Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series)
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (ST:TNG) is a science fiction television series that aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s, set approximately eighty years after the original "Star Trek" series. It features a new crew aboard the USS Enterprise-D, with Captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Patrick Stewart, representing a shift in leadership style compared to the previous captain, James T. Kirk. The series is noted for its more sophisticated narrative, emphasizing themes of optimism and realism, while introducing memorable elements such as the Borg, a notable alien antagonist, and the Holodeck, an innovative virtual reality technology.
ST:TNG was produced in first-run syndication, allowing it to reach over two hundred markets simultaneously, despite initial critical skepticism and resistance from some fans. The show was groundbreaking in its representation of diverse characters, including a female security chief and a blind crew member, which broadened its appeal beyond typical science fiction audiences. Although Paramount concluded the series after seven seasons to transition the cast into feature films, ST:TNG revitalized the Star Trek franchise and led to multiple spin-off series and movies. Its legacy includes a resurgence in Star Trek-related merchandise and attractions, reflecting its significant impact on popular culture.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series)
Identification Science-fiction television series
Creator Gene Roddenberry
Date Aired from September 26, 1987, to May 21, 1994
A sequel series to the original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation revitalized the franchise, creating a demand among American audiences for additional television series, movies, merchandise, and tie-in fiction set in Gene Roddenberry’s idealized future.
Key Figures
Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991), creator of theStar Trek franchise
Set approximately eighty years after the events of the original Star Trek television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (known to fans as ST:TNG) introduced viewers to a new crew and a new USS Enterprise. In an unusual step, Paramount produced ST:TNG in first-run syndication, selling the series to local television stations on an individual basis. This way, even if the show failed after the initial thirteen episodes, the studio could recoup some expenses by bundling the episodes with the original series, which still did well in rerun syndication. ST:TNG did not fail, however. In spite of lukewarm early critical reception and initial resistance from some fans, it became highly successful, airing in over two hundred markets simultaneously.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for Star Trek fans was the introduction of an entirely different style of captain. Instead of James T. Kirk, an action-oriented ladies’ man, Captain Jean-Luc Picard was an older, balding Frenchman played by classically trained British actor Patrick Stewart. Other significant changes included a female security chief, a Klingon bridge officer, a blind crew member, and an android who aspired to become more human. Overall, ST:TNG encompassed a more sophisticated blend of optimism and realism than the original show had. It introduced the Borg, one of the Star Trek franchise’s most interesting alien villains, as well as the Holodeck, a representation of a virtual reality system that was featured in many episodes and helped influence the public imagination of the possibilities of virtual reality during the decade. The show appealed not only to science-fiction fans but also to viewers who did not typically watch science fiction, in part because it placed increased emphasis on female and minority characters.
Impact
In 1994, stunning the show’s fans, Paramount ended ST:TNG at the conclusion of the seventh season, citing several reasons: The studio had always planned on only seven seasons, a significant number for television programs hoping to be sold into perpetual syndication. Paramount also wanted the cast to begin making feature films based on the series. The studio did not want to price the series out of the rerun syndication market by having too many episodes, and it believed the show had reached its maximum profitability.
In spite of its cancellation, the overwhelming of success of Star Trek: The Next Generation led to an unprecedented revitalization of an old franchise into something relevant for both old and new generations of viewers. It showed that there was room in the Star Trek universe for countless new characters, alien species, and situations, and it paved the way for additional television series—Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; and Star Trek: Enterprise—as well as several successful movies starring the Next Generation cast members. It also led to a revival of Star Trek merchandise, such as action figures and other toys, and to the creation of a themed attraction in Las Vegas called Star Trek: The Experience.
Bibliography
Coit, Dawn G. “Star Trek: The Continuing Saga of a Sixties Sensation.” USA Today 117 (January, 1989): 88-90.
Nemecek, Larry. The “Star Trek: The Next Generation” Companion. Rev. ed. New York: Pocket Books, 2003.
Reeves-Stevens, Judith, and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. “Star Trek: The Next Generation”: The Continuing Mission—A Tenth Anniversary Tribute. New York: Pocket Books, 1997.