Star Trek: The Next
Generation (often abbreviated to
TNG) is an American
science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the
Star Trek franchise.
Created about 21 years after
the original Star
Trek, and set in the 24th century about 80 years after the
original series, the program features a new crew and a new
starship Enterprise. It
premiered the week of September 28, 1987 to 27 million viewers with
the two-hour pilot "
Encounter at
Farpoint". With 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, it ran
longer than any other
Star Trek series, ending with the
finale "
All Good Things..." the
week of May 23, 1994.
The series was broadcast in
first-run
syndication, with dates and times varying among individual
television stations. The show gained a considerable following
during its run and, like its predecessor, remains popular in
syndicated
reruns. It was the first of several
series (the others being
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,
Star Trek: Voyager, and
Star Trek:
Enterprise) that kept new
Star Trek episodes
airing until 2005.
Star Trek: The Next Generation won 18
Emmy Awards and, in its seventh season,
became the first syndicated television show to be nominated for the
Emmy for Best Dramatic Series. It was nominated for three
Hugo Awards and won two. The first-season
episode "
The Big Goodbye" also won
the
Peabody Award for excellence in
television programming. The series formed the basis of the seventh
through to the tenth
Star
Trek films.
Production
After the box-office success of the
Harve
Bennett-produced
Star Trek-based movies,
Paramount decided to create a new
Star Trek series in 1986. Roddenberry initially declined
to be involved but came on board as creator after being unhappy
with early conceptual work. The creation of
Star Trek: The Next
Generation was announced on October 10, 1986. The show was,
unusually, broadcast in first-run syndication rather than running
on a major network, with Paramount and the local stations splitting
advertising time between them.
Roddenberry hired a number of
Star Trek veterans,
including
Bob Justman,
D. C. Fontana,
Eddie
Milkis, and
David Gerrold.
Paramount executive
Rick Berman was
assigned to the show at Roddenberry's request.
The Next
Generation was shot on 35 mm film, and was one of the
first television shows with sound recorded in
Dolby Surround. The filming negatives were
scanned in a straight-to-video device.
Season one
The first season was marked by a "revolving door" of writers, with
Gerrold and Fontana quitting after disputes with Roddenberry.
Mark Bourne of
The DVD Journal wrote of season one: "A
typical episode relied on trite plot points, clumsy allegories, dry
and stilted dialogue, or characterization that was taking too long
to feel relaxed and natural." Other targets of criticism include
poor
special effects and plots being
resolved by the
deus ex
machina of
Wesley Crusher
saving the ship. However,
Patrick
Stewart's acting skills won praise and critics have noted that
characters were given greater potential for development than those
of the original series.
While the events of most episodes of season one were
self-contained, many developments important to the show as a whole
occurred during the season. The recurring nemesis
Q was introduced in the pilot, "
Encounter at Farpoint", the alien
Ferengi first appeared in "
The Last
Outpost", the capabilities of the
holodeck were explored, and the history between
Will Riker and
Deanna Troi was investigated.
Later season-one episodes set the stage for serial plots. The
episode "
Datalore" introduced Data's
evil twin brother
Lore, who made several more appearances in later episodes.
"
Coming
of Age" dealt with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get in to
Starfleet Academy while also
hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "
Conspiracy".
"
Heart of Glory" explored Worf's
character,
Klingon culture, and the uneasy
truce between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, three themes
that would play a major role in later episodes.
Tasha Yar left the show in "
Skin of Evil" becoming the first regular Star
Trek character to die (permanently) in either series or film, and
the season finale, "
The Neutral
Zone", established the presence of two of
TNG's most
enduring villains: the
Romulans, making
their first appearance since the Original Series, and, through
foreshadowing, the
Borg.
The series premiere became the first television show to be
nominated for a
Hugo Award since 1972.
Six first-season episodes were each nominated for an
Emmy Award; "
11001001" won for
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, "
The Big Goodbye" won for Outstanding Costume
Design for a Series, and "
Conspiracy" won for Outstanding
Achievement in Makeup for a Series."The Big Goodbye," also won a
George Peabody award, the only episode of the entire Star Trek saga
to be so honored.
Season two
The series underwent significant changes during its second season.
Beverly Crusher was replaced as
chief medical officer by
Katherine
Pulaski, played by
Diana Muldaur,
who had been a guest star in "
Return
to Tomorrow" and "
Is
There in Truth No Beauty?", two episodes from the original
Star Trek. The show's recreational area,
Ten-Forward, and its mysterious
bartender/advisor,
Guinan, played by
Whoopi Goldberg, appeared for the first
time. Owing to the
1988 Writers Guild of
America strike, the number of episodes produced was cut from 26
to 22 and the start of the season was delayed. Because of the
strike, the opening episode, "
The Child", was
based on a script originally written for
Star Trek: Phase II, a previous
attempt to create a new weekly
Star Trek series, while the
season finale, "
Shades of
Gray" was a
clip show. Both episodes
were critically panned (especially "Shades of Gray").
Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as
significantly better than season one. The plots became more
sophisticated, and began to mix drama with comic relief. Its focus
on character development received special praise. Co-executive
producer
Maurice Hurley has stated
that his primary goal for the season was to plan and execute
season-long
story arcs and
character arcs. Hurley wrote the acclaimed
episode "
Q Who?", which featured the first
on-screen appearance of
TNG's most popular villain, the
Borg. Season two focused on
developing the character
Data, and
two highly-regarded episodes from the season, "
Elementary, Dear Data" and "
The Measure of a Man"
featured him prominently.
Miles O'Brien also became a more
prominent character during the second season, while
Geordi La Forge found a position as chief
engineer. Klingon issues continued to be explored in well-regarded
episodes such as "
A Matter of
Honor" and "
The Emissary", which
introduced Worf's former lover
K'Ehleyr.
Five second-season episodes were nominated for six Emmys; "Q Who?"
won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding
Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.
Season three
Prior to the production of the third season in the summer of 1989,
some personnel changes were made. Head writer Maurice Hurley was
let go and
Michael Piller took over
for the rest of the series. Creator and executive producer Gene
Roddenberry took less of an active role due to his declining
health. Roddenberry gave Piller and Berman the executive producer
jobs, and they remained in that position for the rest of the
series' run. Doctor Crusher came back to replace Doctor Pulaski,
who was always noted as a guest star in the second season.
Ronald D. Moore joined the show after submitting a
spec script that became "
The Bonding"; he became the
franchise's "
Klingon guru", meaning that he
wrote most
TNG episodes dealing with the Klingon Empire
(though he wrote some Romulan stories as well, such as "
The Defector,"
midway through season three). Six third-season episodes were
nominated for eight Emmys; "
Yesterday's Enterprise" won for
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and "
Sins of the Father" won for
Best Art Direction for a Series.
Season four
Brannon Braga and
Jeri Taylor joined the show in its fourth
season. The fourth season surpassed the Original Series in terms of
season length with the production of "The Best of Both Worlds, Part
II." The season finale, "Redemption", was the 100th episode, and
the cast and crew (including creator Gene Roddenberry) celebrated
the historic milestone on the bridge set. Footage of this was seen
in the Star Trek 25th anniversary special, hosted by William
Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, which aired later in the year. Seven
fourth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "
The Best of Both Worlds,
Part II" won for both Outstanding Sound Editing in a Series and
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series.
Season five
The fifth season's "
Unification"
opened with a dedication to
Star Trek creator Gene
Roddenberry (even though the prior episode, "The Game," aired four
days after his death). Roddenberry, though he had recently passed
away, continued to be credited as "Executive Producer" for the rest
of the season. The cast and crew learned of his death during the
production of "Hero Worship," a later season five episode. Seven
fifth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "
Cost of Living" won for
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series
and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series, and
"
A Matter of Time"
and "
Conundrum" tied for
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects. In
addition, "
The Inner
Light" became the first television episode since the 1968
original series
Star Trek episode "
The City on the
Edge of Forever" to win a
Hugo Award
for Best Dramatic Presentation.
Season six
The sixth season brought aboard a new set of changes. Now the
writing staff was split between the newly-created
Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine and
The Next Generation, with many
writing for both series. Three sixth-season episodes were nominated
for Emmys; "
Time's Arrow,
Part II" won for both Outstanding Individual Achievement in
Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement
in Hairstyling for a Series and "
A
Fistful of Datas" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in
Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.
Season seven
The seventh season was
The Next Generation s last. The
finale, "
All Good Things...", was
a double-length episode (separated into two parts for reruns) aired
the week of May 19, 1994, revisiting the events of the pilot and
providing a bookend to the series.
Toronto's SkyDome
, played host
to a massive event for the series finale. Thousands of
people packed the stadium to watch the final episode on the
stadium's
Jumbotron. Five seventh-season
episodes were nominated for nine Emmys, and the series as a whole
was the first syndicated television series nomination for
Outstanding Drama Series. To this day,
The Next Generation
is the only syndicated drama to be nominated in this category. "All
Good Things..." won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in
Special Visual Effects and "
Genesis" won for Outstanding
Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. "All
Good Things..." also won the second of the series' two Hugo
Awards.
Cast
| Main cast |
| Actor |
Character |
Main position |
Other positions held |
Appearances |
Character's species |
Rank |
| Patrick Stewart |
Jean-Luc Picard |
Commanding Officer |
|
Seasons 1–7 |
Human |
Captain |
| Jonathan Frakes |
William Riker |
First Officer |
Captain (Season 3/6) |
Seasons 1–7 |
Human |
Commander
Captain (acting) |
| LeVar Burton |
Geordi La Forge |
Chief Engineer |
Conn Officer (Season 1) |
Seasons 1–7 |
Human |
Lieutenant, Junior
Grade (Season 1),
Lieutenant (Season 2),
Lieutenant Commander (Seasons
3–7) |
| Michael Dorn |
Worf |
Chief of Security / Tactical Officer |
Tactical / Conn officer
(Season 1) |
Seasons 1–7 |
Klingon |
Lieutenant, Junior
Grade (Seasons 1-2),
Lieutenant (Seasons 3-7)
Lieutenant Commander (Star Trek: Generations) |
| Gates McFadden |
Beverly Crusher |
Chief Medical Officer |
Head of Starfleet Medical (Season
2) |
Seasons 1, 3–7 |
Human |
Commander |
| Marina Sirtis |
Deanna Troi |
Ship's Counselor |
|
Seasons 1–7 |
Betazoid / Human |
Lieutenant Commander
(Seasons 1-7),
Commander (Season 7) |
| Brent Spiner |
Data |
Second Officer/Chief Operations Officer/Chief Science
Officer |
First Officer (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")/or when Picard
is not available and Riker usually is in command |
Seasons 1–7
Appearances as
Lore (recurring) |
Android |
Lieutenant Commander |
| Former main
cast |
| Wil Wheaton |
Wesley Crusher |
Conn Officer |
Engineering related duties |
Seasons 1–4
Guest appearances: Seasons 5 & 7 |
Human |
Acting Ensign (Seasons 1–3),
Ensign (Seasons 3–4),
Cadet (Seasons 4–7)
Lieutenant Junior Grade
(Star Trek: Nemesis) |
| Denise Crosby |
Tasha Yar |
Chief of Security / Tactical Officer
|
|
Season 1
Guest appearances:
Seasons 3 & 7
Seasons 4 & 5 (as Sela) |
Human |
Lieutenant |
| Diana Muldaur |
Katherine Pulaski |
Chief Medical Officer |
|
Season 2 |
Human |
Commander |
| Secondary main
cast |
| Colm Meaney |
Miles O'Brien |
Transporter Chief |
Conn Officer (Season 1) |
Seasons 2–6
Guest appearance:
Season 7 |
Human |
Chief Petty Officer |
| Rosalind Chao |
Keiko O'Brien |
Botanist |
|
Seasons 4–6 |
Human |
Civilian |
| Patti Yasutake |
Alyssa Ogawa |
Nurse |
|
Seasons 4–7 |
Human |
Ensign (Seasons 4–7),
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
(Season 7) |
| Whoopi Goldberg |
Guinan |
Bartender |
|
Seasons 2–6 |
El-Aurian |
Civilian |
| Michelle Forbes |
Ro Laren |
Conn Officer
Tactical |
|
Seasons 5–7 |
Bajoran |
Ensign (Seasons 5–6),
Lieutenant (Season 7) |
| Dwight Schultz |
Reginald Barclay |
Diagnostic Technician / Systems Engineer |
|
Seasons 3–7 |
Human |
Lieutenant, Junior
Grade |
| Majel Barrett |
Lwaxana Troi |
Federation Ambassador |
|
Seasons 1–7
Other appearances:
Voice of Ship's Computer |
Betazoid |
Ambassador |
The cast underwent several changes through the series' run. Denise
Crosby chose to leave the show shortly before the first season
ended. Michael Dorn's Worf replaced Tasha Yar as security chief and
tactical officer. Crosby returned to portray Yar in alternate
timelines in "
Yesterday's Enterprise"
and "
All Good Things...". Crosby
also played Yar's half-Romulan daughter, Sela.
Gates McFadden, as Beverly Crusher, was replaced after the first
season by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur, during the
second season. Muldaur never received billing in the opening
credits, and instead was listed as a special guest star in the
credits shown during the first act. Pulaski proved unpopular with
viewers and was dropped at the end of the second season; McFadden
returned for seasons 3–7 and reprised her role as Crusher.
Wesley Crusher was also written out of the show. According to actor
Wil Wheaton's website, he wanted to leave the show because he was
frustrated by having to fit other roles around his Trek schedule
despite his character's decreasing role in the series. Wesley
Crusher reappears in several later episodes.
Notable guest appearances
| Actor |
Role |
Episode reference |
Notability |
| Kirsten Dunst |
Hedril |
"Dark Page" |
Plays Mary Jane Watson in the Spiderman films. |
| Famke Janssen |
Kamala |
"The Perfect Mate" |
Was a choice to play "Jadzia Dax" in the spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,
but replaced by Terry Farrell. Also has acted with Scott Bakula
(Lord of Illusions) and Patrick Stewart (X-Men films), both of whom played captains of a
Starship Enterprise. |
| Ashley Judd |
Ensign Robin Lefler |
"Darmok"
"The
Game" |
Daughter of Naomi Judd and sister of Wynonna Judd, noted
country musicians. Played Charlene Shiherlis in the 1995 film
Heat. Made a statement on
Late Night with
David Letterman that Lefler was to have been married to
Wesley Crusher, however this was later proven to be false. |
| James Cromwell |
Minister Jarok
Jaglom Shrek |
The Hunted
Birthright Part II |
Plays Zefram Cochrane in the film Star Trek: First Contact as
well as Minister Hanok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Starship Down" |
| Kelsey Grammer |
Captain Bateson |
"Cause and Effect" |
Played Dr. Frasier Crane in TV series Wings,
Cheers, and Frasier |
| Paul Winfield |
Captain Dathon |
"Darmok" |
Played Captain Clark Terrell in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan and Lt. Traxler in the film The Terminator |
| DeForest Kelley |
Admiral Leonard "Bones" McCoy |
"Encounter at Farpoint
part I" |
Played Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the USS
Enterprise under James T. Kirk (Star
Trek: TOS) |
| James Doohan |
Captain Montgomery Scott |
"Relics" |
Played Montgomery Scott, Chief of Engineering/Second Officer of
the USS Enterprise under James T. Kirk (Star Trek: TOS). |
| Leonard Nimoy |
Ambassador Spock |
"Unification
part I and II" |
Played Spock, Chief Science Officer/First Officer of the USS
Enterprise under James T. Kirk (Star
Trek: TOS). |
| Tim Russ |
Devor |
"Starship Mine" |
Was one of the choices to play the character of Geordi LaForge, but lost to LeVar Burton. Did however end up on
Star Trek: Voyager
playing Security Chief/Second Officer Tuvok.
Tim Russ is also one of the most seen actors in the Star Trek
universe, having speaking lines with 4 of the 5 starship captains
and playing several different roles throughout each of the series
besides his main role of "Tuvok". |
| Daniel Davis |
Professor Moriarty |
"Elementary, Dear Data"
and "Ship in a Bottle" |
Best known for his role as Niles the butler on the popular 90's
sitcom The Nanny |
| Michelle Phillips |
Jenice Manheim |
We'll
Always Have Paris |
Singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame as a member of
the 1960s group The Mamas
& the Papas, and is the last surviving original member of
the group. |
| William O. Campbell |
Okona |
The Outrageous Okona |
Portrayed Cliff Secord in the film The Rocketeer. Campbell was the second
choice of the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation to play
the role of William Riker, but lost the role to Jonathan Frakes.
His first prominent role was that of Luke Fuller, Steven
Carrington's lover on Dynasty. |
| Matt Frewer |
Berlingoff Rasmussen |
A
Matter of Time |
Portrayed 1980s TV character Max Headroom and Edgar
Jacobi/Moloch the Mystic in the film Watchmen. |
| Amy Pietz |
Lt. Leslie Rhodes |
Bloodlines |
Starred in the NBC series Caroline in the City opposite
Leah Thompson portraying the best
friend Annie Spadaro. Also has made several television
appearances. |
| Siddig El Fadil/Alexander
Siddig |
Lt. J.G. Julian Bashir, MD |
Birthright |
Played Dr. Julian Bashir in the spinoff series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Also went on to star in several A-list films long after the end of
Deep Space Nine (Reign
of Fire, Syriana). |
| Christopher McDonald |
Lt./Capt. Richard Castillo |
Yesterday's
Enterprise |
Known for playing "Shooter McGavin" from the film Happy Gilmore. |
| Merritt Butrick |
T'Jon |
Symbiosis |
Played David Marcus, son of Captain James T. Kirk of the USS
Enterprise NCC 1701/1701-A in the films Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan and Star Trek III: The Search
for Spock. Also, still photos of him can be seen in
Captain Kirk's quarters in the film Star Trek VI: The
Undiscovered Country. |
| Walter Gotell |
Kurt Mandl |
Home Soil |
Known for playing Head of KGB Operations General Anatol Gogol
throughout most of the Roger Moore-era and half of the Timothy
Dalton-era James Bond films. |
| Paul Sorvino |
Dr. Nikolai Rozhenko, foster brother of Worf |
Homeward |
Father of actress Mira Sorvino.
Starred as Sgt. Phil Ceretta on Law
& Order, along with numerous film and television
appearances. |
| Tony Todd |
Kurn, house of Mogh |
Sins of the
Father |
Several film appearances, including the role of the Candyman in the film series of the same
name. Also played the adult Jake Sisko in the Deep Space
Nine episode "The Visitor.". Most
recently he voiced The Fallen in the
massive hit sequel Transformers: Revenge of The
Fallen. |
| Dr. Mae C. Jemison |
Transporter Room Chief |
Second
Chances |
Former NASA astronaut; flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavor as part of the
STS-47 mission crew. First actual astronaut
to appear on Star Trek. |
| Stephen Hawking |
Himself (Hologram of) |
Descent, Part
I |
Noted scientist; author of A Brief History of Time. |
| Ronny Cox |
Captain Edward Jellico |
Chain of
Command, Parts I and II |
Distinguished actor probably best known for his appearances in
Beverly Hills Cop,
Total Recall, Deliverance and Robocop. |
| Bob Gunton |
Captain Benjamin Maxwell, USS Phoenix (NCC-65420) |
The
Wounded |
Best remembered for his role as Warden Norton in the 1994
motion picture The Shawshank Redemption.. |
| Terry O'Quinn |
Admiral Eric Pressman |
The
Pegasus |
Known for playing the title role in The Stepfather and
Stepfather II, and in 1996
O'Quinn was cast as Peter Watts in
Millennium, which
ran for three seasons (1996-1999). In recent years, O'Quinn has
been portraying John Locke on the
ABC TV series Lost. |
| Saul Rubinek |
Kivas Fajo |
The Most Toys |
Rubinek played Donny Douglas (Daphne Moon's fiancé and Niles
Crane's divorce lawyer) in several episodes of the American sitcom
Frasier. Another science fiction
role portrayed by Rubinek was as a documentary film director named
Emmett Bregman, on the seventh season of Stargate SG-1, in a two-part episode called
"Heroes, Parts 1 & 2". He
currently plays "Arthur 'Artie' Nielsen" a covert agent employed by
a secretive council to recover super-scientific and mystical
artifacts, in the Syfy series Warehouse 13. |
Plot
The episodes follow the adventures of the crew of the
Galaxy-class USS Enterprise
NCC-1701-D. As the
United Federation of Planets
flagship, the
Enterprise is
designed for both exploration and diplomacy but is also formidable
in combat situations if necessary.
Patrick Stewart's voiceover during each episode's opening credits
was patterned after
that of
the original series, but the phrase "continuing mission"
replaces
Star Trek's "five year mission", and the
gender-neutral phrase "no one" replaces "no man":{{cite
web|url=http://www.thespacereview.com/article/506/1|title=Boldly
Going: ''Star Trek'' and spaceflight|author=[[Dwayne A. Day]]|
work=[[The Space Review]]|date=2005-11-28}} {{cquote|Space: the
final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship
''Enterprise''. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new
worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go
where no one has gone before.|cquote}} The ''Enterprise'''s crew
contact and discover many races and species with whom they interact
as a means of exploring the [[human condition]]. Dramatic devices
such as [[time travel]] or temporal loops, natural disasters,
[[holodeck]] malfunctions, and other internal and external
conflicts often occur without alien encounters, though these, too,
are used to explore issues of humanity. ==Episodes== {{main|List of
Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes}} ===''Entertainment
Weekly'''s best episodes=== To celebrate the series' 20th
anniversary, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' chose its "Top 10
Episodes": # "[[Yesterday's Enterprise]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_10,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[The Best of Both Worlds (Star Trek:
The Next Generation)|The Best of Both Worlds]]", Parts I and II
{{cite web|url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_9,00.html
|title='Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes
|publisher=EW.com |accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[The Inner Light
(Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Inner Light]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_8,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[Tapestry (Star Trek: The Next
Generation)|Tapestry]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_7,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[All Good Things...]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_6,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[The Measure of a Man (Star Trek: The
Next Generation)|The Measure of a Man]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_5,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[Sins of the Father (Star Trek: The
Next Generation)|Sins of the Father]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_4,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[First Contact (Star Trek: The Next
Generation)|First Contact]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_3,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[The First Duty]]" {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_2,00.html |title='Star
Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} # "[[Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next
Generation)|Chain of Command]]", Parts I and II. {{cite web|url=
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754,00.html |title='Star Trek:
The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes |publisher=EW.com
|accessdate=2008-06-17}} ==Connections with other Star Trek
incarnations== The show's theme combines the fanfare from the
original series theme by [[Alexander Courage]] with [[Jerry
Goldsmith]]'s theme for ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]''.
''The Next Generation'' has other similarities to ''[[Star Trek:
The Motion Picture]]'', itself spun from the plans for ''[[Star
Trek: Phase II]]''. The movie's [[Willard Decker]] and [[Ilia (Star
Trek)|Ilia]] bear similarities to ''The Next Generation'''s Will
Riker and Deanna Troi. The series' second-season premiere was based
on a ''Phase II'' script, as was the [[courtroom drama]] "[[Devil's
Due (TNG episode)|Devil's Due]]". Some sets used in the ''Original
Series''-era films were redressed for ''The Next Generation'', and
in turn used for subsequent ''Original Series'' films.{{cite
book|author=[[Michael Okuda|Okuda, Michael]] and [[Rick
Sternbach]]|year=1991|title=[[Star Trek: The Next Generation
Technical Manual]]|publisher=Pocket Books|isbn=0-671-70427-3}} Part
of the transporter room set in ''The Next Generation'' was used in
the original ''Star Trek'''s transporter set. Variants of
''Enterprise'''s [[LCARS]] computer interface appear in the ''Deep
Space Nine'' and ''Voyager'' spinoffs and the ''Next
Generation''-era films.{{cite book|title=[[The Star Trek
Encyclopedia]]|author=[[Michael Okuda|Okuda, Mike]] and Denise
Okuda, with Debbie Mirek|publisher=Pocket
Books|isbn=0-671-53609-5|year=1999}} The series also established
the five-number stardate, with the second digit corresponding to
the season; ''Deep Space Nine'''s opening stardate of [[Emissary
(Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|46379]] aligns with ''The Next
Generation'''s sixth season, and ''Voyager'''s [[Caretaker (Star
Trek: Voyager)|48315]] places it in what would have been ''The Next
Generation'''s eighth season. ===Characters and races=== {{see|List
of Star Trek races}} Three original ''Star Trek'' main actors
appear as their original series characters in ''The Next
Generation'': [[DeForest Kelley]] as [[Leonard McCoy]] in
"Encounter at Farpoint", [[Leonard Nimoy]] as [[Spock]] in both
halves of "Unification", and [[James Doohan]] as Montgomery Scott
in "Relics". [[Mark Lenard]] played Sarek for both "Sarek" and
"Unification, Part I", and [[Majel Barrett]] reprised her role of
voicing the ''Enterprise'''s computer, as well as playing
[[Deanna]]'s mother, [[Lwaxana Troi]]. A script that reportedly
featured the character of [[Harcourt Fenton Mudd|Harry Mudd]], a
recurring criminal in ''Star Trek'', was cancelled when [[Roger C.
Carmel]] died.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} The [[Romulan]]s reprise their
antagonistic role in ''The Next Generation'', although the
[[Klingon]]s reappear as Federation allies. ''The Next Generation''
introduces two characters who would later have lead roles in ''Deep
Space Nine'': [[Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)|Miles O'Brien]] (played
by [[Colm Meaney]]) and Worf.{{cite book|title=Deep Space Nine
Companion|isbn=0671501062|last=Erdmann|first=Terry
J.|coauthors=Paula M. Block|publisher=[[Pocket
Books]]|date=2000-08-01}} The character who eventually became
[[Kira Nerys]] was initially intended to be a reprisal of
[[Michelle Forbes]]' ''Next Generation'' character, [[Ro Laren]].
Additional ''Next Generation'' characters who appear in ''Deep
Space Nine'' include Q, the [[Duras sisters]], Klingon Chancellor
Gowron, Klingon Kurn (Worf's brother), Alexander Rozhenko (Worf's
son), Keiko O'Brien (Miles' wife), Molly O'Brien (Miles' daughter),
[[Lwaxana Troi]], [[Thomas Riker]], [[Vash (Star Trek)|Vash]] and
Gul Evek. [[Reginald Barclay]], [[Deanna Troi]], [[Q (Star
Trek)|Q]], [[William Riker]] and [[Geordi LaForge|LaForge]] appear
in ''Voyager''. [[Tom Paris]], a main character in ''Voyager'', was
based on the ''Next Generation'' character Nicholas Locarno;
[[Robert Duncan McNeill]], who played Locarno, went on to play
Paris. Deanna Troi and William Riker appear in the ''Enterprise''
finale "These Are the Voyages..." The [[Ferengi]], conceived but
panned as ''The Next Generation'''s recurring antagonists, appear
in subsequent Star Trek spin-offs. ''The Next Generation'' also
introduces the [[Borg (Star Trek)|Borg]], [[Cardassian]], [[Trill
(Star Trek)|Trill]] and [[Bajor]]an species, all of which, along
with the [[Maquis (Star Trek)|Maquis]] resistance group, play a
part in both ''Deep Space Nine'' and ''Voyager''. ''Deep Space
Nine'''s [[Julian Bashir]], played by [[Alexander Siddig]], appears
in ''The Next Generation'''s "
Birthright, Part I", and
Armin Shimerman played
Quark for "
Firstborn".
Actor crossovers
The following
Next Generation cast members have appeared
as various other characters in other Star Trek productions.
- Patrick Stewart (Picard)
appeared in the first Deep Space Nine episode "Emissary,
Part I".
- Jonathan Frakes (Riker) appeared
in Deep Space Nine episode "Defiant" as Thomas Riker, the
transporter accident-created twin brother of his main character
(from TNG episode "Second
Chances"). He also appeared in the Voyager episode
"Death Wish" and in the Star Trek: Enterprise series
finale "These Are the Voyages...".
- Marina Sirtis (Troi) reprised the
role of Deanna Troi for several episodes of Star Trek:
Voyager and appeared alongside Frakes in the
Enterprise finale "These Are the Voyages...".
- Michael Dorn (Worf) appeared in
Star Trek VI:
The Undiscovered Country as his ancestor Klingon Colonel
Worf and reprised his role as Worf in the latter seasons of
Deep Space Nine.
- Brent Spiner (Data) appeared in
three Star Trek: Enterprise episodes as Noonien Soong's
ancestor, Arik Soong.
- Colm Meaney (O'Brien) reprised his
role as Miles O'Brien on Deep Space Nine.
- Diana Muldaur (Pulaski) appeared
in The Original Series episodes "Return to Tomorrow" as Lt.
Commander Ann Mulhall, and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" as Dr.
Miranda Jones.
- Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Lwaxana
Troi and the ship's computer) appeared in The Original Series as
recurring character Nurse Christine Chapel, though she was
originally cast as "Number One" in the pilot. She also was the
voice for the Federation computers in every series.
- John de Lancie (Q) appeared in
The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and
Voyager.
- Dwight Schultz (Lt. Reginald
Barclay), who appeared throughout The Next Generation
(including in the film Star Trek: First Contact), became a
recurring character on Voyager as Barclay becomes integral
to the return of the ship to Federation space.
- LeVar Burton (LaForge) reprised his
role as Geordi LaForge in the Voyager episode "Timeless"
- Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton (Riker & LaForge) have also
directed episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
Burton also directed episodes of Enterprise.
The following actors from other Star Trek productions have appeared
in guest spots on
The Next Generation as other
characters.
- Armin Shimerman (Quark of
Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Last Outpost" as the
Ferengi Letek, "Haven" as the face of a Betazoid gift box, and
"Peak Performance" as Ferengi DaiMon Bractor.
- Max Grodénchik (Rom of
Deep Space Nine) appeared in "Captain's Holiday" as
Ferengi Sovak, and "The Perfect Mate" as Ferengi Par Lenor.
- Ethan Phillips guest stars as the
Ferengi Farek, and a holodeck character in Star Trek: First
Contact. He later appears in Star Trek: Voyager as Neelix.
- Marc Alaimo (Dukat of Deep Space
Nine) appeared in "Lonely Among Us" as Antican Badar N'D'D, in
"The Neutral Zone" as the Romulan commander Tebok, in "The Wounded"
as the Cardassian Gul Macet, and in "Time's Arrow" as the poker
player Frederick La Rouque.
- Salome Jens (the Female Shapeshifter
of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Chase" as an ancient
humanoid.
- Robert Duncan McNeil (Tom
Paris of Voyager) appeared in "The First Duty" as Nova
Squadron leader Nicholas Locarno.
- Tim Russ (Tuvok of Voyager)
appeared in "Starship Mine" as technician Devor, as the Klingon
T'Kar in the Deep Space Nine episode "Invasive Procedures" and as a
bridge officer in Star Trek: Generations.
- James Cromwell, who plays the
prime minister in "The Hunted", also plays Dr. Zefram Cochrane in
Star Trek: First Contact and the Star Trek:
Enterprise episode "Broken Bow" as well as a reprise of the
First Contact footage in the Enterprise episode "Through a
Mirror, Darkly", Jaglom Shrek in TNG episodes "Birthright"
parts 1 and 2, and Hanok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Starship Down".
Legacy
Four films feature the series' characters:
Three other Star Trek TV series succeeded
The Next
Generation:
The series has also inspired numerous novels, analytical books,
websites, and works of
fan
fiction.
On October 7, 2006, one of the three original filming models of the
USS
Enterprise-D used on the show sold at a
Christie's auction for USD $576,000, making it
the highest-selling item at the event.
DVD release
The series' first season was released on DVD in March 2002.
Throughout the year the next six seasons were released at various
times on DVD, with the seventh season being released in December
2002. To commemorate the series 20th anniversary,
CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount
Home Entertainment released
Star Trek: The Next Generation -
The Complete Series on October 2, 2007. The DVD box set
contains 49 discs.
See also
References
External links
- TrekCore.com Library of DVD screen captures (still
images) from every episode of the Next Generation.
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