Our friends at VoicesFromKrypton have an audio clip from a 1987 John DeLancie (Q) interview discussing the differences between the new Star Trek and the original. DeLancie said that when they were shooting the pilot there was no mention of the Original Series and that he felt that Patrick Stewart brought a ‘weight’ to TNG that the Original did not have. (Listen to the rest at VOK)
EW TNG Top 10
In honor of the anniversary Entertainment Weekly have put up a special feature counting down their top 10 Next Gen episodes complete with episode summaries, critques and trivia. It is a pretty good list and (as they point out) does not include any Holodeck malfunctions, but does include a few episodes with the aforementioned Q.
The EW Countdown List
10. CHAIN OF COMMAND
9. THE FIRST DUTY
8. FIRST CONTACT
7. SINS OF THE FATHER
6. THE MEASURE OF A MAN
5. ALL GOOD THINGS…
4. TAPESTRY
3. THE INNER LIGHT
2. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, PARTS I AND II
1. YESTERDAY’S ENTERPRISE
VOTE: Best of TNG?
Which one of EW’s top 5 do you think is the best. Vote in the new poll (right column)
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frist! i mean tirfs! er… sirft!
oh forget it.
Yep, That’s a pretty definitive list. I think I’ll watch those over the next couple of weeks.
Yeah, “a weight” that’s why the current movie is back to the original. TNG never replicated the impact of Star Trek. In 40 years no one will care about this show. It had some great episodes, but he cultural impact is a media creation.
Stewart brought more “weight” to the show that the other lacked.
Hoooo-kaaaayyyy….
IMO, they both had pretty much the same “weight” as each other. It’s VOY and ENT that lacked any type of “weight”.
I like TNG. TNG is a friend of mine. Mr Q, TNG is no TOS!
#3 Ditto your comments.
Let’s not hijack this thread with yet another useless TOS versus TNG bashing. Both were great examples of Trek and both had their glorious and dreadful moments.
About the top-ten list – I totally agree with the top three – they are also my three favourites. The others are good eps too, but I would take out Chain Of Command, First Duty, First Contact, and Tapestry; and replace them with:
– The Wounded (about the renegade Captain who goes “Cardy-bashing” in a Nebula-Class starship).
– Parallels (about Worf shifting between alternate realities and encountering ever-different Enterprises – this ep is the natural extension of the whole “Mirror Universe” concept”. I wish they, or later ST series’, had used the concept more often and visited other “mirrors” besides the Terran Empire version).
– The Neutral Zone (a nice introduction of the Romulans to the TNG series and a preliminary to the Borg story arcs)
– The Chase (very nice genetic puzzle story with lots of action and a very clever way of explaining why so many of the intelligent races in the galaxy look similar).
I agree that’s a decent top 10; however, I would substitute “Darmok” where “First Contact” is and “Unification” or “Family” instead of “First Duty”.
Darmok has a lot of the same themes as “First Contact” but conveys them in a much more exciting/interesting manner. “First Duty” never really did it for me.
Re 6:
Hear, hear. For whatever reasons many of us Trek fans are big prima donnas, always looking for any excuse to get our undies in a bunch. Back when TNG first began, people wanted to know what ways the new show would be the same/would be different from TOS. DeLancie gave them his opinion, and let’s be honest–Stewart did bring some serious acting chops to the show, of a different sort than TOS had (not to knock any of TOS cast). I doubt TNG would have worked as well without Stewart.
I have to say… Yesterday’s Enterprise was amazing, stellar, fantastic and belongs on any top 10 TNG list.
But for me, NOTHING will ever beat the cliffhanger on BOBW Part 1. I have never stood up and yelled at the TV in outrage, anguish and sheer, utter, goosebumpy delight like I did the day that episode aired and the words “to be continued” appeared on the screen.
BOBW is THE gold standard and tops on my list. Can’t argue with any of the eps on this list. They’re all classics!
9- Totally agree, BUT what about “Q Who,” the Borg debut? (rhyme unintentional.) THAT ep. personified and epitomized the Borg like no other- and it had Q.
Ahhh.. gimme DS9 any day.
For me, it’s gotta be Best of Both Worlds. I mean, that cliffhanger revitalised the use of end-of-season cliffhangers in TV *everywhere*!! Actually, now I think about it, it’s not a totally bad idea to help judge episodes by seeing how many classic lines you remember…let’s see…”Mr Worf…Fire!!”, “There are FOUR lights!”, “Five card stud, nothing wild. And the sky’s the limit…”. And who can forget prune juice being a “Warrior’s drink”?! Wow…I could go on and on… but yeah, definitely a good list at the very list of “TNG eps to see before you die” :)
I miss New Coke :(
I would put Q Who on that list.
Not a bad top-ten list from EW, surprisingly. (Unlike their ridiculous science fiction movie top ten.)
As Rasterman said, I’d also push “Unification” and “Family” into the ST-TNG list.
All the good episodes are on that list. And that’s really sad. While there are some very strong episodes here, showcasing the series’ potential, there are literally a hundred more out there that boil down to nothing but hours and hours and hours of well crafted, paint by numbers mediocrity.
most of those episodes are already on my list, how about
Brothers
family
skin of evil
the arsenal of freedom
starship mine
night terrors
powerplay
conundrum
the high ground
the defector
the nutral zone
conspiracy
the child
the schizoid man
unification
thine own self
the game
where silence has lease
where no one has gone before
the naked now
silicon avatar
the nth degree
who watches the watchers
the survivors
relics
the chase
ship in a bottle
elementery , dear data
booby trap
and all the Q episodes except the one where it’s about robin hood..
and yeah I went over 10 but I don’t care
Nooooooo!
The TNG-bashers have returned! Will horrors never cease?
Ah well. Yeah, I think that list does a good job of selecting the best TNG eps, though there are literally dozens more that could be considered as well. Say what you want about TNG, but from season 3 on, it did maintain a pretty consistent quality level.
Happy 20th!
I think Patrick Stewart was a big reason for the success of TNG, and by that I mean becoming a series that non Trekkies watched every week. It was the most successful Trek show in terms of ratings on television, was it not? I think people thought, wow, here’s this powerful compelling British Shakespearean actor doing Star Trek, he made them watch. There were loads of powerful moments and moral issues that he carried with such conviction and style. He owned scenes, he made people wish they were like him.
To 3.
Sorry that you see it that way. I just hope fans in the future will be open to new things.
TNG is how Roddenberry wanted TREK to be.
It will last as long as TREK will last, as it is a part of the franchise, as are DS9, VOY, ENT and of course TOS.
It is sad to see close minded people who want to hurt other fans.
i think we have to put this all into context. In 1987 I can see why Delancie would think that Patrick (I, Claudius) Stewart had more weight than William (TJ Hooker) Shatner.
and Storma
although I agree with others that the silly ‘my trek is better than yours’ stuff is not cool, you are quite the pot calling the kettle black as you seem to have nothing nice to say about TOS and have been the most close minded person here about the new movie.
some of us are open minded enough to like them both, like the TNG movies and look forward to the new movie.
and for the record….Inner Light was the best TNG episode by far. If you were going to show a TNG episode to someone who is a fan of drama, but not really a big trek fan…that would be it
RandyYeoman is smart. She (or he, sorry) said something smart. I like TNG. It made me think. Thinkings good. It makes you smart.
#15
I agree TNG only had a handful of truly GREAT episodes, but there were still tons and tons of really good ones over the years.
Eps like Booby Trap, Ship in a Bottle, or The Nth Degree will never be considered classics, but they were still damn entertaining.
“6. cugel the clever – September 20, 2007
Let’s not hijack this thread with yet another useless TOS versus TNG bashing. Both were great examples of Trek and both had their glorious and dreadful moments.”
I think that is the point. Both DIDN’T have the same impact. TOS has lasted 40 years. They aren’t re-doing TNG special effects. They are doing TOS. TNG had some decent episodes, but to suggest it has the impact “Star Trek” (TOS) is simply not the case. Not even close. And considering TOS had only three seasons, that is even more testimony to its impact.
IT’s fine to like one or the other more, as to each their own. But there is no debate. TOS has had way more impact that TNG. No question.
TOS…TNG…DS9…VOY…ENT…
They all have great episodes!
Hey… TNG-bashers….Remember…IDIC!
I’d like to add, I like Battlestar Galactica more than both (combines) but it too doesn’t have nearly the same inpact. My point being, just because TNG didn’t have the same impact, doesn’t mean it’s fans should enjoy it any less.
#23. “Both DIDN’T have the same impact. TOS has lasted 40 years. They aren’t re-doing TNG special effects. They are doing TOS.”
I think you may be eating those words in the coming months. TNG may well be next on the list for HD facelift and new effects.
I’m gonna be confrontational here by saying that, yes… “Inner Light” was one of the greatest TNG episodes ever. Mostly because it didn’t even deal with the regular characters… Which, on the whole, and in my opinion, were often boring.
There, I said it.
But, with that out there… I have to say that I did enjoy most of TNG… but after a couple of viewings, the joy is gone and it all melds into a blur of cranberry and tan… I have much more enjoyment watching reruns of TOS.
Now you know. :)
“I think you may be eating those words in the coming months. TNG may well be next on the list for HD facelift and new effects. ”
It wouldn’t change anthing since they chose TOS first, for a reason. The impact it has had. Oh, and Shatner’s had Shakespearan background too.
Again, if you like TNG better, there is no reason for you NOT to continue to.
Bigger impact does not equal personal favourite.
Well…so much for not hijacking the thread! I expect the BBKers will be here any minute now…
Of course TOS has had more impact. Good for it. Stop being so defensive, TOS purist people! You’re always so worried that you’re going to lose Trek. You’ll always have TOS’s legacy, so take a chill pill and relax.
At least…until you see what changes are in store for Trek XI! ;-)
Daren, you are doing a lousy job of lobbying for that lucrative TNG remastered gig.
But hey, we like what we like. One man’s cranberry and tan is another man’s crimson and beaver.
Down Harry.
“Of course TOS has had more impact. ”
Well they made a movie series. It’s part of culture, just like Columbo is part of pop culture. How many folks that aren’t Trek fans would ever watch it though? This is where I think TNG crossed that barrier.
oh boy do tng v tos debates bore me
I cant really argue much about the EW list, but maybe the order. I think Tapestry is my fave…or maybe inner light
I think I might watch all the above episodes over the next month for old time’s sake.
Another vote for Conspiracy
“Of course TOS has had more impact. Good for it. Stop being so defensive, TOS purist people! ”
Actually it is the TNG people being defensive about the fact TOS had more impact. They seem to take it as an insult that TOS had bigger impact. IT’s not an insult. It’s a matter of fact. TOS spawned it all and forty years later we’re still talking about TOS. TNG I hardly ever hear about. I still hear references to TOS. It’s apart of pop culture, whereas TNG was just a good science fiction show in the 80’s and 90’s.
“Actually it is the TNG people being defensive about the fact TOS had more impact. ”
Who’s doing that? Give it up with these shadow enemies you’ve created to justify your actions, ross! You’re obviously very insecure. But there’s no need to be here…we’re all fans of Trek!
TOS is classic. TNG is great. Less defensive is good.
This discussion is not smart. People arguing makes me sad. Star Trek is good. Being nice is good. Good people are smart.
That ep is not one of my faves, but I like to throw it in to grind arguments down to a halt.
Every now and then, you need a bad episode to remind people just how good the good episodes are. ;-)
drumhead and contagion
“… it all melds into a blur of cranberry and tan ..”
Hilarious!
I wouldn’t have put First Contact, nor The First Duty on there. The Offspring would be a good pick and so would The Drumhead
Hmmm….
#1 – Inner Light
#2 – BOBW part 1 (for shear impact)
#3 – Yesterday’s Enterprise (that’s the episode that really declared TNG had come into its own as a series)
#4 – All Good Things (best series finale for a Trek series…heck, any series I can think of! If you don’t like it, just be glad they didn’t cut to black “Sopranos” style)
#5 – Chain of Command – seeing Picard trying to hold up under torture was amazing–you see his frailty and his courage at the same time
And some wince inducing acting to.
Re 42: Rubbish, you coward! You must have gotten this episode confused with the T.J. Hooker episode, “The Confession.”
“The Big Goodbye” may not be in the top 10 but it was a good episode. Holodeck malfunctions became a cliche, but this was the first one, not counting TAS’s “The Practical Joker”, although one could also cite TOS’s “Shore Leave” as being essentially a holodeck story with only a different sci-fi conceit. OK, so maybe it was already well on its way to cliche status.
TNG will have had the same inpact to the 9 year olds that watched it, as TOS did to us when we watched it as 9 year olds. TNG still feels like it’s barely ended, far too soon to try and view its impact.
“Who’s doing that? Give it up with these shadow enemies you’ve created to justify your actions, ross! You’re obviously very insecure. ”
And you’re calling ME insecure? Look at your over the top reaction. It’s like Shatner’s acting.
The sooner you admit you’r wrong, the better off we’ll all be.
“But there’s no need to be here…we’re all fans of Trek!”
Then why are you saying I shouldn’t be here? You’re contradicting yourself.
Q Who was really good; though I understand why some like BOBW better. I like Hide and Q also. And Devil’s Due, the Phase II episode.
I agree with #42 – I thought Stewart was the best thing on TNG and he was (and is) tons of fun to watch, but he gave some performances as Picard that were as over the top and campy as anything on the original series. To wit:
Chain of Command: “THERE ARE … FOUR LIGHTS”
Sarek: “BEDLAM! BED-AH-LAAMMMM!!!!!”
Star Trek – First Contact: “The line must be drawn HEE-YAH! This far … no farther! *EYE* will make them PAY for what they’ve done!”
Stewart could chew scenery and play it as big as any other captain of the Enterprise.
And regarding this becoming a TOS vs. TNG thread – the article quotes DeLancie saying “… Patrick Stewart brought a ‘weight’ to TNG that the Original did not have” so, really, what else could one realistically expect people to talk about? Its like expecting people to ignore the pink elephant you put in your living room.
“This discussion is not smart. People arguing makes me sad. Star Trek is good. Being nice is good. Good people are smart”
Unfortunately some in the TNG “crowd” take it as an insult that TOS had a bigger impact on pop culture. Whichever one you prefer is a matter of taste. For me, I like BG. But I can admit it has NO where the impact TOS had and never will.
But people are confusing personal taste with bigger impact.
Those who love TNG should continue to love TNG. The fact it didn’t have the same pop culture impact as TOS, shouldn’t be personal to you. If it does, then you take what is suppose to be entertainment, tooo seriously. Especially you, Sleeper Agent X. Take a pill and stop resorting to name calling
TNG may be less remembered than TOS in the coming years (although I personally doubt it), but I must say TNG certainly seems less a cartoon than TOS was, which is why I tolerate it now more than the old show.