page_title: Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 2)
section_title: Casting
hierarchical_section_title: Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 2) / Production / Casting
caption_attribution_description: English: Robert O'Reilly at FedCon 2013. Permission was explicitly given for it use on WikipediaDeutsch: Robert O'Reilly auf der FedCon 2013; Verwendung bei Wikipedia angefragt und gestattet.
context_page_description: The second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on November 21, 1988, and concluded on July 17, 1989, after airing 22 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D. Season two featured changes to the main cast, following the departure of Gates McFadden. Diana Muldaur was cast as Dr. Katherine Pulaski for a single season before the return of McFadden in season three. Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg also joined the cast after pursuing a role from the producers.
  There were significant changes backstage to the writing team. Maurice Hurley became head writer, and following extensive re-writes to "The Royale" and "Manhunt", Tracy Tormé left the writing team. Likewise, following the submission of a script for "Blood and Fire", David Gerrold allowed his contract to run out due to issues with Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Maizlish, Roddenberry's lawyer. Other departing writers included Leonard Mlodinow and Scott Rubenstein, while Melinda M. Snodgrass, Hans Beimler and Richard Manning joined the team.
context_section_description: Before the second season, there was a change to the main cast. Gates McFadden, who portrayed Dr. Beverly Crusher, was fired from the show and replaced with Diana Muldaur, who played a new character called Dr. Katherine Pulaski. Rick Berman later said that "There were those who believed at the end of the first season that they didn't like the way her character was developing, vis-a-vis Gates' performance, and managed to convince Mr. Roddenberry of that". He said that he did not agree with the decision. Roddenberry decided to write Crusher out rather than killing the character to allow for McFadden's return in the future. Keith DeCandido later suggested that it was Maurice Hurley who wanted McFadden out of the show, and after he left at the end of the season, the door was open for her to return. Pulaski was intended to be reminiscent of Dr. Leonard McCoy from The Original Series. Muldaur had appeared twice in The Original Series, first as Dr. Anne Mulhull in "Return to Tomorrow" and later as Dr. Miranda Jones in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?". She had also appeared in a Roddenberry-led pilot, Planet Earth.
  Christina Pickles had also been considered for the part, and Berman stated that she was the second choice for the role. Muldaur was offered a main cast credit, but declined in favor of a "special guest appearance" credit, and went into the role expecting only to be in the show for a single season. Muldaur left after season two, with McFadden returning as Crusher for season three. Muldaur said that "People have tried to create some kind of something out of it, but she played one part and I played a totally different part... it would not have been good to have continued very much longer, even though everyone was really lovely".
  Another actress to join the show was Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, who had been a long-time Star Trek fan. She credited Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in The Original Series as an inspiration, saying "Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on, I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, 'Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a black lady on television and she ain't no maid!' I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be." To appear on the show, Goldberg contacted the producers initially through LeVar Burton. The producers did not believe her as they felt that a movie star such as Goldberg would not want to appear in Star Trek, and ignored calls from her agent, until Goldberg called them personally. A meeting was arranged between her and Rick Berman, and she agreed to appear in six episodes of season two. Her character, Guinan, was named after Mary "Texas" Guinan, a prohibition-era speakeasy owner.
  Guest stars in season two included Teri Hatcher, who appeared in the episode "The Outrageous Okona" before she gained the role of Lois Lane in the Superman television series Lois and Clark. She was not credited for the role as transporter chief B.G. Robinson after the majority of her scenes were cut from the final episode, resulting in her requesting that the credit be removed. That episode also featured a guest appearance by Billy Campbell, who had been the second choice in the original casting for Commander William Riker. He gained the role in the episode after contacting casting agent Junie Lowry and asking to be in an episode. Musician Mick Fleetwood made a cameo as an Antedean ambassador in the episode "Manhunt", although he did not have any lines. Robert O'Reilly, who appeared in "Manhunt", later gained the part of the Klingon Gowron in season three. His character became Klingon Chancellor, and he appeared in several more TNG episodes as well as having a recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. O'Reilly's final appearance in Star Trek was as yet another character, in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Bounty".
caption: Gowron actor Robert O'Reilly guest starred in "Manhunt".
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