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EspañolSTAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
'''Star Trek: The Next Generation''' ('ST:TNG', 'TNG') is a science fiction television series, part of the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry. Set in the 24th century, about 80 years after , ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' features a new crew and a new starship ''Enterprise''.
''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' premiered the week of September 28, 1987 with the two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint" and ran for 178 episodes in seven seasons, 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 '', '', and '') 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, becoming the first television series since the original Star Trek to be recognized. The series also formed the basis of the seventh through tenth Star Trek films.
| Contents |
| Production |
| Season One |
| Season two |
| Season three and beyond |
| Cast |
| Plot |
| Connections with other Star Trek incarnations |
| Characters and races |
| Actor crossovers |
| Legacy |
| DVD release |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
Production
After the box-office success of the Harve Bennett-produced ''Star Trek''-based movies, Paramount in 1986 decided to create a new Star Trek series. Roddenberry initially declined to be involved but, after being unhappy with early conceptual work, came on board as creator. 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.[1]
Roddenberry hired a number of ''Star Trek'' veterans, including Bob Justman, D. C. Fontana, Eddie Milkis, and David Gerrold. Rick Berman, a Paramount executive, was assigned to the show at Roddenberry's request.
''The Next Generation'' 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.
Season One has been criticised as directionless and formulaic. 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."[2] Other sources of criticism include poor special effects and plots being resolved by the deus ex machina of Wesley Crusher saving the ship.[3][4] 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 of 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 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 in the series. "" dealt with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get into Starfleet Academy while also hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "". "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", and the season finale, "", established the presence of two of TNG's most enduring villains: the Romulans and 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. Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, Nemeck, Larry, , , Pocket Books, 2003, ISBN 0-7434-5798-6
Season two
The show underwent significant changes in its second season. Beverly Crusher was replaced as doctor during the season by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur who was twice a guest star of the original Star Trek. The show's recreational area, Ten-Forward, and its mysterious bartender/advisor, Guinan, appeared for the first time in season two. Owing to a Writers Guild of America strike, the number of episodes produced was cut from 26 to 22 and start of the season was delayed . Due to the strike, the opening episode, "", was based on a script originally written for '', a previous attempt to create a new weekly Star Trek series, while the season finale, "" was a clip show. Both episodes were critically panned.[5]
Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as significantly better than season one, and its focus on character development was especially praised.[6] 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.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 LaForge 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 lover K'Ehleyr.[7] 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 and beyond
In the third season, Michael Piller became head writer, and Gene Roddenberry took less of an active role, with Piller and Berman becoming the executive producers. Ronald D. Moore joined the show after submitting a spec script that became "The Bonding"; he became the franchise's "Klingon guru". 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.
Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor joined the show in its fourth season. 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.
The fifth season's "" opens with a dedication to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who died
October 24, 1991. Although Roddenberry's health had been deteriorating prior to his death, and his involvement with the series diminished, he continued to be credited as executive producer. Simultaneously, responsibility for the show gradually shifted to Berman, who took over the franchise upon Roddenberry's death. 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 there was a tie between "A Matter of Time" and "Conundrum" 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.
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.
The seventh season was ''The Next Generation''
Cast
| Actor | Character | Position | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Stewart | Jean-Luc Picard | Commanding officer | Human |
| Jonathan Frakes | William Riker | First officer | Human |
| Brent Spiner | Data | Second officer Operations officer | Android |
| Marina Sirtis | Deanna Troi | Ship's counselor | Half Betazoid (mother), half Human (father) |
| LeVar Burton | Geordi La Forge | Conn officer (season 1) Chief engineer (seasons 2-7) | Human |
| Michael Dorn | Worf | Tactical and conn officer (1) Chief of security and tactical officer (2-7) | Klingon |
| Gates McFadden | Beverly Crusher | Chief medical officer (1, 3–7) | Human |
| Denise Crosby | Natasha "Tasha" Yar | Chief of security and tactical officer (1) | Human |
| Wil Wheaton | Wesley Crusher | Conn officer (1–4) | Human |
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 character replaced 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 left the series after one season; Beverly Crusher was replaced by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur. 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 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.
Plot
The episodes follow the adventures of the crew of the ''Galaxy''-class USS ''Enterprise''. As the United Federation of Planets flagship, the ''Enterprise'' is designed for both exploration and diplomacy but capable of battle when necessary.
Patrick Stewart's voiceover during each episode's opening credits was patterned after that of the original series, but the gender-neutral phrase "no one" replaces ''Star Trek''
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 ''Enterprise''
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 ''.
''The Next Generation'' has other similarities to '', itself spun from the plans for ''. The movie's Willard Decker and Ilia bear similarities to ''The Next Generation''
Some sets used in the ''Original Series''-era films were redressed for ''The Next Generation'', and in turn used for subsequent ''Original Series'' films.[9] Part of the transporter room set in ''The Next Generation'' was used in the original ''Star Trek''
Variants of ''Enterprise''
Characters and 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''
''The Next Generation'' introduces two characters who had lead roles in ''Deep Space Nine'': Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) and Worf.[11] The character who eventually became Kira Nerys was initially intended to be a reprisal of Michelle Forbes' ''Next Generation'' character, Ro Laren.11 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 and Gul Evek.11
Reginald Barclay, Deanna Troi, Q, William Riker and LaForge appear in ''Voyager''.10 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.10
Deanna Troi and William Riker appear in the ''Enterprise'' finale "These Are the Voyages..."
The Ferengi, conceived but panned as ''The Next Generation''
''Deep Space Nine''
Actor crossovers
The following Next Generation cast members have appeared as various other characters in other Star Trek productions.
★ Michael Dorn (Worf) appeared in '' as Klingon Colonel Worf.
★ Brent Spiner (Data) appeared in several ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' episodes as Noonien Soong's ancestor, Arik Soong.
★ 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) 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 Runabouts, Defiant, and Voyager computers in Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
★ 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 done guest spots in 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.
★ 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.
Legacy
Four films feature the series' characters:
★ '' (1994)
★ '' (1996)
★ '' (1998)
★ '' (2002)
Three other Star Trek TV series succeeded ''The Next Generation'':
★ '' (1993-1999)
★ '' (1995-2001)
★ '' (2001-2005)
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.[12]
DVD release
Main articles: Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD
The series' first season was released on DVD in March 2002. Throughout the year the next six seasons were released at varying times on DVD, with the seventh season being released in December of 2002. To commemorate the series 20th anniversary, Paramount Home Video will release Star Trek: The Next Generation - Complete Series on October 2, 2007. The DVD box set will contain 49 discs and will be released in Region 1 format.
See also
★ Cultural influence of Star Trek
★
References
1. Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry, Alexander, David, , , Roc, 1994, ISBN 0-451-45440-5
2. DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season One
3. DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season One
4. Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season One DVD
5. Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season Two DVD
6. "DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season Two
7. "The DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Two
8. Boldly Going: ''Star Trek'' and spaceflight Dwayne A. Day
9. , Okuda, Michael and Rick Sternbach, , , Pocket Books, 1991, ISBN 0-671-70427-3
10. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Okuda, Mike and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek, , , Pocket Books, 1999, ISBN 0-671-53609-5
11. Deep Space Nine Companion, , Terry J., Erdmann, Pocket Books, ,
12. 'Star Trek' Model Fetches Over 0,000
External links
★ ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' at StarTrek.com
★
★
★ TrekCore.com Library of DVD screen captures (still images) from every episode of the Next Generation.
★ ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' on Spike TV
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