User reviews

Nearly twenty years after the original Star Trek was cancelled by NBC, Gene Roddenberry and Paramount sought to capitalize on the enormous success of TOS in syndication and on the big screen. Roddenberry decided to make the new series with few connections to the original, so that it could stand on its own. Many fans didn't like the idea of new characters, but Roddenberry pressed ahead, and Star Trek: The Next Generation was born. British stage actor Patrick Stewart assumed the role of Frenchman Captain Jean-Luc Picard, bringing gravitas, phenomenal acting skills, and an English accent that would become the boon of many jokes; Jonathon Frakes became William T. Riker, the Kirk-esque "Number One" with a love for the ladies and jazz; Brent Spiner was cast as Data, the android who envied human emotion; Gates McFadden was Dr. Beverly Crusher, the CMO with a complicated past with Captain Picard; Wil Wheaton was her irritating son Wesley, who would long annoy the fans; Michael Dorn brought a distinct presence to the recurring role of Klingon officer Worf, so much that he was promoted to regular. Marina Sirtis looked good as Deanna Troi, the psychiatrist who had once been involved with Riker; LeVar Burton was cast as Geordi LaForge, the blind Conn Officer; finally, Denise Crosby was Security Chief Tasha Yar. Also in the pilot was an unnamed conn officer played by Colm Meaney, who would later become Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien.

The first two seasons were of average quality, but they did a good job of setting up the characters and expanding the Trek universe. The series gathered its own following, although it continued to exist in the shadow of TOS. Q became an ongoing presence, appearing twice more after the pilot. His third appearance had him introducing the crew to the Borg, the fearsome cyborgs who would become Trek's most famous villains. Denise Crosby left TNG near the end of the first year, saying that her character wasn't being given enough to do. The producers also removed Gates McFadden's Dr. Crusher, introducing Dr. Kate Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) to induce more conflict. The fans did not take to Pulaski, so McFadden was brought back for the start of Season Three. That season was when TNG really came into its own, ending with the reappearance of the Borg. The Borg abducted Captain Picard, and turned him into one of them; Riker, now in command, gave the order to destroy the Borg Cube, while Picard was still onboard. That was the greatest cliffhanger in TV history, and TNG received a great deal of media attention as a result. Droves of new viewers tuned in for the fourth season premiere, which many perceived as a bit of a letdown after all the hype; but the viewers stayed, and TNG soared in the ratings, producing more and more quality episodes. While it did lose a bit of steam in its final year, it finished with an incredible series finale, All Good Things..., and then launched a movie franchise of its own.

TNG Top Ten Episodes: Conundrum; The Next Phase; Data's Day; The Best of Both World Parts I & II; Redemption Parts I & II; Reunion; The Defector; Face of the Enemy; The Pegasus; Elementary, My Dear Data;

I love this series so much. I like the characters, how they interact with each other and just the plot alone. This is pure genius. Going on adventures with the crew and having a bit of humor along the way. The acting is supreme and the soundtrack is nice too. I ❤ this series very much and can only recommend it !

When the TNG series premiered in 1987, it wasn't greeted well by many of the old-time Trek fans, including myself. It didn't help matters that one of the earliest episodes, "The Naked Now" was a superficial retread of the classic "The Naked Time" from '66. The new episode should have served as a way of spotlighting several of the new crew, but all it did was show them all in heat. I wasn't too impressed. What did work was keeping the central theme of exploration (something lost in the offshoots, DS9 & Voyager). The new Enterprise was twice as large as the original, with about a thousand personnel aboard. Capt. Picard (Stewart) was a more cerebral, diplomatic version of the ultimate explorer we had known as Capt. Kirk. Again, Picard wasn't too impressive in the first two awkward seasons, as some may mistake his caution for weakness. The Kirk-like first officer Riker (Frakes) was controlled by Picard, so the entire crew of Enterprise-D came across as a bit too civilized, too complacent for their own good. It's interesting that this complacency was fractured by the most memorable episode of the first two years, "Q Who?" which introduced The Borg. All of a sudden, exploration was not a routine venture.

Other memorable episodes of the first 2 years: the double-length pilot, introducing Q; "Conspiracy"-an early invasion thriller; "Where No One Has Gone Before"-an ultimate attempt to define the exploring theme; "The Big Goodbye"-the first lengthy exploration of the new holodeck concept; "Datalore"-intro of Data's evil twin; "Skin of Evil"-death of Tasha Yar; "11001001"-perhaps the best holodeck story; and "The Measure of a Man"-placing an android on trial. Except for "Q Who" the 2nd year was even more of a letdown from the first. Space started to percolate in the 3rd season. I liked "The Survivors"-introducing an entity resembling Q in a depressed mood, and "Deja Q" with both Q & Guinan squaring off, as well as other alien beings. A remaining drawback was the 'techno-babble' hindering many scripts, an aspect which made them less exciting than the stories of the original series. As Roddenberry himself believed, when characters spoke this way, it did not come across as naturalistic, except maybe when it was Data (Spiner), the android. The engineer La Forge (Burton), for example, was usually saddled with long, dull explanatory dialog for the audience.

In the 3rd year, truly innovative concepts such as the far-out parallel-universe adventure "Yesterday's Enterprise" began to take hold, topped by the season-ender "The Best of Both Worlds,part 1" in which The Borg returned in their first try at assimilating Earth. After this and the 2nd part, the TNG show was off and running, at full warp speed. There are too many great episodes from the next 4 seasons to list here, but I tended to appreciate the wild, cosmic concept stories best: "Parallels"(s7); "Cause and Effect"(s5); "Timescape"(s6); "Tapestry"(s6); and the scary "Frame of Mind", "Schisms" and "Genesis." There's also the mind-blowing "Inner Light"(s5), "Conundrum" and "Ship in a Bottle"(s6), "Second Chances." The intense 2-parter "Chain of Command" was almost like a film, and the great return of Scotty in "Relics" was very entertaining, though it showed you can't go home again. The show also continued to tackle uneasy social issues, as in "The Host", "The Outcast", "First Contact" and "The Drumhead" as well as political:"Darmok", "Rightful Heir", "Face of the Enemy" and "The Pegasus." The series ended on a strong note, "All Good Things..." a double-length spectacular with nearly the budget of a feature film. But it wasn't really the end. A few months later, an actual feature film was released "Star Trek Generations"(94). It's rather ironic that the TNG films couldn't match the innovation and creativity of the last 4 seasons of the series. "Star Trek Insurrection"(98) for example, is a lesser effort than any of the episodes mentioned above.

This is an interesting, thought provoking, and most of all entertaining series. Gene Roddenberry not only gave us a "Wagon Train to the Stars," but he gave us interesting stories reflecting the great values our society holds as truths. I know that "some" episodes were not that good, but that can be said of any series that has a long history. For the most part this program exceeds the mark of excellence in writing and entertainment. The delivery of the writing by Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner et. al. truly brought the Star Trek future to life. The casting of this program is wonderful!

I would hope that anyone with the desire for interesting intelligent science fiction would find this program enjoyable. If a person today is ONLY seeking an action packed thrill ride, then perhaps they may not find the value in Star Trek. But I have loved the program from the first day I watched Captain Kirk in "The Man Trap" from 1966. Since then I have watched the development of Trek with an open mind. I believe that ST-TNG to be the best incarnation of all Trek programs, to date.

In this day and age of terrorism, and threats of war, it would be nice if we could apply more of the philosophies from the possible future of this series. Maybe if more people watched this program the world would be a nicer place!?!

I love TNG so much. All the characters are superb and Captain Picard is the best Captain ever. My favourite episode is always have been The Inner Light. 10/10.

In an early episode, Captain Picard delivers a line from Hamlet: "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an Angel! in apprehension how like a god!" But he delivers it with conviction instead of irony, and by doing so creates the thesis of the entire franchise.

Star Trek was never meant to be a realistic depiction of what the future will be like; rather, it's an optimistic argument for what the future could be like. Our heroes on the new Starship Enterprise are noble and rational, and the writing is more concerned with ethics than with punch-ups. Fans of Captain Kirk's red-blooded man of action might be disappointed, but then this is a more mature version of Star Trek. As we mature, we realize there are better ways to solve our problems than with violence. Patrick Stewart's Shakespearean captain is a renaissance man, capable of using the right words and unexpected actions to overcome obstacles, and he needs neither a hairpiece nor a fight scene to prove his character.

The show's other standout star is the android Data, Spock's opposite yet kindred spirit. Where Spock repressed his emotions and was disdainful of illogical humans, Data is curious about our foibles and aspires to be more like us. That implies that being human is not a curse, but something wonderful and virtuous.

There are no space wars in The Next Generation, and for a good reason: creator Gene Roddenberry hoped that by the 24th century war would be a thing of the past. The interpersonal conflicts and domestic dramas of other shows are here replaced by adventure and exploration. Human nature doesn't have to be absolute: people can change, and humanity can grow and evolve. Star Trek: The Next Generation is seven seasons of optimistic, outward-looking space adventure for people who believe that the human race doesn't need to be defined by the villains it faces, but by its own innate spirit.

This series is a true marvel! I don't recall seeing any other series so diverse in its thematology, so rich in ideas. Patrick Stewart really adds a lot of depth to his role, throughout the series there are references to drama, literature, science that make some episodes a true journey through beautiful ideas. Also, the plot is sometimes very good, despite the scientific discrepancies one often encounters, or the effects that might at some points appear outdated. This is science fiction that aims to elucidate the eternal human questions, not just give a dramatized prospect of human evolution. Data is a unique character, his interaction with the captain (and the rest of the crew) is uniquely enjoyable, often giving insights into the evolution of human ethics, as for example in an episode where Captain Piccard is called to support the view that Data is a conscious life form and thus has the right to decide for his own fate; that he cannot be considered as property, even though he is a human construct. You really never know where the next episode will take you...from MacBeth to Cyrano, or from Data's love affair to the first contact with the crystaline entity, or Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Truly, I have never seen any other series with such a broad range of ideas and references. I wish to thank all those who made it possible, and Patrick Stewart for adding such a dramatic depth to his role. Truly, in no other case has an actor in TV done such a great job at combining so diverse elements in a single character, and with so superb acting...Patrick Stewart really carries you away with his acting, it is epic to say the least. I remember him in so many roles, never did he disappoint me.

Its a magnificent work of art, one that stretches across many marvels of the human intellect to create its beautiful and educating (in the Greek sense, as actors become teachers of life through their dilemmas and adventures) drama.

Grew up watching this show and the characters feel like family. Of course you have a weird or bad epp once in a while but for a whole it is just awesome. The science fiction is believable, the music is awesome, acting is spot on, really makes one's imagination wonder.

Following the success of the Star Trek movies in the mid 1980s, the producers decided to put ST back on the small screen with a shiny new Enterprise a new crew and a whole host of new species worlds and enemies. The first season and the majority of the second season are a bit shaky but from the third season it picks up massively. Patrick Stewart is now the captain, a more cerebral, diplomatic captain and played wonderfully. This series introduced far more relationships between the crew (Troi and Riker, Worf and his son, Crusher and Picard) which play out beautifully over the course of the series. The Special effects considering their now nearly 15-20 years old still look good and the Enterprise D is a true flagship vessel.

There's so many good episodes it's kind of hard to pick out anymore than the main standouts most people have mentioned already, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Best of Both Worlds, The Inner Light are probably the most popular but everything, certainly post seasons one and two provides good solid sci fi.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is not just a TV show. It is a philosophy. TNG resembles the very best of Sciencie-Fiction tackling our everyday problems and beyond with a clear vision and moral compass. Gene Roddenberry was a true visionary and his ideas for a bright and positive future of mankind live on in this show. This vision is presented to you via great writing, brilliant acting, beautiful sets and effects (for its time) and an iconic soundtrack from grandmaster Jerry Goldsmith himself. They simply don't make shows like this anymore.

What a great show. Really takes the original to another level, both visually and intellectually. Sticks to the original recipe of Stand alone episodes, full of adventure with a great cast. I can't believe this is now over 30 years old. Will not disappoint.

I'm a huge Trekkie. I think this series did a great job of creating the universe but didn't run with it as well as movies like First Contact did. Definitely ds9 trumps this in terms of entertainment value

In my teens I was fanatical about the show. The possibilities, the dreams, the inspiration. We had Star Trek nights, Star Trek arguments, Start Trek groups. Yes, I was a big fan.

So over twenty years later, I sat down to binge watch this show again. Twenty years ago I would have rated this an easy 10, now it is a generous 5.

My biggest disappointments are

1. What is their mission? The opening credits clearly state "...To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations...". But in nearly every episode they are encountering a human colony, or within a few hours of a star base, or near the border of the neutral zone, or they are intercepting a shuttle craft. Apart from the three times they were flung to the far reaches of the Universe by The Traveller or Q, they never left Federation space. An Earth based analogy would be... "They have left the city and are now driving around the suburbs, with the occasional foray into the rural countryside". How are they exploring strange new worlds in their own backyard? Little imagination by the writers.

2. The writers really did have a poor imagination of future life. All technology on the show looks clumsy, awkward and clunky. Really, did none of the writers or set designers consider slimline, sleek, holographic computer displays, flexible screens, screens with dynamic displays instead of the silly stenciled screens we see every episode, etc...

3. The awards... Have you seen some of these awards? "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design", "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing " and "Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series". Seriously?? This reminds me of awards being handed out to children in an event, even when they come last. Feel good awards.

4. Characters were flat and poorly written but the standout performances of the regular cast were definitely Data and Captain Picard

5. Worf who was supposed to be some powerful security officer, but had his butt kicked in every single fighting scene, except two.

6. Deanna Troi who had the annoying ability to state the obvious, but had no ability to use her powers when they were most needed. For a councilor she is over emotional and prone to fits of hysteria. Not the stability one would expect of a ships councilor. And to surpass her co-workers to become equal second highest rank on the ship was too much of a stretch to be taken seriously.

7. Star Trek TOS of the 1960's seems to have set the technology standard for this show. Amazing that 30 years after TOS and the writers of TNG could not come up with anything unique, rather they were just extensions of the existing technology.

Unfortunately, this has gone from memories of a great show with some bad episodes, to a very mediocre show with the rare good episode. It will be a show I never re-watch.

People that watch science fiction seem to forget that Star Trek: The Next Generation was filmed from 1987 to 1994, and that it accomplished the breakthrough technical wizardry we now see in other sci-fi movies and television shows.

It was Star Trek: The Next Generation (STTNG) that accomplished the "orange screen", reducing by 2/3 the cost of shooting space sequences. It was STTNG that finally allowed for a very advanced and yet BELIEVABLE "evolved" human behavior involved in space travel.

I admired Captain Jean-Luc Picard for his reserved Brit style, and the tension between him and Dr. Beverly Crusher. Who did not like watching Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Geordi LaForge spar over human behavior? What about the short brilliant life of Lieutenant Natasha Yar? Who didn't tune in to see that? Commander William Riker was amazing to watch, as he grew a beard and a conscience -- while still being able to keep up with the great Lieutenant Worf, the only Klingon (as yet) in Star Fleet!?

Those of you out there trying still to wage the Star Wars - Star Trek battle for supremacy -- grow up! They are both inspiring stories in different universes.

I've watched this in 2019 and at the beginning i was sceptical because it felt so dated and cheesy but man i'm glad i've endured season 1 because what i got was really smart and well written science fiction and not the explosion action filled one we get nowdays. This show is about the ethical and moral dilemma of future civilization exploring space. While some episode are clearly filler they are still really watchable thanks to the amazing cast of characters you end up caring about, even secondary ones i really didn't like i ended up caring and rooting for them. The good episodes on the other hand are really some of the best television i've ever seen, they put the crew in really thought provoking situations with most of the time a satisfying ending. I really reccomend this show to anyone that is even a little bit interested in science fiction and if you are scared by the colossal lenght of this show since it's basically a collection of adventures the enterprise goes through you can also watch the best rated episodes even though i reccomend watching the whole show.

Even after decades this is still the best TV show ever made. Roddenberry's vision for the future of humanity serves as an outstanding everlasting inspiration. And the show is enjoyable and has so many facets and layers so even after watching it for the 10th time it always gives something new and deep to think about.

I have been hooked on this show ever since I rented a couple of episodes on video over 10 years ago. The series was shown on Norwegian Television, but they stopped it at the end of the forth season. I then bought the whole series, one season after another on DVD. I watched all the episodes, and I realized how great this show is. Over the course of the series, the characters deepen and it gets to be more and more interesting. There is the mishap of the second season, but although it was the worst season, it did have some very good episodes, like 'The Measure of a Man' and 'Q Who?'. I have seen this show now five times from start to finish (and I think that will be seeing much more), but I have found that the episodes which are much action oriented, like the double episode 'Chain of Command', was quite boring. I love episodes like 'Darmok', 'The Inner Light', 'Disaster', 'The Nth Degree', 'First Contact' and 'Who Watches The Watchers?' where the crew meet new races or find themselves in a situation that they are not used to.

This is a series that can be appealing to people who like to see action in their science fiction and people who like to see, meet and know new races in their science fiction. This was a fantastic show.

In fact, Star Trek Next Generation (STNG) was & continues to be IMHO, the very best Star Trek series since the original Kirk / Spock series.

I Genuinely believe that STNG, Unlike Star Trek Discovery, Picard, and Star Trek Strange new worlds, was / is far better, due to the fact that it stuck firmly to the original writing and ideas of the great Gene Roddenberry!.

Yes, it is true to say that STNG did suffer somewhat script wise, after Roddenberry's death.

That said, generally speaking the script writers did return to the Roddenberry original Next Generation format.

Actors such as Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean- Luc Picard), Levar Burton (Geordi Laforge), Marina Sirtis ( Deanna Troi), Michael Dorn ( Lt. Worf), Gates Mc Fadden ( Dr. Beverly Crusher) Colm Meaney ( Miles O' Brien) and the ever annoying Jonathan Frakes ( Lusty Cmdr Riker), Brent Spiner (Lt. Cmdr Data) and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher).

Brought together some exceptionally great actors, some more annoying and some who, like Colm Meaney and Michael Dorn were given far less good lines, than their skill set and characters actually deserved.

Despite this, Star Trek next generation was generally well scripted, with only few exceptions to the rule.

Nevertheless, over all STNG was and even in 2022, continues to be watched by Trekkies and holds a very important place in the hearts of fans!.

It is considered to be the ONLY genuine Star Trek series which comes close to the original series!.

All in all, a very deserving 9 out of 10 for Star Trek Next Generation the series.

A final Thank You!, to one actor who is sadly very often overlooked, when it comes to admiration of STNG acting skills.

I therefore mention Majel Barret, as without her wonderful voice STNG would NOT have been such a great experience. Majel was the voice actor, who voiced the vessel computer and her unmistakable voice is constantly heard throughout 104 episodes.

Sadly, Majel passed away in 2008 at the age of 76.

She had multiple Star Trek-related roles, though she is mostly remembered for her roles as Nurse Christine Chapel in "Star Trek: The Original Series" (1966-1969), as Lwaxana Troi ( Mother to Deanna Troi) in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994) and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999).

As a late stater who is of 22 years of age and has never watched a star trek series in my life and has been a life long fan of star wars.This series's has changed my entire perception of star trek. I would never of thought i would love this. as I thought it was too slow paced. But the complexity of theses characters and the overall development. Has completely taken me by surprise. Even if you are not a star trek fan. I would definitely ask you to check this out

I read somewhere that Patrick Steward is proud of the educational role Star Trek – The Next Generation had over young viewers. I'm glad he enjoyed his work just as much as we did, because it had indeed quite an influence on me as a child. I practically grew up with the Enterprise crew, and Captain Picard was one of my role-models. Even now, revisiting the series restores my belief that the world will get better.

After all these years, TNG is still so much fun, even more so. In a media landscape full of violence of all kinds, Star Trek – The Next Generation is something to treasure. It's that unique 'feel-good' vibe, the funny make-ups, wild scenarios and holodeck escapism, that make it a magic, timeless adventure. An ode to diversity, exploration, friendship and growth, TNG is the evidence that true values can be affirmed in a manner that is both educational and great fun. Gene Rodenberry had an admirable vision of the future...

The series stayed faithful to the characters until the end, and it's a miracle that it didn't "jump the shark", which seems to be the fate of all successful series, for some reason. STNG just got better and better with each season until its final episode, thanks to Patrick Stewart's growing involvement in the production, script and character development. Rarely do we see a truly gifted actor with such dedication to his craft.

Among all characters, Captain Picard shines with his tremendous commanding presence, wisdom and moral stature. Patrick Stewart's talent, professionalism and commitment to the role are that one thing holding everything together.

My favorite episodes include "Chain of Command" with the memorable Ronny Cox as a non-villainous antagonist, "The Big Good Bye" and "The Measure of a Man". There are many, countless others that are just as good, in fact I love them ALL.

I've watched every episode of this show tens of times. And I never get bored of it. Though some people may not be as easy to please as me, I can guarantee that you will like it.This series was my childhood, and helped turn me into the person I am today. I will never stop loving this series.

Thus series represents the relaunch of Trek on TV and produced some much beloved characters. It also was home to some of the absolute worst Trek episodes ever made... I find both Voyager and DS9 have aged better. DS9 especially.

Where to begin? The characters in ST:TNG were just dreadful. The crew was a collection of shiny, happy, perfect, cold fish, with no depth, no passions that ever seemed more than a put-on, and who were evocative of nothing--the sort of people you'd send millions of miles away just to get rid of them. This was probably inevitable, given the circumstances of their creation. Most of them weren't created as "characters" at all, but were conceived as nothing more than line-item gimmicks--an empath, a Klingon, a teenager, a Pinnochio-modeled android, a blind man at the helm.

Whatever glue Gene Roddenberry was sniffing at the time convinced him that the last--a blind man leading them--was a *fantastic* metaphor (luckily, cooler heads later prevailed, and the blind guy was packed off to Engineering).

Most of the show's significant elements were cannibalized from earlier projects. Storywise, a gap of about 80 years is supposed to exist between the original series and TNG, but they're still using exactly the same technology, in the time of TNG, as they were in the original. All of the same equipment, with all of the same capabilities and limitations; technology hasn't advanced an inch in eight decades. TNG's one technological "innovation" was the holodeck, and even it was lifted from the ST: Phase One project from the '70s (which had mutated into ST: The Motion Picture, sans holodeck). That project also provided two of the other TNG characters: Will Riker was Will Decker from STP1, with Troi as the Ilia-modeled empath with whom he'd formerly had a relationship.

TNG also cannibalized the original series for stories. The first season of TNG was littered, from beginning to end, with plots and other elements lifted directly from the original. This unmotley crew of gimmicks spent their first season blandly going where the first Enterprise crew had gone before. The show improved significantly later but its major defects were structural, and stayed with it throughout (which is why it's so hard to watch in re-runs). The improvements shouldn't be overstated, either: TNG ran for 8 seasons, and if one were to extract all the good-to-great episodes from the entire run, there wouldn't be enough to fill a single season. I found much of it unwatchable when first running, and it holds up even worse on second viewings. Overall, just a really awful idea, done, for the most part, badly.

The writers also seemed genuinely committed to the notion--and this is one of the things I hated most about TNG--that meaningless technobabble is a substitute for competent writing. The ultimate outcome of what seemed like dozens of episodes hinged on whether a polymorphic induction framistat could be made to generate a positronic field, or whether Geordi and the robot could rejigger a 10 power electron thingamabob to elliptically convert alpha waves into magnetized mercury particles.

"Make it so, Number One." And he does, and the universe is saved. Except that's really, really stupid, and unengaging. This was a problem TNG never overcame.