If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done differently?

[Praetor]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

See, regarding them being 'perfect,' I think it would have been a much more logical approach for the writers to take to say that people were not perfect per se, but rather human sensibilities had evolved to the point where a person's internal honor system would more often than not override negative impulses - but the negative impulses would still sometimes occur, and sometimes be succumbed to.

 

[Will]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

See, regarding them being 'perfect,' I think it would have been a much more logical approach for the writers to take to say that people were not perfect per se, but rather human sensibilities had evolved to the point where a person's internal honor system would more often than not override negative impulses - but the negative impulses would still sometimes occur, and sometimes be succumbed to.

Where were your evolved sensibilities then?

I do think that humans in Star Trek more often than not have their negative impulses overridden by their internal honor system, but on occasion base human nature comes out. This is clear in First Contact. The internal honor system seems to have been strongest early in TNG, probably when Roddenberry was still alive (Q offering Riker powers, Wesley's "I'm with Starfleet-we don't lie" line in the episode "Justice," etc). As TNG progressed, they got further away from the happy, paradaisical existence of TOS.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

I don't agree with the ideas of making the Enterprise a deep space exploration ship. She's the flagship of the fleet, not a science vessel. She's supposed to ferry VIPs around and remain enmeshed in interstellar conflicts. Despite the "explore new worlds" motto, I think that exploration is really her secondary function.

I do wish was the following:

1. As much as I like Riker, he should have moved on after the fifth season. It was simply not credible for a man of his talents to remain a First Officer for longer than that, I don't care what explanations they gave for it during the show.

2. I wish seasons six and seven were quite simply...better. A few more story arcs would have helped, preferably centering on galactic intrigue and war.

 

[DarKush]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Forgive me, but I'm going to steal a couple of you guys suggestions:

-Data being created by an unknown alien species. I think that would've been an awesome rationale for him to take up exploration, in part to find his creators.

-Troi being a civilian, First Contact specialist.

-Yar as Ops Officer.

-I also like the idea of switching Riker and Troi's genders. I think that would've been sweet and groundbreaking to have a female Kirkesque character.

Some other ideas I would've liked to have seen:

-Wesley Crusher. He would've been older, and fresh out of the Academy. Picard has taken an interest in his career, partly out of guilt for Jack's death, but also because of his conflicted feelings for Dr. Crusher. Wes, on the other hand, has conflicted feelings about Picard. Deep down he sees him as a father-figure, but at the same time resents him for Jack's death. So, he's a bit rebellious and a player. Wes is talented, but has a lot of growing up to do.

-If Yar had remained at Security/Tactical, she would've gone missing during the "Neutral Zone" episode. In that ep, the Romulans attack the Federation in response to 'their' attack on Romulan planets. Eventually Picard is able to avert war with the Romulans by proving it was not them, but by that time Yar has been lost.

-"Best of Both Worlds" would've been a three-part episode, with the middle part focusing on Wolf 359, and the last part focusing on the Borg attack on Earth.

-"Sela" is the Romulan identity of a brainwashed Yar.

-The Romulans would not have ridges. They would still look like Vulcans, with smooth foreheads.

-Brought back the "Conspiracy" aliens at some point, but not tied them to the Borg. Also would've brought back the "Schism" aliens.

-Would've featured more TOS aliens-like the Tellarites, Orions, and Andorians. Perhaps as background characters.

-Geordi would be the Chief Engineer from jump. He would also be a bit more successful with the ladies. Might've even had him married, because there weren't any married senior officers on the Ent-D. Could've been an interesting angle for the writers to pursue.

-Over the course of the series, particularly after "Attached", Picard and Crusher would grow closer.

 

[Anika Hanson]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Nothing-except get Crusher and Picard together by the end of the show.

 

[Tachyon]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Nothing-except get Crusher and Picard together by the end of the show.

Seconded!

The prodigy child thing with Wesley would have also flown out of the window, kif I had been the creator of TNG. As well as him becoming a traveller. The only thing more stupid than that were Janeway's lizard babies with Tom Paris.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Miniskirts!

 

[RAMA]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

A few changes:

1. Definitely like the exploration angle everyone is mentioning.

2. No Wesley Crusher. He had his moments, but in general I prefer shows without kids in them.

3. No Denise Crosby, bad actress.

4. - Keep Data's original background as a product of an alien, highly-advanced civilization. A recurring story arc could be Data's search for his creators (that's why he joined Starfleet in the first place: to get on a deep space exploration vessel). Yeah I never thought of that, because I loved "Datalore", but that would have been cool.

- I would also try to keep more story arcs in the series. For example, the alien parasites from "Conspiracy" were orignally supposed to be send by the Borg. And "The Neutral Zone" was supposed to lead to the first contact with a Borg ship. Maybe the "Conspiracy" parasites could be machines instead of creatures. Then we would have a story arc that spans from "Coming of Age", "Conspiracy", "The Neutral Zone" to the Season 2 premiere (first contact with the Borg).

I don't know, I think its hip to have an arc in every show now. They're not really necessary, however, TNG wound up with several arcs that were enjoyable. Q had an arc. Lore had one. Data. The great Klingon civil war saga and recovery was a favorite of mine and of course the Borg.

 

[RAMA]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

See, regarding them being 'perfect,' I think it would have been a much more logical approach for the writers to take to say that people were not perfect per se, but rather human sensibilities had evolved to the point where a person's internal honor system would more often than not override negative impulses - but the negative impulses would still sometimes occur, and sometimes be succumbed to.

No one said they were "perfect". By making them more evolved culturally and socially it accomplishes two things: The basic idea of a change of future attitudes which we might expect makes a different time period more believable. In most cases SF looks at this as dystopian in order to convey its messages, ST/STNG through its characters and attitudes does not, and its an equally vaild viewpoint. The other is that it allows them to tell stories that are different from seeing characters drag each other through the mud each week like BSG and view situations from a different POV, which obviously not all viewers today have...as evidenced by people saying the STNG era characters are too perfect.

 

[Praetor]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

See, regarding them being 'perfect,' I think it would have been a much more logical approach for the writers to take to say that people were not perfect per se, but rather human sensibilities had evolved to the point where a person's internal honor system would more often than not override negative impulses - but the negative impulses would still sometimes occur, and sometimes be succumbed to.

No one said they were "perfect". By making them more evolved culturally and socially it accomplishes two things: The basic idea of a change of future attitudes which we might expect makes a different time period more believable. In most cases SF looks at this as dystopian in order to convey its messages, ST/STNG through its characters and attitudes does not, and its an equally vaild viewpoint. The other is that it allows them to tell stories that are different from seeing characters drag each other through the mud each week like BSG and view situations from a different POV, which obviously not all viewers today have...as evidenced by people saying the STNG era characters are too perfect.

I actually wasn't trying to make them BSG characters... furthest thing from it. (I don't like BSG because of how nihilistic it is.) I'm for the TNG crew being 'evolved' I just object to the idea of people thinking they are 'perfect,' or writing them that way, not only for the sake of drama (dull situations because they can't make mistakes, or perhaps more to the point, the writers not understanding the idea and thus not understanding how to write for them?) but also because I find the very notion of a completely perfect human laughable.

That said, I do believe we human beings can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and aspire to be perfect, and even if we never reach the 'pinnacle' so to speak we can improve ourselves.

Star Trek is about optimism after all.

 

[Mirror_Barclay]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

I'd change a few characters substantially.

Riker never worked for me - maybe put Troi as XO, as a few others have suggested. But I don't find the Counselor concept that interesting - I'd probably have just dropped Riker entirely.

Wesley - needed dramatic change. Less saving the ship single-handed; more contributing to saving the ship now and then.

Maybe try to keep Yar longer.

I would have had more of interesting secondary characters like Barclay, O'Brien and Ro.

 

[trevanian]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Yeah, I've never got the love for Jellico. I mean he was a pompous hardass (and not the fun Red Forman type.) Picard was strict but not a jerk. Jellico in no way stacks up to Jean-Luc in my mind, but Shelby could have been a good new first officer. No Will Riker, but still good.

And I ONLY have love for Jellico, since Picard strikes me as the most pompous human in TREK, outside of maybe the Richard Kiley character on ds9, or Ira Graves.

If Picard had actually developed from his Q WHO experience (when he is literally AND figuratively getting hot chocolate spilled on him throughout), he could really have been something.

 

[Praetor]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Yeah, I've never got the love for Jellico. I mean he was a pompous hardass (and not the fun Red Forman type.) Picard was strict but not a jerk. Jellico in no way stacks up to Jean-Luc in my mind, but Shelby could have been a good new first officer. No Will Riker, but still good.

And I ONLY have love for Jellico, since Picard strikes me as the most pompous human in TREK, outside of maybe the Richard Kiley character on ds9, or Ira Graves.

If Picard had actually developed from his Q WHO experience (when he is literally AND figuratively getting hot chocolate spilled on him throughout), he could really have been something.

Really? I guess I can see where you're coming from. IDIC.

 

[Epsilon IX]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

For my part I can't really think of anything else that hasn't already been brought up here. I would go for: Wesley not being so much a boy genius (although still brighter than average), and older to begin with (a midshipman perhaps), and not becoming a Timelord. Geordi would have been engineer right from the beginning instead of having a new engineer of the week EVERY episode of Season I. Yar getting a transfer off the ship instead of being killed like a redshirt, but this is actually a cover for highly secret work she's doing for Starfleet Intelligence (or Section 31 perhaps) and Sela turns out to be Tascha who has been brainwashed and led to believe that Tascha Yar was merely a cover identity (like Iliana Ghemor and Kira Nerys). Also appearances by TOS races more often, such as Andorians and Tellerites plus some of those background aliens we saw in TMP (I don't know about Gorn considering make-up techniques in that period). The TNG universe and its characters not quite so 'perfect', therefore making it that bit more interesting. Perhaps the Klingon Civil War going on for 1 season, therefore making it into a story arc. But above all, having a follow-up to the episode "Conspiracy", and having these aliens as re-occuring villains for the TNG crew!

 

[Praetor]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Yar getting a transfer off the ship instead of being killed like a redshirt, but this is actually a cover for highly secret work she's doing for Starfleet Intelligence (or Section 31 perhaps) and Sela turns out to be Tascha who has been brainwashed and led to believe that Tascha Yar was merely a cover identity (like Iliana Ghemor and Kira Nerys).

That, in particular is very clever. However, I think they killed her rather than just write her off because they didn't think Crosby would ever come back... what with that lucrative movie career, you know.

 

[Mr. Scott]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

I would of hired Jeffrey Combes instead of Jonathan Frakes as the First Officer. Of course, if that would of happened, then Combes would not have done all those wonderful side characters.

 

[WillsBabe]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

^ I'd have re-hired Frakes...