't want to be listed in the main credits. It was negotiated into her contract, and probably was influenced by her pay. I won't pretend to understand the intricacies of Hollywood actor pay negotiations and billing, but that's how I understand the situation.

 

[MacLeod]

Well the best places to be in the main credits on the TV show is of course at the start, bonus points if it's before the title card. Another good place is right at the end with words like 'and' or 'with' preceeding your name. Much like what happened to Michaeal Shanks when he returned to SG-1 after his year away.

 

[Lance]

I wouldn't say Crusher is a waste of space 'in-universe'. But narratively she serves no function in the TNG movies, so in those she is indeed basically irrelevant. But she wouldn't be alone there.

I'd say her best schtick was always her relationship to Picard. She arguably knew the Captain better than anybody else onboard and this gave their chemisty a bit of zest. As ship's doctor though she was merely competent. She did her job well but without the flair of, say, Bones McCoy. The little character tics they did give her, like running the onboard theater company or being a good dancer, often felt a little weak compared to the dominant traits most of the other characters possessed.

 

[Dream]

I didn't get why her name was not on the main credits during that season...she was in a lot of episodes, almost the same as Crusher might have been. I didn't really get it.

Because Diana Muldaur didn't want to be listed in the main credits. It was negotiated into her contract, and probably was influenced by her pay. I won't pretend to understand the intricacies of Hollywood actor pay negotiations and billing, but that's how I understand the situation.

Diana Muldaur was also paid more than certain main cast members in season 2, which I can imagine pissed off some of them.

 

[jpv2000]

I didn't get why her name was not on the main credits during that season...she was in a lot of episodes, almost the same as Crusher might have been. I didn't really get it.

Because Diana Muldaur didn't want to be listed in the main credits. It was negotiated into her contract, and probably was influenced by her pay. I won't pretend to understand the intricacies of Hollywood actor pay negotiations and billing, but that's how I understand the situation.

Diana Muldaur was also paid more than certain main cast members in season 2, which I can imagine pissed off some of them.

Yeah, I could easily see that happening.

 

[Makarov]

I kinda think that woman who was the judge in Measure of Man had more chemistry with Picard than Crusher.

 

[Maurice]

Billing is contractually negotiated. Since Muldaur came aboard a season in, everyone else's position in the opening credits was likely long since settled, and best she could have hoped for would be to be added as the last actor credit in the sequence. This is why Jonathan Harris is the last actor in Lost In Space's titles, and why he's listed as "Special Guest Star" to make him stand out.

 

[The Old Mixer]

The sequence was alphabetical after Frakes, and names were easily extracted when Crosby and Wheaton left...and reinserted when McFadden came back.