happy birthday, Diana Muldaur!

[star_rose 0]

happy birthday Diana Muldaur!

Although your character, Dr. Pulaski, criticized often my loved Data, you played very well in TNG.

[Kor37 9]

I'll always remember Diana Muldaur as the hottie from the TOS episodes she did rather than as Dr. Pulaski.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I'll always remember Diana Muldaur as the hottie from the TOS episodes she did rather than as Dr. Pulaski.

Same here

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANA!!!!

[DaboGirl 7]

 

Happy Birthday to the woman who quit Next Gen so Beverly Crusher could return!

[trekz 7]

From Memory Alpha

 

Muldaur had previously appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series ("Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"), playing two different characters who also held the title of "Doctor."

 

Muldaur began her television career with a recurring role on the soap opera The Secret Storm in 1965, on which John Colicos also starred. She followed this with a recurring role as Jeannie Orloff on the medical drama Dr. Kildare, guest-starring in five episodes along with her future TOS co-star William Shatner as well as fellow TOS guest star Bruce Hyde. Following this series' end, however, Muldaur was cast in the role of Chris Coughlin in the crime drama McCloud, which lasted seven seasons from 1970 through 1977.

 

In 1988, Muldaur was cast as Dr. Pulaski for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation as a replacement for Gates McFadden, the actress who played Beverly Crusher in the first season. McFadden had some sort of falling out with the show's producers and left (or was asked to leave) the show, and Muldaur was brought on board. However, following the end of the second season, the issues with McFadden were resolved and she returned to the series. Muldaur's last appearance as Dr. Pulaski was "Shades of Gray", the final episode of the second season.

 

After her tenure as Dr. Pulaski came to an end, Muldaur found herself playing the recurring role of litigator Rosalind Shays on the hit drama L.A. Law, appearing in 24 episodes between 1989 and 1991. She received two Emmy Award nominations for her performance on this series. Her last episode was the infamous "Good to the Last Drop", in which her character was killed after falling down an empty elevator shaft.

 

More recently, Muldaur lent her voice to the character of Dr. Leslie Thompkins on Batman: The Animated Series.

 

Muldaur is a former board member of the Screen Actors Guild. She also served a tenure as president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Having retired from acting in 1993, Muldaur is currently active as a dog-breeder and a judge at dog shows. END article selections ----------------------------

 

As noted above she was gorgeous as a TOS guest star. I remember her as a frequent guest star in dozens of tv show. I especially enjoyed her on LA Law and McCloud.

[DaboGirl 7]

Muldaur's last appearance as Dr. Pulaski was "Shades of Gray", the final episode of the second season.

 

That particular piece of work gets my vote for the worst Star Trek episode of all time.

[trekz 7]

Muldaur's last appearance as Dr. Pulaski was "Shades of Gray", the final episode of the second season.

 

That particular piece of work gets my vote for the worst Star Trek episode of all time.

I agree that this was a poor episode. As to why, read this from Memory Alpha:

 

Background Information

This episode is a Star Trek clip show.

 

This episode was written to save time and money as a result of the writers' strike of 1988.

 

This episode is thought to be one of the weakest ever made. It was described by its writer, Maurice Hurley as "terrible, just terrible." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) Ronald D. Moore called it "embarrassing".

 

This episode was shot in only three days, while most take at least a week.

 

Only three sets were used for the episode – the surface of Surata IV, sickbay, and the transporter room.

 

Several of the scenes from Riker's flashbacks contain cutaways of locations which are not in Riker's point of view. For example, when the away team evacuates the Klingon ship, Riker's "flashback" contains scenes from the bridge and the transporter room of a ship he was not on.

 

IMO it is not Diana Mudaur's fault that it was a poor episode.

 

"In 1988, Muldaur was cast as Dr. Pulaski for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation as a replacement for Gates McFadden, the actress who played Beverly Crusher in the first season. McFadden had some sort of falling out with the show's producers and left (or was asked to leave) the show, and Muldaur was brought on board. However, following the end of the second season, the issues with McFadden were resolved and she returned to the series."

 

As noted by Gates McFadden at a Las Vegas Creation Con, she left over difference with a producer. Once that producer left, Gates was approached to return to the show. Again imo, it is a bit unfair to blame Muldaur for McFadden leaving the show, or to overly celebrate Muldaur leaving TNG. A number of TNG fans enjoyed her performance and she is a fine actress imo.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

Happy Birthday!