Why Was Whoopi Goldberg Added To TNG?

It is common knowledge she actively sought out a role in The Next Generation, but to this day I don't see what she has ever added to the series or what producers expected her to add to the series.

Of course, I loathe Whoopi Goldberg.

I liked the character.

I am guessing that most fans of the show also liked the character.

As usual, you are in the minority when it comes to your opinions on Trek.

Perhaps the producers should have given you a call and checked with you before adding her to the show?

Why didn't you give Rick Berman your home phone number? Then they could have consulted with you and made the Trek you wanted. Alas, a missed opportunity...

Your racist trolling is noted.

The Tennessee National Guard? That is a good question - one that has baffled wise men through the ages.

Everything that happens in the universe is part of a giant conspiracy to piss you off, Dayton. TNG, gay marriage, the meth lab in your basement; they really are all about you.

Because Whoopi was a "BIG STAR" at the time. Unlike other "BIG STARS," she was willing to work for peanuts because of how Nichelle Nichols inspired her to go into acting. The producers knew that having Whoopi on the show would draw in a demographic which would normally not find the show appealing. This would lead to better ratings for the show, and more money for the producers.

As much as Whoopi can be a shrieking idiot at times, I'll always respect her because of that.

Which demographic would that be?

Ugh just google it Dayton.

I'd imagine young people. At that time in TNG's life, it wasn't the linchpin of a big modern franchise, it was a sequel to something that had been off the air for 20 years. Bringing in a regular guest actor with star power allowed them to reach beyond the 35-and-up crowd who watched because of their memories of TOS.

That is not an answer.

Everything I've read in TNG coverage such as Cinemafantastique said it was "The Best of Both Worlds pt. 1" that redefined TNG for a new group of fans.

And no, the character of Guinan played no pivotal role in that episode. Her short exchange with Picard could've been done by anyone, like Dr. Crusher.

Yes it is. Google it. You will find your answer. Have you heard of memory alpha?

That's not what they're talking about. That two parter was a symbol that the series was going to start being "edgier" than it had been up to this point. The show already had a fan base by that time. When Whoopi joined the series (in its gawdawful second season), it gave the show a boost as at the time, she was probably the best known star on the series by the general public. So, it brought fans of Whoopi (which was a large portion of America at the time, what with her being a big star) to watch the series.

To perhaps, put this into terms which you can better understand, imagine if Marlon Brando had decided that he wanted to have a recurring role on TOS, the show likely would have lasted more than just 3 seasons, simply because of all the people deciding to tune into watch it. That you can't stand Whoopi doesn't change the fact that she was an award winning actress, and thus was a draw for millions of people to watch the show. The woman had a Grammy when she joined the program, and then picked up an Oscar while starring on the program, that lends some cred to the production. Especially, when she's saying quite publicly, "I very much wanted to be on this show because of how much the original meant to me."

When you consider that the only reason Nichelle Nichols stayed with the original series as long as she did was because Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told her the black community needed her there, that's some heavy shit. Sort of like if Billy Graham told you that you should coach football because the country needs you there. That shifts the show from being some silly little TV program with cardboard sets, bad special effects, and even worse acting, to an influential force in American society.

No longer are we getting just simplistic tales and explosions, but we're getting morality tales, social commentary, and so many other things which Trek is known for, that helped make it insanely popular and relevant to people from all walks of life. Take that away, and you get a Roger Corman crapfest which is quickly forgotten.

Few actors are irreplaceable, so that statement could be said about pretty much every actor in every scene ever.

Her husband played the crazy colonel who was doing the bajoran coup. The one guy from wings in that trilogy was a hugh star trek fan. It is also like having an academy award wing actor like eric stoltz for caprica. Or Olmos and mcdonnel for bsg remake.

Why would I give a flying rip about what Billy Graham told me?

I never cared for Whoopi Goldberg either and don't feel that she added anything to TNG as Guinan.

Considering his close connection to pretty much every President of the US since the '60s, I'd think that it'd be obvious to you why you should care. He's not a "king maker" in American politics, but he's certainly a king breaker. A Republican Presidential candidate who got on Graham's bad side would never have a chance at the Oval Office. Never.

teh baba!

She played a pretty pivotal role in Yesterday's Enterprise. Aside from that, she was one of the few non-Starfleet regulars on a series that often desperately needed a non-Starfleet perspective.

I liked her on TNG, quite a bit. Thought she added a "human" element oddly enough.

Why? The "Starfleet perspective" was wussy enough.

Guinan was TNG's Yoda.

If only Guinan had been given a phaser more often and been in more fire fights.


My only gripe with Guinan was there was never any real payoff to how she and Picard knew each other and their mysterious past. I've got to believe it was more than just that lame The Nexus plot in generations.

While I dislike her shrillness in political discussions, I admire her as an actor.
As for Yesterday's Enterprise, I think her presence was utterly unnecessary. First off, no warship in the middle of a war should have a civilian bartender aboard. More importantly, Tasha would have been more heroic if she'd simply volunteered to go with the E-C crew, without all that mystical "You don't belong here" crap.

I thought they covered that in Time's Arrow? The time paradox...

IIRC there were plans to have had Guinan on ENT, which would('ve) work(ed), given Guinan's longevity & gallivanting around the Milky Way!

I'm pretty sure ZP's dead-on: