@MLClark Hi, just watched your podcast on Voyager ... Lots of observations (which I will spare you), but as someone who was working in Trek world at the time I do have one insight.
VOY was a different animal for the studio because, unlike TNG/DS9, it was a network show. It was the first show for UPN, the anchor show.
Mulgrew has talked about the suits who would come on the sets, constantly fretting about her hair, her "femininity," etc ... (1/x)
@MLClark TNG/DS9 didn't have those pressures, so they could be a little more free with story ideas. VOY got forced into a network formula -- "This show is targeting a young adult male demographic, therefore we must do this and this and this ..."
David Gerrold has a phrase, "pissing in the bottle," for network suits who feel they have to interfere to put their imprint on a show and take credit ... (2/x)
It reminds me of the fact that Braga claims a UPN exec wanted a different boy band on Enterprise every week to guest star and perform.
@nblumengarten I would not be the least bit surprised. 🙄
Let's not forget the WWE crossover with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a space wrestler. Sounds like a typical network idea.
@nblumengarten I had forgotten that ... "Young Rock" did an episode about that.
@WordsmithFL
Certainly not a coincidence UPN was airing WWE Smackdown at the time.