Movies - TV
Why Beverly Crusher Was Cut From Star Trek: TNG Season 2
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
Despite being a great character in Season 1 of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) was cut in Season 2, and there are several theories why.
Dr. Beverly Crusher was hated by one of the “Next Generation” producers, Maurice Hurley, and he had an antagonistic relationship with McFadden.
When Hurley became showrunner for Season 2 of the show, he fired McFadden. In the show, Crusher got a job at Starfleet Medical and was replaced by Dr. Kate Pulaski (Diana Muldaur).
Susan Sackett, creator Gene Roddenberry's assistant and longtime girlfriend, recalled that McFadden and Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) didn't act well together.
Sackett remarked, “I don’t think she and Patrick worked well together. It was mainly his request. There were some acting conflicts.”
However, executive producer Rick Berman refuted Sackett’s claim, saying, “Patrick had absolutely nothing to do with it,” and it was all about Hurley hating McFadden.
McFadden said she wasn’t into playing politics or thinking of acting as a business. She was a lot more passionate about the craft itself, so she butted heads with the producer.
When McFadden asked questions, it pissed off Hurley and Roddenberry. McFadden's observations about "Next Generation" being a bog personal politics were confirmed by Diana Muldaur.