Maurice Hurley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maurice Hurley August 16, 1939 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 24, 2015 (aged 75) |
| Occupations | Screenwriter and producer |
Maurice Hurley (August 16, 1939 – February 24, 2015[1]) was an American screenwriter and producer known best for his work onStar Trek: The Next Generation.[2]
In the 1980s, his work for television included writing scripts forThe Equalizer andMiami Vice. He also produced some episodes ofThe Equalizer.
He wrote the script for the filmFirebird 2015 AD in 1981, and in 2002 co-wrote the filmGroom Lake withWilliam Shatner.
Hurley co-created the showPointman withJoel Surnow & Steve Hattman; Surnow would go on to create24 &La Femme Nikita and Hurley would work with him for a time there as a writer/producer.[3] Other TV efforts included writing and/or producing episodes ofBaywatch,Baywatch Nights,Kung Fu: The Legend Continues andDiagnosis: Murder.[3]
InStar Trek: The Next Generation, Hurley was the series' first head writer and show runner. His influence was substantial as he introduced creative elements on the series that became part of the franchise, like theBorg. Hurley was responsible for firingGates McFadden, who played the role of Dr.Beverly Crusher, at the end of the show's first season.[4] Executive producerRick Berman recalled that Hurley "had a real bone to pick" with McFadden and did not like her acting.[4] McFadden clashed with Hurley's take on her character during filming, stating, "I definitely pissed off Hurley. Because I kept saying 'Why is it that I've raised this genius kid... and yet every time there's anything serious it's only the male characters who talk to him?'"[5] He left the series after its second season, which left the door open for Rick Berman to rehire McFadden after dismissing her replacementDiana Muldaur. Hurley was replaced byMichael Wagner for four episodes and ultimately byMichael Piller.
In 1993, he returned to the franchise briefly, asked by Berman to write an initial draft for the firstNext Generation feature filmStar Trek Generations that would transition the film series from the original Enterprise crew to the new crew. Hurley's story treatment involved a plot in whichJames T. Kirk is somehow propelled into the future, where he manifests on the holodeck and works withJean-Luc Picard to help solve a dilemma involving an interdimensional species, but Berman ultimately chose a script treatment proposed byRonald D. Moore andBrannon Braga.[6][7]
who wrote a competing script, which may be used for subsequent movies
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