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Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE (born 13 July 1940) is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century. He is most widely known for his television and film roles, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and its successor films, Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, and as the voice of Avery Bullock in American Dad!.

Early life

Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in Mirfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He is the son of Gladys (née Barrowclough), a weaver and textile worker, and Alfred Stewart, a Regimental Sergeant Major in the British Army who served with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and previously worked as a general labourer and as a postman.

In a 2008 interview, Stewart said: "My father was a very potent individual, a very powerful man who got what he wanted. It was said that when he strode on to the parade ground, birds stopped singing. It was many, many years before I realised how my father inserted himself into my work. I've grown a moustache for Macbeth. My father didn't have one, but when I looked in the mirror just before I went on stage I saw my father's face staring straight back at me."

Throughout childhood, Stewart endured poverty and disadvantage, an experience which influenced his later political and ideological beliefs. In 2006, Stewart made a short video against domestic violence for Amnesty International, in which he recollected his father's physical attacks on his mother and the effect it had on him as a child, and he has given his name to a scholarship at the University of Huddersfield, where he is Chancellor, to fund post-graduate study into domestic violence. His childhood experiences also led him to become the patron of Refuge, a UK charity for abused women. In October 2011 he presented a BBC Lifeline Appeal on behalf of Refuge, talking about his own experience of domestic violence and interviewing a woman whose daughter was murdered by her ex-husband.

Stewart attended Crowlees Church of England Junior and Infants School. He attributes his acting career to an English teacher named Cecil Dormand who "put a copy of Shakespeare in my hand [and] said, 'Now get up on your feet and perform'". In 1951, aged 11, he entered Mirfield Secondary Modern School (now The Mirfield Free Grammar), where he continued to study drama. At age 15, Stewart dropped out of school and increased his participation in local theatre. He acquired a job as a newspaper reporter and obituary writer, but after a year, his employer gave him an ultimatum to choose acting or journalism. He quit the job. His brother tells the story that Stewart would attend rehearsals during work time and then invent the stories he reported. Stewart also trained as a boxer.

Career

Early works

He also had minor roles in several films such as King Leondegrance in John Boorman's Excalibur (1981), the character Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's 1984 film version of Dune and Dr. Armstrong in Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce (1985).

While not wealthy, Stewart had a comfortable lifestyle as an actor; however, he found that despite a lengthy career, his reputation was not great enough to bring a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to West End theatre. Stewart thus in 1987 agreed to work in Hollywood, after Robert H. Justman, producer for a revival of a long-cancelled television show, saw him while attending a literary reading at UCLA. Stewart knew nothing about the original show, Star Trek, or its iconic status in American culture. He was reluctant to sign the standard contract of six years, but did so as he believed that the new show would quickly fail and he would return to his London stage career after making some money.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

When Stewart began his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–94) the Los Angeles Times called him an unknown British Shakespearean actor. Stewart was unprepared for the long hours of television production, had difficulty in fitting in with his less-disciplined castmates, and his "spirits used to sink" when required to memorise and recite Treknobabble. He came to better understand the cultural differences between the stage and television, remains close friends with his fellow Star Trek actors, and his favourite technical line became "space-time continuum". Marina Sirtis credited Stewart with "at least 50%, if not more" of the show's success because others emulated his professionalism and dedication to acting.

Besides making him immediately wealthy due to the show's great success —Stewart calculated during one break during filming the show that he made more money during that break than from 10 weeks of Woolf in London —Stewart received a 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series". From 1994 to 2002, he also portrayed Picard in the movies Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek Nemesis (2002); and in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot episode "Emissary".

When asked in 2011 for the highlight of his career, he chose Star Trek: The Next Generation, "because it changed everything [for me]." He has also said he is very proud of his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, for its social message and educational impact on young viewers. On being questioned about the significance of his role compared to his distinguished Shakespearean career, Stewart has said that

The fact is all of those years in Royal Shakespeare Company – playing all those kings, emperors, princes and tragic heroes – were nothing but preparation for sitting in the captain's chair of the Enterprise.

The accolades Stewart has received include the readers of TV Guide in 1992 choosing him with Cindy Crawford, whom he had never heard of, as television's "most bodacious" man and woman. Stewart considered this an unusual distinction considering his age and baldness. In an interview with Michael Parkinson, he expressed gratitude for Gene Roddenberry's riposte to a reporter who said, "Surely they would have cured baldness by the 24th century," to which Roddenberry replied, "In the 24th century, they wouldn't care."

Other notable works

Film and television

Stewart has said that he would never have joined The Next Generation had he known that it would air for seven years:

No, no. NO. And looking back now it still frightens me a little bit to think that so much of my life was totally devoted to Star Trek and almost nothing else.

Stewart became so typecast as Picard that he has found obtaining other Hollywood roles difficult. The main exception is the X-Men film series. The films' success has resulted in another lucrative regular genre role in a major superhero film series. Stewart's character, Charles Xavier, is very similar to Picard and himself; "a grand, deep-voiced, bald English guy".He has also since voiced the role in three video games, X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II and X-Men: Next Dimension. Other film and television roles include the flamboyantly gay Sterling in the 1995 film Jeffrey and King Henry II in The Lion in Winter, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance and an Emmy Award nomination for executive-producing the film. He portrayed Captain Ahab in the 1998 made-for-television film version of Moby Dick, receiving Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for his performance.

In late 2003, during the eleventh and final season of NBC's Frasier, Stewart appeared on the show as a gay Seattle socialite and Opera director who mistakes Frasier for a potential lover. In July 2003, he appeared as himself in Series 02 (Episode 09) of Top Gear in the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment. He achieved 1:50 in the Liana. In 2005, he was cast as Professor Ian Hood in an ITV thriller 4-episode series Eleventh Hour, created by Stephen Gallagher. The first episode was broadcast on 19 January 2006. He also, in 2005, played Captain Nemo in a two part adaptation of The Mysterious Island. Stewart also appeared as a nudity obsessed caricature of himself in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's television series Extras, as a last-minute replacement for Jude Law. For playing himself, he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2006 for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

In 2011, Stewart appeared in the feature length documentary The Captains alongside William Shatner, who also wrote and directed the film. In the film, Shatner interviews every actor who has portrayed a captain within the Star Trek franchise. The film pays a great deal of attention to Shatner's interviews with Stewart at his home in Oxfordshire as well as at a Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada; Stewart reveals the fear and personal failings that came along with his tenure as a Starfleet captain, but also the great triumphs he believes accompanied his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Stage

After The Next Generation began, Stewart soon found that he missed acting on the stage. Although he remained associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the lengthy filming for the show prevented Stewart from participating in most other works. He instead began writing one-man shows that he performed in California universities and acting schools. Stewart found that one—a version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol in which he portrayed all 40-plus characters—was ideal for him because of its limited performing schedule. In 1991, Stewart performed it on Broadway, receiving a nomination for that year's Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show. He staged encore performances in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, again for the benefit of survivors and victims' families in the 11 September attacks, and a 23-day run in London's West End in December 2005. For his performances in this play, Stewart has received the Drama Desk Award for Best Solo Performance in 1992 and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment for Solo Performance in 1994. He also starred as Scrooge in a 1999 television film version, receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance. He was also the co-producer of the show, through the company he set up for the purpose: Camm Lane Productions, a reference to his birthplace in Camm Lane, Mirfield.

Shakespeare roles during this period included Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest, on Broadway in 1995, a role he would reprise in Rupert Goold's 2006 production of The Tempest as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Complete Works Festival. In 1997, he took the role of Othello with the Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.) in a race-bending performance, in a "photo negative" production of a white Othello with an otherwise all-black cast. Stewart had wanted to play the title role since the age of 14, so he and director Jude Kelly inverted the play so Othello became a comment on a white man entering a black society.

His years in the United States had left Stewart a "gaping hole in his CV" for a Shakespearean actor, as he had missed the opportunity to play such notable roles as Hamlet, Romeo, and Richard III. He played Antony again opposite Harriet Walter's Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the Novello Theatre in London in 2007 to excellent reviews. During this period, Stewart also addressed the Durham Union Society on his life in film and theatre. When Stewart began playing Macbeth in the West End in 2007, some said that he was too old for the role; however, he and the show again received excellent reviews, with one critic calling Stewart "one of our finest Shakespearean actors".

He was named as the next Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre based at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford in January 2007. In 2008, Stewart played King Claudius in Hamlet alongside David Tennant. He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for the part. When collecting his award, he dedicated the award "in part" to Tennant and Tennant's understudy Edward Bennett, after Tennant's back injury and subsequent absence from four weeks of Hamlet disqualified him from an Olivier nomination. Stewart has expressed interest in appearing in Doctor Who.

In 2009, Stewart appeared alongside Ian McKellen as the lead duo of Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), in Waiting for Godot. Stewart had previously only appeared once alongside McKellen on stage, but the pair had developed a close friendship while waiting around on set filming the X-Men films. Stewart stated that performing in this play was the fulfilment of a 50 year ambition, having seen Peter O'Toole appear in it at the Bristol Old Vic while Stewart was just 17. His interpretation captured well the balance between humour and despair that characterises the work.

Voice acting

Known for his strong and authoritative voice, Stewart has lent his voice to a number of projects. He has narrated recordings of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle (conclusion of the series The Chronicles of Narnia), Rick Wakeman's Return to the Centre of the Earth; as well as numerous TV programs such as High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman. Stewart provided the narration for Nine Worlds, an astronomical tour of the solar system and nature documentaries such as The Secret of Life on Earth[45] and Mountain Gorilla.[46] He is also heard as the voice of the Magic Mirror in Disneyland's live show, Snow White – An Enchanting Musical. He also was the narrator for the American release of Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real

He also was a voice actor on the animated films The Prince of Egypt, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Chicken Little, The Pagemaster, and on the English dubbings of the Japanese anime films Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki and Steamboy. He voiced the pig Napoleon in a TV adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm and guest starred in the Simpsons episode "Homer the Great" as Number One. Patrick also narrated the prologue and epilogue for the Disney's Nightmare Before Christmas, which also appears on the movie's soundtrack. He was originally going to do the voice for Jafar in Aladdin, but couldn't finish due to scheduling conflicts. He said in interviews that not voicing Jafar was the biggest mistake in his career.

More recently, he has played a recurring role as CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock, lending his likeness as well as his voice) on the animated series American Dad! as well as making (as of 6 August 2011) eight guest appearances on Family Guy in various roles: first in "Peter's Got Woods", second in "No Meals on Wheels" when Peter likens something to when he once swapped voices with him for a day, third in "Lois Kills Stewie" as his American Dad! character Bullock, fourth in "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" as himself, fifth in "And Then There Were Fewer" as a cat that proclaims himself a professor, sixth in "Halloween on Spooner Street as Dick Pump, seventh in "The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair" as Susie Swanson and eighth in the DVD version of It's A Trap! as Captain Picard. In 2006, Stewart voiced Bambi's father, The Great Prince of the Forest in Disney's direct-to-video sequel, Bambi II.

He lent his voice to the Activision-produced Star Trek computer games Star Trek: Armada, Armada II, Star Trek: Starfleet Command III, Star Trek: Invasion, Bridge Commander, and Elite Force II, all reprising his role as Captain Picard. Stewart reprised his role as Picard in Star Trek: Legacy for both PC and Xbox 360, along with the four other 'major' Starfleet captains from the different Star Trek series.

In addition to voicing his characters from Star Trek and X-Men in several related computer and video games, Stewart worked as a voice actor on games unrelated to both franchises, such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for which in 2006 he won a Spike TV Video Game Award for his work as Emperor Uriel Septim. He also lent his voice to several editions of the Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia.

His voice talents also appeared in a number of commercials including the UK TV Advert for Domestos 5x Longer Bleach, an advertisement for Shell fuel, and an American advertisement for the prescription drug Crestor. He also voiced the UK and Australian TV advertisements for the PAL version of Final Fantasy XII.

Stewart used his voice for Pontiac and Porsche automobiles and MasterCard Gold commercials in 1996, and Goodyear Assurance Tires in 2004. He also did voice-overs for RCA televisions. He provided the voice of Max Winters in TMNT in March 2007. In 2008, he is also the voice of television advertisements for Currys and Stella Artois beer. In 2010, he is the voice in television advertisements for National Car Rental.

He voiced the narrator of the Electronic Arts computer game, The Sims Medieval, for the game's introduction cinematic and trailer released on 22 March 2011.

Theatrical performances

The Royal Shakespeare Company

Stewart has been a prolific actor in performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in more than 60 productions.His first appearance was in 1966 in The Investigation and in the years that followed he became a core member of the company, taking on three or four major roles each season and rarely taking a break.His most recent appearance was as Claudius in Hamlet in 2008.

Stewart returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Shylock in Rupert Goold's avant garde production of The Merchant of Venice in spring 2011, and he will be reprising the role of William Shakespeare in Bingo: Scenes of Money and Death by Edward Bond at London's Young Vic Theatre in spring 2012.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation (often abbreviated to TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Created about 21 years after the original Star Trek, and set in the 24th century about 80 years after the orginal series, the program features a new crew and a new starship Enterprise. It premiered the week of September 28, 1987 to 27 million viewers[1] with the two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". With 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, it ran longer than any other Star Trek series, ending with the finale "All Good Things..." the week of May 23, 1994.

The series was broadcast in first-run syndication, with dates and times varying among individual television stations. The show gained a considerable following during its run and, like its predecessor, remains popular in syndicated reruns. It was the first of several series (the others being Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise) that kept new Star Trek episodes airing until 2005. Star Trek: The Next Generation won 18 Emmy Awards and, in its seventh season, became the first syndicated television show to be nominated for the Emmy for Best Dramatic Series. It was nominated for three Hugo Awards and won two. The first-season episode "The Big Goodbye" also won the Peabody Award for excellence in television programming. The series formed the basis of the seventh through to the tenth Star Trek films.

Production

After the box-office success of the Harve Bennett-produced Star Trek-based movies, Paramount decided to create a new Star Trek series in 1986. Roddenberry initially declined to be involved but came on board as creator after being unhappy with early conceptual work. The creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation was announced on October 10, 1986. The show was, unusually, broadcast in first-run syndication rather than running on a major network, with Paramount and the local stations splitting advertising time between them.[2]

Roddenberry hired a number of Star Trek veterans, including Bob Justman, D. C. Fontana, Eddie Milkis, and David Gerrold. Paramount executive Rick Berman was assigned to the show at Roddenberry's request.[3] The Next Generation was shot on 35 mm film[4], and was one of the first television shows with sound recorded in Dolby Surround.[citation needed] The filming negatives were scanned in a straight-to-video device.[citation needed]

Season one

The first season was marked by a "revolving door" of writers, with Gerrold and Fontana quitting after disputes with Roddenberry.[5]

Mark Bourne of The DVD Journal wrote of season one: "A typical episode relied on trite plot points, clumsy allegories, dry and stilted dialogue, or characterization that was taking too long to feel relaxed and natural."[6] Other targets of criticism include poor special effects and plots being resolved by the deus ex machina of Wesley Crusher saving the ship.[7][8] However, Patrick Stewart's acting skills won praise and critics have noted that characters were given greater potential for development than those of the original series.[6][7]

While the events of most episodes of season one were self-contained, many developments important to the show as a whole occurred during the season. The recurring nemesis Q was introduced in the pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint", the alien Ferengi first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the capabilities of the holodeck were explored, and the history between Will Riker and Deanna Troi was investigated.

Later season-one episodes set the stage for serial plots. The episode "Datalore" introduced Data's evil twin brother Lore, who made several more appearances in later episodes. "Coming of Age" dealt with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get in to Starfleet Academy while also hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "Conspiracy". "Heart of Glory" explored Worf's character, Klingon culture, and the uneasy truce between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, three themes that would play a major role in later episodes. Tasha Yar left the show in "Skin of Evil" becoming the first regular Star Trek character to die (permanently) in either series or film, and the season finale, "The Neutral Zone", established the presence of two of TNG's most enduring villains: the Romulans, making their first appearance since the Original Series, and, through foreshadowing, the Borg.

The series premiere became the first television show to be nominated for a Hugo Award since 1972. Six first-season episodes were each nominated for an Emmy Award; "11001001" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, "The Big Goodbye" won for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, and "Conspiracy" won for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.[9] "The Big Goodbye," also won a George Peabody award, the only episode of the entire Star Trek saga to be so honored.

Season two

The series underwent significant changes during its second season. Beverly Crusher was replaced as chief medical officer by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur, who had been a guest star in "Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", two episodes from the original Star Trek. The show's recreational area, Ten-Forward, and its mysterious bartender/advisor, Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, appeared for the first time. Owing to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, the number of episodes produced was cut from 26 to 22 and the start of the season was delayed. Because of the strike, the opening episode, "The Child", was based on a script originally written for Star Trek: Phase II, a previous attempt to create a new weekly Star Trek series, while the season finale, "Shades of Gray" was a clip show. Both episodes were critically panned (especially "Shades of Gray").

Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as significantly better than season one. The plots became more sophisticated, and began to mix drama with comic relief. Its focus on character development received special praise.[10] Co-executive producer Maurice Hurley has stated that his primary goal for the season was to plan and execute season-long story arcs and character arcs.[11] Hurley wrote the acclaimed episode "Q Who?", which featured the first on-screen appearance of TNG's most popular villain, the Borg. Season two focused on developing the character Data, and two highly-regarded episodes from the season, "Elementary, Dear Data" and "The Measure of a Man" featured him prominently.[12] Miles O'Brien also became a more prominent character during the second season, while Geordi La Forge found a position as chief engineer. Klingon issues continued to be explored in well-regarded episodes such as "A Matter of Honor" and "The Emissary", which introduced Worf's former lover K'Ehleyr.[13] Five second-season episodes were nominated for six Emmys; "Q Who?" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.[9]

Season three

Prior to the production of the third season in the summer of 1989, some personnel changes were made. Head writer Maurice Hurley was let go and Michael Piller took over for the rest of the series. Creator and executive producer Gene Roddenberry took less of an active role due to his declining health. Roddenberry gave Piller and Berman the executive producer jobs, and they remained in that position for the rest of the series' run. Doctor Crusher came back to replace Doctor Pulaski, who was always noted as a guest star in the second season. Ronald D. Moore joined the show after submitting a spec script that became "The Bonding"; he became the franchise's "Klingon guru",[9] meaning that he wrote most TNG episodes dealing with the Klingon Empire (though he wrote some Romulan stories as well, such as "The Defector," midway through season three). Six third-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "Yesterday's Enterprise" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and "Sins of the Father" won for Best Art Direction for a Series.[9]

Season four

Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor joined the show in its fourth season. The fourth season surpassed the Original Series in terms of season length with the production of "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II." The season finale, "Redemption", was the 100th episode, and the cast and crew (including creator Gene Roddenberry) celebrated the historic milestone on the bridge set. Footage of this was seen in the Star Trek 25th anniversary special, hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, which aired later in the year. Seven fourth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" won for both Outstanding Sound Editing in a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series.[9]

Season five

The fifth season's "Unification" opened with a dedication to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (even though the prior episode, "The Game," aired four days after his death). Roddenberry, though he had recently passed away, continued to be credited as "Executive Producer" for the rest of the season. The cast and crew learned of his death during the production of "Hero Worship," a later season five episode. Seven fifth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "Cost of Living" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series, and "A Matter of Time" and "Conundrum" tied for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects. In addition, "The Inner Light" became the first television episode since the 1968 original series Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" to win a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[9]

Season six

The sixth season brought aboard a new set of changes. Now the writing staff was split between the newly-created Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation, with many writing for both series. Three sixth-season episodes were nominated for Emmys; "Time's Arrow, Part II" won for both Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series and "A Fistful of Datas" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.[9]

Season seven

The seventh season was The Next Generation's last. The finale, "All Good Things...", was a double-length episode (separated into two parts for reruns) aired the week of May 19, 1994, revisiting the events of the pilot and providing a bookend to the series. Toronto's SkyDome, which was renamed 'Rogers Centre' in 2005, played host to a massive CITY-TV-sponsored event for the series finale. Thousands of people packed the stadium to watch the final episode on the stadium's Jumbotron. Five seventh-season episodes were nominated for nine Emmys, and the series as a whole was the first syndicated television series nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. To this day, The Next Generation is the only syndicated drama to be nominated in this category. "All Good Things..." won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects and "Genesis" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. "All Good Things..." also won the second of the series' two Hugo Awards.[9]

Cast

The cast underwent several changes through the series' run. Denise Crosby chose to leave the show shortly before the first season ended.[9] Michael Dorn's Worf replaced Tasha Yar as security chief and tactical officer. Crosby returned to portray Yar in alternate timelines in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "All Good Things...". Crosby also played Yar's half-Romulan daughter, Sela.

Gates McFadden, as Beverly Crusher, was replaced after the first season by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur, during the second season. Muldaur never received billing in the opening credits, and instead was listed as a special guest star in the credits shown during the first act. Pulaski proved unpopular with viewers and was dropped at the end of the second season; McFadden returned for seasons 3–7 and reprised her role as Crusher.

Wesley Crusher was also written out of the show. According to actor Wil Wheaton's website, he wanted to leave the show because he was frustrated by having to fit other roles around his Trek schedule despite his character's decreasing role in the series.[14] Wesley Crusher reappears in several later episodes.

Notable guest appearances

Plot

The episodes follow the adventures of the crew of the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.[9] As the United Federation of Planets flagship, the Enterprise is designed for both exploration and diplomacy but is also formidable in combat situations if necessary.

Patrick Stewart's voiceover during each episode's opening credits was patterned after that of the original series, but the phrase "continuing mission" replaces Star Trek's "five year mission", and the gender-neutral phrase "no one" replaces "no man":[18]

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before."

The Enterprise's crew contact and discover many races and species with whom they interact as a means of exploring the human condition.[9] Dramatic devices such as time travel or temporal loops, natural disasters, holodeck malfunctions, and other internal and external conflicts often occur without alien encounters, though these, too, are used to explore issues of humanity.[9]

Entertainment Weekly's best episodes

To celebrate the series' 20th anniversary, Entertainment Weekly chose its "Top 10 Episodes":

1. "Yesterday's Enterprise" [19]
2. "The Best of Both Worlds", Parts I and II [20]
3. "The Inner Light" [21]
4. "Tapestry" [22]
5. "All Good Things..." [23]
6. "The Measure of a Man" [24]
7. "Sins of the Father"
8. "First Contact"
9. "The First Duty"
10. "Chain of Command", Parts I and II.

Connections with other Star Trek incarnations

The show's theme combines the fanfare from the original series theme by Alexander Courage with Jerry Goldsmith's theme for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The Next Generation has other similarities to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, itself spun from the plans for Star Trek: Phase II.[9] The movie's Willard Decker and Ilia bear similarities to The Next Generation's Will Riker and Deanna Troi. The series' second-season premiere was based on a Phase II script, as was the courtroom drama "Devil's Due"

Some sets used in the Original Series-era films were redressed for The Next Generation, and in turn used for subsequent Original Series films. Part of the transporter room set in The Next Generation was used in the original Star Trek's transporter set.

Variants of Enterprise's LCARS computer interface appear in the Deep Space Nine and Voyager spinoffs and the Next Generation-era films. The series also established the five-number stardate, with the second digit corresponding to the season; Deep Space Nine's opening stardate of 46379 aligns with The Next Generation's sixth season, and Voyager's 48315 places it in what would have been The Next Generation's eighth season.

Characters and races

Three original Star Trek main actors appear as their original series characters in The Next Generation: DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy in "Encounter at Farpoint", Leonard Nimoy as Spock in both halves of "Unification", and James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in "Relics".[9] Mark Lenard played Sarek for both "Sarek" and "Unification, Part I", and Majel Barrett reprised her role of voicing the Enterprise's computer, as well as playing Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi.[9] A script that reportedly featured the character of Harry Mudd, a recurring criminal in Star Trek, was cancelled when Roger C. Carmel died.[citation needed] The Romulans reprise their antagonistic role in The Next Generation, although the Klingons reappear as Federation allies.[9]

The Next Generation introduces two characters who would later have lead roles in Deep Space Nine: Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) and Worf.[31] The character who eventually became Kira Nerys was initially intended to be a reprisal of Michelle Forbes' Next Generation character, Ro Laren.[31] Additional Next Generation characters who appear in Deep Space Nine include Q, the Duras sisters, Klingon Chancellor Gowron, Klingon Kurn (Worf's brother), Alexander Rozhenko (Worf's son), Keiko O'Brien (Miles' wife), Molly O'Brien (Miles' daughter), Lwaxana Troi, Thomas Riker, Vash and Gul Evek.[31]

Reginald Barclay, Deanna Troi, Q, William Riker and LaForge appear in Voyager.[30] Tom Paris, a main character in Voyager, was based on the Next Generation character Nicholas Locarno; Robert Duncan McNeill, who played Locarno, went on to play Paris.[30]

Deanna Troi and William Riker appear in the Enterprise finale "These Are the Voyages..."

The Ferengi, conceived but panned as The Next Generation's recurring antagonists,[9] appear in subsequent Star Trek spin-offs.[30] The Next Generation also introduces the Borg, Cardassian, Trill and Bajoran species, all of which, along with the Maquis resistance group, play a part in both Deep Space Nine and Voyager.[30]

Deep Space Nine's Julian Bashir, played by Alexander Siddig, appears in The Next Generation's "Birthright, Part I", and Armin Shimerman played Quark for "Firstborn".[9]

Actor crossovers

The following Next Generation cast members have appeared as various other characters in other Star Trek productions.

• Patrick Stewart (Picard) appeared in the first Deep Space Nine episode "Emissary, Part I".
• Jonathan Frakes (Riker) appeared in Deep Space Nine episode "Defiant" as Thomas Riker, the transporter accident-created twin brother of his main character (from TNG episode "Second Chances"). He also appeared in the Voyager episode "Death Wish" and in the Star Trek: Enterprise series finale "These Are the Voyages...".
• Marina Sirtis (Troi) reprised the role of Deanna Troi for several episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and appeared alongside Frakes in the Enterprise finale "These Are the Voyages...".
• Michael Dorn (Worf) appeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as his ancestor Klingon Colonel Worf and reprised his role as Worf in the latter seasons of Deep Space Nine.
• Brent Spiner (Data) appeared in three Star Trek: Enterprise episodes as Noonien Soong's ancestor, Arik Soong.
• Colm Meaney (O'Brien) reprised his role as Miles O'Brien on Deep Space Nine.
• Diana Muldaur (Pulaski) appeared in The Original Series episodes "Return to Tomorrow" as Lt. Commander Ann Mulhall, and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" as Dr. Miranda Jones.
• Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Lwaxana Troi and the ship's computer) appeared in The Original Series as recurring character Nurse Christine Chapel, though she was originally cast as "Number One" in the pilot. She also was the voice for the Federation computers in every series.
• John de Lancie (Q) appeared in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.
• Dwight Schultz (Lt. Reginald Barclay), who appeared throughout The Next Generation (including in the film Star Trek: First Contact), became a recurring character on Voyager as Barclay becomes integral to the return of the ship to Federation space.
• LeVar Burton (LaForge) reprised his role as Geordi LaForge in the Voyager episode "Timeless"
• Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton (Riker & LaForge) have also directed episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Burton also directed episodes of Enterprise.

The following actors from other Star Trek productions have appeared in guest spots on The Next Generation as other characters.

• Armin Shimerman (Quark of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Last Outpost" as the Ferengi Letek, "Haven" as the face of a Betazoid gift box, and "Peak Performance" as Ferengi DaiMon Bractor.
• Max Grodénchik (Rom of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "Captain's Holiday" as Ferengi Sovak, and "The Perfect Mate" as Ferengi Par Lenor.
• Ethan Phillips guest stars as the Ferengi Farek, and a holodeck character in Star Trek: First Contact. He later appears in Star Trek: Voyager as Neelix.
• Marc Alaimo (Dukat of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "Lonely Among Us" as Antican Badar N'D'D, in "The Neutral Zone" as the Romulan commander Tebok, in "The Wounded" as the Cardassian Gul Macet, and in "Time's Arrow" as the poker player Frederick La Rouque.
• Salome Jens (the Female Shapeshifter of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Chase" as an ancient humanoid.
• Robert Duncan McNeil (Tom Paris of Voyager) appeared in "The First Duty" as Nova Squadron leader Nicholas Locarno.
• Tim Russ (Tuvok of Voyager) appeared in "Starship Mine" as technician Devor, as the Klingon T'Kar in the Deep Space Nine episode "Invasive Procedures" and as a bridge officer in Star Trek: Generations.
• James Cromwell, who plays the prime minister in "The Hunted", also plays Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact and the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Broken Bow" as well as a reprise of the First Contact footage in the Enterprise episode "Through a Mirror, Darkly", Jaglom Shrek in TNG episodes "Birthright" parts 1 and 2, and Hanok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Starship Down".

Legacy

Four films feature the series' characters:

• Star Trek Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek Nemesis (2002)

Three other Star Trek TV series succeeded The Next Generation:

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

The series has also inspired numerous novels, analytical books, websites, and works of fan fiction.

On October 7, 2006, one of the three original filming models of the USS Enterprise-D used on the show sold at a Christie's auction for USD $576,000, making it the highest-selling item at the event.[32]

References

1 Star Trek TNG: An Oral History Entertainment Weekly, 2007/09/24. Retrieved on 2007/09/25.

2 Alexander, David (1994). Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry. Roc. ISBN 0-451-45440-5.

3 "Star Trek Rick Berman Bio". http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/creative/69089.html. Retrieved 2009-04-22.

4 "IMDB Technical Specifications for Star Trek: The Next Generation". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/technical. Retrieved 2008-02-12.

5 Dillard, J. M. (1994). Star Trek: "Where No One Has Gone Before" : A History in Pictures (Star Trek (Trade/hardcover)). Pocket Books. pp. 130–131. ISBN 0-671-51149-1. ""The writers were being rewritten by Gene, and there was a lot of tumult because people didn't know where they stood.""

6 a b "DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season One". http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season01.q.shtml.

7 a b "DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season One". http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason1.php.

8 "Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season One DVD". http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8324.html.

9 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Nemeck, Larry (2003). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-5798-6.

10 ""DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season Two". http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason2.php.

11"Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Two DVD Special Features.

12 "Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season Two DVD". http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8559.html.

13 ""The DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Two". http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season02.q.shtml.

14 Wheaton, Wil (2005-11-04). "Wil Wheaton Dot Net FAQ". http://wilwheaton.net/faq.php#trek. Retrieved 2008-10-08.

15 Kirsten Dunst at the Internet Movie Database

16 Kelsey Grammer at the Internet Movie Database

17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Phillips

18 Dwayne A. Day (2005-11-28). "Boldly Going: Star Trek and spaceflight". The Space Review. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/506/1.

19 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_10,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

20 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_9,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

21 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_8,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

22 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_7,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

23 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_6,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

24 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_5,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

25 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_4,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

26 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_3,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

27 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754_2,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

28 "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': The Top 10 Episodes". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057754,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

29 a b Okuda, Michael and Rick Sternbach (1991). Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-70427-3.

30 a b c d e f Okuda, Mike and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53609-5.

31 a b c Erdmann, Terry J.; Paula M. Block (2000-08-01). Deep Space Nine Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 0671501062.

32 "'Star Trek' Model Fetches Over $500,000 (link inactive as of Nov 10th 2008)". ABC News. 2006-10-07. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2541404&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312. Retrieved 2007-05-10.