Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Seven Of Nine
3. She Was Named After Catwoman And Friday's Child
Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Star Trek crossed over with a DC comics property. In this case, Seven of Nine was inspired, in part, by Catwoman. Julie Newmar, who had appeared in the Adam West Batman television series, also appeared in the Original Series episode Friday's Child. Here, she played Eleen, the heavily pregnant inhabitant of Capella IV.
Newmar had also appeared in a short-lived sitcom named My Living Doll. The show, which ran for 25 episodes between 1964 and 1965, focused on Dr. Bob MacDonald and Rhoda - a lifelike android, played by Newmar. She had the sub designation of AF 709.
Rhoda was to be a project, by Bob, in how to make the perfect woman who doesn't talk back. The show was billed as a comedy, though ratings were poor. Bob Cummings, who played MacDonald, asked to be written out halfway through the season, exiting in the 21st episode. Newmar received praise for her comedic timing.
In Star Trek, Rhoda is also said to be an inspiration behind the character of Data. My Living Doll has also been credited as responsible for making the phrase Does Not Compute popular in media. Though Seven of Nine is quite far removed from the docile, man-pleasing Rhoda, both characters are projects of a sort. Rhoda is MacDonald's pet project, while Seven would become Janeway's.