What's a sure fire way to get ratings when ratings are not there? That's right, show some skin.

The producers of "Star Trek: Enterprise" are doing just that. But no, it's not the bare skin of T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) or Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula). It's the Denobulan body of John Billingsley's Dr. Phlox. And he's doing it just in time for February sweeps.

"We have to traverse a very dangerous part of space if we're to get to the Xindi weapon in time," Billingsley recently told Sci-Fi Wire about "Doctor's Orders," which will air Feb. 18. "And in that amazing way I have of somehow knowing this shit, I say, 'Well, if we do this, all of the humans are going to be driven mad. I, as a Denobulan, won't be driven mad.' So my solution is let's put everyone in a comatose state, and I'll run the ship by myself. And I did that."

And yes, if that sounds like a certain "Star Trek: Voyager" episode to you, you would be correct. However, there will be a considerable difference between Robert Picardo's Doctor in "Voyager" and Phlox.

"I have to run the whole ship," Billingsley said. "And I walk around naked -- sweeps week, baby! -- and it turns out I was a little optimistic, and this weird section of space is actually kind of driving me mad, too. So now I'm mad, all by myself, on the ship. Mad, naked, and all by myself ont he ship."

A spokesman for UPN said that the producers apparently called some kind of bluff by Billingsley where he would appear naked. However, the actor said he had some different ideas on exactly how his character would look in the buff.

"In the nude scene, I was hoping ... you know, it would be like, I walk in the room, and a flower pot gets knocked over all the way (on the other side)," Billingsley said. "They didn't go for it, darn it."

"Star Trek: Enterprise" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on UPN.

Talk about this story on the Airlock Alpha message boards. Click here!