Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

CBS announced that they are excited to say that Star Trek The Next Generation will make its return to broadcast syndication TV in the 2009 Fall TV season.

It has had a very successful run on cable and local stations are excited to be able to broadcast it after an 8 year absence. This will be the original series in standard definition, not remastered like Star Trek TOS or Hi-def.

The series will be syndicated and is already set for 83% of the market. And it will be in strip syndication.

Not sure I'll watch, we'll see when my stations air it. I already watch it on DVD whenever the fancy strikes me. But this is good news for those who don't have the discs and for a new generation of audiences to discover.

TNG Headed Back To Broadcast Syndication | TrekMovie.com

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Nelson,

This is interesting news. I've been watching the series off and on since it has been offered on various stations recently. Last night, the titles of some of the episodes from season one were not available in the episode descriptions. It's a good thing we Trekkers know the titles by heart. I hope CBS doesn't forget them when the show airs again.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I guess it's a good thing...having heard all the narrow-minded restrictions the show's writers had to live with left me with a bitter taste for this show.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

can you elaborate?

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

In the years since Deep Space Nine ended, several of the writers of that show (who wrote for Next Generation) expressed their overall sense of freedom they had writing for DS9, something they didn't have on Next Generation. Because of the often unrealistic idea of 'perfect, utopian' people, the writers weren't allowed to create much genuine drama for the Enterprise crew, only the outside forces the crew encountered. And even then everything was often wrapped up by episode's end and the ship moved on from there. The more I listened to those writers (Ronald D. Moore, Rene Echevarria, Michael Piller - to a small degree, anyway, and of course DS9's main man Ira Steven Behr) the more I realized they were right. While the idea of utopia, or paradise is indeed a great one, when dealing with a television show week after week it's understandable that the writers had a lot of trouble coming up with ways to make that into dramatic storytelling, at least when dealing with the ship's crew.

Watching the show from beginning to end, I bought into it but felt nothing when it came to an end. DS9 and the writers need to challenge that utopian future opened my eyes to those restrictions and it made sense to me, why my impressions of TNG were nothing like DS9, a show I felt compelled to see every week because I felt something for it and its characters.

I don't know if I could sit and watch TNG again objectively, but if it does show up on a channel I get, I'm willing to try. It wasn't like Voyager or Enterprise, two shows I simply did not like. I liked TNG, but it didn't mean anything to me...though "First Contact" remains my favorite Trek film.

Of course, there are those who say that DS9 goes against what Trek is about. Whatever. The idea of seeing what people are willing to do to protect and preserve that utopian paradise made of a hell of a series. It couldn't (or shouldn't) have been created without TNG, as it was the perfect compliment to that show - one being about exploring, gaining knowledge and spreading the word about peace and understanding, the other being about doing what is necessary to preserve that same sense of peace and understanding, protecting it from those who essentially spit on those values.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

hmmmm.

never thought about it like that. thanks for the info!

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Glad to hear the show is out there again, where it can potentially score a new audience. Personally, I prefer watching on home video (DVD), without commercials, etc. But if there is ever to be a new TNG project, it will come about because of demand from a growing, younger audience.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Yes I've heard this piss and moan before. I guess that's what you get when you hire TV writers rather than science fiction authors.

The real shame was the fallout that happened with David Gerrold and others during the first season of TNG. I'm sure alot of great consistent science fiction would have been churned out. Unfortunately, politics and such got in the way.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Would it have made that big of a difference in the end? I ask because if sci-fi authors were brought in they probably would have had to adjust whatever sensibilities and ideas they had that wouldn't work well in a television environment, unless the show wasn't "mainstream" and was catered to smaller audiences and had more accommodating producers. I am by no means a science fiction fan, but it seems to me that those smaller-scale shows out there that are nowhere near being as mainstream as TNG, usually those put on by BBC and the like, are more in line with what sci-fi authors would come up with, and not TV writers. Of course that's entirely a guess.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I don't know what you're referring to specifically, but if something happened during the first season that "shook up" the show and lead to it being significantly different from that season, I think it was for the better. Aside from "Datalore", I find the first season pretty much unwatchable. The series premiere had its moments, and "The Big Goodbye" is okay and worth watching for its introduction to the holodeck (and of course because any chance to watch Lawrence Tierney is very welcome), but overall I thought the season was awful.

Season 2 was a huge improvement and I think season 3 was when the show really hit its stride (most of my favourite episodes are in that season). I could totally understand if people unfamiliar with the show decided to give up on it after only seeing the first season...which would be a shame given how enormously it matured in the seasons that followed. It amazes me how a show that started off as clunky and corny as this one did in its first season could go on to be as supremely entertaining, moving, and imaginative as it became in seasons 3 to 5.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I think so. They would have to adjust to television format... that's about it. The original Star Trek had award winning sci-fi authors (even though Roddenberry would change things a bit after final draft) but the writing was top notch, particularly for a sci fi series at that time. It brought Star Trek to an almost literary level. They also would have had no trouble dealing with the world Star Trek lived in as utopia allegories and such are such common devices in science fiction lore. In fact, David Gerrold is credited for having more influence in the STNG bible than Roddenberry.

The fallout happened just before the first season. I seem to recall it involved other authors besides Gerrold.

Actually I like the first season since it is probably the most Star Trek of all the seasons. I also find seasons 3 - 5 very good, probably the best, but I can appreciate the first two seasons as those were the seasons where they consistently explored new worlds rather than simply being diplomats and liasons.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Gary Seven,

Yeah, I too appreciate (and watch fairly regularly) the first two seasons. The second season is one of my favorites, although I like them all. I agree too that season one is probably the most Star Trek of all the seasons.

BTW, we watched a season seven episode last night (Firstborn). James Sloyan is so good in the numerous Trek roles he had.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I'd be curious to hear other's opinions of their favorite First Season episodes.

A few of mine include, Arsenal of Freedom, Heart of Glory(Though looks a bit dated now), Conspiracy and The Neutral Zone. And also; 11001001, Home Soil, Too Short a Season (Very TOS like) and Where No One has Gone Before as it sets up how special Wesley is.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I suppose I should list some of my favorites from season one. I'm not sure which ones are my absolute favorites, by among those I like a lot are:

Code of Honor
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Battle
Hide and Q
Too Short a Season
The Big Goodbye
Datalore
11001001
Home Soil
Coming of Age
The Arsenal of Freedom
Heart of Glory
Conspiracy
Skin of Evil
The Neutral Zone

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Thanks Scott! A lot of similar titles, I thought Skin of Evil was a great one too.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Nelson,

When I first saw Skin of Evil, I found it to be quite sad. But since I love Stefano's work, I figured it would be a good episode. I only wish I hadn't known before hand what was going to happen. Do you remember the oft-broadcast line, "And one of the crew bids a tragic farewell" during the promos for the episode?

Thanks for the correct line, Nelson.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I don't remember those promos. I may have seen them at the time.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Nelson,

I just had a thought about the return of TNG to broadcast syndication. Maybe those promos will be shown in their entirety this time around as well? Funny how now I'd like to see them, whereas before I considered them spoilers.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Somehow, I doubt those promos will be shown. But I do wonder if the trailers from the DVD's will be the same as those promos you mention. I'll have to have a look!

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Scott- I dug up the bonus discs that came with the The Next Generation Season sets from Best Buy. One is CD ROM with a Next Gen Encyclopedia and trailers for every episode in Quicktime format.

The Skin of Evil trailer does have the voice over announcer say, "And one of the crew bids a tragic farewell". And there is a shot of the oil slick creature saying, "One of you is going to die". Pretty much spoils it.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Nelson,

Thanks! I knew I should not have used quotes above. Thanks for the correct rendering. I'm going to fix the line above, since I endeavor to be accurate.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

You do quite well.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Here is the second part of an interview with Jonathan Frakes, in which he talks about many things TNG, including doing another film. According to him, he, Stewart, Sirtis, Burton and others are willing to do another. The interviewer points out that a DVD movie is more likely, given Paramount's focus on the new movie and new cast, and Frakes says that is a "good call."

Exclusive: Jonathan Frakes On Nemesis, JJ Abrams Star Trek, A Return of TNG + more | TrekMovie.com

I think if the movie is a hit, the studio might be open to doing other Trek projects, including a TNG or DS9 DVD movie as a way to build awareness of their Trek properties and sell the existing DVD sets.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I'd be first in line for a DS9 movie, but didn't they tear down the Promenade set after the series ended?

While we're talking about TNG S1...

Encounter at Farpoint
Datalore
The Big Goodbye
Hide and Q
11001001
The Arsenal of Freedom
Heart of Glory
Coming of Age
Conspiracy

Yeah, that's about it...

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Well done!

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I got annoyed at the absence of even external sources of drama. The Galaxy seemed so tame, so placid, that they resorted to making stuff up with the Holodeck. It felt very contrived. Fortunately, they finally managed to come up with some interesting externalities, such as the Borg.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I thought I would mention that there were some rumors floating around in the last week or so that some of the TNG cast would have cameos in the new Abrams film, but TrekMovie.com points out these are false. Rumor Control: No TNG Cameos In New Star Trek Movie | TrekMovie.com

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

I watched ST:TNG back in the day, and it occurs to me that although the "utopian restrictions" prevented the writers from exercising their imaginations to a certain extent, it also gave the show incredible focus (for good and ill). It never really got self-indulgent because the writers were unable to fall back -- easily, anyway -- on the standard elements of soap drama for the main cast (babies, marriages, relationships). That stuff was all pretty subdued, or limited to specific episodes, so the emphasis was on the weekly adventure, which was always my favorite part of Star Trek anyway.

I haven't watched any Star Trek-related programs (or movies) for quite a few years now. I'd be interested in going back to see how it all holds up.

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

Doesn't matter what happens to sets because all the information in the world is there if they needed to rebuild them for any reason. From the original blueprints at Paramount, to thousands of photographs, to the many books, to the episodes themselves.

Oh, and the only way you would be first in line for a DS9 film would be if you stabbed me in the back and stepped over me, because I'd be in front of you!

Re: Star Trek The Next Generation returns to broadcast syndication

How are they going to deal with the fact that Ben is basically a prophet now?