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Episode Guide
- 1. Encounter at Farpoint Sep 28, 1987
- Superbeing tries the Enterprise officers for humanities crimes.
- 2. Encounter at Farpoint Sep 28, 1987
- Q, the mysterious life form, puts the crew on trial for the human race's prior crimes and mistakes.
- 3. The Naked Now Oct 5, 1987
- A deadly disease infects the Enterprise, causing emotional instability and chaos.
An American science fiction TV series created by Gene Roddenberry in 1987. It follows the adventures of a new Starfleet crew and a new Enterprise in the 24th century, and spawned four films and a spin-off series.
A classic sci-fi TV series set in the 24th century, featuring the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D crew. IMDb provides cast and crew information, episode guide, trivia, reviews, ratings, and more for this popular show.
- (138K)
- 1987-09-26
- Action, Adventure, Drama
- 45
A comprehensive list of 176 episodes of the American science fiction TV series that aired from 1987 to 1994. The episodes are organized by season, air date, title, director, writer, and rating.
No. OverallNo. In SeasonTitleDirected By1 21 2334455- Overview
- Summary
- Main cast
- Episode list
- Behind the scenes
- Cast and crew
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- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
, often abbreviated to TNG, is the second live-action Star Trek television series, and the first set in the 24th century. Like its predecessors, it was created by Gene Roddenberry. Produced at Paramount Pictures, it aired in first-run syndication, by Paramount Television in the US, from September 1987 to May 1994. The series was set in the 24th century and featured the voyages of the starship USS Enterprise-D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
The series led to four spin-offs set in the same time period: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which it ran alongside during its final two seasons, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard. It is also the beginning of a contiguous period of time during which there was always at least one Star Trek series in production, ending with Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005.
moved the universe forward roughly a century past the days of James T. Kirk and Spock. The series depicted a new age in which the Klingons were allies of the Federation, though the Romulans remained adversaries. New threats included the Ferengi (although they were later used more for comic relief), the Cardassians, and the Borg. While Star Trek: The Original Series was clearly made in the 1960s, the first two seasons of The Next Generation show all the markings of a 1980s product, complete with Spandex uniforms.
As with the original Star Trek, TNG was still very much about exploration, "boldly going where no one has gone before". Similarly, the plots captured the adventures of the crew of a starship, namely the USS Enterprise-D. Despite the apparent similarities with the original series, the creators of TNG were adamant about creating a bold, independent vision of the future. The public did not widely accept the show on its own terms until the airing of "The Best of Both Worlds", which marked a shift towards higher drama, serious plot lines, and a less episodic nature. This helped pave the way for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and its two-year-long Dominion War arc and preceding build-up, as well as the third and fourth seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise. Star Trek: Voyager capitalized on the heightened crew relationships and familial bonds first seen on The Next Generation. DS9, on the other hand, balanced political intrigue, character development, and series-long plot threads with a rerun-friendly format.
As with the original Star Trek, TNG's special effects utilized miniatures, but due to great advancements in computerized effects and opticals, the show leaped ahead of its predecessor in terms of quality effects. This series marked the greatest surge in Star Trek's mainstream popularity, and paved the way for the later televised Trek shows.
Four of the Star Trek motion pictures continued the adventures of the TNG cast after the end of the series in 1994. Star Trek Generations served to "pass the torch" from The Original Series cast, who had been the subject of the first six motion pictures, by including crossover appearances from William Shatner, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig; it also featured the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D. Star Trek: First Contact, released two years later, was the first of the motion pictures to solely feature the TNG cast, transferred aboard the new USS Enterprise-E and engaging with one of their deadliest enemies from the television series, the Borg. Star Trek: Insurrection followed in 1998, continuing certain character arcs from the series. In 2002, Star Trek Nemesis brought some of these character arcs and plot threads to a seemingly definite conclusion, although some cast members expressed hope that future movies would yet pick up the story. Regardless, a new generation of actors appeared in 2009's Star Trek, which created an alternate reality and returned the films' focus to Kirk and Spock.
On television, characters from TNG appeared in subsequent series. Recurring TNG character Miles O'Brien became a series regular on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as did Worf in DS9's fourth season. Jean-Luc Picard appeared in Deep Space Nine's pilot episode, and supporting characters from TNG appeared occasionally on DS9 (specifically, Keiko O'Brien, Lursa, B'Etor, Molly O'Brien, Vash, Q, Lwaxana Troi, Alynna Nechayev, Gowron, Thomas Riker, Toral, and Alexander Rozhenko). Reginald Barclay and Deanna Troi appeared several times each on Star Trek: Voyager, and Troi and William T. Riker appeared in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, which was primarily a holographic simulation set during the TNG episode "The Pegasus". However, Star Trek Nemesis was the final chronological appearance of the Next Generation characters for over 18 years, until Star Trek: Picard, which focused on the later life of Jean-Luc Picard. Riker, Troi, Data, and Hugh also appeared in Picard.
In 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. During its seven-year run, it was nominated for 58 Emmy Awards, mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup; it won 18.
Starring
•Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard •Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
Also starring
•LeVar Burton as Lt. j.g./Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge •Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar (1987-1988) •Michael Dorn as Lt. j.g./Lt. Worf •Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher (1987-1988; 1989-1994) •Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi •Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data •Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher (1987-1990)
Season 1
TNG Season 1, 25 episodes:
Season 2
TNG Season 2, 22 episodes:
Season 3
TNG Season 3, 26 episodes:
was originally pitched to the then-fledgling Fox Network. However, they couldn't guarantee an initial order greater than thirteen episodes, not enough to make the enormous start-up costs of the series worth the expense. It was then decided to sell the series to the first-run syndication market. The show's syndicated launch was overseen by Paramount Television president Mel Harris, a pioneer in the syndicated television market. Many of the stations that carried The Next Generation had also run The Original Series for a long time.
According to issues of Star Trek: The Official Fan Club Magazine from early 1987, TNG was originally planned to be set in the 25th century, 150 years after the original series, and the Enterprise would have been the Enterprise NCC-1701-G. Gene Roddenberry ultimately changed the timeline to mid-24th century, set on board the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, as an Enterprise-G would have been the eighth starship to bear the name and that was too many for the relatively short time period that was to have passed.
was billed initially as being set 78 years after the days of the original USS Enterprise. (p. 16) However, after the series' first season was established as being set in the year 2364, this reference became obsolete as dates were then able to be set for the original series and the four previous films. When this happened, it was established that the events of the original series were about a hundred years before the events of TNG. With TNG's first season being set in 2364, 78 years prior would have been 2286. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home partly takes place during this year along with the shakedown cruise of the USS Enterprise-A.
On the special The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation To The Next, Gene Roddenberry commented, "On the original Star Trek, I practically lost my family from working so many twelve-hour days, fourteen-hour days, seven days a week, and I told them, 'You can't pay me enough to do that.' But then they said, 'Hey, but suppose we do it in a way in which' they call syndication, 'in which we don't have a network and we don't have all those people up there?' And Paramount was saying to me, 'And we guarantee that you will be in charge of the show.'"
Andrew Probert was first hired by Roddenberry in 1978. However, not until 1986, when Roddenberry was preparing to launch a new show, entitled Star Trek: The Next Generation, did he call upon Probert to take a lead design role. Everything had to be rethought, imagined, planned and redesigned. As the vision evolved in the designers' minds, the evolution was charted in successive sketches and paintings.
Among Probert's creations, in addition to the new Enterprise starship and many of its interiors including the main bridge, are many other featured spacecraft. The Ferengi cruiser, and even the Ferengi species, are Probert designs.
Performers
•Antonio – background actor •Charles Bazaldua – voice actor •Terrence Beasor – voice actor (17 episodes, including the voice of the Borg) •Libby Bideau – featured actress •Brian Ciari – background actor: Cardassian (TNG Season 6 or 7) •Amber Connally – background actress: child •Phil Crowley – voice actor •Vincent DeMaio – background actor: Enterprise-D operations division officer •David Dewitt – background actor •Gregory Fletcher – background actor Borg •Dan Horton – background actor •Carlyle King – voice actress •Mark Laing – featured actor •Daryl F. Mallett – background actor •Tina Morlock – background actress •Jean Marie Novak – background actress: Enterprise-D operations division officer •Rick H. Olavarria – background actor (1988) •Jennifer Ott – background actress: Enterprise-D command division officer •Richard Penn – voice actor •Judie Pimitera – background actress: Ten Forward waitress •Paige Pollack – voice actress •Jeff Rector – background actor: Enterprise-D command division officer •Gary Schwartz – voice actor/ADR voice •Beth Scott – background actress •Steve Sekely – background actor •Andrea Silver – background actress: Enterprise-D sciences division officer •Oliver Theess – recurring background actor (around 1990) •Richard Walker – background actor •Harry Williams, Jr. – background actor •Bruce Winant – supporting actor •Stephen Woodworth – background actor
Stunt performers
•Laura Albert – stunts •John Lendale Bennett – stunts •Richard L. Blackwell – stunts •John Cade – stunts •Chuck Courtney – Assistant Stunt Coordinator •Terry James – stunts •Gary Jensen – Assistant Stunt Coordinator •Lane Leavitt – stunts •Pat Romano – stunts
Production staff
•Joseph Andolino – Additional Composer •David Atherton – Makeup Artist •Gregory Benford – Scientific Consultant •Steven R. Bernstein – Additional Music Composer/Orchestrator •Les Bernstien – Motion Control Operator •R. Christopher Biggs – Special Makeup Effects Artist •Howard Block – Second Unit Director of Photography •Stephen Buchsbaum – Colorist: Unitel Video (Four Seasons) •Alan Chudnow – Assistant Editor •Marty Church – Foley Mixer •Scott Cochran – Scoring Mixer: Advertising Music •Robert Cole – Special Effects Artist •Sharon Davis – Graphics Assistant •David Dittmar – Prosthetic Makeup Artist •Dragon Dronet – Prop Maker: Weapons, Specialty Props and Miniatures •Jim Dultz – Assistant Art Director •Shannon Dunn – Extras Casting: Cenex Casting •Chris W. Fallin – Motion Control Operator •Edward J. Franklin – Special Effects Artist •Lisa Gizara – Assistant to Gates McFadden •John Goodwin – Makeup Artist •Simon Holden – Digital Compositor (between 1989 and 1994) •Kent Allen Jones – Sculptor: Bob Jean Productions •Michael R. Jones – Makeup Artist (early 1990s) •Jason Kaufman – Prop and Model Maker: Greg Jein, Inc. •Nina Kent – Makeup Artist •David Kervinen – Visual Effects Illustrator: Composite Image Systems (4 Seasons) •Andy Krieger – Extras Casting: Central Casting •Tim Landry – Visual Effects Artist •Lisa Logan – Cutter/Fitter •Jon Macht – Post Production Vendor •Gray Marshall – Motion Control Camera Operator: Image "G" •Karl J. Martin – Digital Compositor •Belinda Merritt – VFX Accountant: The Post Group •John Palmer – Special Effects Coordinator: WonderWorks Inc. •Frank Popovich – Mold and Prop Assistant •Molly Rennie •Chris Schnitzer – Motion Control Technician/Rigger: Image "G" •Steven J. Scott – Digital Compositor •Bruce Sears – DGA Trainee •Casey Simpson – Gaffer •Ken Stranahan – Visual Effects Artist •Rick Stratton – Makeup Artist •Greg Stuhl – Miniatures: Greg Jein, Inc. •Tim Tommasino – Assistant Editor •Peter Webb – Digital Compositor •Gregory A. Weimerskirch – Assistant Art Director •Bill Witthans – Dolly Grip
•TNG directors
•TNG performers
•TNG recurring characters
•TNG studio models
•TNG writers
•Character crossover appearances
•Star Trek: The Next Generation novels
•Star Trek: The Next Generation comics, volume 1 (DC)
•Star Trek: The Next Generation comics, volume 2 (DC)
•Star Trek: The Next Generation comics (IDW)
•Star Trek: The Next Generation soundtracks
•Star Trek: The Next Generation on VHS
Learn about the second live-action Star Trek TV series, set in the 24th century and featuring the USS Enterprise-D. Find out about the cast, episodes, spin-offs, movies, and more.
Nearly 100 years after Kirk, Spock and the original Enterprise patrolled the galaxy, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a new U.S.S. Enterprise and a new crew carry forth Starfleet’s orders to “seek out new life and new civilizations” and “to boldly go where no one has gone before.”. 7 seasons • 178 episodes • 1987-1994.
Browse the episodes of the classic sci-fi TV series that aired from 1987 to 1994. Find ratings, summaries, cast, trivia and more for each episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Watch the first season of the classic sci-fi series that follows the adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his crew on the USS Enterprise. Explore new worlds, face new enemies and enjoy 25 episodes of action, drama and adventure.