They probably couldn’t have gotten away with more Black characters, but they could certainly have had characters from other parts of Europe then just the UK.
I can’t imagine the executives making a fuss if Nurse Chapel had been, say, Nurse Delacroix instead.
it sounds plausible but it's hard to say it would be that much better if it was just as tokenizing. imagine an egregiously Cajun character like X-Men's Gambit/Remy LeBeau...
There are quite a few Black extras/guest roles, including the computer genius, which was pretty revolutionary. Remember the studio viciously cut Janice Rand as a cost measure and there was a limit on core cast. Lots of the guests are also Hispanic, including Commodore Mendez (if non-hispanic actor).
Yeah. I mean, it was generally pushing the envelope for the 1960s. It’s just kinda shocking how they couldn’t seem to imagine a crew that wasn’t almost entirely of British ancestry.
Yeah the Anglophilia is clear, possibly from the Hornblower inspiration. There's also Kyle the recurring transporter officer.
Ye gods, I've just remembered Finnegan. And then there's the unfortunate Riley from Naked Time. 😳 American TV treated the Irish like that until well into TNG tho...
But people forget what a revolutionary step Checkov was at that time. Like Sulu before him, who was a descendent of the recent "enemy", not just because he wasn't white. Context is important.
Just watched one with a Commander Giotto, but overall it reflects a very American view, unsurprisingly...
Lt Riley shows up in both “The Naked Time,” when he tries to commandeer the ship, and “The Conscience of the King,” when he’s assigned solitary duty that makes him a murder target.
Always wondered if the latter was revenge for the former.
Comments
They probably couldn’t have gotten away with more Black characters, but they could certainly have had characters from other parts of Europe then just the UK.
I can’t imagine the executives making a fuss if Nurse Chapel had been, say, Nurse Delacroix instead.
Ye gods, I've just remembered Finnegan. And then there's the unfortunate Riley from Naked Time. 😳 American TV treated the Irish like that until well into TNG tho...
Just watched one with a Commander Giotto, but overall it reflects a very American view, unsurprisingly...
Always wondered if the latter was revenge for the former.