USS Dauntless NX-01A, USS Prometheus or Enterprise-A in Star Trek IV. I basically love anything bright white. I don't understand the in-universe logic of making everything drab grey and switching all the lights off whenever anything interesting happens.
The bridge TMP - TSFS. It was a great design. I also thought the E-D bridge in Generations looked fantastic. I liked the Defiant and Excelsior bridges as well. I was never fond of the bridge in TFF or TUC. I also never cared for the E-E bridge - too much neon lighting.
Nope. There were a number of standing-only stations without chairs on the TMP bridge. And no exit in the event both break.
In order: TFF, Enterprise - B, Excelsior from TUC, Enterprise from TUC, TMP. I never could quite bring myself to like the bridge setup on the E.
There are many designs I like, couldn't just pick one: Enterprise-A (TUC) Enterprise-B (GEN) Enterprise-D (GEN and also the one for "Parallels" when Worf was XO) Saratoga (DS9 "Emissary") Defiant (DS9)
Most of them work well for me, the basic layout Matt Jeffries came up with is strong enough to stand most variations. I'm currently watching TOS in HD for the first time, and it keeps striking me how good the bridge looks. Whilst it never seems like anything other than a 60's TV set it's a bloody good one. Bar the tendency for it to be a bit too obvious that the computer screens on the rear walls are slightly wrinkly pieces of paper with drawings on it's pretty much awesome on toast.
Actually, I think in Mr. Scott's guide to the Enterprise and on some of the other ship plans it shows a access hatch in front of the viewscreen that can be used in a emergency. I like the refit Enterprise bridge since it was the first on screen starfleet ship with seats firmly attached to the deck so they would not fly around in a emergency like on the original Enterprise set. The NX-01 and the Kelvin bridges were also nice layouts IMO.
My all-time favorite bridge design is the Enterprise-A bridge from TFF, though I know I'm in a small minority on that one. I find it combines the practicality and functionality of the TOS and TMP bridges with the elegance and style of the TNG bridge. I'm also particularly fond of the Defiant bridge from DS9.
I really liked Mr. Probert's Enterprise D bridge the most. It highlighted an era where technology had reached such a level that simplicity and aesthetics could take precedence over clunkiness and flashiness. (a design aesthetic sadly discarded for the Enterprise E a decade later) My only differentiation with Mr. Probert is that I personally like the Generations version better. Unconstrained by a TV budget, they could show more people working on the bridge which I felt was more in line with the size and complexity of the ship. I'm also fond of the TMP bridge because of it's functionality. I thought the TOS sound effects in the DE GREATLY enhanced that room. The single man helm console on the NX1 is downright silly. For that era, there should be at least 2-3 people navigating and managing the ship. The Enterprise E rail controls are also 200 years out of place. Unfortunately, chronological design lineage disappears from Trek after TNG. Only Voyager and Defiant are logical progressions from the Galaxy/Nebula class ships inside and out. Enterprise E's bridge has lots of TOS movie details, while the NX1 bridge has lots of Enterprise E and Voyager details. !?!
Why? I'm pretty sure we've got submarines that can be helmed by a single person, so why not a spaceship?
That's hard to nail down. I just watched TUC last night on bluray for the first time (they completely omitted Colonel West, what the frak?) But I would have to say that was my favorite bridge of the TOS movies. The colors were darker, but still vibrant and dramatic. And the color scheme played off of the uniforms well. And there was enough going on with the design that it looked intricate and functional. The early TOS movie bridges had all of like 9 buttons on each station. It just looked cheesy to me. And the color schemes from TMP and TWOK often put me to sleep. And as much as I loved the apple store that was ST09, my luck I'd catch some bad glare from the lighting and plow the ship into a planet or some such. Honorable mention does have to go to the Ent E bridge. That was the best of all of the 24th century bridges by far. (A lot of people seem to like the D. While I don't dislike it necessarily, it wasn't very functional and that much beige makes me wonder what kind of muzak should be playing in the background while I am waiting for my doctor's appointment.) But the E was dark and dramatic and had so many nooks and crannies where, had this been the set during the series, so many more intimate dramatic moments between the characters could have taken place. You saw that a lot in Ops on DS9. Our whole cast could be in Ops but two people could have a great conversation or moment on screen, and it seems like they're alone because the set if so detailed and varied. I feel like the E bridge had that potential.