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Star Trek: Voyager

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For the Voyager space probe from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, see V'ger.

Star Trek: Voyager
Created by
Based onStar Trek
by Gene Roddenberry
Starring
Theme music composerJerry Goldsmith
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes172 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time
  • 44 minutes (Seasons 1–5)
  • 42 minutes (Seasons 6–7)
Production companyParamount Network Television
Original release
NetworkUPN
ReleaseJanuary 16, 1995 (1995-01-16) –
May 23, 2001 (2001-05-23)
Related

Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series, set in the Star Trek universe.

The series takes place during the 2370s, and begins on the far side of the Milky Way galaxy, 70,000 light-years from Earth. It follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant while searching for a renegade Maquis ship.[1] Voyager has to make the estimated 75-year journey home.

The series was created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor, and is the fifth incarnation of Star Trek, which began with the 1960s series Star Trek: The Original Series that was created by Gene Roddenberry. It was produced for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2001, and is the first Star Trek TV series with a female captain, Kathryn Janeway played by Kate Mulgrew, as a main character. Berman served as head executive producer in charge of the overall production for the series during its entire run. He was assisted by a second in command executive producer who generally functioned as the day to day showrunner. There were four throughout the series' run: Michael Piller (EP/showrunner – first and second season), Jeri Taylor (EP – first through fourth season, showrunner – third and fourth season), Brannon Braga (EP/showrunner – fifth and sixth season), and Kenneth Biller (EP/showrunner – seventh season).

Star Trek: Voyager aired on UPN and was the network's second longest-running series, as well as the final series from its debut lineup to end.[citation needed]

Production

As Star Trek: The Next Generation ended, Paramount Pictures wanted to continue to have a second Star Trek TV series to accompany Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The studio also planned to start a new television network, and wanted the new series to help it succeed.[2] This was reminiscent of Paramount's earlier plans to launch its own network by showcasing Star Trek: Phase II in 1977.

Initial work on Star Trek: Voyager started in 1993, and seeds for the show's backstory, including the development of the Maquis, were placed in several The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine episodes. Voyager was shot on the stages The Next Generation had used and the pilot, "Caretaker", was shot in September 1994. Around that time, Paramount was sold to Viacom, making Voyager the first Star Trek TV series to premiere after the sale concluded.

Star Trek: Voyager was also the first Star Trek TV series to eliminate the use of models for exterior space shots and exclusively use computer-generated imagery (CGI) instead.[citation needed] seaQuest DSV and Babylon 5 had previously used CGI exclusively to avoid the huge expense of models, but the Star Trek television department continued using models because they felt models provided better realism. Amblin Imaging won an Emmy for the opening CGI title visuals, but the weekly episode exteriors were captured using hand-built miniatures of the Voyager, shuttlecraft, and other ships. That changed when Star Trek: Voyager went fully CGI for certain types of shots midway through Season 3 (late 1996).[3] Foundation Imaging was the studio responsible for special effects during Babylon 5's first three seasons. Season 3's "The Swarm" was the first episode to use Foundation's effects exclusively. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine started using Foundation Imaging in conjunction with Digital Muse one year later (season 6). In its later seasons, Star Trek: Voyager featured visual effects from Foundation Imaging and Digital Muse.

Plot overview

See also: List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes

In the pilot episode, "Caretaker", USS Voyager departs station Deep Space Nine on a mission into the treacherous Badlands to find a missing ship piloted by a team of Maquis rebels, which the Vulcan Lt. Tuvok,Voyager's security officer, has secretly infiltrated. While in the Badlands, the Voyager is chased down and eventually enveloped by a powerful energy wave, which ends up damaging Voyager, killing several of its crew, and stranding the ship on the far side of the galaxy, known as the Delta Quadrant, more than 70,000 light-years from Earth.

There, Voyager finds the Maquis ship, and eventually the two crews must reluctantly agree to join forces to survive their long journey home. Chakotay, leader of the Maquis group, becomes Voyager's first officer. B'Elanna Torres, a half-human/half-Klingon Maquis, becomes chief engineer. Tom Paris, whom Janeway released from a Federation prison to help her find the Maquis ship, is made Voyager's helm officer. Due to the deaths of the ship's entire medical staff, the Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram designed only for short-term use, is employed as the ship's doctor and Chief Medical Officer. Neelix, a Talaxian scavenger, and Kes, a young Ocampan, both natives of the Delta Quadrant, are welcomed aboard as the ship's chef/morale officer, and the Doctor's medical assistant respectively.

Due to the great distance from Federation space, the Delta Quadrant is unexplored by Starfleet: Voyager truly is going where no human has gone before. As the ship sets out on its projected 75-year journey home, the crew passes through regions belonging to various species indigenous to the Delta Quadrant, the barbaric and belligerent Kazon; the organ-harvesting, disease-ravaged Vidiians; the nomadic hunter-race the Hirogen; the fearsome Species 8472 from fluidic space; and most notably the Borg, whose home is in the Delta Quadrant, so that Voyager has to move through large areas of Borg-controlled space in later seasons. They also encounter perilous natural phenomena, a nebulous area called the Nekrit Expanse ("Fair Trade", third season), a large area of empty space called the Void ("Night", fifth season), wormholes, dangerous nebulae, and other anomalies.

However, Voyager does not always deal with the unknown. It is the second Star Trek series to feature Q, an omnipotent alien, on a recurring basis (Q made only one appearance on Deep Space Nine). Also, Starfleet Command learns of Voyager's survival when the ship discovers an ancient interstellar communications network, claimed by the Hirogen, that the crew can tap into. This relay network is later disabled, but thanks to the efforts of Reginald Barclay (who was featured more prominently on The Next Generation), Starfleet eventually establishes regular contact with Voyager by using a communications array and micro-wormhole technology. This ability to communicate figures prominently in the series' later years.

In the show's fourth season, Kes is replaced on the ship by Seven of Nine (known colloquially as Seven), a Borg drone who was assimilated as a six-year-old human girl but liberated from the collective by the Voyager crew. Seven begins to regain her humanity as the series progresses, thanks to ongoing efforts by Captain Janeway to show her that the perfection the Borg seek is not compatible with the imperfection of humanity; however, emotions love and caring are more important to happiness. The Doctor also becomes more human-like, thanks in part to a mobile holo-emitter the crew obtains in the third season which allows The Doctor to leave the confines of sickbay and roam the ship freely. He starts to discover his love for music and art, which he demonstrates in the episode "Virtuoso". In the sixth season, the crew discovers a group of adolescent aliens assimilated by the Borg but prematurely released from their maturation chambers due to a malfunction on their Borg cube. As he did with Seven of Nine, The Doctor re-humanizes the children; Azan, Rebi and Mezoti, three of them eventually find a new adoptive home while the fourth, Icheb, chooses to stay aboard Voyager.

Life for the Voyager crew continues to change during their long journey. Traitors Seska and Michael Jonas are uncovered in the early months ("State of Flux"); loyal crew members are lost late in the journey; and other wayward Starfleet officers are integrated into the crew. During the second season, the first child is born aboard the ship to Ensign Samantha Wildman; as she grows up, Naomi Wildman becomes great friends with her godfather, Neelix. Early in the seventh season, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres marry after a long courtship, and Torres gives birth to their child, Miral Paris, in the series finale. Late in the seventh season, the ship finds a colony of Talaxians on a makeshift settlement in an asteroid field; Neelix chooses to bid Voyager farewell and live once again among his people.

Over the course of the series, the crew of Voyager find a number of ways to shorten their journey by many decades, thanks to shortcuts in the episodes "Night" and "Q2", technology boosts in episodes "The Voyager Conspiracy", "Dark Frontier", "Timeless", and "Hope and Fear", subspace corridors in "Dragon's Teeth", and a mind-powered push from a powerful former shipmate in "The Gift". There are also other transportation and time travel opportunities that the crew are not able to use which appear in the episodes "Prime Factors", "Future's End", "Eye of the Needle", and "Inside Man". All these efforts shorten their journey from 75 years to 23 years. However, one final effort involving time travel reduces the total duration to seven years, as shown in the series finale "Endgame".

Cast

Main cast

Actor Character Position Affiliation Appearances Character's species Rank
Kate Mulgrew Kathryn Janeway Captain Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Human * Captain
* Admiral (Finale Episode)
Captain Janeway took command of the Intrepid-class USS Voyager in 2371.

Her first mission is to locate and capture a Maquis vessel last seen in the area of space known as the Badlands. While there, the Maquis ship and Voyager are transported against their will into the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light-years away, by a massive displacement wave. The Maquis ship is destroyed while fighting the Kazon-Ogla, and although Voyager survives, there are numerous casualties. To protect an intelligent species (the Ocampa), Janeway destroys a device, the Caretaker Array, which had the potential to return her crew to Federation space, stranding her ship and crew seventy-five years travel from home.

Robert Beltran Chakotay First Officer * Maquis
* Starfleet		 Seasons 1–7 Human Lieutenant Commander (Starfleet/Provisional)
A former Starfleet officer who joined the Maquis. While Starfleet is trying to capture him in the Badlands, he and his Maquis crew are pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker's array and are forced to merge with the crew of Voyager during its 70-year journey home. Before serving as Voyager's first officer, he had resigned from Starfleet after years of service to join the Maquis to defend his home colony against the Cardassians.
Tim Russ Tuvok Second/Security/Tactical Officer * Maquis (cover)
* Starfleet		 Seasons 1–7 Vulcan * Lieutenant
* Lieutenant Commander
Tuvok is a Vulcan Starfleet officer who serves aboard USS Voyager while it is stranded in the Delta Quadrant. In 2371, Tuvok was assigned to infiltrate the Maquis organization aboard Chakotay's Maquis vessel and when he is pulled into the Delta Quadrant. He serves as tactical officer and second officer under Captain Kathryn Janeway during Voyager's seven-year journey through this unknown part of the galaxy. He is the only Voyager crew member to be promoted in the Delta Quadrant (Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander).
Robert Duncan McNeill Tom Paris Helmsman/Medic * Maquis
* Starfleet		 Seasons 1–7 Human * Lieutenant
* Ensign
* Lieutenant junior grade
Thomas Eugene Paris is a Human Starfleet officer who serves for seven years as flight controller of the Federation starship USS Voyager. The son of a prominent Starfleet admiral, he was dishonorably discharged from Starfleet and later joined the Maquis before being captured and serving time at the Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand. After joining Voyager to retrieve Chakotay's Maquis ship from the Badlands, he is transferred with the crew of Voyager 70,000 light years across the galaxy, deep into the Delta Quadrant.
Roxann Dawson B'Elanna Torres Chief Engineer * Maquis
* Starfleet		 Seasons 1–7 Human/Klingon Hybrid Lieutenant junior grade (Provisional)
A former Starfleet cadet who joined the Maquis. B'Elanna Torres is the sometimes-combative Klingon-Human hybrid who serves as Chief Engineer on the Federation starship USS Voyager. B'Elanna is pulled into the Delta Quadrant on Chakotay's ship and is forced to merge with the crew of the Voyager during its 70-year journey home.
Garrett Wang Harry Kim Operations Officer Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Human Ensign
Ensign Harry Kim is a human Starfleet officer. He serves as the USS Voyager's operations officer. When Voyager is pulled into the Delta Quadrant, Harry is fresh out of the Academy and nervous about his assignment.
Robert Picardo The Doctor Chief Medical Officer Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Human Hologram * Chief Medical Officer
* Acting Captain (Emergency Command Hologram)
"The Doctor" is USS Voyager's Emergency Medical Holographic program and Chief Medical Officer during the ship's seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant. The EMH Mark I is a computer program with a holographic interface in the form of Lewis Zimmerman; the creator of the Doctor's program. Although his program is specifically designed to only function in emergency situations only, Voyager's sudden relocation to the Delta Quadrant and the lack of a live physician necessitated that The Doctor run his program on a full-time basis, becoming the ship's Chief Medical Officer. He evolves full self-awareness and even has hobbies.
Ethan Phillips Neelix Cook
Morale Officer
Ambassador		 None Seasons 1–7 Talaxian Morale Officer, Ambassador (Highly Appreciated Diplomat)
Neelix is a Talaxian who becomes a merchant, shortly after the Haakonians launch an attack on his homeworld, using a technology called a metreon cascade, resulting in the death of his entire family. He joins the USS Voyager, serving as a valuable source of information about the Delta Quadrant, as well as chef, morale officer, ambassador, navigator, and holder of many other odd-jobs.
Jennifer Lien Kes Nurse
Botanist		 None Seasons 1–3 (4+6 recurring) Ocampan Nurse
Kes is a female Ocampa with psionic powers who joins the USS Voyager after it is catapulted into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker's array. Kes is Neelix's partner, who had promised to save her from the Kazon who had captured her. Kes leaves the show in the episode "The Gift" and returns temporarily for the episode "Fury," then leaves and never returns.
Jeri Ryan Seven of Nine
(Annika Hansen)		 Astrometrics Lab Crewman * Borg
* Starfleet		 Seasons 4–7 Human (De-assimilated Borg) Astrometrics Officer
Seven of Nine (full Borg designation: Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01) is a Human female who is a former Borg drone. She was born Annika Hansen on stardate 25479 (2350), the daughter of eccentric exobiologists Magnus and Erin Hansen. She was assimilated by the Borg in 2356 at age six, along with her parents, but is liberated by the crew of the USS Voyager at the start of Season 4.
Secondary cast (Recurring)

Josh Clark Joe Carey Asst. Chief Engineer Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Human Lieutenant
An engineer aboard the USS Voyager, Carey serves under B'Elanna Torres. In 2371, Carey is briefly named acting chief engineer when the original officer in that position is killed during the ship's violent passage to the Delta Quadrant. He is disappointed when Captain Janeway later names Torres for the position of chief engineer, but he soon recognizes her superior abilities.
Nancy Hower Samantha Wildman Science Officer Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Human Ensign
Science Officer married to a Ktarian named Greskrendtregk. Wildman joins the USS Voyager crew unaware that she is pregnant with a daughter. She gives birth to Naomi in 2372 and selects Neelix as her godfather. Wildman continues her scientific duties while raising her child.
Alexander Enberg Vorik Engineering Starfleet Seasons 1–7 Vulcan Ensign
A Starfleet engineer aboard the Voyager, Vorik is one of two Vulcans to survive its cataclysmic arrival in the Delta Quadrant. Within the merged crews of Voyager, Vorik likely trails only Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres and Lt. Joe Carey in engineering expertise.
Manu Intiraymi Icheb Asst. Astrometrics Lab Crewman * Borg
* Starfleet		 Seasons 6–7 Brunali (De-assimilated Borg) Cadet
A Brunali who was assimilated by the Borg and then "adopted" by the Voyager after being abandoned by the Collective and again after being sent to be re-assimilated with a borg virus by his parents.
Scarlett Pomers Naomi Wildman Captain's assistant None Seasons 2–7 Human/Ktarian hybrid Civilian
Half-human, half-Ktarian daughter of Samantha Wildman, the first child born on the U.S.S. Voyager after it was swept into the Delta Quadrant. She is granted the unofficial role of Captain's assistant by Captain Janeway.
Martha Hackett Seska Science Officer
Engineering		 * Maquis (cover)
* Obsidian Order		 Seasons 1–3, 7 Bajoran (disguise)
Cardassian		 Ensign (Provisional)
Born Cardassian, this female Obsidian Order agent was surgically altered to appear Bajoran and infiltrate a Maquis cell commanded by former Starfleet officer Chakotay. A good friend of the Starfleet dropout B'Elanna Torres, she joined the cell after Chakotay's approval and soon became his lover.
Brad Dourif Lon Suder Engineering * Maquis
* Starfleet		 Seasons 2–3 Betazoid Ensign (Provisional)
Maquis fighter, engineer and homicidal Betazoid, Suder joined the USS Voyager in 2371.
Raphael Sbarge Michael Jonas Engineering * Maquis
* Starfleet		 Seasons 1–3 Human Ensign (Provisional)
Member of the Maquis contingent that joined the Voyager crew in 2371.

Notable guest appearances

Non-actors

Actors

Source material: [6]

Connections with other Star Trek incarnations

Main article: Star Trek Crossovers

Characters and races

As with all other Star Trek series, the original Star Trek's Vulcans, Klingons and Romulans appear in Star Trek: Voyager.[8] Voyager saw appearances by several other races who initially appear in The Next Generation: the Q, the Borg, Cardassians, Bajorans, Betazoids, and Ferengi, along with Deep Space Nine's Jem'Hadar (via hologram), as well as the Maquis resistance movement, previously established in episodes of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.[8]

One notable connection between Voyager and The Next Generation appears regarding a wormhole and the Ferengi. In The Next Generation season 3 episode "The Price", bidding takes place for rights to a wormhole. The Ferengi send a delegation to the bidding. When the Enterprise and Ferengi vessel each send shuttles into the wormhole, they appear in the Delta Quadrant, where the Ferengi shuttle becomes trapped. In the Voyager season 3 episode "False Profits", the Ferengi who were trapped have since landed on a nearby planet, and begun exploiting the inhabitants for profit.

Actors from other Star Trek incarnations appearing on Voyager

Lead actors from Voyager appearing on other Star Trek incarnations

  • Robert Duncan McNeill (Paris) appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty" as Starfleet cadet Nicolas Locarno. (The character of Tom Paris was based on Locarno, but he was felt to be 'beyond redemption' for his actions during "The First Duty"; Paramount would also have been obliged by contract to pay royalties to the author of "The First Duty" for the use of the name "Nick Locarno" in every episode).[citation needed]
  • Tim Russ (Tuvok) appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Starship Mine, the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "Invasive Procedures" and "Through the Looking Glass" (as Mirror Tuvok), and the film Star Trek: Generations, as various characters.
  • Robert Picardo (The Doctor) guest-starred in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" as Dr. Lewis Zimmerman and an EMH Mark I, and in the film Star Trek: First Contact as the Enterprise-E's EMH.
  • Ethan Phillips (Neelix) was featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Ménage à Troi" as the Ferengi Farek, the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Acquisition" as the Ferengi pirate Ulis, and in Star Trek: First Contact as an unnamed Maitre d' on the holodeck.
  • Kate Mulgrew appears again as Kathryn Janeway, promoted to vice admiral, in the film Star Trek Nemesis a year after Voyager ended its run.

Behind-the-scenes connections

List of episodes

Main article: List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes

Broadcast history

  • Mondays at 8:00–9:00 p.m.
  • Wednesdays at 9:00–10:00 p.m.
  • Wednesdays at 8:00–9:00 p.m.

Music

Opening theme
Of Star Trek: Voyager composed by Jerry Goldsmith.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Unlike The Next Generation, where composer Jerry Goldsmith's theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture was reused, Goldsmith composed and conducted an entirely new main theme for Voyager. As done with The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, a soundtrack album of the series' pilot episode "Caretaker" and a CD single containing three variations of the main theme were released by Crescendo Records in 1995 between seasons one and two.[10][11]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Star Trek: Voyager

Novels and revival attempts

Main article: List of Star Trek: Voyager novels

A total of 26 numbered books were released during the series' original run from 1995 to 2001. [12] They include novelizations of the first episode, "Caretaker", "The Escape", "Violations", "Ragnarok", and novelizations of the episodes "Flashback", "Day of Honor", "Equinox" and "Endgame". There are also "unnumbered books", which are still part of the series, though not part of the official release. These novels consist of episode novelizations except for Caretaker, Mosaic (a biography of Kathryn Janeway), Pathways (a novel in which the biography of various crew members, including all of the senior staff is given); and The Nanotech War, a novel released in 2002, one year after the series' finale.

Book relaunch

A series of novels focusing on the continuing adventures of Voyager following the TV series finale was implemented in 2003, much as Pocket Books did with the Deep Space Nine relaunch novel series, which features stories placed after the finale of that show. In the relaunch, several characters are reassigned while others are promoted but stay aboard Voyager. These changes include Janeway's promotion to admiral, Chakotay becoming captain of Voyager, Tuvok leaving the ship to serve as Tactical Officer under William Riker, and Tom Paris' promotion to First Officer on the Voyager. The series also introduces several new characters.

The series began with Homecoming and The Farther Shore in 2003, a direct sequel to the show's finale, "Endgame". These were followed in 2004 by Spirit Walk: Old Wounds and Spirit Walk: Enemy of My Enemy. Under the direction of a new author, 2009 brought forth two more additions to the series: Full Circle and Unworthy. In 2011, another book by the same author called Children of the Storm was released. Other novels – some set during the relaunch period, others during the show's TV run – have been published.

References

  1. ^ "Caretaker, Part 1". StarTrek.com. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  2. ^ Pascale, Anthony. "Rick Berman Talks 18 Years of Trek In Extensive Oral History". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  3. ^ "DVD Reviews – Star Trek Voyager Season 3". Thelogbook.com. June 10, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  4. ^ "Jordan Breaks Ground On Trek-Featured Theme Park". 1701news.com.
  5. ^ "Overtones - Boulder Weekly: The only independent newspaper in Boulder, Colorado". boulderweekly.com.
  6. ^ Ruditis, Paul (2003). Star Trek: Voyager Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-1751-8.
  7. ^ Caron, Nathalie. "Why Voyager's 1st Capt. thought she was a good fit (but wasn't)". blastr.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Okuda, Mike; Okuda, Denise; Mirek, Debbie (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53609-5.
  9. ^ "Full cast and crew for "Star Trek: Voyager" – Virtuoso". Virtuoso. IMDB. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  10. ^ "Jay Chattaway & Jerry Goldsmith – Star Trek: Voyager (Music From The Original Television Soundtrack)". Discogs. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  11. ^ "Jerry Goldsmith – Star Trek Voyager Main Title". Discogs. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  12. ^ "New Book Releases, Bestsellers, Author Info and more at Simon & Schuster". simonandschuster.com.
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