AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => TV series => Topic started by: Barry on July 15, 2026, 03:47:52 PM
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Star Trek: The Next Generation the Complete Series looks and sounds great on the Blu-Ray discs. The images and sound are so much better than those on TV, cable aorstreaming. The colors are more vibrant and the details are far sharper. The sound is wonderful. You feel as if you are in the Enterprise, with the engine’s Humm all around you. Paramount spent 18 million dollars improving this and the Original series. They stopped here, not doing Deep Space Nine or Voyager because streaming cut the sales of discs.
Paramount restored the original film of the live action. On tape they totally redid the special effects and then combined the two.
Star Trek TNG had a history that would not be repeated today. After the success of its movies and syndication of the final series, Paramount wanted to get back into the game with a new series. But NBC and ABC would only pay for a pilot, Fox would pay for only a 13-episode run and CBS would produce a mini-series. But this would be an expensive show to produce and the networks would only give $800,000 an episode.
So Paramount, successful with the syndication of the original series offered those stations airing the original series a syndicated deal. This meant that Paramount would get 7 minutes of national commercials, which at first, gave them $1,000,000 an episode and give the local stations about 5 minutes in the show but about 10 minutes if you include the station breaks. (The show ran about 44 minutes) They started with 150 stations and ended with 262.
Another thing NOT discussed. In syndication, Paramount paid only 40% of residuals to their actors versus what SAG members got for Network shows.
The first season was a mixed bag, with the characters not really given “assigned” seats. There were a handful of really good episodes and some bad ones. One was so bad, episode 4, “Code of Honor” that it was removed from syndication. It was sexist and racist. And just terrible. But it is on the discs.
The second season improves but has a few drawbacks. The good doctor, Gates Macfadden, is replaced by Diana Mulgrew, who has no chemistry with any of the cast. Gates will come back next season. Most important, Whoopi Goldberg joins the fold and she is terrific.
In an example of the bonuses on discs, “The Measure of a Man” is a great episode about whether Data is just a machine of a thinking entity. The broadcast episode is here. But they added director’s cut and an editor’s cut. And Q visits and introduces the crew to the Borg.
Next Gen really takes off with season three. The characters are now well-defined and in place.
There are hours and hours of bonus features, interviews with the cast and crew, history of Star Trek, just lots of stuff.
Honestly, if you liked this series, these blu-rays are essential. The picture is terrific the sound is terrific so much better than broadcast TV.And most of the stories are great too.
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Totally agree Barry. Season One is rough to get through but as the cast begins to bond it just gets better and better. We've watched the show twice all the way through and enjoyed it both times immensely.
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I'm in the minority, but I much preferred Diana Muldaur's Dr. Pulaski over McFadden's Dr. Crusher. Pulaski added some much-needed friction to the show, whereas Crusher felt flat and bland. Wallpaper. Plus, there was the Wessley baggage that she was saddled with.
As a bonus, Muldaur's history goes back to the original series, where she was in two different episodes as two different characters: Ann Mulhal in Return to Tomorrow and Dr. Miranda Jones in Is There in Truth No Beauty?
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Never been a Star Trek fan. Star Wars for me ;)