Star Trek: Enterprise

[LessAspin]

8. Manimal

Simon MacCorkindale (12 February 1952 – 14 October 2010)

In 1983, MacCorkindale starred in the short-lived series Manimal as the lead character, Dr. Jonathan Chase, before taking up the longer-running role of lawyer Greg Reardon in Falcon Crest. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s he directed and produced many stage, TV and film productions through his company Amy International Artists, such as the film Stealing Heaven (1988). Moving to Canada, he starred as Peter Sinclair in the series Counterstrike for three years. He returned to the United Kingdom in 2002 and joined the cast of the BBC medical drama Casualty, appearing in the role of Harry Harper for six years until 2008.

Having rejected an offer to play Captain Jonathan Archer in the American science-fiction TV series Star Trek: Enterprise,[18] MacCorkindale returned to the UK in 2002 and joined the cast of the BBC One medical drama Casualty, in the role of clinical lead consultant Harry Harper.[19] Following his casting, he said in an interview with the Daily Record that he was a long-time fan of the series, commenting that it was "great to be joining an established show with a great bunch of people."[20] In contrast, Neil Bonner of the Liverpool Daily Post quoted him as stating that he had never seen an episode of the show in its then-16-year history...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_MacCorkindale

A couple things about this. I was in the library this weekend looking for season 4 of Enterprise when I saw the Manimal dvd. The only thing I knew of the series was that it was skewered by critics and just seemed like a really stupid premise. Both of which were confirmed by watching it.

Also interesting that he was offered the role of Captain Jonathan Archer. I have recently wondered what someone else in that role could have done with it. Say if Nathan Fillion would have been given that role instead of the role of Captain Mal Reynolds on Firefly? But reading and listening to Scott Bakula on Bob Saget's podcast I'm happy he got the role. Bakula spoke of a real appreciation for Roddenberry's vision.