|
Commander Katherine Pulaski is a fictional medical doctor in the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. She is the chief medical officer aboard the Federation starship USS ''Enterprise''-D. Her medical skills saved the lives of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William Riker, and she helped inspire Lt. Commander Data to create a hologram of Professor Moriarty that became self-aware. Pulaski preferred to avoid the transporter, but was forced to rely on it to save her own life from an alien infection. Before arriving on the ''Enterprise-D'', she previously served on the ''USS Repulse''. For a time, she was romantically involved with Kyle Riker, but they continued to remain friends. Portrayed by American actress Diana Muldaur, Pulaski replaced the character of Commander Beverly Crusher for the second season after Gates McFadden's contract was not renewed. Pulaski first appeared in the second season opener "The Child", and made her final appearance in "Shades of Gray". Before playing the role of Pulaski on ''The Next Generation'', Muldaur appeared in ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', playing different characters in the episodes "Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" She later worked with series creator Gene Roddenberry on a pilot for the series ''Planet Earth''. McFadden returned to replace Muldaur in the third season, reprising her role as Dr. Crusher for the remainder of the series. Reviewers criticized Pulaski's approach, as well as her inability to fit in with the crew. Critics noted that her transporter phobia was reminiscent of Dr. Leonard McCoy from ''The Original Series'', as was her relationship with Data; Pulaski's interaction with Data raised comparisons to that of McCoy and Spock from ''The Original Series''. Episodes featuring Pulaski in a leading role, such as "Unnatural Selection", produced divided opinions among critics, with some describing it as a key episode while others argued that it showed only the negative side of her role. ==Concept and development== Towards the end of the first season of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', staff members convinced Gene Roddenberry to drop Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher from the show. Executive producer Rick Berman opposed this decision.〔 To allow for McFadden's return in the future, Roddenberry wrote Crusher's character out rather than killing her.〔Reeves-Stevens (1998): p. 76〕 McFadden's departure led to an opening for a new cast member.〔Gross; Altman (1993): p. 171〕 The producers contacted American actress Diana Muldaur, unaware of her past involvement with Roddenberry's ''Star Trek'' and ''Planet Earth'' pilot. In ''The Original Series'', Muldaur played the role of a doctor in two episodes: as Dr. Ann Mulhall in "Return to Tomorrow", and as Dr. Miranda Jones in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"〔 Muldaur also worked on the pilot for ''Planet Earth'' after getting to know Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett, through their annual ''Star Trek'' Christmas parties. Muldaur was not required to audition for the role of Pulaski.〔 Instead, she was given 15 VHS cassettes of the first season. She found it "very exciting", noting it "got better and better and better" as she watched it.〔 Christina Pickles was also considered for the part of Pulaski, a decision Berman described as "very tough".〔Nemecek (2003): p. 64〕 Muldaur finally agreed to play the role, but asked Roddenberry to change the name of the character to Kate, which became Katherine.〔 The character of Katherine Pulaski was modeled on Doctor Leonard McCoy from ''The Original Series''. Like McCoy, Pulaski feared transporters and disliked unemotional colleagues. The dynamic between McCoy and Spock was revisited with the relationship between Pulaski and Lieutenant Commander Data.〔 Muldaur believed that Roddenberry deliberately created the parallel between the two characters on the two shows.〔 Katherine Pulaski debuted in the second season episode "The Child", with Whoopi Goldberg making her first appearance of the series as Guinan in the same episode. Even though Muldaur was a regular character on ''The Next Generation'', she was only listed in the opening credits as a "Special Guest Star". Overall, Muldaur described her experience portraying Pulaski as "hard work". She expected to be cast for just one season, but was unaware of who would succeed her after she left.〔 Following production of the second season, Muldaur left the series and joined the cast of ''L.A. Law''. She used footage of the episode "Unnatural Selection" to gain the part.〔 Gates McFadden returned to continue her role as Dr. Crusher on ''The Next Generation'' for the remainder of the series. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Katherine Pulaski」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|