PatD

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September 28th is the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint" premiered 25 years ago today.

I have a strong affection for this particular Trek show (perhaps more than healthy), but it was a life preserver during a sustained life hardship.

What was so amazing about this series, was that it really seemed like it took place in some future time. The characters had a mentality that didn't fit the 20th century. They were written to be different from us. Some were put off, but many like me found it quite appealing.

In fact if you get a chance to watch "Encounter at Farpoint", there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in Q's courtroom where a machine gun-wielding bailiff is knocked to the ground by Tasha Yar and is summarily executed at the behest of Judge Q. There's a look of sadness on Tasha's face after it happens. That's a brilliant Roddenberrian touch.

Sure the series had its flubs and it had its forays into silliness, but the creative minds of the show learned from their errors and constantly worked to do something different. "The Ferengi were a lousy adversary? Let's try a race of cybernetic zombies." And very little went to waste! Q was shoehorned into the original pilot to pad it out into two hours, and inadvertently became one of the most fascinating and beloved characters in the Trek canon. Tasha Yar died in an unsatisfactory way in "Skin of Evil", but it became a unintentional set-up for one of the greatest episodes of Trekdom, "Yesterday's Enterprise".

Gene Roddenberry dared to make Star Trek something bigger than Kirk and Spock. He gambled and won. But, he gave the show a far-reaching vision (rather than mine nostalgia). Some of it was a little too funky for most of us (remember the male skant?). But, then stepped in the late, great Michael Piller who got the show working on all thrusters, and by and large helped create the foundation for 3 subsequent spin-offs (of varying quality). Gene Roddenberry gave the show it's roots; Michael Piller and company gave the show its wings.

I feel bad that the cast never got the proper send-off in the movies (Star Trek: Nemesis--blech!) that the cast of the original show did in Star Trek VI:The Undiscovered Country. But, the series finale, "All Good Things…" was a brilliant coda, and one can easily write off the four feature films.

Anyway, if you're a fan of the show and you get a chance: watch a TNG episode in tribute to a show that paved the way for science fiction on television for the last quarter of a century. In an age of wall-to-wall irony, cynicism, and navel gazing, I don't think we'll ever see a show with this sort of vision, optimism and sincerity again in our lifetime.



(I know, I know, Patrick's Stewart has his eyes closed!)

Shady12

Nice post. I love the show as well. The only drama where I can watch episodes over and over.

cleaver

My favorite series finale and end of season cliff hanger ("Mister Worf - fire"), but my favorite ep was Cause and Effect. Such a cool execution of a simple idea, filming the same scene over and over just a little differently.
Also imdb says 9/26/87 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/episodes?season=1

TGM

can't believe it's been 25 years. crazy.

wishbone

Now he has Marina Sirtis' eyes!

Meglos

bluetoast

Bronkster

Damn those transporter pattern buffer glitches!

Geez, 25 years??

I remember watching "Farpoint" when it aired and being disappointed with the whole thing, and not returning until the 2nd season. I think I was just being stubborn and resenting the new show as "competition" for the beloved original. But I gave in, got hooked, and now count it as one of my all-time favorite series.

After I finish with Farscape, I plan on revisiting the entire 7 year run of TNG again.

PatD

If anyone wants to revisit the series through a critical lense, Jammer's Reviews is even handed and insightful. He's even handed and fair.

adamblast

I'm not sure it's still my favorite series of all time, but I can tell you this: it's probably the one series that did the most to make me who I am. I feel like this show is ingrained in me.

Wolf359

They are offering a cast photo like this in Austin in October. I would LOVE to do it, but they are charging $800 and my nightmare is what you got.

I would be so furious, you would think they'd take two shots quickly or something. He looks dead, like they propped up Bernie there.

TGM

$800 and they don't even get you a fucking chair?

PatD

It was $500 back in April, and the Calgary convention overbooked it. I was lucky to get through at all--it was just a sea of people. While I wish they could have redone it, at the very least, people aren't going to accuse me of Photoshopping it! Any way you slice it, it's a conversation piece.

Bandoman

You got a pic with the entire cast! That is awesome, PatD.

I remember this day 25 years ago. I was in my first year of law school, and my roommates (who were also huge Trekkies) and I had been waiting eagerly for this. I remember not liking the look of the Enterprise D at first ("it looks fat").

Supermallet

TNG was my first introduction to Star Trek, and the first prime time show I ever bothered to follow. It was hugely influential to me.

Does anyone know if Netflix is upgrading their streams to HD as the Blu-rays come out?

PatD

^^
I'm not sure to that end. But for some weird reason, iTunes carries all the Trek shows (episode per episode or seasons) *except* TNG. What's up with that?

Hey, remember those old episode trailers with the announcer going "Next time on Staaaaaaaar Trek: Thenextgeneration!"?

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PatD

Time magazine has a nifty article about TNG.

RoboDad

Just to put things in perspective, more time has passed between the debut of TNG and today than had passed between the debut of TOS and the debut of TNG.

I still remember all of the 25th anniversary hoopla in 1991, during the 4th season of TNG, with all of the TOS movies being released in special VHS packaging.

Meglos

Between this comment and this thread I now feel very very very old. Thanks, DVD Talk!

Double_Oh_7

That's Ernie Anderson, the same guy who gave us "The Luuuuuuuuuuuvvvvvv Boat."

BTW-I don't care who they are, that was a total waste of $500.

stvn1974

Just got the first season on blu-ray yesterday and just now finished watching the first episode. Had no idea today was the 25th anniversary. This is the first time watching any of the episodes so I can't wait for the rest of the seasons.

Supermallet

I checked on Netflix, and TNG is still currently SD.

PatD

Not to me. They were within the relative vicinity of where I live. And outside of this year, they rarely ever appear together at conventions. It was a once in a lifetime shot for me.

I still like it, and I'm glad I got to meet them all.

Jimmy James

I don't even recognize Sirtis. Everbody else, sure. You even get that Worf vibe from Dorn IMHO.

PatD

Of all the Top 10 Episode lists have been put out about TNG in the recent years, one episode that has been conspicuously missing is, "Q Who". It's an episode that has Q *and* the Borg! Not to mention it is damned near pitch perfect in tone and I would argue that it is just as good as "The Best of Both Worlds". (Part of it is attributed to Ron Jones amazing score)

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