Why was Mabel Barret really dropped as Number One?
- Thread starter tim0122
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Number One is a British Navy thing for referring to a ship's first officer, but I don't think the enlisted crew use the term. If Majel had gotten the role, how would the lower ranks have referred to her? Eventually it would have come up.
Also, Spock was introduced by others on a number of occasions, his name and rank was used in Court Martial.
Sooner or later (it seems to me) TPTB would had to of created a name for her.
In "Vulcan's Glory" she is from a species that use genetic engineering, where she was the best of her batch, so "Number One" was more of a name than just a title, even it didn't call her anything else.
In my own fanfic, I included her as a helmsman during the Four Years War, then had her leading an expedition through the first active Iconian Gateway Starfleet discovered, but due to a star exploding she and her team were trapped on an outpost with no way of ever getting home. In these pieces I bases her name on the Early Voyages comics, calling her Robbins (though hadn't divulged her first name).
In my own fanfic, I included her as a helmsman during the Four Years War, then had her leading an expedition through the first active Iconian Gateway Starfleet discovered, but due to a star exploding she and her team were trapped on an outpost with no way of ever getting home. In these pieces I bases her name on the Early Voyages comics, calling her Robbins (though hadn't divulged her first name).
Commander.
According to Herb Solow and Robert Justman's Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (highly recommended, BTW), the name change was something that GR did to try and pull a fast one on the NBC execs. He changed her billing on "The Cage" to "M. Leigh Hudec," hoping that they wouldn't remember her as "Majel Barrett" when they brought her back as Nurse Chapel. It didn't work. When Nurse Chapel popped up in dailies, one of the NBC execs said, "Well, look who's back."
I personally don't buy the "NBC and the test audiences were big ol' sexists" story at all. Like most of Roddenberry's behind-the-scenes stories, it's complete BS that he made up to make himself look good at the expense of everyone else. As the memos reproduced in Inside Star Trek prove, NBC was a pretty progressive network for the time and they had no problem with a female first officer (or a multiethnic cast, for that matter). They just didn't want GR's mistress in the role.
That's not accurate either. The end credits of "The Cage" have her listed as Majel Barrett. Harvey is right, the M. Leigh Hudec credit was hauled out for the two parter.
I love the Solow/Justman book, too, but they get a bunch of stuff wrong, things very easily checked by simply popping in an episode and looking. Such as Alexander Courage and his "never returning to Star Trek" after the first season. Or when the soprano was used. Easy stuff like that. It's also very "pro-NBC," which may or may not be accurate. Solow says the loved the series. Go figure. Read these things for the memos.
Just bought the Kindle version. I'm interested in reading your take on the character. I hope her name isn't something like "Betty Johnson."
That's what I was saying. Solow and Justman were saying that the credit was changed after the fact. Sorry if my phrasing didn't make that clear.
Based on the last time I read the book cover to cover (I always have it out as a research source in some capacity or another), I'd say it's fairer to say Solow argues that NBC gave the series many chances to succeed — more, even, than were warranted by the ratings. I don't think he suggests that NBC "loved" the show. Though, is my memory playing tricks on me? Probably time to read it again!
The book (which I love) definitely has plenty of errors. I'm writing a piece right now about the Nimoy/Desilu contract dispute between seasons one and two, and Solow mis-reports the facts of the matter left and right. (Cushman, never to be outdone, manages to double down and mis-report even more facts).
Just bought the Kindle version. I'm interested in reading your take on the character. I hope her name isn't something like "Betty Johnson."
Probably "Bajel Marret." Greg will not try too hard!
It's the nickname for the First Lieutenant, who is second in command on a RN ship commanded by a commander or below. On a ship with a full captain, the second in command is just called "The Commander" and "Number One" is below that.
Junior personnel might use the term Number One among themselves, but not directly to the person, agreed.
Though Number One was a lieutenant, apparently.
That's it in a nutshell. The suits at NBC actually liked the idea of a female First Officer -- a very progressive concept at a time when the only women serving on US Navy vessels were nurses on hospital ships. What they didn't like was a relatively unknown actress with limited experience getting the job because she happened to be the producer's girlfriend.
If you'll allow me a shameless plug, the question of her name is addressed in my new Trek novel, CAPTAIN TO CAPTAIN, which just went on sale a few days ago. I won't divulge it here because SPOILERS, but I can mention that I realized early on that we were going to have to finally come up with a name with her because, minor spoiler, the book spans decades, both before and after her stint on Pike's Enterprise, and calling a young ensign--and, later, a seasoned captain--"Number One" just wasn't going to fly.
And, yes, Number One does end up as a captain in her own right, at least in the books.
There have been some fan suggestions of a familial relationship between Number One and Chapel to describe the physical similarities.... is that too fannish an idea for your take on her?
Probably "Bajel Marret." Greg will not try too hard!
Ok, I started the book and know her name, I think Betty Johnson would have been better than what and why the author came up with the choice he did. My first reaction: Boo!
But I'm not going to let it ruin the story for me.
Sure she did. They just renamed her "Yeoman Rand" and hired a different actress. Otherwise, there's no real difference between the two characters.
*zips over to Amazon and places order*If you'll allow me a shameless plug, the question of her name is addressed in my new Trek novel, CAPTAIN TO CAPTAIN, which just went on sale a few days ago. I won't divulge it here because SPOILERS, but I can mention that I realized early on that we were going to have to finally come up with a name with her because, minor spoiler, the book spans decades, both before and after her stint on Pike's Enterprise, and calling a young ensign--and, later, a seasoned captain--"Number One" just wasn't going to fly.
And, yes, Number One does end up as a captain in her own right, at least in the books.
It'll be awhile before I get to read it, though. We're expecting a Canada Post strike by Wednesday.
There's an old, old "Star Trek Mysteries... Solved" entry in one of the early Best of Trek books, in which someone speculates that the two women are sisters.There have been some fan suggestions of a familial relationship between Number One and Chapel to describe the physical similarities.... is that too fannish an idea for your take on her?
Obviously nobody in the '70s could anticipate trying to solve the mystery of why Number One, Christine Chapel, and a telepathic alien named Lwaxana Troi are so much alike.
You're actually quoting me, not urbandefault in your post above, @scotpens.
In Star Trek: Early Voyages her last name was Robbins. In an alternate future she became captain of the Excelsior. I thought she was pretty cool.
"Number One" and "engage", at least two bits from The Cage that were reused later in TNG. Were there any others? (Riker wasn't genetically engineered, as far as we know.)
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