Star Trek: The Next Generation

The series was concieved and produced by original Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. It premiered in 1987 with the 2 hour pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint", and ran for 7 seasons. During its run, the show gained a considerable following, and like its predecessor, is widely syndicated.

Four films have been made featuring the series' characters, following in the tradition of the six earlier Star Trek movies. It also paved the way for 3 more Star Trek TV shows: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Enterprise. The series has also inspired countless novels, analytical books, web-sites, and works of fan fiction.

The show followed the journeys of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, a Galaxy Class starship[?] designed for exploration and diplomacy but prepared for battle when necessary. Its Captain was the mature and charismatic Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Patrick Stewart. The character was noteworthy for being more intellectual and philosophically focused than the typical protagonist in popular science fiction. Star Trek: The Next Generation has been acknowledged for being more in the spirit of "traditional", idea-based science fiction than the action/adventure franchises which became more common between 1970 and 2000.

The series followed closely in the tradition of the original Star Trek, focusing on the idealistic theme of humanity's dedication to improving itself, and using extra-terrestrial species and science fiction elements as a means of exploring many social, political, personal and spiritual issues. The world of the show continued Gene Roddenberry's fictional vision of a future human race which had transcended war, racism, prejudice, and poverty.

See Episode List.

Cast

Main characters

• Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart
• William Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes
• Data, played by Brent Spiner
• Geordi LaForge, played by LeVar Burton
• Deanna Troi, played by Marina Sirtis
• Worf, played by Michael Dorn[?]
• Beverly Crusher, played by Gates McFadden (seasons 1, 3-7)
• Wesley Crusher, played by Wil Wheaton (seasons 1-4)
• Natasha Yar, played by Denise Crosby[?] (season 1)
• Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur[?] (season 2)

Recurring characters

• Miles O'Brien[?], played by Colm Meaney
• Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg
• Q, played by John de Lancie[?]
• Lwaxana Troi, played by Majel Barrett
• Reginald Barclay, played by Dwight Schultz
• Keiko O'Brien[?], played by Rosalind Chao
• Ro Laren, played by Michelle Forbes
• Alyssa Ogawa[?], played by Patti Yasutake[?]
• Alexander Roshenko[?], played by Brian Bonsall[?]
• Spot

Other characters

• The Traveller[?]