Star Trek: The Original Series' Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) never really worked on the show. Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) was the ship's doctor in TNG season 1, but McFadden departed the series after its debut season due to tensions with producer Maurice Hurley.
Rather than replacing Dr. Crusher with another love interest for Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), series creator Gene Roddenberry decided to go in a very different direction. Diana Muldaur had guest starred in two episodes of TOS, "Return To Tomorrow" and "Is There No Truth In Beauty?" Roddenberry thought Muldaur was the ideal candidate to play the new character of Pulaski, who was a fairly transparent copy of TOS icon Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Roddenberry hoped the addition of an older, irascible doctor would lead to some interesting character dynamics among the existing crew. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the series' biggest casting blunders.
Trying To Make Dr. Pulaski Into TNG's Bones McCoy Was A Big Mistake
Replacing the popular Dr. Crusher was never going to be easy, but the approach chosen for Dr. Pulaski was a disastrous choice. Whereas Bones' irritable nature generally came off as funny, even charming, Pulaski came across as cold, arrogant, and even occasionally cruel. Muldaur was a good actor, but she wasn't capable of making the poor writing of her character work in any appreciable way.
Pulaski had fairly non-existent relationships with the other TNG cast , with the exception of the android Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner). The show's writers were clearly trying to emulate the good-natured rivalry that existed between Spock and Bones on TOS, but Pulaski's treatment of Data, particularly her reluctance to accept the sentient android as more than a machine, was at best obnoxious and at worst downright bigoted. Spock and Bones volleyed insults and barbs back and forth, whereas the innocent, emotionless Data was left to simply absorb the nastiness Pulaski sent his way.
What Happened To Pulaski After TNG Season 2?
Pulaski failed on essentially every level. The character was unpopular with audiences, the writers could never get a handle on her, and Muldaur did not enjoy her time on the series. Maurice Hurley departed the series at the end of season 2, and Gates McFadden was invited back to the cast. Beverly Crusher returned to the Enterprise-D at the beginning of season 3 and remained with the series for the rest of its television run and all four movies starring the TNG cast. Other than a few ing mentions, Pulaski was never seen or spoken of again.
While plenty of Star Trek alumni are set to return for Star Trek: Picard season 3, it's safe to say no one should count on seeing Pulaski again. Muldaur retired from acting in the mid-'90s, and has noted on several occasions she didn't care for the technical nature of TNG's production and didn't get along all that well with the cast. Dr. Pulaski is a rare Star Trek: The Next Generation casting misfire that's best left in the past.