Janet's Star Trek Voyager Site

DOC ZIMMERMAN

NOTES BY JANET:
  • The character, although originally intended to have the name Zimmerman, developed into the unnamed character seen in the show, whose search for a name became one of the themes. The named character Dr Zimmerman remained as the name of the Doctor's creator.
  • The script for [#64 Real Life] introduced a new word to the Star Trek production vocabulary - from that time whenever the Doctor materialised the stage direction indicated that he "Zimmers in" (or conversely "Zimmers out"). Dr Zimmerman was probably named for Herbert Zimmerman on the production staff.
  • The publicity picture was taken well after [#50 and #51 Future's End] (in fact shortly after Jeri Ryan joined the ensemble cast at the start of Season 4), and thus shows the Doctor wearing the mobile emitter.

    Doc is not really a person, but a holographic figure - an E.M.P. to be precise: Experimental Medical Program. When the ship's doctor is unavailable, or needs added assistance, he can call on the E.M.P. The holo-doctor appears as a human male and has been programmed with the most up-to-date medical knowledge; he is capable of treating any disease or injury.

    Doc identifies himself as E.M.P. 1, Zimmerman - Zimmerman being the programmer who created him in his own image. He has awareness that he is a hologram, and is fully aware of his limitations. He had no personality when we first met him, and was as dry and dull as an automaton. Subsequently, he has undergone a number of personality changes depending on the person who is programming him. The crew is never sure who they're going to get when they call up Doc Zimmerman.

     

    NOTE BY JANET: Certain aspects of the personality and certain back-story elements did not end up included in the series, while others were added during the series and thus do not appear in the above text.

     

    Picture: publicity shot. Text sources: VC, Poe. Thanks to Juliomac for the background tile (shown at reduced size) and Eos Development for the text background tile from the set 'Traceries'.

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