Why did Gates McFadden leave the series during the second season? Why was Dr. Pulaski brought in? I am about 1/2 through Season 2 and I'm annoyed with Pulaski so far.

I'm sure das will have the definitive answer on this and I'd like to know myself for sure. From what I have gathered, Gates either wanted more money, or not to be typecast and left. Then the Muldaur relationship soured with the creators due to personlaity conflicts and by that time Gates realized this was the only gig she was liable to ever get.

Am I close?

I think it was because the producers weren't happy with the way the relationship was developing between Picard and Crusher.

Of course, it didn't take them long to figure out their mistake.

I figured it had to do with money or some other conflict. Crusher was less abrasive and much easier on the eyes, so she gets my vote for the better of the two.

Doing a bit of investigative research, they (people on message boards) state that McFadden was pregnant during the last part of first season. Someone else states that it was during the 4th season she was pregnant. That would jive more with her IMDB page that states she had a child in 1991. Another theory was that she was filming "The Hunt For Red October" so she need the time off.

Das, where are you when we need you?

Didn't Patrick Stewart urge the producers to bring back Gates because there was just no getting along with the woman the replaced her.

D

Uhh... well... you see... there was this... producer... who.. wanted something... and she said... no... and then she kind of wasn't asked to stay...

I wouldn't put money on that theory. Wasn't her screen time in Red October less than 4 minutes? Not the smartest career moves to leave a season of work for a 4 minute scene.

I had heard that the producers were looking for someone else so they let her go after season 1. Of course fans hated the 2nd Doctor so they brought McFaden back.

OK, I'm putting on my geek hat for this one. According to the TNG Companion "There were those who believed at the end of the first season that they didn't like the way the character was developing, vis-a-vis Gate's performance"

• Quoth Deftones •<HR SIZE=1>Das, where are you when we need you? <HR SIZE=1>

Apologies. I've been a bit ... um ... busy. Hopefully someone will be happy with why.

• Quoth BizRodian •<HR SIZE=1>Uhh... well... you see... there was this... producer... who.. wanted something... and she said... no... and then she kind of wasn't asked to stay... <HR SIZE=1>

This is the legend I've always been led to believe. The "official" answer that you'll get from Gates herself (at least it's the answer I received when I asked her personally, but I've heard it from others as well) is that she "didn't get along with" one of the producers of the show and "wasn't asked to return" for the second season. Said producer was "let go" after the second season, and she was asked to return. As she never wanted to leave in the first place, she gladly accepted. Depending on whom you ask, you'll get any number of stories, but from the people closest to the situation, the responses are variations of this tale. Whether there was something ... er ... dirty behind this conflict, we'll probably never know for certain, but I've heard more than a couple people who worked on the show hint around that that was the case.

das