# Why no Uhuru in "Doomsday Machine"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550 "2010-11-05T04:50:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/1 "2010-11-05T04:50:47Z")
Watching some of the TOS remasters and just wondering if there was a backstage reason for Nichols not being in the ep. Love hangover from a long weekend with Gene? 😉 Just wondering if anyone knows. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/2 "2010-11-05T05:22:15Z")
Who is Uhuru? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/3 "2010-11-05T05:22:31Z")
Memory Alpha only says… > [@](#): > > Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) does not appear in this episode. Uhura’s duties were assumed by Lt. Palmer, played by Elizabeth Rogers. > **[The Doomsday Machine (episode)](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Doomsday_Machine_(episode))** > > The Enterprise discovers a weapon capable of destroying entire planets, and a Starfleet flag officer whose crew was killed by the machine jeopardizes the crew on a crazed mission of revenge. On the USS Enterprise, Lieutenant Palmer receives a faint... WAG - Nichelle has said in interviews she considered quitting Star Trek. A chance meeting with Dr. King persuaded her to continue in the role. Dr. King pointed out that she was one of the few positive black characters on tv at the time. Most black characters were servants, criminals etc. Uhura was a bridge officer on a Star Ship. An equal to Scotty, and the other bridge officers. Perhaps Doomsday Machine was filmed at that time? just a WAG ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/4 "2010-11-05T05:28:54Z")
My favorite episode with Uhura. I wish that was the costume she always wore. 😉 > **[Mirror, Mirror (episode)](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mirror,_Mirror_(episode))** > > A transporter malfunction sends Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura into a parallel universe where the Federation is replaced by an evil Empire, Kirk is a despot, and Spock is a cunning henchman. A landing party from the USS Enterprise comprised of... ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/5 "2010-11-05T05:45:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My favorite episode with Uhura. I wish that was the costume she always wore. 😉 > [Mirror, Mirror (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/File:Uhura_distracts_Hikaru_Sulu_%28mirror%29.jpg) Yeah, back when women had curves instead of abs! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/6 "2010-11-05T05:47:11Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Who is Uhuru? To be fair, the pronounced a bunch of different ways… ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/7 "2010-11-05T08:35:15Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > To be fair, the pronounced a bunch of different ways… But the point is that Uhura is intentionally a feminised form. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/8 "2010-11-05T10:02:05Z")
The minor characters were only contracted for so many shows per season as well. If I remember the book **The Making of Star Trek** correctly she only made about $600 per episode back then. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/9 "2010-11-06T07:34:16Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > The minor characters were only contracted for so many shows per season as well. If I remember the book **The Making of Star Trek** correctly she only made about $600 per episode back then. Well, the leads only got a few thousand. It was just par for the course back then. TV stars, baseball players, etc., weren’t the millionaires they are today. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/10 "2010-11-06T12:44:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My favorite episode with Uhura. I wish that was the costume she always wore. 😉 > [Mirror, Mirror (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/File:Uhura_distracts_Hikaru_Sulu_%28mirror%29.jpg) I think George Takei is just thinking…“eek!” ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/11 "2010-11-06T20:49:47Z")
[QUOTE=Stan Shmenge] Well, the leads only got a few thousand. It was just par for the course back then. TV stars, baseball players, etc., weren’t the millionaires they are today. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I think Shatner made $5,000 per episode since he was the “star” Nimoy $1250 per show. This was a big problem with Nimoy because he was by far the most popular character and received a lot of press and fan mail that made Shatner jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/12 "2010-11-06T21:51:26Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > The minor characters were only contracted for so many shows per season as well. If I remember the book **The Making of Star Trek** correctly she only made about $600 per episode back then. IIRC correctly, James Doohan said that even he wasn’t originally signed as a regular until a) the producers figured out that if Kirk and Spock were going to leave the ship all the time, they needed a “senior officer” to leave in charge, and b) it couldn’t be the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/13 "2010-11-07T21:42:19Z")
Yeah, I think even Doohan was just signed for 13 eps per season. Nichols was, iirc, referred to as a “day player” – brought on the eps on a day by day basis. And her King story – she has changed it more than she did her underwear. At conventions since the 70s, the story went from “What would MLK do?” to “MLK sent me a letter” to “MLK called me” to “MLK met with me and begged me to stay.” Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/14 "2010-11-07T21:56:37Z")
[hijack] Back in my college days at Ga Tech, one year the Homecoming theme was “Star Tech” and James Doohan was a featured speaker. I remember specifically Scotty being asked what his favorite episode of Star Trek was, and it was _Doomsday Machine_. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/15 "2010-11-08T06:49:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Memory Alpha only says… > > [The Doomsday Machine (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Doomsday_Machine_%28episode%29) > > WAG - Nichelle has said in interviews she considered quitting Star Trek. A chance meeting with Dr. King persuaded her to continue in the role. Dr. King pointed out that she was one of the few positive black characters on tv at the time. Most black characters were servants, criminals etc. Uhura was a bridge officer on a Star Ship. An equal to Scotty, and the other bridge officers. > > Perhaps Doomsday Machine was filmed at that time? just a WAG Am I the only one a little ‘puzzled’ that Doctor Martin Luther King was a trekkie? I mean he knows how the ranks work on the show? ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/16 "2010-11-08T20:36:25Z")
Another story she’s changed is the kiss, which she once said was filmed in such a way that they wouldn’t have to really kiss. So they did not in fact actually touch lips. Now she’s back to the “first interracial kiss” story. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/17 "2010-11-08T22:13:10Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Am I the only one a little ‘puzzled’ that Doctor Martin Luther King was a trekkie? I mean he knows how the ranks work on the show? Probably. It’s pretty obvious that she is sitting on the bridge running communications and not shining Kirk’s shoes. I would imagine MLK have folks advising him about the arts, TV and popular culture. He may have never heard of Trek before someone brought Nichols to his attention. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/18 "2010-11-08T22:30:13Z")
It would have been awesome if they’d written an episode in which Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Sulu were all unavailable for a time. That should have put Uhura in the big chair. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/19 "2010-11-08T22:48:25Z")
Gads, I loved that episode, one of my favorites. So who was the lowest ranking crew member who took control of the ship, ever so briefly? Scotty? (not counting that drunken Irishman who wailed I’ll Take You Home Kathleeeeeeen) ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550/20 "2010-11-08T22:54:19Z")
Sulu was in command on the bridge for “Errand of Mercy”. Dunno where scotty was. (Maybe Sulu had better “tactical: space combat” stats.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-uhuru-in-doomsday-machine/559550.md?page=2)