Star Trek was one of the most successful franchises in television history and in 1987 a new set of explorers made their debut on TV sets all over North America. Star Trek: The Next Generation was set in the 24th century almost 100 years after the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Jean-Luc Picard, played by Shakesperian actor Patrick Stewart took command of the Enterprise 1701-D, and with his trademark phrases "Make it so" and "Engage," he and his crew went where no one had gone before.
The first season of the series began with some strong episodes. "Where No One Has Gone Before" sees the Enterprise crew travel millions of light years beyond their own galaxy to a place where their thoughts become reality. In "Skin Of Evil" Riker, (Jonathan Frakes) Data, (Brent Spiner) and Geordi (LeVar Burton) try to rescue Troi (Marina Sirtis) from a downed shuttle but a malevolent entity gets in their way and kills Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby). In the spooky episode "Conspiracy," Picard discovers that parasitic aliens have invaded Starfleet headquarters on Earth.
Season 2 kept fans of the show entertained with "The Measure Of A Man." Data is brought before a trial to determine if he is a person, or the property of Starfleet. This episode was voted as one of the best of the second season because it explores interpersonal and philosophical issues, and the opposing arguments of Riker and Picard are equally compelling as they each demonstrate Data's value as a machine, as well as a sentient form of life. The Enterprise faces a new threat when the omnipotent Q (John de Lancie) makes a surprise visit and pushes the crew far away to an unknown area of space called J25. Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) urges Picard to go back to Federation territory immediately, but instead he decides to explore a little further. Contact is made with a race of aliens called the Borg, and the Enterprise crew desperately try to fight them off as they begin to attack without provocation. 18 crew members are lost, and Q reinforces the point that Picard and his crew are not really prepared for the dangers of space travel. This superb episode ends with an ominous realization that the Borg now knows of the existence of the Federation, and will be coming in greater numbers.
The third, and probably the most exciting season of TNG included more appearances by the Romulans, in episodes like "The Enemy" and "The Defector." Relations between this hostile race and the Federation have never been easy but the Romulans show a more gentle, reasonable side to their character in these two instalments. Q makes another appearance in "Deja Q" and this time has been stripped of his powers, and also asks the Enterprise crew for protection from a race of gaseous aliens. In "Yesterday's Enterprise," a rift in the fabric of space brings the Enterprise C 22 years into the future and changes the timeline. In the alternate reality the Klingons and the Federation are at war, and Tasha Yar is still alive. Only Guinan can sense that something is terribly wrong and her heightened perception is the key to restoring the timeline. At the end of the third season the Borg finally arrive in Federation territory and kidnap Captain Picard. In this riveting double episode called "The Best of Both Worlds," Picard is physically transformed into a Borg drone and is given the name Locutus. Under his command, the Borg ship totally destroy a Starfleet offensive at Wolf 359, and it is up to Cmdr. Riker to get Picard back and stop the Borg.
Season 4 continued to produce some exciting episodes, among them "The Nth Degree," where a normally shy crewman named Barclay (Dwight Schultz) is transformed by an alien probe into a super genius. A political crisis looms large in "The Drumhead," when a fanatical Starfleet admiral begins a hunt for traitors on board the Enterprise. Capt. Picard and the crew begin to lose their sanity in "Night Terrors" when they are caught in a rift in space and at the same time experience frightening hallucinations.
Other memorable episodes in the TNG series are "Darmok," "The Inner Light," "Unification," (a double episode featuring Leonard Nimoy as Spock) and "Tapestry."
