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Discovered Document
Script Changes for Cast
Memo
Bob Justman’s memo to Gene Roddenberry regarding cast members wanting to make script changes dated July 10, 1987.
Being not that clued up, I wonder who [redacted] is?
I think, from the spacing, the pronoun being covered up is “she”.
Ha! You’re right about that. Damn primitive, monospaced communications device!
I’m wondering if Justman is using a nickname, since the redacted name contains seven letters, which doesn’t fit the credited names of any of the women in the main cast.
Well, other than Majel Barrett, the voice of the computer. And Lwaxana Troi in one first-season episode. But would Justman have worded the memo that way if he was talking about Roddenberry’s wife?
Whoopi?
Actually, It seems to me that the proper noun redacted most is only 6 characters long, not 7. Two of the three female leads have first and last names of 6 characters. However, the first instance of the redacted name has 15 characters and/or spaces total, which as far as I can reckon, would only apply to two of the male lead characters. I’m guessing it’s a female actor, as the spaces required for redacted personal pronouns suggests it.
Given how poorly I think those couple of female characters were written in the show’s early days, I almost wonder if I’d side with the actor on that suggestion. There was almost certainly a better way to handle it with Justman, though.
I’d note here that one of the three actresses actually goes by her real 6-letter first name in person, but has a 5-letter stage name.
I just asked myself, “Who wasn’t around in the second season?” That would seem to rule out Marina, at least.
[Reposted from Facebook] Just a side note here, folks: please be cool. The whole reason we get to post documents like this is in the spirit that we are not singling out someone for embarrassment or discomfort. As we discuss in this week’s Supplemental show, what we’re presenting is the context in which Bob Justman navigates the production hierarchy of early TNG.
My apologies if I came off as uncool. As someone who’s felt the need to go to The Big Boss over a disagreement with my immediate boss, I’m hardly in a position to judge. And I’m willing to believe there was no actual “threat” intended by [redacted], but just merely a disagreement poorly handled. One unintended consequence of redacting a name is that you create a mystery which people naturally want to solve. I’ll lose no sleep in that mystery going unsolved, but that’s all I was after.
Okay, I’ll shut up now. 🙂
No worries, Robert, and it certainly wasn’t directed at you. I realize people would try to guess when we posted this, but the object wasn’t to create a game for our listeners – of course if people want to ruminate on their own about the details, that’s fine. We just want to avoid coming across like we’re trying to stir something up publicly about anyone in particular. That was definitely not the intention. Many thanks 🙂
Damn this puzzle solving brain of mine! I think I know who [redacted] is but at the same time I don’t want to say.
Personally, I think this displays a real lack of respect for actors in the industry in general and I find it very telling that Justman says it was an unnecessary confrontation -and then asked other people to fight the battle for him in future.
Script Changes! Did someone say – script changes ?