Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Doctor

7. Van Gogh To Joe

Fun fact alert! This writer first saw Endgame surrounded by a few hundred others at a Star Trek convention in 2001. When the alternate future Doctor announced his choice of name, and with all due respect to Lana's grandfather, everyone laughed. Thirty-three years was a long time to come up with "Joe," but more than good enough to elope on.

The Doctor's quest for a moniker, other than his title, or "Hey you," had been so integral to Star Trek: Voyager, any choice would have proved odd, though not as odd as Van Gogh, or Mozart for that matter. Before the beginning, however, the Doctor already had a name. In the Star Trek: Voyager Series Bible, he was simply called "DOC ZIMMERMAN," in honour of Herman Zimmerman, legendary Star Trek art director and production designer.

'Doc Zimmerman' made it to the script for Caretaker and others throughout season one, though never to dialogue. The name featured in promotional material for Voyager, as well as in the Star Trek: Voyager Technical Manual. Picardo told The Companion in 2023 that opening credits were even made which read "Doc Zimmerman played by Robert Picardo".

Before the premiere of Voyager's pilot, Picardo asked if he could choose a name for the EMH. Rick Berman agreed. As such, 'Doc Zimmerman' became simply 'the Doctor'. Picardo concluded to The Companion, "In that moment, I unwittingly ripped off 50 years of British science fiction television. […] I had no idea".