‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Stars Say They Have Not Been Asked To Be In Picard Series

(Photo: Awesome Con)

Over the weekend, much of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation attended a reunion panel at Awesome Con in Washington D.C. While there they talked a bit about the upcoming Star Trek Picard series, starring Sir Patrick Stewart.

TNG stars not planning on appearing in new Picard show

Attending the Star Trek: The Next Generation panel at Awesome Con 2019 were Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, and Marina Sirtis. One of the audience questions during panel asked how these TNG co-stars would feel if asked to be on the new Star Trek Picard show currently in production for CBS All Access. The question was particularly pointed at Gates McFadden as her character Dr. Bevery Crusher had a close relationship with Jean-Luc Picard. However, it appears that the new show may not involve a reunion, as McFadden told the audience:

Of course, I’d love to but I have not been approached.

Deanna Troi actress Marina Sirtis then chimed in, answering for the rest of the cast:

None of us knows anything. They’re guarding that show like the nuclear codes.

These latest remarks are in line with what McFadden and Sirtis had to say about the show last fall. However, with the Picard series now already in production, the chances of TNG characters showing up is looking more like a long shot.

Of course, there was one person on stage who does know a thing or two about the Picard show. Jonathan Frakes recently revealed to TrekMovie he will be directing the third and fourth episodes of the first season of the show. At the Awesome Con panel, Frakes said he would be starting prep work on his block of episodes this week.

Star Trek: TNG panel at Awesome Con 2019 (Photo: Thad Hait)

Captain Wesley?

During the panel, a fan asked Wil Wheaton if he would be interested in helming a show, with Wesley Crusher as a captain. But it appears that the actor isn’t up for the idea, saying:

I’m so grateful for why you’re asking this question and that Wesley was so important to you…But I think the time for exploring that character has come and gone.

However, Wheaton didn’t entirely close the window on a return to Star Trek, adding:

I still love Star Trek so much that if they were to reach out to me for anything else I’d absolutely be interested in exploring that.

Wil Wheaton speaking at Awesome Con 2019 (Photo: Awesome Con)

Keep up with all the news about upcoming Star Trek TV projects at TrekMovie.com.


Jarrah Hodge is one of the hosts of Women at Warp: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast. You can find her on Twitter @jarrahpenguin. Thad Hait can be found on Twitter @Tryanicus.

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Didn’t Wesley leave Starfleet anyway? I’d rather see Fleet Admiral Nog, Chancellor Worf, and Ensign Kim show up.

Poor Harry! Never gets that promotion eh?

He was back by NEMESIS, maybe the traveller didn’t like him boozing or something

I assumed he was just there for the wedding.

He was in uniform, I don’t think they just hand them out so everybody looks good together in the group picture.

It seems to have been viewed as a mistake by TPTB …

Which wouldn’t be the only one in Nemesis…

The Relaunch books (licensed by CBS) follow coherent arcs for the canonical characters.

And in those there was an attempt to ret-con that uniform Wesley was wearing.

Rather lame, but here it goes…

Wesley cut his timing close and showed up to the wedding at the last minute.

Because he expected a Betazoid traditional wedding, he was naked. Someone close in size lent him a uniform on a rush basis.

But it doesn’t explain why the lieutenant’s pips weren’t removed.

I agree. That is pretty lame. I don’t think it was a mistake at the time. They just chose to end the traveler story and have him return to starfleet off-screen. The relaunch novels probably wanted to continue the traveler arc and created that lame retcon.

I think that it’s more that TPTB didn’t want Wesley in Starfleet in the continuing arcs for some reason.

There seem to have been some parameters on the principal characters that were set by the licensors (Viacom followed by CBS) to Simon & Schuster

Wesley hasn’t shown up much as a Traveller, and when he did even David Mack couldn’t quite figure out how to portray an adult Wesley.

And at one point Peter David was obliged to kill off Admiral Janeway. And then Kirsten Beyer had the unenviable task of finding a way to bring her back to keep the Voyager novels going.

TG47,

Higher order beings in the Cosmos observing the Earth know I’ve never seen NEMESIS in its entirety, but that was a Wedding Reception on Earth and not the ceremony, itself which was to be on Betazed sans clothing.

So as a retcon, Wesley having to borrow clothing on a planet with the pervasive technology to whip up clothing on demand everywhere seems a fail.

Don’t disagree Disinvited.

Everyone knows Martok became Chancellor, not Worf. And “Ensign” Harry Kim would likely have passed away before Nog became a “Fleet” Admiral.

This is 20 years later. Martoc could be dead.

Yes,in his last episode he was becoming an ascendant being. Like the traveler or even the Q.

According to (I think) a deleted scene in Nemesis, Wesley was slated to join the Rikers on the Titan as their chief engineer.

I remember seeing that scene on YouTube.

Jesus, ensign kim, he should at least be LT. Junior grade by now😁

Picard Section 31: Renegades with Hot Millennials Having Melodramatic Feeling Fests while doing Magic Science and pretending the universe is only them like in Discovery.

Best and meanest summary of Discovery I have read so far! :D

love discovery… thank god trek is back and actually good…

Yep, The Orville is great, isn’t it?

Love The Orville. Wish Trek would return to episodic models. But they have to be “edgy” and “high-minded” etc. As their ratings plummet..

“As their ratings plummet…” Evidence? Or are these just alternative facts?

The worst ratings of any trek show ever according to several sources, though comparing the pay model to regular cable isn’t a fair comparison.

CBS indicated that The Twilight pulled in the highest premiere numbers for a CBS All Access original so you kind of have to wonder if The Twilight Zone is outperforming Discovery and with 4 million subscribers to All Access just how many viewers that actually is.

If the premiere numbers are any indication (and those numbers were very similar to The Orville’s debut) it would probably be pulling in roughly as many viewers as The Orville on FOX if it was airing on CBS. I’m not sure if it would survive on a broadcast network.

“according to several sources.”

hahahahaha…. thats great.

-according to several sources discovery has been replaced after Season 1

-according to several sources discovery has been replaced after Season 2

-according to several sources Picard is in trouble

-according to several sources netflix dont wanted the Short Treks

-according to several sources earth is flat

… but according to facts:
Discovery is in Season 3
5 Trek Shows are announced
Picard just started Production
Netflix released the Short Treks

Do you really think all of this would happen if Disco would be the lowest ratings Trek Show yet?

I doubt that!

But what is pretty clear: If you have Headlines on your youtube videos that say something is dommed, in trouble, destroyed or what ever… people will click it and genereate add-money…. thats not even according to sources, its fact!

What? The Orville is garbage.

Orville is the embodiment of the phrase ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’. I’ve no issue if that is your thing, but Trek is finding it’s legs, and there is room in the viewing universe to enjoy both shows. When you look at the monster numbers Marvel and HBO are putting up with their respective franchises, it should come as no surprise that other entertainment options would follow the same formula. Silent movies were great in their day, good luck selling that today.

Didn’t a silent movie win a Best Picture Oscar several years ago?

Yes, the silent movies era was several years ago.

You’re thinking of The Artist, which had minimal dialog, as did A Quiet Place. Silent movies, as defined as having dialog cards on screen, and if you were lucky, a guy on a piano in the front row banging out a score.

The Artist did indeed have dialog cards.

Are you really comparing discovery to HBO properties? I have a hard time equating the quality in storytelling. HBO built those properties with excellent writing. Discovery isn’t even as well written as past Treks (deep space nine in particular) or fan fiction on YouTube. The only similarity is the pay wall.

Discovery was born to help build a subscriber base for All Access, not necessarily because someone had a burning desire to present something new and original to the masses.

All Access didn’t need a new Star Trek series. What they needed was a breakout original like “The Handmaid’s Tale” on Hulu. They still do.

No

It’s back and it’s OK. Season 2 improved over season 1 but it was wildly uneven.

Considering 90% of the cast are 20 years old for the Picard show, I think this isn’t too far off. I’m afraid it’s going to be a disaster. :(

“Star Trek: Generation Gap”?

Star Trek: Depends

“Star Trek: The Nexter Generation”. After Discovery I honestly will not be surprised if it’s a play on “TNG”.

The support cast’s average age is 38. Hardly 20 years old, you idiot.

Lighten up, that’s still half Stewart’s age, and you’re missing the bigger point, that it is a much younger cast then the lead.

You really want to see a show filled with old people?

Wil looks really healthy. I know he quit drinking a while back and he’s been really focused on self-care, so it’s nice to see him here. I also thought his answer was really nice. He’s not itching to get back into that world but he’s open to the right offer. That’s a healthy approach considering how much grief the role and his experience in TNG caused him over the years.

Yeah that final episode of Enterprise must be one of the most despised shows of the franchise, so that can’t be easy being connected with that debacle. So good to see he has moved on nicely.

@DeanH: What does the final episode of Enterprise have to do with Wil Wheaton?

Uh, Wheaton had no involvement with TATV.

Star Trek fans — ruining it for people only doing their jobs since… :-P

Not just the fans, but the way Berman treated him and the way conventions have not invited him to TNG cast reunions, etc.

Wheaton tends to speak his mind. Nothing wrong with that, but it won’t put you in demand for the convention circuit, where you are pretty much expected to just sing the praises of the production you were involved in. Robert Beltran and Avery Brooks are not convention regulars for similar reasons.

I wanna go to THAT convention…

I’m not looking to see the old TNG crew

BUT

I’ve been hoping that TPTB would respect the TNG Relaunch books enough to have Picard moving on from them.

That is, even if he’s had to move on from his Captaincy, and needs to take leave of or divorce Crusher, I’d like the new series to avoid taking those fantastic books out of canon.

Dayton Ward’s Available Light set in 2386 just came out, and David Mack is committed to the next book…

….which will take place just before the new series, and is scheduled to be released not long after it airs…

By the way, looking ahead to the late 2390s, I wonder if young Rene Picard could be an anchor character for the Starfleet Academy series.

Including ‘kids of’ among the Academy ensemble might be a sufficient tie-in to enable cameos from TNG and Voyager without pushing things too far.

Nice idea, but Rene was killed in the fire at the family home referenced in Star Trek Generations.

Regrets to be confusing Karl…

In the books, Crusher and Picard have a son born in 2381, named Rene after Picard’s late nephew.

Bloody hell. Seriously? A million names out there for authors to pick and they had to go with Rene? Confusing!

@ Karl: Haven’t read the book but it was probably done intentionally (i.e. Picard chose the name to honor his late nephew).

@DIGINON most likely, I suppose.

They’re going to ignore the books garenteed, and proably just as well the trek novels made some… odd choices

Depends which books…

But the Relaunch post-Nemisis books follow a coherent arc. CBS has ensured that.

And Discovery has already cribbed somewhat with the Control idea…

Not to mention that the showrunners have confirmed that Number One was called Una by Pike in Discovery S2 E14, confirming the name that Trek-lit authors have given her.

Agreed. Make it so.

I can’t say that I am surprised they weren’t asked. There aren’t many shows out there regardless what genre with many 60+ actors in the cast. The only former main actor who is younger than this is Wil Wheaton and even he is 46 years old now. I guess though maybe some guest appearances can still happen. If not in season 1, then maybe in season 2.

yeah if they apper it’ll be as guest apperances in the second season on. you need to be careful with a series like this you want it standing on it’s own two legs before you start bringing in guest stars from the past

I agree with holding off on the special guest appearances until the show is more established.

They can have a near 80 year old guy lead this show but not bring in his 60+ year old TNG colleagues (in many cases just as much liked)? Come on! I think ageism has much less to do with it than them being anxious to distinguish themselves from being “TNG 2.0” Until the second season, that is, when everyone will be alienated by their spoof drives and redesigned Romulans, and they need to win back fans with TNG nostalgia ;)

Yes an odd argument. Especially when the 80 year old is leading and completely being marketing around the new show.

Wow, it’s like you’ve been to the future. I’d say that’s exactly what’s going to happen. The other cast are young no-names, except Fernando what’s-his-name, and he’s just a B actor. Obviously they’re trying to save money. Marina is notorious for demanding too much $ and that’s probably rubbed off on the others. Gates might secrely be more willing to accept less just to be on, but I don’t know.

They’ve all (TNG cast) found some modicum of success in their pursuits after Trek. Many have done directing, cable shows, theater, etc. Many actors don’t wish to return to old roles long after the characters respective arcs (or shows) have ended.

Having said that, a few cameos from former TNG cast would be welcome. Think of it like a little Easter egg hailing back to source material. Every ST series is guilty of it in some form. You don’t have to have the full cast reunite. But a starfleet encoded message to Picard from Capt. Riker is a nice nod. Or a visit to a Klingon bar where Picard just happens to bump into Worf (drinking prune juice no less) wouldn’t be unwarranted.

LOL

This nearly 80 year old guy in the lead is likely a reason more for them not to bring in more older people. They likely feel the “old people quota” is more than fulfilled with him already. It generally would make sense for an old guy to have some similar old family members, friends, colleagues, etc., but so far everyone who was cast is much, much younger than him.

“This nearly 80 year old guy in the lead is likely a reason more for them not to bring in more older people. They likely feel the “old people quota” is more than fulfilled with him already.”

And you know what? That’s a damn shame! I’m just watching RDM’s Battlestar Galactica back from the early 2000s for the first time and, apart from being like Shakespeare compared to today’s Kindergarten Trek, this series dares to have not one but TWO old white men in the lead! And guess who’s the third lead? An old white woman! (Nevermind there are still beautiful minority roles in important positions, just not the usual over-representation of one particular one like in Discovery, but true diversity of all Earth ethnicities) From today’s extremist angles, this show looks almost revolutionary in that regard. A show that dares to represent the majority of people in most Western societies – old white people! And somehow without all that token-ism and virtue-signalling going on, it can fully focus on the strength of its scripts and blow anything Trek of the last 20 years out of the water!

Even something like Grace Lee Whitney in ST3 can be effective depending on context and setup. Or how Takei was used in ST6.

Even without the TNG actors… consider how Kirk referred to Spock in Generations and how Spock referenced Kirk in Unification.

“Even without the TNG actors… consider how Kirk referred to Spock in Generations and how Spock referenced Kirk in Unification.”

Yeah, I bet we’ll see something more along the lines of subtle dialogue, “An old friend once taught me …” and so forth.

I suspect the Writers Room is cautious about having previous Trek characters appear in these shows. It can come across as too fan boy/girlish and fan films did a lot of bringing in Trek actors. They probably want to avoid that.

Don’t worry, Denny, after bringing in Saru’s sister, berry-plucker-turned-fighter-pilot in 2 months, for the big battle in the last Discovery episode, I’m sure these writers already have a good grip on out-fanning the fan film people ;)

Go take a look at the cast hired for Picard. They’re all in their early 20’s, save maybe one. I guess it’s going to be Superintendent Picard leads a crazy clandestine mission? They obviously are trying to balance Stewart’s elderly-ness with a bunch of no-name cheap young actors. I’m sure that’ll work out really well…

Star Trek: Get Off Of My Lawn! Picard, in his new role as groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy, navigates the challenges of young Cadets taking shortcuts across his manicured grounds.
In the Pilot Episode, alien grubs threaten to destroy years of pruning. Picard enlists the new Cadets to spray Environmentally Roundup to rid the ground of these hated grubs. Because Star Trek tells morality plays, it seems the grubs are looking for sanctuary from lawn chemicals from their home planet: Monsanto….

So, so relevant! Trek is just so much smarter then those Neanderthal Star Wars fans….

Hahaha … I’d still watch the bloody thing just to see Sir Patrick Stewart’s acting again.

To be honest, I will watch Sir Pat watching paint dry on the walls as long as he wears a Starfleet uniform in the right cut and colors ;)

Lol this is really funny but also kinda interesting. Picard as the new Boothsby mentoring cadets in the same way he was once mentored sounds more interesting than the starfleet Saved by the Bell type show they are planning.

I think there lying…

They’re good at guarding nuclear code too as Picard series is the last chance they can appear as the character themselves. CBS going waste this opportunity to make good use of the tng casts is …unthinkable.

Remember the whole Voq/Ash Tyler thing? The feints by CBS with that one to keep the fans off-balance were real (fake IMDB profiles, etc). Also, for those who remember 1987, Admiral McCoy’s appearance in “Farpoint” didn’t become known until advance reviews of the series premiere were out in the local papers just prior to airing. It simply makes no sense whatsoever to not bring these guys in. They’ve reunited for ‘Family Guy’ for Pete’s Sake.

Its probably only a matter of when and not if. The biggest clue is the makers have been asked several times if we will see other TNG characters and no one has ruled it out for some reason. Or maybe they are just keeping all options open and don’t want to do a hard ‘no’ just like what happened with Spock and they ended up bringing him on Discovery anyway.

That would be too bad if we didn’t see any of them this season, but it still leaves open future seasons. And yes they could be lying to keep any surprise appearances secret, but I take them at their word (for now). I think they really want to make this mostly about Picard but trust me, the second fans start balking or the show isn’t hitting its stride early on like Discovery first seasons woes, don’t be shocked to see half of them next season in every episode ala Pike and Spock.

There are 3 series of characters that could be brought in- TNG, DS9 and Voyager. I think keeping Beverly in some capacity would be a no-brainer and provide for some good drama. But like another poster stated, to waste these memorable characters and never see or hear of them would be criminal.

Abso-freakin’-lutely. Kira in charge of DS9, Worf involved with the Klingon Empire in a big way, Janeway being a senior admiral to mention just three of the characters. I wouldn’t expect them to make an Avengers movie with Star Trek and just throw familiar faces around for no good reason, but a viewscreen conversation or maybe a few episodes’ involvement could not go astray, and by God, to act as though Picard would never even mention or refer to the people who have shaped his life for years would be bizarre.

It seems that some like Wheaton and Frakes have moved on, but that is of course much easier for the likes of those like Frakes who has another pretty high profile job since leaving TNG. He of course has probably seen the scripts for not only his episodes but probably of the first two episodes as well, just to familiarize himself properly with the backstory.

Frakes hasn’t moved on….he’s still working on Trek (as a director). If anybody from TNG is most likely to act on the Picard show, it’s probably him.

Yes that is an odd statement. He’s more involved with Trek now than he’s ever been since Nemesis lol. He’s just not acting but he’s directing two Trek shows now, thats being very involved. And he has constantly said he would happily play Riker again. If they asked him to be on the Picard show I do not see him turning that down at all.

Sorry, in retrospect I guess that sounds a little confusing and I should have chosen better words. I meant to say they have ended up with pretty good jobs after and outside of their specific TNG roles. I guess that is why both Frakes and Wheaton don’t seem so anxious to reprise their roles, although they of course would, given the right circumstances.

I didn’t expect this to be a TNG reunion series, but I’m having a hard time envisioning this show right now and the lack of any TNG cast certainly makes things murkier. Once we get some previews of Patrick embodying the character again, things might come into focus better. I’m just approaching this show with increasingly guarded excitement, I don’t doubt their ambitions or talent and hope it’s amazing regardless. It’s still remarkable we have this opportunity at all.

I find it highly unlikely they will not do a send-off by a previous Trek character as in every other Trek series after TOS (including Discovery, with Sarek). Of course, it is possible they simply will bring in a TNG cast member that has not been interviewed on this (like Captain LaForge. Or dare I say Q! ) or a guest star from TNG who is more fitting with the new divergent setting of the series (Sadly it cant be Picards Romulan foil, Tomalak!)

But if Discovery is any guidance, prepare for a serious TNG nostalgia ride in season 2 ;)

Thats what I’m thinking. If they are serious about no TNG characters this season I have a feeling some will show up next season but have this season be about establishing the new characters, which I’m 100% fine with.

I just hope if they bring in the TNG characters, they don’t end up the same way that the original Star Wars characters went. I don’t want to see them die in some undignified manner.

I was at this convention over the weekend. Met the TNG crew and Jason Isaacs. They were all wonderful and engaged with fans.

I do have to say that the TNG crew all looked amazing. These guys are ready to get back in TV.

I wouldn’t be surprised if, even if they were asked to appear, they are contractually not allowed to say so.

TNG is my all-time favorite show, but I accept and embrace the fact that this isn’t TNG 2.0. That said, I find it hard to believe none of them will show up. If we are really looking at the next chapter of Picard, there will have to be at least some explanation of why some of the closer characters (i.e., Crusher) to Picard aren’t involved. But I’d bet good money Frakes shows up in some capacity at some point. He’s pretty involved.

I also think TPTB are now keenly aware of what the fans want. That’s not to say they should coddle to the fans, but Discovery season 2 showed that they will engage fans. That doesn’t mean this needs to be a TNG reunion show, but it would be a misstep if there wasn’t some engagement with what has come before.

Just my two cents :)

I hope Frakes appears. I love his directing, but the guy has so much charisma, it’s a shame to waste.

I saw him at AwesomeCon and the guy is amazing.

Agreed. And Riker is a great character. As a kid, I thought the Best of Both Worlds was a story about Picard. As an adult, I realize it’s really a Riker episode. And he is absolutely fantastic in it.

Great observation!

And the title — Riker does get the best of both worlds. He stays on the Enterprise, and gets the captain’s chair, if only for one episode.

then the next chance he get at commanding the ent-d it is destroyed when deanna crashed part of it in to the surface of a planet

Man, the last time I posted extensively on this site there wasn’t enough new Star Trek, now it’s raining fireballs of Star Trek. Everyone loving it or regretting getting what you wished for?

A NEW series with Patrick Stewart, now there’s a weird twist I never saw coming.

In the second group photo who is that sitting on the far left next to Wil Wheaton? Is that a convention host or a TNG cast member?

Whoever she is she’s asleep LOL :D

Must be a host. Five cast members are mentioned in the story, and all five are in the photo.

I think they could get the TNG cast involved like Stargate SG1 guys were involved with the last Stargate show Stargate Universe, where we saw brief appearances of original characters like O’neill, Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson. They certainly didn’t take anything away from the main characters of the show but were there to keep up with the continuity and I think it actually worked pretty well in Stargate’s context. A similar approach could work for the Picard show.

But it wasn’t their Stargate show. It was like TNG characters showing up on DS9 and Voyager. This time out it’s actually taking the lead of the series and leaving everything else about the series behind.

Personally I think these are harmless white lies told in service of preserving their appearances as a surprise. I will be very surprised (in a not good way) if we do not see at least one of our heroes on the show when it debuts next year.

I definitelly agree, at least cameo of Data as Picard´s assistant (due to comix as captain of Enterprise-E) has to done, period :D Cpt. Crusher and LaForge, adm. Riker and Janeway, Seven of Nine as Borg expert, may be Sela as leader of Romulan survivors, and so on… Did I forgot someone? Yes of course, I want to see them all. Old Picard in young pond does not sound logically…

I don’t think Stewart wants to share the limelight with the other characters… It needs to be all about him.

I doubt he is that concerned with enough limelight. I think he just doesn’t want this to be TNG 2.0, he wants it to be something different. So that means probably no ‘reunion of the week’ storylines.

Sigh…

The casting choices for the other characters look very strong. Those actors will be doing something.

Yes, we’ve been told that the premise is some kind of character journey for Picard.

But that doesn’t mean that Patrick Stewart is self-centered about this. By all accounts, he’s always been an excellent leader of the acting company.

This is likely his last starring role in a television series. He wants it to mean something. He wants to show how Picard’s values and leadership are important in more turbulent times.

I’m on board with that.

Your assessment is completely antithetical to reality and Patrick Stewart’s behavior. He knows the value of a good ensemble.

star trek discovery is so good… im sure picard will be as well… fans always wanna look back but sounds like picard is looking forward… hope the old fans stay away though… no one needs to hear all the whining that inevitably will happen… is it still star trek without all the hate?

You’re the one asking people to stay away, bub. Check yourself.

So, you want a show that’s looking forward featuring the 78 year old lead from an old Star Trek series but want the fans of that series to stay away. Alrighty then.

you’d rather have a tsunami of whining crying complaining? trek fans are a miserable bunch. it’s just sad when i see it. they don’t like anything… or they haven’t for decades… if they’re unhappy they should just stay away… doesn’t that make sense? the age of the actor has nothing to do with it. the age of the fan shouldn’t either but getting older apparently makes fans angry and unwilling to try new things. this show is clearly setting the stage for new not old, as in been there done that. i suspect we will never agree… so let’s see what happens. all right then

Here’s the thing: I enjoy reading the feedback from everyone here. Some people need to vent, others want to share their thoughts and ideas and this provides a forum to do just that. It’s a community of Star Trek fans and that’s what we do. No one has to stay away.

This ^. Thanks Denny C.

You know, I never thought of Trek fans as a whiny miserable bunch. You must know different fans than I do. Passionate? Yes. Miserable? Not really. I think fans can be dissapointed in Discovery without being considered miserable. New isn’t always good, though it can and should be.

No appearances please from them, as it pains me to say it, better to face forward than back.

Wouldn’t mind an odd mention of them here and there

This is an odd argument from a lot of people here. Face forward with the lead from a franchise that hasn’t been utilized in over 20 years? Was TNG just about Picard?

If you’re going to face forward post TNG you don’t resurrect an old character. You do something new in much the same way TNG did after TOS.

Well Denny C, this is an entirely different thing.

Another ensemble show with a new cast and ship, post-Nemisis would respond to many fans.

Ironically, while there have been a lot of voices arguing that it was impossible to do because the tech was too advanced once Voyager returned, the Relaunch novels have been very successful telling stories in the 2380-2386 period.

My personal favourite idea for a late 24th century ship would be the USS Aventine under the command of Captain Ezri Dax.

Dax as a Captain is an interesting character in the novels because she carries the ensemble of past hosts in herself.

And the Aventine, an experimental ship with a slipstream drive would be able to truly explore new worlds and civilizations beyond the reach of previous Trek series…perhaps even a neighbouring galaxy.

I like that idea. Definitely broadens the scope of a Star Trek series.

Someone really needs to get more Star Trek novelists into pitch meetings and writer’s rooms.

Some will definitely be involved but they cannot talk about it! All they will get is small cameos most likely as the focus is all about Picard. Bringing the old gang back means it will feel more like TNG which they will want to avoid as the last 2 movies were poor creatively so no reminders of that.

May get allot of hate but there’s not a character I could care less about knowing more about than Wesley.

Also glad they aren’t just putting this cast in it. This isn’t supposed to be TnG 2.0. That time is over.

But it’s still a series about Picard so why is it OK to have Picard and only Picard? The reaction to all of this has been a bit odd. “We want Picard. Not the rest of the cast. It’s time to move forward.” Moving forward would mean not having Picard at all. Was it always just about Patrick Stewart?

Denny C, as much as we would like to see some of the other characters, we would like to also see them grow and develop in new directions.

Caring about the characters makes it unsustainable to see the entire ensemble continue together indefinitely.

The Relaunch post-Nemisis books do this quite well.

Riker and Troi are on the USS Titan. Worf moves from ambassador back to Enterprise-E as first officer. Data is recovered but evolves and has a life outside Starfleet.

The Picard show is just one of a menu of offerings.

There may be opportunities for other TNG cast to guest star down the road, or for them to guest star in other series as Troi did in Voyager.

Frankly, the suggestion from another site to have Wesley show up as a mature Traveller on Discovery in the 32nd century is one of the best ideas for TNG characters that I’ve seen.

I guess I’m just wondering why it was even necessary to have Picard (other than the obvious: it’s going to pull in viewers). The overall premise of an altered Federation as a result of the destruction of Romulus is a strong enough premise on its own.

Wesley as a Traveller would be fun but I suspect that season 3 will completely remove itself from anything that occurred prior to it since season 3 is essentially a complete reboot of the show’s premise.

Yes it is an odd statement when its said TNG is over and they need to move on and yet bring in the character that represents TNG the most. It would feel just as confusing to some if you suggested people should move on from TOS but then you make Kirk the star of the next vehicle. For some people, its just weird to have him there if we are never expected to see any of his old crew, EVER, especially if we know they are all still around somewhere. I think thats the problem.

Its not that fans can’t move on or accept something new, they been doing that for decades now with each new show, but when you bring in a character that has been part of a crew/show for so long, its simply human nature to want to see that character interact with the others at some point. I mean look at Pike on Discovery. They didn’t have to show him on the Enterprise with Number One at all but they knew ultimately that’s what fans wanted to see so they naturally did it. Which is why I would be completely shocked we never see the same thing happen with this show at some point.

For the record, I probably would’ve preferred a show without Picard and the others completely and just do a post-Nemesis show with new characters. But of course I’m super happy Picard is back and hopefully we will eventually see other familiar faces. No one can blame people for wanting to see other TNG characters no more than you could blame people for wanting to see the characters from Pikes’s Enterprise on Discovery because having Pike himself naturally brings curiosity about the others. Same with Picard.

Hopefully it will happen, but maybe next season if they really aren’t in it first season. It would over shadow all the new characters I guess.

There’s always the possibility of a course correction in season 2 if needed.

I’m looking at Picard as a familiar character that helps viewers make sense of a post-war, post-disaster Federation and nearby political/diplomatic context that isn’t positive, ideal and forward looking.

I don’t think that fans would accept a darker context without the anchor of a character who is seen to represent Federation values, and is perhaps confronting some of the aftermaths of his own past choices as a leader.

You’re probably right and Patrick Stewart has hinted that the series is a reflection of the state of the world today which would make it unavoidably darker in tone. My guess is the plight of refugee Romulans and xenophobia creeping into Federation society as a result.

bring back data

Data died in Nemesis, and I don’t know how I feel about Brent Spiner playing B9 instead…. I’m trying to remember, isn’t a deactivated Lore still lounging around somewhere?

Try the Cold Equations book trilogy by David Mack.

Many Data fans love it.

I and some others have mixed feelings. But I felt that way from the moment he got the emotion chip. Data in the TV series had an innocence that was lost.

When Generations hit theaters it was fun to see Picard and Kirk share the screen together but without Spock and McCoy there was something missing. That bond and dynamic always made the series seem whole. That they are able to launch a series focusing solely on Picard would seem to indicate that dynamic from TOS was a key element missing from TNG and that the show was always about Picard and his journey. He never had a Spock and McCoy, he just had his crew

So, yeah, It will be interesting to see how casual fans of TNG will react to a series lacking everything but Patrick Stewart. Was TNG just about Picard or was it about Picard and the crew of the Enterprise?

Denny C, I find your question and analysis very unexpected.

I guess that you are suggesting that casual fans will be looking for TNG continued. But I would argue that it’s more likely that those who hooked into TNG as kids or teens – those for whom TNG defines Trek – who will have more difficulty, not those who just watched occasionally.

TNG was in many ways more of an ensemble show than TOS. It was always about that ship and ensemble not the arc of any single character.

By design, each of the principal cast had 1-2 episodes focused on them per season, and there were episodes where Picard was mainly offscreen.

There were hubs of relationships that didn’t include the Captain as he held himself a bit aloof and because he was very much a generalist.

e.g. the senior officers’ poker games, Geordi and Data working on science/tech/engineering, Troi and Crusher’s friendship.

And it was that aloofness that was addressed in the series finale All Good Things.

I do agree that it will be interesting to see who Picard will be off the bridge of a large starship and away from the TNG officers. One can understand how Patrick Stewart felt that his character had reached the limits of growth on the Enterprise.

The premise and his new ensemble will need to explore Picard’s character and challenge it in new ways.

I agree. It will establish an interesting dynamic and I’m ready to go along fo the ride.

Where TNG differed from other Star Trek offerings was just how many casual fans of the series there actually were and might actually subscribe just to watch this because it is Picard. TNG had a broader reach and unlike those of us here who have been following developments since the show was announced and have an expectation of what awaits us, the casual fan may be wondering where the heck everyone else is.

I also agree with you about viewers who were teens when the series launched. This was their Star Trek and what they’re going to get isn’t exactly going to be that show. I always believed that TNG would have survived long past Nemesis on screen had Paramount put some space between the end of TNG and the first movie featuring that cast. That sense of anticipation which always surrounded movies featuring the original cast never really materialized for TNG films with so much new Star Trek available at that time.

It’s a bold choice to focus on the lead of the series and, much like the film Logan, it would seem that Kurtzman (and possibly Patrick Stewart himself) believed that’s where the real interest had been all along. Kurtzman’s idea wasn’t “Hey, what if we follow Riker and his crew after the destruction of Romulus” it was “Hey, let’s catch up with Picard after the destruction of Romulus and a band of merry misfits”.

Oooooo… Denny C and TG47….. such a civil exchange. Well done!

Much appreciated! TG47 has a long history of respecting the various perspectives presented here at Trekmovie.

It’s easy to be civil when exchanging views with others who are sincerely interested.

Thanks for the support ST:EXP and thanks for sharing the thought experiments Denny C.

There are lots of Patrick Stewart fans that aren’t even Trek fans since he has a large body of other work through today and a large following on social media.

These people may be interested in the Picard show. They could probably care less about the rest of the TNG crew but us fans definitely want to see the TNG gang together again.

It’s an unusual continuation / revival of a series.

This is all true, but I still really doubt there will be lots of new fans for this show regardless what the intent is. They keep trying to find a way to get new fans on board but end of the day I suspect the overwhelming majority will be the same old Star Trek fans who is watching Discovery now no matter what they do. He may pick of some new fans who liked him as Professor X or something but I’m not holding my breath.

Star Trek has certainly gotten new fans in the past, like ironically, TNG did in the past but I think its harder today when its on less popular sites like AA and people are still skeptical about paying for a streaming service with just 1 or 2 shows they may be interested in. But for hardcore Trek fans, many will pay no problem, especially if it is someone iconic like Picard. But even then the show has to be good to keep them and others still won’t pay like they aren’t paying for Discovery.

Star Trek 2009 managed to do what most thought wasn’t possible: Expand Star Trek beyond it’s traditional base. Unfortunately momentum was stalled with a four year gap between 2009 and Into Darkness (and the backlash to it from hard core Star Trek fans didn’t help, either).

Picard will lure more subscribers but it will probably do little to lure new fans to Star Trek.

Yes the 2009 film certainly got a lot of new fans, unfortunately I don’t think it got them committed to Star Trek as hoped since as you said they waited four years between that and STID (it should’ve been two years tops) and STID scared a lot of them off. And then Beyond crashed and burned and that was that. I’m sure most who watched all the films probably have maybe given Discovery a chance but I still think they are in the vast minority compared to the older fans.

It’s a shame, too because when I went to see Beyond the audience had a lot of fun but promotion of the film was mishandled in the year leading up to it and it was just another movie release that year.

In other All Access news. The Twilight Zone was given a second season:

“Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg’s reimagining of The Twilight Zone is off to an amazing start on CBS All Access, driving the most viewers on its premiere day for an original series to date,” said Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President Original Content at CBS All Access.

This I’d believe. It’s been great so far.

Doctor “Bevery”??? grrrrrrr!!!!

It has to be said that Stewart’s ego (too much storyline creative control) was a big reason why the last 2 TNG movies were not anywhere near as good as they should have been. This same ego now appears to be blocking appearances from the other TNG characters.

PaUl, I understand how Stewart’s desire to take Picard in different places in the movies (dune buggy scene), would give you pause.

However, he seems to be coming from a different place now. His attempts to use his profile to influence social or public causes (e.g. opposing Brexit), have led him to conclude that his best progressive social voice is through Picard’s character.

Patrick Stewart has been pretty clear that his return is based on his realization and belief that Picard offers a model of positive and ethical leadership to our currently difficult times.

If this is his objective, it’s not about ego but about how he as an actor can appropriately make a contribution to social dialogue.

What other characters need to included will depend on what’s needed to serve the story.

And that concept, story treatment wasn’t conceived or written by Stewart. Over 40 pages of a concept document were written before Stewart even sat down with Kurtzman.

This and more.

Why not bring them all back ! It would be good to see them once again. The captain will look like a fish out of water without them. You either have them all back or start the series with a whole new cast. If they were all back then I would watch it with some interest. As for their ages, I couldn’t care less. I get the impression that a number of people are ready to send them to the retirement village !

Why is this a story every few weeks? Can you stop writing about this until something changes? We know they’re not being asked because they keep saying it.

Also, this is the Picard series. Not Next Gen 2.

Boo Hoo!!
We dont need a TNG Reunion show

Also in a way I am glad that they are not appearing if it means they will be killed off in some undignified manner like the original Star Wars characters have been so far. I think while new is good, sometimes the old should also be respected, because without the old the new would not even exist. Sometimes I feel like some producers out there are being overeager to kill off the older characters just because they can.

Agreed, good point. Just waiting for Lando to drop in the next Star Wars outing.

I hear ya’.

This ^

What alphantrion said.

I was the grumpy guy at The Force Awakens and remember thinking, “OK, now that they’ve recycled nearly every beat from the first three movies they’re going to kill Han.”

And down he went.

Once Han was out of the way Luke’s fate was pretty much sealed so, Lando, May the Force Be With You.

There’s a lot o’ speculating that the show is some contrivance to get Picard back in the captain’s chair for one more ‘save the galaxy’ mission….when there’s little talk even suggesting this has any merit at all. Picard is twenty years older, may be dealing with diminished capacity, if B-4 never fully rebooted, he’s probably waiting tables somewhere, Troi may be dead, and no one, anywhere has called this a reunion show. Why is that so hard to accept?

You’ll never know if any of the old crew are involved until it’s leaked or you see them in an episode. There’s NO reason to ever think they’d allow that card to be put out there for the masses on a whim.

If none of the TNG characters are seen in the Picard series, I hope that at least they are (respectfully) mentioned as nice little updates.

We shall see

Question is, will a future Enterprise be referenced or seen cruising by? Arguably, the ship itself was a main character during TOS and TNG, and it might even be argued is the Glue which held those series together. Look what the appearance of E brought to Discovery…

Absolutely agreed, in fact one thing I recognized in Discovery was that they don’t treat the ship as a character as much as the previous ship based shows.

Interesting point alphantrion.

Discovery, as an experimental ship, has so much potential.

But for a show with such a huge budget, it’s really lacking in sets for various spaces.

Perhaps the ship as character is one of the things sacrificed for the serial format with a 13 episode season.

Or, it could be the impact of the show being focused on Burnham…and the ship isn’t her focus or attachment.

All that said, with the ship moving into the 32nd century, perhaps it will become more of a character.

Being the geek that I am I actually cheered when the Enterprise appeared and I said to my wife, “Ya’ know, I really needed that.”

Exactly. Something about when that ship (either bloody A, B, C or D) shows up, speaks ‘home’ to a lot of fans. I remember seeing Generations in the theater – even when the ‘B’ showed up, I was like, “Awww, nice.”

If CBS was my chess board, I would wait for most TNG characters to appear in other seasons or even entire other series 5 to 10 years from now.

If CBS was my chessboard, I’d be worried about a behemoth called Disney + showing up in a couple of months. They’re going to suck all the air out of the room in the streaming world.

Well, I think that’s right. I can’t imagine they haven’t really thought of that. So it’s all about positioning for the inevitable retraction of too many streaming platforms.

It’s going to be a game-changer for a lot of people, that’s for sure. Many (if social media is to be believed) will drop Netflix (just raised prices) and HBO (especially when Game Of Thrones wraps) in favor of Disney +, and both those platforms have a deck more content than CBSAA. Disney will also be cheaper than CBS, and offer a ton more, arguably more popular, content.

You’d think Disney would dominate, but they haven’t used their cable channels that way.

Not quite sure how this will sort out.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Stars Say They Have Not Been Asked To Be In Picard Series

THANK GOD

Why does everyone hate Wil Wheaton and Wesley? Lets be honest. Jake and Nog when they were young were annoying as hell too. They wrote every ‘child’ character that way. It wasn’t until Jake and Nog were older that we really saw their characters get some decent stuff. Wesley would have just been getting good when Wil left the show. Naomi, and the Borg kids were all badly written in those days as well.

The Wesley hate could have had a lot to do with the unrealized dreams of Star Trek fans. There wasn’t a kid who watched Star Trek who didn’t want to BE on Star Trek. Now you’re in your teens or early 20s and here’s this kid doing the very thing you always wanted to do.

But I think it really comes down to a poorly written and not fully realized character. Wil Weaton was a good actor who had to work with what was given him and they did not serve him well those first couple of seasons. He wasn’t just a kid, he was a whiz kid and while there was a way to make that work they never quite made it work.

Fans did not have the same reaction to Jake as they did Wesley and the father / son relationship on DS9 was an element that worked (there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after “The Visitor”, still one of Star Trek’s best episodes).

Our kids are having some of the same issues with Tilly.

Rather than providing an imaginative path for the younger audience to see themselves advancing to the big centre seat, they are wincing and expressing discomfort when she’s on-screen, particularly at the end of season 2.

It felt as if she had grown over the course of season 1 only to be relegated to Guy, the Plucky Comic Relief in season 2.

Totally agree Denny C. Really felt that director Dave Barrett and Kirsten Beyer’s script for Saint of Imperfection really showed her command potential.

But for our kids, there have been so many cringy Tilly moments that she’s become the one character that they say they dislike.

I didn’t hate Wesley like many but found Jake and Nog to be much more well rounded characters used to explore the gap between cultures.

The Picard show is to TNG as “Archie Bunker’s Place” is to “All in the Family.”

Yikes.

Says the guy who hasn’t seen a single frame of the new series. For all any of us know, the Picard show could wind up being the Frasier to TNG’s Cheers.

As long as it’s not “Joey” we should be OK.

I was simply referring to the fact that there were mainly new characters surrounding a single character from a previous series, nothing to to with the quality of the show. Regards, The Guy who Says.

Love TNG AND TOS AND NOW DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY INSPIRED US TO REVISIT VOYAGER WHICH WE ALSO ENJOY. THANK YOU to the artists, writers set crew and actors for all you do, have done or are doing for Star Trek. JF–just saw you in an old Highway to Heaven episode as “lancelot”

p.s. Can I just quickly add that I am really digging Gates McFadden’s silver locks?

I’m glad someone mentioned that. Absolutely digging it.

Okay but can we talk about how beautifully all of the movie have aged??

Oh I’m sure at least one of them will be on the show in the first or second seasons. They’re looking quite fit, which is a requirement to fit on the screen. And if Wesley shaves off that beard he’ll look ten years younger.

Maybe no appearances from original cast members in the 1st season….but following seasons…yes.
Would love to see who now has The Enterprise. Or finally we can get the husband and wife duo ( The Rikers) on The USS Titan…perhaps aiding picard.
They should establish the new characters first and later bring in Picard ‘s old crew

Well, if they haven’t been contacted by now then it’s probably not going to happen. Unless someone is lying. Which is also possible.

There isn’t enough space on Discovery’s bridge except for Picard as season 3 captain… ;)
I see strong hints for that especially from Jonathan Frakes: He says he does episodes 3 and 4 of “Picard” and 3 and a “later” one of Discovery -> 4? Could they be the same? The known cast of Picard could be the crew of the ship Jean-Luc arrives in. During the travel to the 33rd century a malfunction may occur, sending them to the end of the end of the 24th century. The production location may be a spoof to distract people what’s really going on.
If you think about it in a logical way, it would make sense. Patrick Stewart is now in an age where he doesn’t want to play in many seasons. He may have agreed to one. And I think they are concentrating on Discovery and don’t want to have several parallel projects. That did no good for Star Wars and only worked for Marvel.

The Picard show is currently in production. Discovery will only begin production of its 3rd season in July or so. Most likely, it’s a complete coincidence that Frakes does episode #3 of both shows.
I don’t remember if it was Patrick Stewart himself or one of the producers of the show but they said that they already had some ideas for 3 possible seasons of the Picard show. So if it’s successful enough they don’t see it as a one-off.