Global InformationJaneway Lambda one information
| Janeway Lambda one | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek franchise element | |
 Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway in the governess costume from the holonovel Janeway Lambda one | |
| First appearance |
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| Created by | Jeri Taylor |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Holodeck technology |
| Function | Recreational use |
Janeway Lambda one is a holonovel, or advanced virtual reality adventure, featured in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they are stranded in the Delta Quadrant, far from the rest of the Federation. In the holonovel, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), finds a temporary escape from her responsibilities as Voyager's captain by playing a governess, Lucy Davenport, in a Gothic novel set in Victorian England. The holonovel was a recurring subplot in the show's first two seasons. It features Michael Cumpsty as Lord Burleigh, and Thomas Dekker and Lindsey Haun as Burleigh's children. Carolyn Seymour guest stars as the housekeeper Mrs. Templeton, and previously played two separate Romulan commanders and Science Minister Mirasta Yale in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Voyager's writing team developed the holonovel as an expansion of the holodeck, which was introduced earlier in the Star Trek franchise, and a futuristic response to the audiobook. Voyager creator Jeri Taylor initially imagined Janeway Lambda one as a simulation of Western fiction in which Janeway assumed the role of a pioneer woman struggling to contend with the elements and care for her family. The holonovel's genre was changed when Mulgrew refused to work with horses and the crew realized shooting outdoors would exceed the show's budget. The set for the Burleigh manor was constructed on Paramount Stage 16, and was nicknamed "the Jane Eyre set" by the film crew. Commentators also compared Janeway Lambda one to Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw and Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca.
Parts of the holonovel were included in the teasers for the season one episodes "Cathexis" and "Learning Curve", and it was featured in the second-season episode "Persistence of Vision". In the holonovel's final appearance, Janeway experiences hallucinations of its characters and objects appearing outside of the holodeck due to a bio-electric energy field from a Bothan ship. Janeway Lambda one was intended as a vehicle to further develop Janeway, but critics disagreed on whether the storyline was appropriate for the character. The holonovel was never fully resolved due to lack of interest from Voyager fans. Taylor had written a conclusion for the holonovel, but it was never developed into an episode. Critics had a negative response to Janeway Lambda one, and questioned how it fit Janeway's role as a female captain. The show's frequent use and expansion of the holodeck technology was also panned by reviewers.