Star
Trek: The Next Generation is a television series set in the Star Trek
universe created by Gene Roddenberry. The first live-action
television continuation of the original (1966–1969) series Star
Trek, The Next Generation is set nearly a century later and features
a new starship and a new crew.
The
series was conceived of and produced by original Star Trek creator
Gene Roddenberry. It premiered the week of September 28, 1987 with
the two-hour pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" and ran
for seven seasons, ending with the final episode "All Good
Things..." the week of May 23, 1994. The series was broadcast in
first-run syndication, so air dates and times varied among individual
television stations. The show gained a considerable following during
its run, and like its predecessor, remains popular in syndicated
re-runs. Its popularity led to a line of spin-off or prequel
television series that would continue without interruption until
2005. The series also formed the basis of the seventh through tenth
movies of the Star Trek theatrical film series, which were related to
the first six movies that starred the cast of the original NBC series.
The
voiceover during each episode's opening credits was similar to that
of the original series and was narrated by Patrick Stewart (Captain
Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise):
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.
The
Next Generation version of this narration ends with "where no
one has gone before," in contrast with the original series'
"where no man has gone before". This change is the result
of changed perspectives on the roles of females in the series,
particularly as leaders. For instance, in the original series, women
were usually limited to playing seductresses or their on ship duties
were reduced to secretarial positions, as in the case of Uhura. In
the Next Generation, women often confront the captain and advise him,
which seldom happened in the original series.
The
episodes follow the adventures of the crew of the USS Enterprise
(NCC-1701-D), a Galaxy class starship designed for both exploration
and diplomacy but quite capable of battle when necessary. Her captain
is the seasoned and charismatic Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who is more
intellectual and philosophical than many typical protagonists in
popular science fiction.
As in
the case of The Original Series (TOS), the crew of the Enterprise-D
meets many technologically powerful races. Many episodes also involve
time travel or temporal loops, character dramas, natural disasters,
and other plotlines without alien encounters. In contrast to the
original series, in which the ship was exploring unknown areas of the
galaxy, the Enterprise-D serves primarily as a vessel for diplomacy,
defense, and humanitarian aid. TNG's crew seems to have a greater
dedication to peaceful resolution to conflicts, and takes a more
rigid approach to following Starfleet's Prime Directive established
in the original series. The ship is frequently threatened by
unexpected phenomena, but as the Enterprise-D is much more powerful
than the previous ship, the stories are often able to focus more on
moral implications, rather than the immediate need for survival.
Another
noticeable difference between TOS and TNG is the continuity of
general story arcs across episodes - though the show is still
episodic and not serialized, events in one episode might influence
events in a later episode. For example, a major recurring character,
Q, bookends the series, appearing as the first major antagonist in
"Encounter at Farpoint" and closing the series in the final
episode "All Good Things...". Characters also deal with
evolving interpersonal relationships, as well as ongoing political
stories, such as the power struggles within the Klingon government.
The
United Federation of Planets (Federation) is now at peace with the
Klingons, their former enemies, though vast cultural differences
remain. A "cold war" with the Romulans, similar to that in
the Original Series, continues in TNG. Three new major recurring
races are introduced into the mythology: the aggressively capitalist
Ferengi; merciless cybernetic hybrids, the Borg; and the corrupt and
imperial Cardassians, loosely modeled after early 20th century
fascists. The Ferengi, originally introduced as villainous
characters, were soon downgraded to comic relief and as such thrived
on the TNG spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
The
Borg are the most powerful threat in this series, though they do not
appear frequently until the spin-off series Star Trek: Voyager. In
the episode "The Best of Both Worlds", a single Borg Cube
is initially challenged (ineffectually) by the Enterprise,
abducts and assimilates Captain Picard, destroys thirty-nine
Starfleet vessels at the Battle of Wolf 359, and continues to Earth,
where it is stopped by the last-ditch actions of the Enterprise crew.
The
series greatly expands on a secondary theme of TOS: the idealism of
humanity's dedication to improving itself. It also continues TOS's
approach of using extra-terrestrial species and science fiction
elements as a means of exploring many real-world social, political,
personal and spiritual issues. Most episodes have an intentional
philosophical or moral message. The series attempts to depict Gene
Roddenberry's vision of a future in which the human race has done
away with racism, sexism, prejudice, greed, and poverty, and
dedicated itself almost entirely to peaceful scientific pursuits.
Gene
Roddenberry continued to be credited as executive producer of TNG
though his influence lessened due to his declining health as the
series progressed, with responsibility for the show gradually
shifting to producer Rick Berman. When Roddenberry died in 1991,
Berman officially took over.
More so
than with The Original Series, the cast of The Next Generation was
subject to some change, most notably in the later half of the first
season following the death of the Enterprise's security chief and
tactical officer, Tasha Yar, after actress Denise Crosby chose to
leave the series. The scripts were quickly adapted, with the
character of Worf, originally a junior officer, promoted to serve as
Yar's replacement as security chief and tactical officer. Crosby
returned to portray Tasha Yar in the alternate timeline episode
"Yesterday's Enterprise" and as part of a trip back in time
to Picard's first days on the Enterprise in the series finale
"All Good Things...".
Wesley
Crusher was also written out of the show in order to join Starfleet
Academy, after a few years of serving as helmsman under the rank of
Acting Ensign and then as a full Ensign (after the result of a field
promotion) (Actor Wil Wheaton has revealed on his website that he
left the show because he was frustrated by having to fit other roles
around his Trek schedule, when he had increasingly little to do on
the series). Actress Gates McFadden was essentially fired after one
season, and was replaced by Diana Muldaur, who had earlier been
featured as a guest star in two episodes of The Original Series
("Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No
Beauty?," playing different characters). Muldaur's character,
Dr. Pulaski, proved unpopular with viewers and was dropped at the end
of the second season without explanation. After Muldaur departed for
the NBC series LA Law (where her character would suffer similar fan
dislike), Gates McFadden reprised her role as Dr. Crusher for
subsequent seasons.
Also,
not all of the main characters had a place on the bridge, the ship's
command center. After being promoted from helmsman, Geordi La Forge,
the Chief Engineer, spent most of his time in engineering, while Dr.
Crusher, although holding privileges as a bridge officer, primarily
resided in sickbay. The show did not have a regular Chief Engineer
character for the first season, although various engineers appeared.
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.
The
United Federation of Planets (Federation) is now at peace with the
Klingons, their former enemies, though vast cultural differences
remain. A "cold war" with the Romulans, similar to that in
the Original Series, continues in TNG. Three new major recurring
races are introduced into the mythology: the aggressively capitalist
Ferengi; merciless cybernetic hybrids, the Borg; and the corrupt and
imperial Cardassians, loosely modeled after early 20th century
fascists. The Ferengi, originally introduced as villainous
characters, were soon downgraded to comic relief and as such thrived
on the TNG spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Enterprise,
abducts and assimilates Captain Picard, destroys thirty-nine
Starfleet vessels at the Battle of Wolf 359, and continues to Earth,
where it is stopped by the last-ditch actions of the Enterprise crew.
Wesley
Crusher was also written out of the show in order to join Starfleet
Academy, after a few years of serving as helmsman under the rank of
Acting Ensign and then as a full Ensign (after the result of a field
promotion) (Actor Wil Wheaton has revealed on his website that he
left the show because he was frustrated by having to fit other roles
around his Trek schedule, when he had increasingly little to do on
the series). Actress Gates McFadden was essentially fired after one
season, and was replaced by Diana Muldaur, who had earlier been
featured as a guest star in two episodes of The Original Series
("Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No
Beauty?," playing different characters). Muldaur's character,
Dr. Pulaski, proved unpopular with viewers and was dropped at the end
of the second season without explanation. After Muldaur departed for
the NBC series LA Law (where her character would suffer similar fan
dislike), Gates McFadden reprised her role as Dr. Crusher for
subsequent seasons.
