10 Times Star Trek Showed Us That There Is A Chance At A Progressive Future
2. Oh She's A Fine Officer, I Just Can't Get Used To A Woman On The Bridge
Majel Barrett is considered the first lady of Star Trek, and for good reason. She appeared in the first pilot, The Cage, and remained involved in the franchise until her death in 2008. She, through both on-screen and voice overs, appeared in every incarnation of Star Trek up to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot.
However, the network originally wanted rid of her. Gene Roddenberry wrote the character of Number One to be the first officer of the starship under Jeffrey Hunter's Captain Pike. When the pilot failed to get past the network, but they did approve a new pilot to be filmed, it came with conditions.
Get rid of the pointy-eared Satanic fellow, and get rid of the woman.
Gene conceded on one of these points, and worked around the other point.
While Majel Barrett would return as Nurse (later Doctor) Christine Chapel, the character of Number One was written out of the new script. This may have been an example of Star Trek trying to run before it could walk, only to be tripped by the network. However, thirty years after this character was culled from the show, the starship Voyager would find itself in the Delta Quadrant, captained by the more-than able Captain Janeway, beginning a seven year trip home.
Star Trek may have lost the female first officer, but the franchise never lost the strive to do better.