does robert picardo sing in voyager

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Does Robert Picardo Actually Sing????

Discussion in ' Star Trek: Voyager ' started by pimp , Dec 20, 2008 .

pimp Commander Red Shirt

Hello I want to know if it was actually Robert Picardo as the Doctor who sang and not someone else singing for him. Thanks  

Gepard Vice Admiral Admiral

Yes, it was. IIRC, Picardo considered becoming a singer before he decided on acting.  

OK, i always thought it was him singing but on one of the episodes where he goes up on stage and sings to an audience it seems like another person is singing for him.  

Jeri Vice Admiral Admiral

Slightly OT, but I'd never seen that movie, "Legend," before; and last night I happened to catch the very end of it and noticed Robert Picardo is in the credits. The movie was made in 1985. He plays a character, called "Meg." Did anybody see him in that? How was he, and did he have hair?  

Flibble Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

I've seen Robert Picardo singing at a convention a few years ago, so I am sure that he wasn't dubbed in the Voyager episodes.  

Shatmandu Vice Admiral Admiral

pimp said: ↑ OK, i always thought it was him singing but on one of the episodes where he goes up on stage and sings to an audience it seems like another person is singing for him. Click to expand...

DontFeedPhil Fleet Captain

I wouldnt doubt if it was actually him singing but not on the set. Meaning that he recorded it in a studio so it sounded good and then acted the singing on the set of Voyager and they dubbed him in over himself...  

Piper Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

I've heard him singing at a con too, belted it out with gusto and it seemed to be part of his regular convention repertoire.  

INACTIVESamusAranX Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

Actually, contrary to popular belief, before and during his days of fame as a member of N'Sync, Justin Timberlake provided the singing voice for The Doctor's singing scenes in Star Trek: Voyager.  

AuntKate Commodore Commodore

He sings. I think that was his voice with Jeri Ryan whenever they sang together; I think it was his voice in "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy," too. However, I heard him say at a convention that it wasn't his voice during "Virtuoso," because they wanted a tenor.  

Candlelight Admiral Admiral

Piper said: ↑ I've heard him singing at a con too, belted it out with gusto and it seemed to be part of his regular convention repertoire. Click to expand...

2 of 10 Captain Captain

In his duets with Seven, it was him doing all the singing, I am sure that he did all his own singing parts, he does have a really good voice. The song "You are my Sunshine" with Seven he knows how to put passion into even a simple little song like that, he does opera also...  

propita Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

He had/has a cd out. I have it, so I know it's real. At Galaxy Ball 2001, there was a lot of singing at the dinner--Picardo, Beltran, Phillips played the sax, the whole group sang, Tim Russ' band played and was selling a cd earlier that day (Hubby said that if he had known he would like the music that much, he would've bought the cd). They are an amazingly musical bunch.  

SonicRanger Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Picardo's CDs: http://www.robertpicardo.net/store/store.html  

cyph Captain Captain

AuntKate said: ↑ He sings. I think that was his voice with Jeri Ryan whenever they sang together; I think it was his voice in "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy," too. However, I heard him say at a convention that it wasn't his voice during "Virtuoso," because they wanted a tenor. Click to expand...

Yes, Jeri sings beautifully. I'm thinking she probably sang for her Miss Illinois pageant, which she won in 1990. I posted this in the occular implant thread earlier, but... Memory Alpha has a clip of her singing "It Can't Be Wrong," at their episode page: Memory Alpha -- VOY:Killing Game Here is a direct link: audio  

Yeah, I watched that episode last week. I would have liked to seen her in "character mode" for longer...  

B_L_T Lieutenant Red Shirt

Robert Picardo sings beautful. I have cd and see him at convention, he sing there too.  

philbor Cadet Newbie

Jeri said: ↑ Slightly OT, but I'd never seen that movie, "Legend," before; and last night I happened to catch the very end of it and noticed Robert Picardo is in the credits. The movie was made in 1985. He plays a character, called "Meg." Did anybody see him in that? How was he, and did he have hair? Click to expand...

Triskelion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

The what now? He's a Chucky Cheese robot.  

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Screen Rant

Every musical sequence in the star trek franchise explained.

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9 Versions Of The Borg In Star Trek

The star trek universe's next major crossover event to begin in landmark 500th issue special, data's lost chapter begins, as star trek's android quits starfleet to kill a god.

SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 2 below. 

With a cast rife with Broadway experienced actors and professional singers, the Star Trek franchise has subsequently entertained various musical interludes that serve the purpose of both character development and distinctive entertainment. Recently, Picard season 2 gave Alison Pill a scene to show off her singing talents with a powerful rendition of Shadows of the Night. Picard is continuing the Star Trek tradition of sprinkling musicality into its narrative, reminiscent of its predecessors, so here is an exploration behind the musical sequences in the franchise.

From Nichelle Nichols to Alison Pill, there have been a vast amount of practiced singers within each cast in Star Trek.  Star Trek: The Original Series likely popularized the phenomenon of including musical moments in the franchise due to the 1960s appeal of hiring singers or band members to be guest stars and extras so a marketable song could be created, an example being the ragtag band from "The Way To Eden." Professional singers from the franchise include Robert Picardo, Nana Visitor, Brent Spiner, and James Darren. Music is a huge element of Star Trek and has inspired a pattern in every installment including the most recent series  Picard, where Alison Pill pays homage to these interludes, the song most notably a homage to Jeri Ryan's interrupted cover of That Old Black Magic from Star Trek: Voyager season 4 episode 18 "The Killing Game."

Related: Star Trek Just Made Uhura's Best TOS Scene Even Better

The musical instances in Star Trek set it apart from most sci-fi properties by adding an ecstatic and altogether bubbly vibe to its universe. While there is war and mayhem in space, these songs highlight the franchise's ability to focus on the light in the darkness and the optimism its concept represents. The performances are consistently charismatic, bright, and creative which adds to the earnest nature of Trek. In large, the universe's humanity is what Star Trek attempts to extract, and remains as strong as ever with these scenes. Music, especially, gets that point across in the franchise.

Uhura's Song

"Uhura's Song" is first heard in TOS season 1 episode 2 "Charlie X" as the communications officer sings along to Spock playing his instrument. This is Uhura's first stand-out moment in the series and perhaps one of the most memorable of her character. It is sung by Nichelle Nichols herself who later put the song on her album Down To Earth which contains covers such as "Feelin' Good" or "That's Life" . Before taking on the role of Uhura, Nichols performed with the legendary Duke Ellington. The purpose of the song in Star Trek is to establish Uhura's outgoing and convivial personality. She is a good influence on her friends and crewmates, as shown during her song when she playfully goads Spock into playing longer and joining in on the fun. This song became a significant catalyst for various instances of musical interludes in the franchise.

Maiden Wine

Leonard Nimoy was a prolific singer in the 1960s-1970s, creating 5 studio albums in his time. It is not altogether surprising Spock is given a moment to shine with his uniquely angelic voice. In TOS season 2 episode 10 "Plato's Stepchildren" Spock is forced through mind control to sing "Maiden Wine" . Nimoy wrote the song himself for the episode and it can be found with a second verse on his 1969 album The Touch of Leonard Nimoy. Though most well-known for a chipper  Lord of the Rings- themed song "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" , Nimoy is an accomplished singer who can claim a vast collection of music. "Maiden Wine" puts Spock's internal conflict on naked display. He is forced to show emotions which is a human failing he has avoided all of his life. The song is an extension of his pain towards mind control and its consequences.

A British Tar

In the third installment of the Star Trek  TNG  sequel films, Star Trek: Insurrection, Picard and Worf begin to sing "A British Tar" over the comms of their ship in order to distract Data from his dangerous instance of malfunctioning. The song is from the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore and was composed by the lyricist duet Gilbert and Sullivan in the 19th century. The song choice on Picard's part is in character since he and Data in TNG share a mutual interest in Shakespeare and seemingly pre-20th-century culture. Several of the TNG actors can sing professionally, including the Broadway experienced Brent Spiner, so this brief scene of levity in Star Trek: Insurrection inspires a jovial and sing-a-long vibe with a harmony of strong voices.

Related: How Star Trek: Picard Connects Data's Death Back To Nemesis

Having performed in the hit musical Chicago on Broadway, Nana Visitor bewitches the audience with her musical interlude of Fever in DS9. In season 6 episode 20 "His Way" of Deep Space Nine Lola Chrystal, who is a holographic replica of Kira, sings her sultry rendition of the song to Odo. Fitting with the theme of Vic Fontaine's club, "Fever" was a song written in 1956 by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell which has been previously covered by classic singers such as Elvis Presley and Madonna. Lola's appearance in the episode is an attempt by Vic Fontaine to aid Odo in his goal of romancing Kira. The lyrics of the song reflect Odo's feelings towards Kira, especially the lines "Never know how much I love you, never know how much I care." Throughout DS9, Odo has significant trouble opening up about his feelings for Kira choosing instead to repress them.

The popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1926 "Blue Skies" makes its first appearance in Star Trek in the fourth installment of the TNG sequel films Star Trek: Nemesis. Data pays tribute to Deanna Troi and Will Riker at their wedding by jazzily singing it. The song becomes much more than a brief journey into Brent Spiner's vocal talents when B-4 sings it at the end of the film following Data's death. Data is thought to be dead but the final appearance of the song confirms that Data, at the very least, installed his memories into his brother and will live on that way. It further represents Data's newfound emotions which set him apart from his android brethren since he is a creative and inspired character in the show and films.

Augment Chorus

Season 7 Episode 5 of Deep Space Nine "Chrysalis" is one of the few episodes starring the genetically-enhanced, but behaviorally divergent, group of Augments Bashir has become familiar with being an Augment himself. They bring their friend Sarina to Bashir in hopes of restoring her voice which he finally succeeds in doing. This inspires an extravagant chorus Patrick, the childishly blunt character in the team, leads of Do-Re-Mi. The simple song serves as a revelation for both Sarina and Julian Bashir since she is able to find the voice she's been without all her life, and especially for Bashir since his main goal in the series is to make a significant difference in someone's life using medical means. This DS9 moment centering around found family and optimism is perhaps the most heartwarming scene in all of Star Trek  since it reflects Trek's theme of a hopeful, better future.

Sisko & Fontaine Duet

Vic Fontaine perhaps sings more than any character in Star Trek. He is supposed to be reminiscent of 1950s-60s singers such as Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. The main characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine often visit his hologram in Quark's holosuite. In season 7 episode 15 of DS9 "Badda-Bing Badda-Bang" Avery Brooks playing Sisko joins Fontaine actor James Darren in a memorable duet cover of Sinatra and Count Basie's "The Best Is Yet To Come". Darren is an experienced singer yet Avery Brooks shows equal vocal and performance talent when he joins him. The duet is significant in the plot due to Sisko's prior reluctance to visit this specific program in the holosuite. He has fears about the morality of enjoying a simulation of the 1960s, feeling as if it would be betraying his own heritage and history. However, by going to the holosuite and joining Fontaine in a song, DS9 shows he is able to overcome many of these concerns. It is a moving scene that speaks of union, acceptance, and necessary self-indulgence.

Related: Star Trek: Picard's Opening Song Is A TNG Movie Callback

You Are My Sunshine & My Darling Clementine

In Star Trek: Voyager, the Emergency Medical Hologram  forms a bond with the recently reformed Borg Seven of Nine. The world of the Federation is new to Seven and her newfound interest in music and its technicalities inspires the EMH to introduce her to the art through singing lessons. During their duets together, they practice both "You Are My Sunshine" and "Oh My Darling, Clementine" . With Jeri Ryan's higher-pitched angelic voice and Robert Picardo's exercised operatic tone, they create a pleasant harmony that emulates their mutually beneficial dynamic. The lessons serve to develop their relationship and divulge the growing feelings EMH has for Seven of Nine. The lyrics of these songs, especially "You Are My Sunshine" , truly reflect his unrequited love for her. " You'll never know, dear, how much I love you,"  is a lyric offering more tragedy in these scenes than levity.

The EMH's Opera

One of the more prolific professional singers in Star Trek, Robert Picardo, excels in operatic vocals and music. In Voyager, Picardo is often utilized for scenes centering around opera such as the extravagant dream sequence where he himself sings one of the EMH's favorite songs, "La Donna E’Immobile" , to Tuvok . The most notable operatic moment for Picardo's character is in VOY season 6 episode 13 "Virtuoso" where the EMH attempts to maintain the fame he's found on a planet previously lacking music. This is the only instance where Robert Picardo doesn't actually sing, the vocals belonging to singer Agostino Castagnola. Despite this, Picardo portrays the depth of emotion required of the final song in the episode, "Rondine al Nido" .   Voyager's  EMH is being cast out of a society that does not understand the meaning of music in culture. The existence of the song, which was fittingly composed as a lament about lost love, is a final tribute to the necessity of inspired art and why society needs it to connect to their humanity and passions. It is a touching yet futile scene due to the loss of creativity on this planet and Picardo exudes the tragedy with great expression.

Shadows Of The Night

In season 2 episode 6 "Two of One" of Picard, Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati sings "Shadows of the Night" . Alison gives an impressive performance both in voice and in character since Jurati is under pressure. The scene serves as a transition from Jurati's firm clutch on the control of her own mind and body to an overtaking from the Borg Queen. The lyrics represent Jurati's internal struggle with the Queen in season 2 and how she succumbs to her influence after the powerful song concludes. "Surrender all you dreams to me tonight, they'll come true in the end," are lyrics most informative about the Devil-on-the-shoulder manipulation the Borg Queen supplies while also acting as an explanation for what Jurati is sacrificing by giving in to her. Alison succeeds in portraying the intoxication of her co-dependency with the Queen as well as the poisonous temptation of what she's being offered.

Even now, Trek is upholding a long-held tradition of including unique scenes of musicality in its franchise. Picard has proven its consistent pattern in the Star Trek universe with Agnes' season 2 song, and hopefully, a new installment will deign to continue the trend. The history of the musical interludes in S tar Trek is incredibly broad and every song has a story, these being the explanations for each of them.

Next: Picard: The Secret Meaning Of Agnes' Song In Season 2 Episode 6

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is streaming on Paramount+.

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Published Oct 27, 2022

Voyager's Caretaker: An Interview with Robert Picardo

The EMH reflects on his time on Voyager, the Doctor's relationships, and the impact of Star Trek.

Getty Images / StarTrek.com - Rob DeHart

During their journey through the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway’s crew relied upon their starship’s Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) to heal wounds, deal with various crises of the physical and mental variety, and occasionally sing a tune or two. Affectionately referred to as The Doctor , U.S.S. Voyager ’s EMH evolved from a temporary failsafe program into an incredibly complex individual over seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager .

StarTrek.com recently spoke with actor Robert Picardo who brought The Doctor to life, breaking down his thoughts about Voyager, the similarities between The Doctor and Data, the Borg Collective’s involvement on the show, the special relationship that his character forged with Seven of Nine, and his current pursuits.

StarTrek.com: Voyager ’s premiere “ Caretaker ” debuted over 25 years ago. What was your first impression when you learned that your character would be a hologram?

Robert Picardo: Well, the audition was sent to me in the summer of 1994. I was appearing in a Lisa Loomer play called "The Waiting Room" at the Mark Taper Forum, playing a doctor with a terrible bedside manner, if you can imagine that. My agent sent me the script, and I remember that the character description was “a computer program of a doctor, colorless, humorless.” I didn’t know what that meant, and then I heard that he was a hologram. I knew a little more about the original Star Trek , but I wasn’t very knowledgeable about The Next Generation , so I didn’t know about the Holodeck. I couldn’t understand how a hologram could handle real instruments. I said, “How does he pick up a hypo?” How do you grab something when you have no material density?

StarTrek.com

I turned down the audition for The Doctor, because it just didn’t sound interesting. It sounded like an automaton. I asked to read for Neelix instead, and I only asked because an actress friend of mine named Megan Gallagher had been on Deep Space Nine once or twice at that point, including the famous episode “Little Green Men.” Megan said, “There’s this other part, an alien named Neelix, why don’t you look at that?”

I read the script and I liked Neelix, so I asked to read for Neelix… and then I didn’t get Neelix [laughs] . I got close, I tested for Neelix. I heard after the fact that, between the studio and the producers, one set had me as their first choice and the other set had Ethan Phillips. Ethan is a dear old friend of mine who I had known for many years, but I didn’t know he was one of my competitors. I didn’t get that part, thank God, because I would never have had the patience with the make-up that Ethan Phillips did. The producers impressed me when they said they’d really like to see me for the original role they had asked me to audition for. Normally, once you have tested and you didn’t get the part, you are a used Kleenex and are discarded immediately.

My agent said that they wanted the character to be funny, and I later heard they had auditioned 900 actors. I don’t know if that’s true, but there were only nine lines to read. I told my agent that I didn’t get the joke, but I’d give it a shot. As a younger actor in my first two Broadway shows, I played unhappy young men with a chip on their shoulders who had to be funny when they were angry. I’m sort of generalizing, but the characters both had issues that were keeping them from living their lives in their early 20s. The first play was the overt comedy “Gemini,” which I recently mentioned on social media because Danny Aiello, who played my dad, sadly passed away. The other was a play with Jack Lemmon called “Tribute,” where I played his son.

I had a history of playing characters that you initially don’t like, but grow to like anyway. Characters who are still amusing when they are unhappy or angry. The Doctor was cranky, and I didn’t know why he was cranky. I didn’t understand the role at all. I faked my way through the audition and ad libbed a DeForest Kelley joke without knowing it was a DeForest Kelley joke. My last scripted line was roughly, “I believe someone has failed to terminate my program.” I added, “I’m a doctor, not a nightlight.” I ad libbed that line, which you shouldn’t do in an audition, but it got a big laugh and I was hired the next day. Then I had to figure out what the role was.

StarTrek.com: At the time, how familiar were you with the concept of what a hologram was?

Robert Picardo: I was confused, I didn’t know what it meant for him to be a hologram or a computer program. I didn’t understand enough about Star Trek “science,” which is based on real science. Although, we still don’t know how to make a hologram with density. So I got the part without knowing at all what I was in for, but I suppose anybody would’ve been in the same situation, really. It was mostly on the job training, so to speak.

I had never seen a The Next Generation episode at that point, and I certainly didn’t know what the holodeck was. Someone told me that The Doctor was based on a popular character, because apparently they had a Professor Moriarty character on the Holodeck. Of course, that didn’t make any sense to me, because I didn’t understand that they did holographic recreations of literature. I just knew that they had some success with a hologram and now they wanted to make a hologram a regular. There’s no time to prepare in television, it’s not like you find out a month in advance and can do your homework.

StarTrek.com: Did you see any correlation between your character and Data from The Next Generation ?

Robert Picardo: Once I got the part, they gave me ten episodes of The Next Generation to watch. They were mostly medical shows, but Brent Spiner was so great as this android that I said to myself, “Oh, now I’m going to be compared with him [laughs] , and people love him! The problem will be to not be a letdown as the next generation of artificial intelligence.”

I got the part without understanding that the character would be the outsider, the Spock-like character. The character who initially inherited that was Data, who had no emotion and longed to be a real boy in the same way as Pinocchio. I thought that, because Tuvok was a Vulcan character, he would deal with those issues. Once I realized that I had gotten the plum role, it was a delightful surprise. I went from thinking I had the dullest role in the show to believing I may have the best role in the show. That was a little daunting.

StarTrek.com: The Doctor’s holographic nature initially kept him confined to Sickbay. Do you believe that this created additional challenges for you as you sought to develop the character?

Robert Picardo: I think it was actually a benefit for me, because it made the character unique and captured the audience’s imagination. As an actor, I benefited from the character’s limitations, because it set him apart in the audience’s mind. Having said that, I had to keep certain things in mind. I was supposed to look identical every day for seven years, which is impossible when you’re a human who is aging and overeating during the Christmas break.

I had seen Brent’s performance and noticed he had an artifice in the way that he moved that set him apart from regular humans, and as a hologram I didn’t really have to do that. I’m not a piece of hardware with servomechanisms controlling the movement of my arms. I’m a creation of light and all that, I could just as easily have bad posture. But I understood that the character had to appear artificial and that his basic arc involves him growing more like a person, so I needed to start with an artifice in the way I stand, move, and speak. I stood up straighter and forced my shoulders back in a way I had never done before and based my posture on an old corporate mascot named Reddy Kilowatt [laughs] .

With The Doctor being an extension of the computer system, I could never pause when he spoke about something within his expertise and say, “Um, well.” I had to spew information as if I were reading it out of a textbook. The hardest challenge for me, and I’m sure Brent had it as well. Therefore, I could never pause, stumble over a word, or say something that was not grammatically correct.

All bets are off when it’s outside of my expertise. I can muse, ruminate, or not know what the next step is if it’s something in a human interaction that I didn’t understand. When I’m on my game, I had to know my lines cold and speak them as quickly as possible. Since science fiction is so expositional, I believe the key to a successful science fiction television show is to have at least a third of your cast members be able speak with tremendous speed. We had Roxann Dawson, Kate Mulgrew, Ethan Phillips, and myself who were all very good fast talkers.

StarTrek.com: How did you react when you learned that the EMH would be given a mobile emitter and have the ability to exist outside of Sickbay?

Robert Picardo: I remember I was in [ Voyager producer] Brannon Braga’s office when he told me. He said, “Your character is so popular, we need to be able to put you in more scripts, in more situations and settings. What do you think?” I said, “I think it’s a bad idea.” [laughs] This was one time when I was clearly wrong and the producers were absolutely, a 100% right. I conveyed to him exactly what I described to you earlier, that the character’s differences define him and make him interesting to the audience. If I’m not limited to the Sickbay or the Holodeck, then I’ll just be like anybody else. I’m glad they did it, as it gave me many more stories. But because the character had been kind of a break-out character… whenever somebody plans to mess with a winning formula, I think anyone’s reaction would be, “Are we sure we want to do that?”

StarTrek.com: Voyager underwent a significant transition at the beginning of its fourth season, as Seven of Nine joined the crew and the Borg Collective became a recurring threat to the ship. Did you foresee just how much the addition of the Borg would alter the course of the series?

Robert Picardo: No, I didn’t. Basically, what happened is that Seven’s character was suddenly assigned storylines that would have been The Doctor’s in the first three seasons. Had I realized they were going to do that, I might’ve been trepidatious. When I heard that Kes wasn’t coming back, I did go in to Brannon’s office and say, “I’m concerned again.”

Now remember, I had been wrong about the mobile emitter [laughs] . But I explained that Kes had really been The Doctor’s mentor. Officially, he’s mentoring her as a medical assistant, but she has been mentoring him and developing his humanity. My concern was that she’s been his emotional sounding board, his confessor. The moment she’s gone, The Doctor is just going to go back to being a buffoon and a windbag. He’d never open himself up to another crew member at this point.

Brannon Braga’s exact words, as I recall them, were, “Well, see if there is a unique way that you can relate to our new character Seven of Nine.” I gave it some thought, and I read the first script or two that they had available before we started shooting that season. I went to Brannon and suggested that we take the relationship that The Doctor had with Kes and we turn it around. So The Doctor thinks that the best person to teach Seven of Nine how to become human again is him . In other words, he’s a better teacher on how to be a human being than a real human being.

I explained that we’d get some comic value out of his arrogance and ego. We would literally have roleplaying scenes where I would teach her appropriate behavior in different circumstances. That was the suggestion. They liked the idea, ran with it, and made it much better than I could ever have imagined. Eventually, that culminated in “Someone to Watch Over Me,” akin to Professor Higgins falling in love with his pupil in “My Fair Lady.” The Doctor starts teaching mostly out of arrogance, and then he ends up falling in love with her.

That suggestion afforded me four seasons of great scenes with Jeri Ryan. I don’t know what their intent was for our relationship, but the specific suggestion of roleplaying scenes to teach appropriate behavior coming from a hologram who previously couldn’t behave remotely human enough for a patient to take him seriously is inherently funny. It never really occurred to me before, but think about when they took the Frasier character from Cheers and made him the center of his own show. In order to normalize an eccentric character like Frasier, they had to give him a brother who was more eccentric than he was.

It’s not unlike that. I used to be the artificial intelligence character who carried the B-storylines. What is my entitlement as a crew member, even if I’m not organic? Seven of Nine basically took all of those entitlement stories. I know I was your former enemy, now I am your friend. I know you don’t quite trust me, but what am I entitled to here? When will you trust me as much as a regular crew member? She took over the burden of those stories, and I had been carrying those storylines for three seasons.

I kind of had to move aside. At times, I still got those storylines when we did a show like “Author, Author,” where The Doctor was writing a book and it became a story about intellectual property rights for a character that isn’t organic. But mostly, Seven took over those storylines. I became her sounding board, mentor, sidekick, and occasionally someone who was learning lessons alongside her.

StarTrek.com: You made a cameo as the U.S.S. Enterprise-E ’s EMH in Star Trek: First Contact . Was any research about the Borg involved in your preparation for that role?

Robert Picardo: Right, because that was before the Borg were on our show. I don’t specifically recall. At that point, I had seen the Borg in The Next Generation and knew what they were. Any specific preparation? I don’t think so.

StarTrek.com: Many fans consider the Borg to be the most powerful adversaries that the Federation ever faced. What traits exhibited by the Borg make them such a fearsome enemy?

Robert Picardo: Well, the most terrifying thing is having your mind controlled. Your individual will is completely subjugated, and there’s a hive mind telling you what to do. That’s the scariest part. Then all of the other things about being dismembered or having cybernetic pieces put in. It’s a human being reduced to a machine.

StarTrek.com: The Doctor was responsible for Seven’s healthcare and also assumed a mentorship role as she sought to learn about social relationships. To what extent did this platonic bond contribute to the romantic feelings the EMH developed for Seven?

Robert Picardo: Honestly, they were just great friends. There were occasional things that could be seen as slight flirtations, but I don’t really think we were ever supposed to consider them more than just friends or confidants before “Someone to Watch Over Me.” There’s a moment when we’re singing “You Are My Sunshine,” and Robbie [Robert Duncan McNeil] directed that episode. When I read it, I thought it was corny and wouldn’t work. Yet when I watch the show, it gets me every time [laughs] . It’s totally believable that, in one second, he looks at her differently. I thought that was a linchpin episode for their relationship. You couldn’t go back from that one. Once you made that turn, it was never the same. He had a secret crush and a place in his heart for her that couldn’t be dealt with every week, but I think that once the audience had seen it they never quite forgot that the teacher had a crush on his star pupil.

Jeri was just so much fun to work with, she has a great sense of humor. Looking back on the show, I felt the best scenes were the ones that I had with Kate [Mulgrew] and the ones I had with Jeri. They’re very different actresses, very different people. I adore them both, and I always looked forward to working with both of them. Kate is just a master. All of the command that was essential to her role, she has as a person and an actor. That’s why it comes across so well. She’s an enormous talent, immaculately prepared, super smart, has tremendous instincts, all of those great things.

I think I had more scenes with both of them than anyone else. The runners-up to them would be my dear old friend Ethan Phillips, who I met when we were both doing hit plays in New York in 1977. That was a great relationship, because Neelix annoyed The Doctor and it was fun to play that. And Robbie McNeil, I had some really nice stuff with Tom Paris. After Kes went, he became The Doctor’s teacher and part-time medical assistant. However, I’m happiest about making the suggestion for the relationship between The Doctor and Seven. I feel I would have had the scenes with Kate anyway, they would have been a part of the producers’ initial concept for where my character would go. I think I may have exerted some influence over my own destiny in terms of The Doctor and Seven of Nine’s relationship.

StarTrek.com: Would you have changed anything about the course of The Doctor’s friendship with Seven?

Robert Picardo: Well, first of all, there’s a lot of teasing about them ending up together, but I’m only kidding about that. I think it would not have been appropriate at all, it’s much better to have the audience wish for something than for it to actually happen. I do not wish that we ended up together. I do think it was a little strange that they paired her with Chakotay at the last minute [laughs] , but that’s okay. The Doctor had plenty of romance for a hologram over seven years. At one point at the end of Season 3 or early in Season 3, the other male cast members actually complained that The Doctor had been kissed by beautiful women more often than any of the other actors [laughs] .

StarTrek.com: In the episode “Body and Soul,” The Doctor’s program was hidden in Seven’s cortical implant and briefly controlled her actions. In your opinion, was this story a metaphor for the manner in which our society often overlooks a woman’s right to have dominion over her own body?

Robert Picardo: That’s a very interesting metaphor. I did not see that metaphor, I thought the episode was toying with our feelings about being rigidly programmed in relation to sexual attractiveness. In a similar way that Deep Space Nine dealt with the Trill, where they put the same soul into a female body instead of a male body. It suddenly becomes homoerotic to someone who is rigidly holding on to stereotypes. I thought it was toying more with that, but I like your theory much better. I don’t recall thinking of that at the time, though.

I was in a popular movie called Innerspace in the 1980s. I played a macho character that has to impersonate the lead of the movie, played by Martin Short. During the sequence where they take my facial features and put them on Martin Short, I’m supposed to have the soul of a nerdy, frightened weakling inside the body of a powerful character. When I had to be Martin Short inside my body, I suggested to the director that he should shoot Marty reading the scenes so I could watch his performance and take from it what I could.

When we were doing “Body and Soul,” we had this exact issue. My recommendation to Robbie McNeil was to let me shoot all of Seven’s scenes in a rehearsal so that Jeri could pick and choose what she liked from it. Jeri just totally went for it. I remember a message coming down from the front office and the producers saying to Jeri, “Are you sure you want to make yourself that unattractive?” [laughs] Which I took personally, of course.

Part of the fun about my character is that I could over act and then underplay. I could surprise the audience in a way that the other crew members couldn’t, because there were no rules for me. I could play all of these negative qualities that a brave Starfleet officer is not allowed to play. When you put The Doctor in a situation outside of his medical expertise, I could be cowardly, petulant, and childish. I could have all of these negative qualities and then rise to the occasion, so to speak.

StarTrek.com: The episode “Message in a Bottle,” which is a personal favorite of mine, also has an anniversary this month. Did you infuse more of your own personality into The Doctor than normal for that episode?

Robert Picardo: That’s hard to answer. I didn’t know much about Andy Dick, he was obviously very popular. There was a bit of a generational difference, but I distinctly remember the moment I met him. Andy smiled and said, “Your name Picardo is so close to Picard, do you get teased a lot?” So I said, “Wait a minute. Your name is Andy Dick, and you’re going to make fun of my name?” He laughed and we got along unbelievably well from that point on. We had a really great time together.

StarTrek.com: You are a passionate advocate for science and a member of the Planetary Society’s Board of Directors. How has your involvement with these causes impacted your life?

Robert Picardo: When I was first recruited by the Planetary Society, Voyager had been on the air for about three years. There was a fundraiser for Ray Bradbury’s birthday, and they had actors who had agreed to be in a reading. Charlton Heston, John Rhys Davies, John de Lancie, and Tim Russ... we were all asked to be in this reading. Afterwards, the two surviving founders called me and asked me to be on the advisory board. They knew I had an interest in science and had been a biology major for a year and a half.

I agreed and understood they wanted me to help bring their message to the science fiction fandom. It wasn’t as if I was going to suddenly pretend I knew more about space exploration than I did. To be completely honest, I was not knowledgeable about it. I lived through the Apollo Moon landing and experienced the same excitement and thrill that we all did, but I wasn’t particularly conversant with the other missions. What I began to understand at that moment was that Star Trek affords you certain opportunities. You’re a part of a saga that has inspired so many people to pursue careers in space exploration, technology, engineering, and science, and you’re suddenly given access and welcomed in to a club that you’d never be in otherwise.

I sat on stage with five men who had walked on the moon at Star Trek ’s 30th anniversary and felt a little ridiculous. I thought, “What am I doing here?” But the audience doesn’t make you feel ridiculous, and more surprisingly the astronaut s don’t make you feel ridiculous about it! [laughs] I could either find this opportunity uncomfortable or I could embrace it, and I chose the latter. I felt that if I’m going to meet all of these cool people, then I’m going to ask questions, use the access I have to try to do something positive, and try to get more public involvement. By and large, science fiction fans tend to be science fans anyway, and if they don’t know that you can help them realize it. I decided to take that opportunity and bring the message to the Star Trek community. If you think Star Trek is cool, look how cool what we’re actually doing now is.

During Voyager , I was involved with some of the Planetary Society’s educational challenges for young people. The Mars rover Sojourner landed early on in Voyager ’s tenure on the air, and the Planetary Society had a strategic partnership with the LEGO company. High school kids could build their own Mars rover and ship it to a competing high school. Meanwhile, each high school constructed their own Martian surface that the rest of the schools never got to see. So the first school who shipped their rover would telecommunicate and command their rover to explore the unknown Martian surface at the other school and send the data back over the internet. This was called Red Rover. I visited schools in Los Angeles and saw the kids involved with the project.

I [also] think I’m the only Star Trek actor to arrange to have a public service announcement shot on a Star Trek set. It was a commercial for the Mars Millennium Project, which was designed to get kids interested in astronomy. About three years ago, I received an email from a young woman who had seen that public service announcement while she was watching Voyager as a thirteen year-old, and it changed her life. She entered the competition, won, studied in Montreal, and ended up becoming an astronomer. The last line in her email was roughly, “If you ever wonder whether committing your time to inspire young people makes a difference, I’m here to tell you it does.” So that was wonderful and made me very grateful that my involvement with the Planetary Society had been presented to me entirely because of my work on Star Trek .

StarTrek.com: Between your science advocation work and acting, it sounds as though describing your schedule as a hectic one is surely an understatement. What other projects are you currently working on?

Robert Picardo: In the last year, I was back on stage in New York. That was great fun. I did a musical called “Enter Laughing,” based on the Carl Reiner book. It was hard to do theater while filming Voyager, but after that I’ve done quite a bit of it in California. It was fun to be back at the scene of the crime, so to speak, as I began my career here in Manhattan. I’m presently playing a recurring character on an Apple TV+ series called Dickinson . We’re just finishing up season two of that. I also recently started playing a recurring character on a BET show called The Family Business , with Ernie Hudson. I play a bad guy, a gangster-type on that show.

Since I’m based on the east coast again, I’m not as able to do my monthly Planetary Post videos for the Planetary Society. They’re more sporadic, which is one thing I regret. One of my resolutions is to get back to doing more of them. There are certainly other irons in the fire, and things that could and may happen, that I can’t speak about.

This article was originally published on January 15, 2020.

Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance science fiction writer who contributes articles to the official Star Trek website and Star Trek Magazine. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @StobiesGalaxy.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Watch: Robert Picardo sings Will You Still Love Star Trek

By rachel carrington | nov 12, 2021.

Robert Picardo has showcased his pipes on Star Trek several times

Robert Picardo , who portrayed the Emergency Medical Hologram on Star Trek: Voyager, is an accomplished singer, and the producers incorporated the Broadway star’s vocal abilities into several episodes of the series. Who can forget “You Are My Sunshine,” the duet he sang with Jeri Ryan’s character Seven of Nine?

He not only uses his talent onscreen, though, as he showed onstage at a Star Trek convention back in 2006. It was after the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, and for the first time in a long time, there was no new or ongoing Star Trek series on television. Picardo good-naturedly assured the audience that he wasn’t blaming Enterprise for that fact before he parodied “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” using lyrics that only a fan of the franchise will understand and appreciate.

Robert Picardo is a master at parodying lyrics

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” isn’t the only song Picardo changed the lyrics to during his set onstage. He did an outstanding job reworking “16 Tons” into a good-natured complaint about the number of hours he spent working on the set of Voyager.

"16 hours and what do you getAnother day of shooting on the Voyager setSaint Peter don’t you call me because I can’t goI owe my soul to the Voyager show"

And if you’re looking for more of Picardo’s humor, you should subscribe to his Youtube channel where he posts technobabble (a recitation of lines he had to memorize as the EMH), shares moments from Eva the Diva, Your Future in Love with Alphonso where he gives love “advice,” and so much more. Though he has posted a couple of his singing moments, he doesn’t ordinarily sing for the channel, but he does give you plenty of reasons to laugh which is exactly what his character did on Star Trek: Voyager.

Next. Robert Picardo replays scene in Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy. dark

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Watch Robert Picardo (The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager) Sing the Star Trek Theme

There’s probably a very good reason why these lyrics didn’t make the cut moving forward and it has a lot to do with the fact that Star Trek might have become even more of a science-fiction opera than it already did over the years. It’s kind of Robert Picardo to sing the lyrics to celebrate Gene Roddenberry’s birthday, but at the same time, it’s enough to be grateful that these lyrics didn’t get to move forward with the show since yes, Gene was obviously not a great lyricist. It’s interesting to think of how many Trekkies might have actually known about these lyrics and how many would have agreed that it was wise to keep them out, versus how many might have argued to possibly bring them back and include them in some way. It wouldn’t be the best idea in the world but it would also be intriguing to think that it could happen as an homage to the creator of the show and possibly as a way to see whether people might get into them in any way.

It’s kind of amazing what people will get into when such material is introduced, not to mention the fact that it’s also interesting to think about what might happen if some folks decide to take the initiative and push for it to be a part of the franchise moving forward. Let’s be honest and say that it won’t come to that, however, since the fact is that Star Trek has moved so far forward that trying to apply something like these lyrics and making them stick would take a monumental effort that likely wouldn’t amount to as much as people might want to think. It’s not being cynical or even dismissive of the lyrics, it’s simply the fact that at one time it was an idea that the creator had, and it was an idea that even the creator didn’t appear ready to put into the show since at this point it’s fair to say that a lot of fans knew nothing about the lyrics.

But listen to them again and determine if this is really something that can be seen or imagined as being something that might be enjoyed by the fans. It might be something that might show up for an episode or two, or more if those in charge deem it necessary, but otherwise, it’s something that kind of belongs in the past where the creator of the franchise left it. There’s no reason to be mean about it, but the lyrics sound like something that might be heard in a fantasy story, obviously with different wording. It’s with great respect that the lyrics have been kept around and held up as something that might be of great interest to those that go looking for obscure and outdated information, but listening to the lyrics again it’s still thankful that they weren’t used initially since they would have likely killed the vibe that Star Trek was given when it was still one of the budding shows that was trying to make its way forward on TV. Had the lyrics been added to the show at the time it was becoming popular, or even during the initial pilot, it feels as though it would have been nixed immediately simply to keep the show alive.

The one thing about anyone who creates something is that initially, what they think of as being awesome and awe-inspiring to many, might be a little too cheesy upon further inspection. Many people that have written a novel, a movie script, or anything that will eventually reach the masses, have gone through one rewrite after another in search of a way to get their ideas to work in a manner that people will love. The issue here is that fitting one’s ideas together in this manner can create or worsen a disconnect between one idea and another. Face it, the lyrics to the main theme and the actual show suffered a huge disconnect, and it’s one the creator either saw and admitted to or one that he had to be convinced of by someone else. Many creators don’t like hearing that their ideas won’t work as they are, but the smart ones will realize that if there is an issue then it needs to be solved before moving forward.

That’s why it feels likely that Roddenberry might have accepted that this wouldn’t work and simply dropped it before the idea could go forward. With all due respect to the man, since he did create one of the most popular ideas of all time when it came to TV, he was better off not creating lyrics for his show, especially since the whimsical nature of this felt more than a little silly. But at the very least, it was a nice clip to pay some respect to the man.homage to the creator

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Robert Picardo on that big Star Trek: Voyager reunion and 25 years of being confused for a doctor

Robert Picardo (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

By IMDb 's measure, Robert Picardo has 230 acting credits and counting, with fan-favorite roles dating all the way back to Kojak . But for many, he'll always be the Doctor, aka the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), on Star Trek: Voyager .

With many conventions and appearances going by the wayside during these socially distanced times, Picardo and his USS Voyager crew are virtually reuniting to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary tonight on Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley's Stars in the House YouTube show . The good doctor hopped on the phone with SYFY WIRE to tell us what to expect from the big reunion, as well as how it came together — which basically boils down to him recently appearing on Stars in the House for a China Beach reunion (where he played another doctor) and then pitching Rudetsky and Wesley on the idea of doing another one for Voyager .

"So I reached out to Kate Mulgrew . She was on board immediately; then I emailed all my castmates and to their great credit and my ongoing admiration for them, they all said yes immediately. And so now we've just been trying to get the word out," Picardo tells SYFY WIRE.

Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, Picardo will be joining Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Robert Duncan McNeill (Tim Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), and Garrett Wang (Harry Kim) to benefit The Actors Fund while recalling all the fun of making the fan-favorite Trek series that gifted us 172 episodes over the course of seven wild seasons, beginning in 1995.

Star Trek: Voyager cast: (Front, Center) Kate Mulgrew, (Second Row, L To R) Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Roxann Dawson and Tim Russ (Back Row, L To R) Garrett Wang, Robert Picardo, Robert Beltran and Robert Duncan Mcneill. (Photo By Getty Images)

Picardo tells us the cast has mostly stayed in an "ongoing dialogue" over the years, not just because they see each other at conventions and the like, but because of the genuine friendships that began developing within that first year of production. Really, though, it all started with the casting of their beloved Captain Janeway, Kate Mulgrew, who wasn't the executives' original pick. That'd be Geneviève Bujold, who backed out of being the franchise's first female captain after spending a couple of days shooting the pilot.

"I think I read about all this on SYFY WIRE, by the way," Picardo jokes while recounting the uncertainty of the moment. "So she parted company and there was a brief few days of panic when we were all afraid that somebody might be recast, because there were rumors that if they couldn't find the actress they liked, they would switch the captain to a man and then change the sex of one of the other characters, that's the rumor we all heard. But then Kate stepped in, they loved her from the moment she stepped off the bridge; we were safe and in very good hands. If she had any fear at all, nobody noticed it. She claims later that she was terrified when she first started, but I couldn't see it."

As for Picardo's start, let's just say it took him a while to find his bedside manner, as he "had virtually nothing to do with the pilot." He was also concerned because he was playing the artificial intelligence character, and following in the "enormously successful" shoes of Brent Spiner (Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation ). "I was afraid I would be compared to him endlessly and unfavorably because he was so lovable and kind of childlike in his role and I was kind of, you know, crusty and curmudgeonly, and ... pissed off. And not a very cuddly character," Picardo says.

But as a Yale-trained actor with plenty of Broadway experience (a trait common among his Voyager castmates), Picardo figured it out.

"There was a certain amount of anxiety, but then I started to understand my role more, and what made him different and special, because I wasn't super Star Trek savvy when I started. But I realized partway through the first season, ‘Oh my God, I got the plum role.' I thought I had gotten the worst part because there was so little of him in the pilot," Picardo says. "When I was cast I told all my friends, ‘I was cast in the new Star Trek series. It's a good job to get at this time in my life. My children will now go to college when they grow up, but I have to tell you I've got the dullest part in the show ... I'm playing a computer program of a doctor who is holographically projected, described as colorless, humorless. Does that sound like a bucket of fun to you for seven years?' And it turned out that it was, and I couldn't have been more wrong."

Picardo hid behind his "resting bitch face" and bluffed it until about the second half of the second episode, when he first started to realize things were going in the right doctorly direction.

Robert Picardo and Jeri Ryan in Star Trek: Voyager episode "Imperfection" (Photo By Getty Images)

"Anyway, there is a scene in the very second episode after the pilot where Kes, Jennifer Lien, comes to the Doctor's office looking for soil samples for her hydroponics bay, and he complains bitterly that he was designed for emergency use only, that he has the combined knowledge of two and a half thousand medical textbooks, the combined experience of 27 Starfleet officers, and this and that, and this and that … ‘but yes, let me get your dirt.' It was clear that he was upset at not being respected the way he felt he was supposed to be, and that he was going to be used beyond the parameters of his program design," Picardo says about the "aha" moment. "And also because he was supposed to adapt and learn and even to have an emotional subroutine so that he would have some sort of empathy for his patients, he would have some sort of programmed developable bedside manner.

"All of those things made him different in a way that I had not understood fully," Picardo continues. "And at that point, it kind of clicked in my head, and I went, 'OK, he has a chip on his shoulder because of this, so whenever he's not being respected he's going to be unhappy and he's going to fight back.'"

Picardo also has a built-in doctor's gravitas about him, perhaps because medicine was a childhood ambition of his, to the point where he was pre-med for two years of undergraduate at Yale before switching to theater. Just the same, while he does get inquiries into his doctoring services occasionally, he's not going to be doing house calls any time soon.

"The fact that I got to be a doctor vicariously for four years in Vietnam in China Beach and then seven years in outer space on Star Trek , I feel like in some way that it was a vicarious experience," he says. "Having said that, no one wants me to operate on them, no one wants me to give them medical advice. But yes, you do get asked sometimes, because they're used to you, apparently, you're seeming at least to know what you're talking about."

As far as having a favorite "I'm a doctor, not a ..." moment, Picardo says it's got to be the one that likely landed him the job.

Picardo initially read for the part of Neelix, which ultimately went to his good friend Ethan Phillips. "And in that moment," Picardo says, "I saved myself 6,000 hours of my life spent in a makeup chair." But the producers went against form and invited Picardo back to read for the Doctor. While there was no "I'm a doctor" moment scripted for the audition, the actor had heard ahead of time that they "wanted someone funny."

"So at the end of the audition, after the last scripted line when they left me activated in sick bay and I have nothing left to do, I look around the supposedly empty room ... but of course, there's 16 people watching me, but it's supposed to be an empty sick bay," Picardo recalls, "I look around and I say, ‘I believe someone has failed to terminate my program,' and then I said, ‘I'm a doctor, not a nightlight.' And got a big laugh and got hired that day, you know, four hours later. So yes, borrowing from the great DeForest Kelley, as I've often said, put my children through college. You can't go wrong stealing from the greats."

Of course, all this Doctor talk got us wondering if there's a future for the character. It's not like a hologram can't get projected into another timeline around the universe, right?

"I honestly don't see it happening," Picardo says. "It's always fun to return to something, and like Brent's character, I played not only the guy himself but the programmer, so the programmer has aged, even if the artificial-intelligence character hasn't aged ... so I haven't given you much of an answer, but presently I would say no, but if they were to ask me, who the heck knows?"

But even if the Doctor himself never shows up in Star Trek again, Picardo's Starfleet service is forever.

"It's the gift that keeps on giving, Star Trek , if you're lucky enough to be an actor in one of the shows, and I'm always very taken with the breadth of talent of my colleagues," Picardo says.

And of course, we'll get to see the good Doctor back among his shipmates tonight, May 26, at 8 p.m. ET, as Captain Janeway and her crew reunite to celebrate Voyager 's 25th anniversary and, perhaps more importantly, to raise money for The Actors Fund .

"I'm just hoping that people will find it in their hearts to do whatever they can for this good cause , because, as you know, the theater is in lockdown indefinitely, and so is all of the entertainment industry, basically," Picardo says. "Audiences know the 1 or 2 percent of the Screen Actors Guild that are working on television making a good living, but then for that 1 or 2 percent there are 98 percent that are often very marginally employed, they have second and third jobs, and they really need The Actors Fund at a time like this to help them out."

So tune in tonight and help actors everywhere live long and prosper.

• Kate Mulgrew
• Robert Picardo
• Star Trek: Voyager

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Watch Robert Picardo ‘Sing’ the Star Trek: Voyager Theme in the Middle of the Woods

Robert Picardo, formerly of Star Trek: Voyager , has a lot of fun on his YouTube channel, reciting old monologues, making in-jokes about Brent Spiner , and wandering around the woods like a National Geographic reality star. In his latest video, he puts his vast musical skills to their ultimate test. In honour of the show’s theme song composer, Jerry Goldsmith, Picardo takes the time to “sing” his version of the Voyager theme, all while spinning around in the woods. Truly, he’s taking this year about as well as anyone else.

In the earlier episodes of this series, “Technobabble Al Fresco,” Picardo performs some of his monologues from Voyager , recreating his role as the eloquent AI doctor in exotic locations and patterned shirts, a juxtaposition that really does not get old.

[referenced id=”1517729″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/10/star-treks-kate-mulgrew-returns-as-captain-janeway-in-the-animated-prodigy-tv-series/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/09/pmb0oxykvrfolfrqnwij-300×169.png” title=”Star Trek’s Kate Mulgrew Returns as Captain Janeway in the Animated Prodigy TV Series” excerpt=”Welcome back, Captain.”]

Robert Picardo

• Born October 27 , 1953 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Height 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• Robert Picardo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, where he spent his whole childhood. He graduated from the William Penn Charter School and attended Yale University. At Yale, he landed a role in Leonard Bernstein 's "Mass" and at age 19, he played a leading role in the European premiere of "Mass". Later, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Drama from Yale University. He appeared in the David Mamet play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" and, with Diane Keaton , in "The Primary English Class". In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in the comedy hit, "Gemini", with Danny Aiello , and also appeared in Bernard Slade 's "Tribute", "Beyond Therapy" as well as "Geniuses" and "The Normal Heart", for which he won a Drama-Logue Award. Then, he became involved in television, where he soon was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Coach Cutlip on the series, The Wonder Years (1988) . Robert appeared in several other series: China Beach (1988) , Frasier (1993) , Ally McBeal (1997) , Home Improvement (1991) , The Outer Limits (1995) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996) . In 1995, he got the role of the holographic doctor on Star Trek: Voyager (1995) , where he also directed two episodes. He also got roles in The Howling (1981) , Star 80 (1983) , Get Crazy (1983) , Oh, God! You Devil (1984) , Innerspace (1987) , Munchies (1987) , Samantha (1991) , White Mile (1994) , Star Trek: First Contact (1996) , Small Soldiers (1998) , Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) , Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010) , and so on. He resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Linda, and their two daughters. - IMDb Mini Biography By: anonymous
• Spouse Linda Pawlik (October 21, 1984 - 2014) (divorced, 2 children)
• Parents Joe Picardo
• Frequently cast in supporting roles or cameos by Joe Dante
• Is an accomplished singer (as demonstrated in Virtuoso (2000) and The Swarm (1996) ) and has put out a CD of parody songs.
• Is the only "Star Trek" regular to have ever written an episode of "Star Trek": the sixth-season episode Life Line (2000) .
• Had originally auditioned for the role of Neelix on Star Trek: Voyager (1995) , which went to his co-star Ethan Phillips .
• He has played the same character (Richard Woolsey) on three television series: Stargate SG-1 (1997) , Stargate: Atlantis (2004) and Stargate Universe (2009) .
• Spoke the final line of the television series Stargate: Atlantis (2004) .
• If Picard can baldly go, why not Picardo?
• On how the success of Stargate SG-1 (1997) has surpassed that of Star Trek in recent years: I am always amazed when I travel abroad that Stargate has become huge. It's huge in Britain. It's far eclipsed Star Trek. It's now huge in Germany. I understand they're making big inroads in other countries.
• His thoughts on Star Trek: I came to the Star Trek franchise a little late. I got into it, I married a woman who's a big Star Trek fan, so, even though I was not into it when I was a kid, in order to court my wife I had to go to Star Trek movies. You know, I think she had a thing for Captain Kirk, right when she was hitting puberty -- which is really when they get you! And, uh, I really grew to understand and appreciate the quality of Star Trek storytelling. And then, when I joined the Voyager franchise, and really became knowledgeable about Star Trek -- and watched more and more of the other shows, that preceded us -- I think that I became a Star Trek fan in my own right, as well as a Star Trek actor. (May 4, 2006)
• Prosthetic make-up is very constricting to wear. The actors who are most successful in it are willing to be very expressive to make the make-up look real and move real. Working in make-up is more emotional acting than regular acting, like you're singing an aria; you let it invade your whole body.

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Seven of Nine’s Arrival on Star Trek: Voyager Generated Worries for Existing Character

U pon learning about the introduction of Seven of Nine to “Star Trek: Voyager,” actor Robert Picardo, who played the Doctor, voiced concerns over the potential overlap between his character’s development and the new Borg character’s storylines. The Doctor, an AI learning to be more human, feared similarity in narrative due to Seven’s half-Borg, half-human nature. Expressing his worries to co-creator Brannon Braga, Picardo was apprehensive about losing unique storylines and feared his character’s growth would be negatively impacted with Kes’s departure from the show.

“[W]hat happened is that Seven’s character was suddenly assigned storylines that would have been The Doctor’s in the first three seasons. Had I realized they were going to do that, I might’ve been trepidatious. When I heard that Kes wasn’t coming back, I did go in to Brannon’s office and say, ‘I’m concerned again.’”

Picardo respected Kes as a character that helped the Doctor grow emotionally, offering a mentorship that was critical for the Doctor’s development. He foresaw that without Kes, his character might regress to a less nuanced role.

“I explained that Kes had really been The Doctor’s mentor. Officially, he’s mentoring her as a medical assistant, but she has been mentoring him and developing his humanity. My concern was that she’s been his emotional sounding board, his confessor. The moment she’s gone, The Doctor is just going to go back to being a buffoon and a windbag. He’d never open himself up to another crew member at this point.”

Braga’s response encouraged Picardo to pivot and view the change as an opportunity to tackle the situation as an acting challenge.

FAQs About Seven of Nine’s Impact on Star Trek: Voyager

• Why was Robert Picardo concerned about Seven of Nine joining the cast?

Picardo was concerned that Seven of Nine’s character development would overlap with storylines previously written for the Doctor, resulting in fewer unique character moments for him.

• What was the Doctor’s relationship with Kes, and why was it important?

The Doctor and Kes had a mentor-protégé relationship, which helped the Doctor’s emotional growth. Kes’s departure threatened this dynamic.

• How did Brannon Braga address Picardo’s concerns?

Braga addressed Picardo’s concerns by challenging him to see the introduction of Seven of Nine as an acting opportunity rather than a setback.

The introduction of Seven of Nine into the “Star Trek: Voyager” series presented not only a significant shift in the character dynamic but also raised concerns for actor Robert Picardo. His fears about the Doctor’s character development being sidelined in favor of Seven’s journey highlight the intricate balance writers and actors must maintain when evolving a show’s cast and narrative. Despite initial trepidation, the challenge was met with creativity, and both characters continued to contribute to the rich tapestry of “Voyager’s” storytelling. As with any series, particularly in the realm of science fiction, changes can bring about uncertainty, but they can also catalyze new depths of character exploration and plot intrigue.

What Robert Picardo Thought About Seven Of Nine's Return In Picard

Star Trek: Picard has been touted as a story that tells the next chapter of Jean-Luc Picard's life, but also one that will check in on other characters of the franchise's past. Season 1 featured the returns of characters such as Riker, Deanna Troi, Data, and Seven of Nine, who had made their debut in previous Star Trek works. As such, it's only natural that their former co-stars would check out their performances , which is exactly what fellow Star Trek: Voyager actor Robert Picardo did.

Picardo, who worked with Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan on Voyager , watched Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard and recently shared his thoughts with ComicBook.com on how the show handled the character's story:

I feel that the writers very intelligently took Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan's character, and brought her forward. She was obviously way more human. Because on the four years she spent on the Voyager series, we saw her just having been reclaimed from the Borg and relearning, largely with my character's help, how to be human again. And now we see her fully rehumanized, however, still carrying the burden of her past, having her whole being been hijacked by this collective mind. She was still trying to right wrongs from that period of her life rather than simply move ahead with her life and go back to being a regular human being. She couldn't let go of her past.

It's interesting to read Robert Picardo's thoughts as a former Star Trek: Voyager actor, especially one who had some insight into Seven of Nine's character. I'll admit the fact that Seven Of Nine regained most of her humanity and in turn, spent her time trying to help do the same for other Borg was a plot point I underappreciated. Luckily, we have people like Picardo to point that out how clever her story direction was.

Robert Picardo had a lot of kind things to say about how the writers tackled Seven of Nine's character , but the compliments didn't stop there. Picardo had some compliments for Jeri Ryan , as well as the others who reprised their roles for Star Trek: Picard:

I thought it was very, very well-done. Jeri, her performance is great in it. I thought that the writers were very savvy in what they did. And it's very gratifying for the audience to see a beloved character like Seven of Nine and, of course, to see Riker and to see Deanna Troi, to see those characters that are so loved, and of course, they got married rather late in the saga. It flashed-forward all those years.

Robert Picardo had nothing but compliments for those who were in Star Trek: Picard , but not because he's coming to the series soon. Despite previous statements that he had been contacted for Season 2 , Picardo now says that there are no plans for him to appear in the franchise. Whether he's now obligated to say that with Season 2 on the way or just jumped the gun after some meeting with the crew we don't know, but I guess we'll find out eventually!

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 is available to stream on CBS All Access. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more things happening with Star Trek , and for the latest happening in television and movies.

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Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo Was Against One Of The Doctor's Biggest Changes

In the pilot episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" — called "Caretaker" (January 16, 1995) — the chief medical officer on board the U.S.S. Voyager was killed in an alien-inflicted cataclysm that swept the clear across the galaxy in a matter of moments. With the ship damaged and the medical staff wiped out, the Voyager crew had to rely on a temporary Emergency Medical Hologram to serve as the ship's main doctor. 

For the first few seasons, the EMH (Robert Picardo) was snippy and impatient, having been programmed to respond only to emergencies. Using the EMH so frequently, however, caused it to develop a consciousness and a personality. Before long, the unnamed Doctor was seen as an official member of the crew. 

Because he was a hologram, the Doctor was typically confined to the sickbay, where his holographic emitters were equipped. He could also be transferred directly to the ship's holodeck occasionally, but the Doctor wasn't capable of visiting other parts of the ship, nor going on away missions.

That is, until the episode "Future's End, Part II" (November 13, 1996) in the show's third season. Thanks to a time machine and some wrangling of 29th-century technology, the Doctor was equipped with a mobile emitter, a small device he wore on his arm that would project his hologram and forcefields anywhere he wanted to go. The Doctor was, from that point on, wholly unbound. 

This, however, wasn't a wrinkle that Picardo approved of. In 2022, the actor spoke to StarTrek.com , and revealed that he preferred the Doctor's physical limitations. If he could walk anywhere, Picardo felt, nothing was making the character unique; he would essentially be just another human on a human-dominated starship. This might have been something the character wanted, but it wasn't something Picardo wanted. 

The doctor's limitations on Star Trek: Voyager

Picardo recalls talking to one of the show's head writers and co-creators Brannon Braga about the mobile emitted shortly before it was implemented on the show ... and that he didn't like it. The actor said: 

"I remember I was in Brannon Braga's office when he told me. He said, 'Your character is so popular, we need to be able to put you in more scripts, in more situations and settings. What do you think?' I said, 'I think it's a bad idea.'" 

What, Picardo thought, was the point of a holographic character if he was unbound by certain practical limitations? Picardo felt that the reason the Doctor was so popular was specifically because he wasn't able to leave sickbay or a holodeck . He was a medical doctor with no physical body, making him constantly resentful of the being he had been programmed to heal and protect. Picardo admitted, however, that Braga was ultimately wise to invent the mobile emitter. He said: 

"This was one time when I was clearly wrong and the producers were absolutely, 100% right. I conveyed to [Braga ...] that the character's differences define him and make him interesting to the audience. If I'm not limited to the Sickbay or the Holodeck, then I'll just be like anybody else. I'm glad they did it, as it gave me many more stories. But because the character had been kind of a break-out character ... whenever somebody plans to mess with a winning formula, I think anyone's reaction would be, 'Are we sure we want to do that?'"

The Doctor not only gained autonomy but also began to develop hobbies — he loved to sing — and a sense of social justice. The stories began to flow.

Hologram rights on Star Trek: Voyager

To that last point, the Doctor felt that the human-shaped holograms regularly used by Starfleet — they were employed in mines and other dangerous areas — were actually a new form of mechanized consciousness, and that they should have rights like flesh-and-blood citizens. Some late-series developments had the Doctor communicating with Starfleet on the matter, and winning his case. 

There was a massive shift for the Doctor at the beginning of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Voyager," however. Up until then, the Doctor had been mentored by the gentle and compassionate Kes (Jennifer Lien), a character who served as the show's conscience. Picardo loved his scenes with Lien, and felt that he and Kes had developed a great working relationship. When "Voyager" was flagging in the ratings, however, the producers cut Kes out of the show and replaced her with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a former Borg clearly hired to add a cheesecake element to the show ( Seven was dressed in a corset and skintight catsuit ). 

Picardo was concerned that the Doctor wouldn't be able to relate to Seven the way he did with Kes. He was encouraged by Braga to think of something he could form with the new character, and Picardo did have a solution: 

"I gave it some thought, and I read the first script or two that they had available before we started shooting that season. I went to Brannon and suggested that we take the relationship that The Doctor had with Kes and we turn it around. So The Doctor thinks that the best person to teach Seven of Nine how to become human again is him . In other words, he's a better teacher on how to be a human being than a real human being." 

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Robert Picardo Has A Pitch To Play The Doctor Again In Live-Action Star Trek

| November 3, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 91 comments so far

With the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast coming back for the third (and final) season of Star Trek: Picard , bringing characters back seems to be top of mind for legacy Trek stars. Kate Mulgrew has a few thoughts about a live-action return as Janeway and now her Star Trek: Voyager co-star Robert Picardo is talking about some ideas to reprise his role as The Doctor.

Picardo sees Zimmerman as the key

In an interview with The Companion’s To Boldly Ask , Robert Picardo affirmed he is interested in reprising his role as The Doctor from Voyager , saying “the answer is yes, it’s fun to visit the character.” The actor also picked up on how legacy characters returning to Trek is a hot topic:

I’m really happy that Kate [Mulgrew] is now talking openly about it now. That they’ve established the precedent with Star Trek: Picard, there’s a passion in the audience out there to see the legacy actors again in new stories mixed with wonderful, younger, new actors. So, it’s certainly something I’m open to and the character lives on inside me.

Picardo preceded this by discussing how there is a particular challenge in returning as The Doctor, citing “the Data issue,” because, like the android, the holographic doctor “is not supposed to age.” The first season of Picard solved this issue by de-aging Brent Spiner as Data using CGI, although his return as Lore in season 3 seems to be forgoing this trick. Picardo noted that one solution to this is to play a different character (which Spiner also did in the first two seasons of Picard, playing two different members of the Soong family). Picardo already has a character in mind: Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the Emergency Medical Hologram.

Picardo as Lewis Zimmerman and The Doctor in Voyager’s “Life Line”

The actor outlined his idea:

I could easily play Doc Zimmerman again, because Zimmerman is in the same timeline as certain of those Star Trek series… To me it’s a funny idea. What I would find very funny is to have The Doctor and Zimmerman working together… Let’s say you’re a 40-year-old person, imagine your 18-year-old self  working side by side with you during the day on some very critical or important mission… Wouldn’t that annoy the hell out of you? I think there are a lot of comic possibilities if you can age down The Doctor to do a scene, now that there’s a giant age gap between The Doctor who’s 41 or 42 and his late 60s creator.

It could work

Picardo did play both Zimmerman and The Doctor together with comedic effect in the sixth season Voyager episode “Life Line.” Picardo isn’t just suggesting playing Lewis Zimmerman as he is now, but also bringing back The Doctor, who would look as he did on Voyager . This would bring back that same “Data issue” he mentioned, requiring the same kind of CGI de-aging, as he noted. Also, playing the characters together adds some complications for the production.

But Picardo is right, there is potential for comedy here. While it’s unlikely a future Star Trek show would include a de-aged Doctor as a regular character, doing a scene like this could be fun, and it would fit in nicely if Picard showrunner gets his wish for a spin-off series set in the early 25th century, a show that would likely prominently feature Jeri Ryan as Seven, who had a special bond with Picardo’s Doctor. Bob Picardo would make for a great cameo. But if Picardo wants a more recurring or regular role, he’s better off pitching himself as just Zimmerman or another character that doesn’t require special visual effects. And perhaps Picardo is just overthinking it; being a hologram, there is no reason why The Doctor couldn’t update his appearance, possibly even to match his own creator, or even the people around him; the alternate future in the  Voyager  finale, “Endgame,” did show him with a wife.

Jeri Ryan and Robert Picardo in Voyager

You can see a clip of Picardo talking about this idea from The Companion below.

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Can’t wait to see the Doctor, the whole Voyager crew, together!

Maybe it will happen in the last season of prodigy in animated form?

Would be amazing!

Yes PLEASE get the Doctor or Zimmerman back ASAP!! It’s still a little shocking to me he hasn’t turned up as the Doctor on the animated shows yet (although it looks like Starfleet has scaled back on the EMH program in general). The Doctor is one of the most popular characters in Star Trek and Picardo is just a gift to acting in general. To this day I still remember watching First Contact to a sold out theater and his appearance got the biggest applause when he showed up. It was obvious people had no idea he was in that movie.

If a Janeway show happens it would be crazy he wouldn’t be part of it in some way. Or whatever the next 25th century show will be.

Yes! Totally forgot the audience reaction in First Contact! I remember now, a big applause, people were screaming and I couldn’t hear what he was saying. :D

Yeah it’s a big reason why I love that film so much and his appearance especially. I didn’t expect the audience react so big at the time but it was a fun moment!

I truly enjoyed First Contact. It is my favorite Star Trek movie. It was amazing on the theater, equally satisfying watching it at home for what…25+ years!?

I loved FC but Picard totally wasn’t Picard in that movie IMHO

that was the point. that his experience with the borg still under his skin and in extreme pressure he resorts to questionable actions, even insulting worf as well as killing and not saving crew members who became borg

I get that. Really I do. I liked the unhinged aspect of Picard. I just mean at some points of the movie he had sort of a Rambo feel to him.

I can totally understand what you are saying. He was not the TV Picard we were used to see for 7 years. We have never seen his “primitive and 20th Century” rage, as he said it to Lily, after he broke his “little ships.” :D

I totally forgot there were 2 VOY actors in that movie.

The legacy train seems to keep chugging along full throttle. Personal reservations aside, maybe it’s time to sit back, grab a drink (or several) and buckle up for the ride.

To be honest, that train started back in 2009 and it’s only been gaining more speed since! None of these characters ever went away. The Kelvin movies went back to the TOS characters and brought in Nimoy as Prime Spock in the first film. And then we got ‘Khan’ in the sequel. Now with so many new shows and most of them taking place in the TNG era again this is a great time to bring back not just the legacy characters but the original actors back as well. We know that’s what most fans want, so why not just do it? I’ve enjoyed seeing each and every one back so far, from Seven to Q, it’s great to see the franchise so revitalized in this way.

I’ve always said I would be completely fine to wipe the slate clean with a completely new cast of characters and setting with only hints of the past or future (and would love that for the next movie series if another one gets made by 2030). The irony is the last time we got such a clean slate was Enterprise back in 2001. I seriously doubt we’ll get something that original in terms of new characters and setting ever again looking at where the franchise has gone since 2009.

Correction. We got some white dude playing a non-Sikh character named “Khan” who bore no resemblance to the character in “Space Seed.” (Not that Kirk bore a whole lot more to the TOS character, but at least he had a very different upbringing.)

Yes, and why I also put ‘quotes’ around his name as you just did, correct? C’mon man!

And while I didn’t love Chris Pine’s Kirk either, he’s still 10 times better than Paul Wesley’s version so far.

It’s getting a little “George Takei wants his Captain Sulu show” with these Voyager actors. Too much “campaigning” for my tastes. I totally get why they would like to cash in on a new series as they are nearing or already in retirement, but I hope Kurtzman is not pressured too much by all of this.

For me, The Doctor was the most annoying main character in the Berman era…can anyone say: overrated! Lol

I’ll say it: Overrated.

The Doctor was one of my least-favorite Voyager characters. He just got right the eff under my skin. He started out tolerable – a cantankerous hologram stuck with a crap personality because his creator had a crap personality. Then the began singing and taking pictures and left cantankerous behind for conceited and self-important. At least that’s this fan’s opinion.

What I love the Doctor! His cantankerous nature is what made me love him lol. We haven’t had a character like that since the original Dr. McCoy of course. He is one of my top 10 favorite characters easily! But as I always say, the fanbase is not a monolith. We’re not going to all love (or hate) the same things, so IDIC! :)

Well with the exception of Pulaski of course. No one matched McCoy like Pulaski did.

Yeah right! For some reason I forgot about Pulaski. Now talk about a character *I* couldn’t stand and that was definitely her. For some reason the cankerous thing really put me off. I really hated the character when she first showed up. I was so happy when she was gone in season 3 at the time. Now I like her a little more today since I rewatched TNG last year but Pulaski was easily in my worst 10 list along with Harry Mudd, those creepy kids from The Children Shall Lead, Space Hitler Georgiou, Shinzon and Q’s son, Q (ugh).

But the most cankerous doctor of them all is definitely Dr. T’Ana and I completely love her. Man, I swear to Kahless every time she opens her mouth with an expletive I bust up laughing. It was so smart to make her both a doctor and a Caitain because we know how grumpy cats can get. She has them ALL beat by a light year!

Yeah me too. McCoy was cantankerous in his own way but he was lovable. Pulaski was just, well, you know. *BAD*. And the way she treated Data… SHEESH! When McCoy was after Spock, well, Spock gave as good as he got and more. Poor Data just took it like an innocent kid and it came off like total bullying. And man she was so full of herself in a way McCoy never was. She was always up in Picard’s face in a way that totally wasn’t warranted because they didn’t have the dynamic McCoy/Kirk did. It was a totally forced TNG McCoy situation that failed at every. single. level.

Mudd was, mehhh… He was a product of the 60’s. Just leave him there where he belongs. I love Rainn Wilson but we totally did not need the character bac for DSC, even if they did try to modernize him. And for son of Q, I never liked the idea of the Q procreating. Real world religion aside, I never got the idea of omnipotent beings needing to procreate. For me anyways, the idea of procreation is to advance and continue the species. Once you reach perfection and omnipotence, you’re there. You can stop now.

I think that was a big reason why fans didn’t take to her, partly due to the way she treated Data. Again, this was early TNG and like you said, I think they were trying to find ways to imitate TOS but not too obvious. Bones always gave Spock mess for being an unfeeling alien and I guess they were trying to do the same thing with Pulaski and Data. But with Spock and McCoy, it came off like fun ribbing between friends. And Spock always gave it right back to him. With Pulaski, it just came off rude and mean spirited. Data was already one of my favorite characters in season one so yeah that really bothered me at the time lol. It just didn’t work.

Now that said, when I rewatched TNG and it was honestly the first time I watched season 2 in its entirety probably since it originally aired, she does come off better now. When you watch the entire season, you can see her softening a lot to Data by the end. If she stayed, she probably would’ve won over more fans in time, but we’ll never know obviously.

I completely agree with you about Q. The whole procreation thing just made no sense to me. Just keep them more mysterious. While I hated the original Mudd I actually liked Rain’s version a lot more. He came off 90% less creepy lol. I wouldn’t mind seeing him again but I guess that’s done since it would mess with canon if he showed up on SNW. But yeah like SNW haven’t done that enough lol. Anyway, this is getting a bit off topic but I’m very good at that! ;D

It was more than that. More than Data. Pulaski is actually the only Star Trek character that I did not connect.

For me was 2 things, the TOS vibe of the character. And also the removal of Gates McFadden.

I really got into the Star Trek Universe with STNG Season 3-4. At that time, not now, I really like the fact that there was a new crew, not a kicking ass always fighting Kirk…but a wise and brilliant diplomat Picard. All the other characters looked different. Pulaski was the only one who looked and behaved like from the TOS era.

During the summer months at college, I was catching up the first 3 seasons, watching reruns. I remember I was very upset Crusher was not on the show during that season.

Agreed about Gates McFadden. I always loved her and I always hated how criminally underutilized she was on the show.

Knowing this, from previous series, it surprises me what they are still doing in Discovery.

One of the main reasons I disliked Pulaski was that I disliked Diana Muldaur. This is entirely subjective, of course, but I felt that every character she played was pretty much the same, and they were all annoying in the same way. Even as Rosalind Shays on “L.A. Law” she was the same. Something about that woman’s affect rubs me the wrong way.

And I felt they missed an opportunity to make Pulaski a bit more interesting. I know that in early TNG they were supposedly going out of their way to avoid “too much” TOS-ness in TNG, despite the appearance of super-elderly McCoy in the pilot and the blatant remake of “The Naked Time” as “The Naked Now.” I thought it might have been interesting if Pulaski had taken a special interest in Geordi’s visual issues. Why would she be so interested in that? Maybe because her grandmother was (in this speculation) Miranda Jones.

One of my favorite Star Trek authors is Peter David. In his TNG novel “Strike Zone,” Pulaski and Data are having a conversation in which she is being, of course, condescending and insulting. Data is being polite and taking it. As their conversation is ending, Data says, “Doctor, it’s been a very educational conversation.” She thanks him and says, “I certainly hope you’ll be able to store it away somewhere.” Data says he hopes she will as well. Pulaski replies that, not being a machine, she wouldn’t know where. “Data,” the author writes, “without batting an eyelash, said with unmistakable inflection and intent, ‘I think, Doctor, you know where you can store it’.”

She did seem to soften at the end. You can tell at one point she really did seem to care for data. I remember in Peak Performance where Data keeps losing the game and Pulaski at first along with Troi was the one that coaxed Data into the game but later she genuinely felt bad and guilty when Data genuinely started to doubt himself because he couldn’t win. At that point she was no longer thinking of him as a walking talking set of circuits.

As for Q. I loved Q on TNG of course. Hated Q on VOY. I wish he never boarded on VOY. They totally cut him off at the knees. We should have never visited the continuum. We should have never deep dived into what the continuum is. I say the same thing about the Q that I do about “God” in Star Trek V. You don’t try to explain God. The minute you try to understand a God, they are no longer Gods. Gods aren’t gods if they can be understood or explained. That’s the whole point.

Yeah she definitely became at least more tolerable by the end. And Peak Performance is a really good episode. It’s one of those I used to skip but when I rewatched it recently I realized how good it was. And yes she especially had a great turn in that episode. That said, I’m still happy Beverly came back in season 3.

I sadly have to agree with you about Q on Voyager. I thought Death Wish was great, one of the better Q episodes. But yes it probably wasn’t a great idea to show who they really are. It’s just too difficult to do. And the other episodes were just awful. But sadly as bad as those episodes were on Voyager, they looked like Peabody episodes compared to Q in Picard season 2. (sigh)

Picardo must be an amazing and talented actor, with his charm he quickly won both writers and producers. I don’t remember in detail, but long time ago in an interview, I remember him saying all the things he demanded for his character, he was worry to play a hologram, thinking of Data, with no emotions. With advice from others, he was lucky that he was able to give the Doc his “cantankerous nature”! (Tiger2, there is no better word for the Doc, for his personality) :D

He was amazing, to see his growth, being forced to be a Doc 24/7. I am still crossing my fingers to see his copy arriving at Discovery in the 32nd Century.

I heard of this as well but not that long ago. I think I heard about this on Star Trek day back in 2020 on the Voyager panel. But I remember Picardo saying he was originally worried he would just be more of an emotionless character like Spock and Data and he wanted to give the Doctor a real personality and pushed for him to sing, be involved in romantic relationships etc.

I’m so glad he pushed for those things because the Doctor became a more unique character. And just more fun too. And it’s crazy to cast someone like Picardo but then don’t use all his skills and abilities. And I think because of that, they went the direction that his character was gaining sentience.

Thanks to this message board, I rewatched The Swarm last night where the Doctor is starting to break down because he’s been running too long and added so many sub routines. It’s the first time we meet a version of Dr. Zimmerman as well. Picardo really shines in that episode playing two different characters and singing freaking opera on top of it. He’s just super talented and really love to see him again.

Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. Love the doctor!

Same here! Huge happy reaction to him in FC! When I think of some of the scenes in that film, it’s quite easily one of the very best of the ST movie franchise!

Actors like to work lol. They ALL do it man. How many times have we seen Chris Pine say he wants to play Kirk again in the last 5 years? Or Quinto saying he wants to play Spock again? Or the DS9 and TNG actors saying they want to do more roles? Even Shatner is still throwing out ideas how he can play Kirk again and they killed off his character over 20 years ago. It’s not regulated to just the ‘Voyager’ actors lol.

You clearly just don’t like Voyager, which is fine of course, but if were actors from a show or movie you DID like, don’t pretend like you wouldn’t be encouraging them on for it. Right?

And actors can’t win sometimes because look how fanbase gets literally angry when an actor says they want to move on from Star Trek or has no interest to do it again. Like now, suddenly Star Trek is no longer good for them or something. It’s a damn if you do, damn if you don’t situation.

Even for characters/actors I do like, I don’t want to see any double-dipping in two series given we have a limited number of series to cover the legacy actors who are not getting any younger. So even for the current actors, I would say no to SMG appearing on another Trek series, no to Mount getting a second series, etc. This is in contrast to the Voyager fans, who want another series with Seven and another series with Janeway. It’s like you all want to dominate the future series opportunities, which mean for those of us who want to see some DS9 characters and some Enterprise characters, we’re at risk on getting gypped out of seeing our legacy characters given your sort of well meaning unintentional greed to “control the board” on new shows with your particular fav legacy actors from one single series. Again, there are only so many shows to fit in these characters..   I would like to see the fan favs from all the Berman series get a couple characters on a show before they get too old — BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ONE SERIES EACH given there are only so many series to go around and not many years left for these actors. That’s the difference between our opinions here — you are campaigning for DOUBLE DIPPING with your two favorite characters from Voyager. I am just not down with that given fairness to the fans of the other Berman era Trek shows — it comes across as a bit greedy…my opinion. Ryan got Picard and Mulgrew has Prodigy…check, they got their legacy opportunity…time now to move onto DS9 and then Enterprise given the ages of the actors. Fair is fair.

No offense but I think you overthink these things a little too much! ;)

And aren’t you the guy who wants another TOS show?? I don’t understand the difference?Isn’t that also D OUBLE DIPPING ? I don’t want that at all because it’s just rebooting another old show. We got that with the Kelvin movies. At least with stuff like Picard, we’re still going forward and with new situations and characters.

And I want to see WHATEVER characters they reintroduce. Voyager is not even my favorite show, DS9 is. And if they made another DS9 show, of course I would be just as excited about that one too (I’m actually watching the Lower Decks DS9 episode as I type this lol. My fourth rewatch—see how much I miss DS9 ;)). I’m pretty sure most fans would. At the moment, people are discussing a Janeway show for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t mean it will happen, we just have to see.

Personally for me, if I had to choose any show coming back, it would actually be Enterprise. Only because it got cut short and there still some great stories to tell in that era. And it’s much more popular now, especially with new fans. But the chances of that show happening over a Janeway show is probably zilch to none, so….

They are going to go with what characters they think will get casual fans to watch more. Having Janeway is a no-brainer in that regard. But to be honest I think ANY legacy character will probably get people to watch but the captains bring more interest for obvious reasons, hence why we got Picard, Pike and Janeway back now.

It doesn’t sound like we are as far apart as perhaps I thought. OK, I get all that.

I basically just want to make sure that it’s all of a sudden 2032, and we realize that Trek focused too much on post Voyager-derived shows in the 2020’s to the extent where the actors on DS9 are NOW too old to carry a new series. Heck some of the DS9 actors have already passed.

I don’t think that’s a concern. A. My guess is they are considering multiple kind of shows since we know they want to appeal to different audiences. B. Kurtzman commented at Comic Con they are discussing using DS9 characters in the future which IIRC you commented in that article that discussed it. So we already know they want to use more DS9 characters, right? I don’t think he was just talking about Lower Decks. A few could even show up in Picard.

Right now, all of this is just talk. I really hope Picardo shows up again as the Doctor or Zimmerman. But that doesn’t rule out anyone else from other shows showing up either since by last count there have now been nearly 50 legacy characters/actors who have appeared in main, recurring or cameo roles since 2017.

Maybe, however the “belt tightening era” for the streaming services is now in full swing, so I doubt the amount of new Trek shows we will get in the next five years will be as large as Kurtzman once intended.

We’ll see.

Oh and I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get a Seven of Nine AND a Janeway show lol. It will only be one or they will probably just put the characters on one show if they go that direction at all. It makes it easier now since Seven is in Starfleet, so relax!

I think most people just want another 25th century show with a few TNG era characters in it. I don’t think they are thinking this hard about it as you’re suggesting. I’m certainly not.

I’d love to mix Seven in with Kira, Jake, Worf and Bashir, plus a couple new characters. I am OK with Janeway having a recurring Admiral role, and I would hope Brooks would be willing to do that as well, but I’m just not all that excited about Janeway being a regular lead. Heck, I would welcome Tuvok as well.

And the Season 1 cliffhanger, and Season 2 first ep absolutely has to be a the two-parter mega ep where we somehow get Jadzia back! :-)

Nothing now will create more excitement and anticipation, than the Return of the Sisko. I think that moment deserves the ending of the next movie, the return of Avery Brooks to the franchise and the return of DS9!

I would love for Avery Brooks to return but IIRC I don’t think he wants too. Also, I can’t even think of a story that would do the return of the Emissary justice now that he is essentially a God.

Hear! Hear! We need to learn The Sisko’s fate! There are many reasons, but not least is the very reason why Avery Brooks insisted on adding the line, “…but I WILL be back.” I absolutely hope he would be willing to return to the role, but if not it should be recast to follow through on the scenario he himself set up.

That sounds cool. I’m pretty sure most fans would be into that mix if they are fans of most of the characters which most long time fans generally are.

You apparently missed the Neelix episodes.

Yeah, I thought to mention him, but even though he was such a cluster-F of a character (and the thought of him being intimate with Kess was a bit a of a grossout…lol), I still kind of liked the character — it was really the writing that was the issue. The Doctor I just thought was a know-it-all, annoying ass, regardless of the writing.

He’s an advanced A.I. hologram, of course he’s a know-it-all. ;D

And I know I’m only one of a few dozen people, but I would totally watch a Neelix show. But you’re talking to someone who would watch a Murf show too.I have little shame.

He takes a lot of crap, but it’s because of the bad writing for him, and the weirdly awkward Kess relationship thing with him doesn’t work for me. Take all that way, and I actually love the guy and would also watch a show based on him — yes!

If you really think about it Neelix was kind of in an inappropriate relationship with Kes

LOL, exactly!

I never considered their relationship inappropriate because they are aliens 400 years in the future living on the other side of the galaxy. They don’t adhere to the same age standards we do here on planet Earth. Biologically Ocampans are different. Kes is considered a fully grown adult at one years old. She can start producing babies at two years old. She only lives to eight years old. Anyone who is not an Ocampan would be considered inappropriate in that case since they die before they reach ten lol. Now that said, if Ocampans only date other Ocampans, then that would be different but we never got any real cultural deep dives into that species outside of Kes.

I actually liked their relationship in that regard because it’s one of the few times something truly felt ‘alien’ in Star Trek because it completely went against human norms.

But I know many people do feel that way and I just find it odd. They are not human. Biologically we would probably find all kinds of life out there that looks, acts and thinks very differently from us. But it also shows our 21st century mindset is still not yet open minded enough to have different perceptions of how other species live and think. I imagine here on planet Earth many species are in relationships with each other that would be considered age inappropriate for humans. But since they are animals, and different from us, no one thinks about it. But there are no cross species relationships on planet Earth like there is in Star Trek either.

And I also think because since it’s Star Trek and 90% of aliens look and act like human anyway we apply those standards. If Kes and Neelix looked like plants or something and one was two and the other was two hundred, we probably wouldn’t apply our standards on to them because they would already just feel completely alien to us in every way.

When the Doctor first debuted I kinda hated how advanced he was. Like Data was supposed to be the most advanced AI that ever existed and for all he was he still couldn’t feel. But it was like someone one day just snapped their fingers and BAM, here is the doctor that could feel and be human after a few eps and everything

I love Ethan Phillips’ story about getting stopped on the Paramount lot by Robin Williams who then proceeded to enthrall him with an improvised bit about Neelix. Warmed my heart when I read that.

I’m now picturing a glorious odd couple spin-off featuring Sela and the EMH as the leads, just for you.

Why not have Picardo or a stand in do motion capture for The Doctor with Picardo voicing and cgi-render Voyager era Picardo in? Take the de-aging out of it and make it as a CG character.

Cause that sounds seriously expensive for an ongoing character IMHO

It’s cheaper than other methods and less expensive than Saru’s makeup.

I want to see the Living Witness version of the Doctor in DSC. The timing should be roughly about right. Maybe 100 years off or so? Can’t remember.

Yep, it’s been a little over 100 years. Living Witness took place in the mid-31st century IIRC. This would be a perfect opportunity to bring the Doctor on that show. AND it may get some Discovery haters motivation to give that show another chance as well.

But what is really cool is that if you do the math, if the Doctor is still stuck using 24th century technology, he still is stuck 60ish years away from the federation. So maybe it might just line up a bit more?

Yes, unfortunately no spore drives in the 31st $#W% century! ;)

LOL!!! We all know how Janeway feels about animal based drives!

…which means he could have been killed in The Burn.

Oh, I totally missed reading your post amirami! I wrote the same thought in another post! :D

:-D It would be so cool, right!

New show coming…..Star Trek: AARP.

You are not too far off there…lol

This is mean, at some point, pretty much we all will be with the AARP status. There is space for all, the new and the old, really enjoy the return of all legacy characters.

True, yet, it is what it is.

The funny thing is Picardo is on the younger side considering both Nimoy and Stewart both returned to playing their characters at around 80 years old. There are still fans who want Shatner to return and that guy is now in his 90s.

Star Trek XII So Very Tired :-D

Simpsons reference :)

Again with the Klingons….

Get him as that backup copy that is centuries old on Discovery. Maybe he’s even captain of the Voyager-J.

It would be cool to see him play Zimmerman again, but it would be amazing to see the Doctor come back. Having him reprogram himself to be older seems kind of silly. It might be possible, but why would he ever do that? I’d rather they just deage him like they did with Data. I’m already skeptical about elderly Lore showing up, although I’ll wait to see what the explanation is before I complain.

I have a mutual acquaintance with Bob Picardo who said he was offered pennies for returning to Picard in a cameo role, which he turned down…and probably right to do so as well. It was derisory. But if that’s how much they value him then shouldn’t be begging them for a job, their thoughts on his character seem to be clear.

Well, in Picard it would make sense for him to just have a cameo, since he has never met Picard. I would imagine that they would offer less money for a cameo role. Especially for one who isn’t particularly important to the story. In a potential Seven of Nine show, it would make a lot more sense for the doctor to have a bigger role, in which case they would probably offer him more money.

In relative terms yes but when you have a multi million pound show offering an actor four figures to appear in an episode it is incredibly derisory.

Its funny I always thought the EMH and the Doctor would be the easiest to adapt to a more modern show. I mean we are talking about a hologram here so you can literally use the original version of the character from Voyager just copy paste the character or you could have the hologram add aging subroutines, we know holograms can add subroutines to their programs. This isn’t difficult at all.

When Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew came out and said they would like to do more live action Trek, it makes sense that other legacy actors chime in. I’d love to see him again. I wouldn’t worry about de-aging him with CGI. A simple “I changed the parameters of my program so I could age along with my wife and family.” Done and dusted. I hope we see him again, if it organically makes sense, story wise.

If The Orville gets renewed, I would like to see him there again. My second favourite Xelayan.

Okay, couple of things regarding The Doctor…

While Holograms generally “don’t age”, they can be reprogrammed to look like… anything! They could simply have The Doctor modify his appearance to appear older, maybe to help set his coworkers at ease (helps his bedside manner maybe???)

Now, if Lewis Zimmerman comes back into the plot, why couldn’t Zimmerman simply have made a new version of the EMH (with his own likeness), just as he did with the Mark 1 ?

Oh, I loved the dr! He was my fave character on Voyager! He was so vain, he was hilarious! Would love to see Picardo back!

I only wish they did a better job with de-aging Spiner in the first season. They leaned way too much on make-up and not nearly enough CGI. What they did with Q for a moment in the second season was perfect. A single fan showed it could have been done really well, requiring only a little bit of clean-up where the AI made some goofs.

Still surprised with all the Legacy characters being discussed they don’t get William Shatner.

They all wanna be Better Call Saul.

We got to have the Doctor back pronto! 👍👍👍