News Flash! New series: STNG

[RandyS]

I love those ridiculous rubber hose 80s fonts.

So do I. I miss those days. And not for TNG, I can watch the DVD's whenever I want.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Appeared in the Fan club mag in June, and Starlog in July.

Yep, and I recall the first cast photo in costume (with Roddenberry) was on Planet Hell and turned up in "Time" magazine.

A few nights later, I turned up at a science fiction media-themed dinner dance in an approximation of a Data outfit from that early pic.


Denebiet Dinner Dance Data by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

 

[RAMA]

Appeared in the Fan club mag in June, and Starlog in July.

Yep, and I recall the first cast photo in costume (with Roddenberry) was on Planet Hell and turned up in "Time" magazine.

A few nights later, I turned up at a science fiction media-themed dinner dance in an approximation of a Data outfit from that early pic.


Denebiet Dinner Dance Data by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Now this is what I call an early adopter!!

 

[RAMA]

Maybe the kids of today don't know.
Multiple Enterprises and captains and series and crews and whatnot are commonplace.

But at the time, the idea of Star Trek without Kirk and Spock and the original crew was heresy against doctrine.

In all my decades of fandom, the idea of a new Star Trek without TOS was the big biggest biggest big uproar I can recall.

I remember how very very hard it was for TNG to really earn their stripes, especially in that first season (oh boy).
You'd think us fans would be more openminded and willing, but there was vicious backlash against the "new generation", real divided camps.

I don't remember camps back then, but I wasn't "connected" to other Trek fans much back then. 90% of the fan club mail (40,000 strong at the time) was positive FOR a new ST series. To ME, Trek on TV meant vindication for having been taken off in the first place in 1969. I always thought STNG represented a rebellious slap in the face to TV establishment and critics.

The reviews for season one from critics and fans alike were mixed, BUT many many people kept watching...increasing ratings in some markets 1100% from what was in it's time slot previously, and its 10.9 rating was light years ahead of any other drama and most other syndicated shows. So SOMEONE was watching..and I think it was because they got the "feel" right, even if the stories were not yet consistent.

RAMA

 

[Tom]

Ah yes.. for me it was my monthly subscription to Starlog magazine that i first followed the progress of TNG before it aired. I actually rememeber reading specific parts like how the the character 'Leslie' was recast to a male role and would be called 'Wesley' lol

 

[RAMA]

Ah yes.. for me it was my monthly subscription to Starlog magazine that i first followed the progress of TNG before it aired. I actually rememeber reading specific parts like how the the character 'Leslie' was recast to a male role and would be called 'Wesley' lol

Gerrold was a huge contributor, and I recall him appearing very excited by getting to plan out the show. His World of Star Trek book being a rather big blueprint.

RAMA

 

[RandyS]

Ah yes.. for me it was my monthly subscription to Starlog magazine that i first followed the progress of TNG before it aired. I actually rememeber reading specific parts like how the the character 'Leslie' was recast to a male role and would be called 'Wesley' lol

Yeah, I remember some of those too, but my main source for TNG news at the time was the blurb at the top of the letters page of the 1983-1988 run of DC comics. I particularly remember reading about the new cast, and wondering what happened to Cheryl McFadden when she was replaced by Gates McFadden in the actual show. It was some time later in the run that I found out that those two names were the same person.

 

[GNDN]

Great time to be a TREKKIE!!!

Never got the backlash against word of the new show. The TOS cast was appearing in a successful movie series and weren't going back to TV, so why object to a new take on the ST universe?

A few nights later, I turned up at a science fiction media-themed dinner dance in an approximation of a Data outfit from that early pic.


Denebiet Dinner Dance Data by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Nice

But isn't it against your programming to impersonate a deity?

 

[Deckerd]

I remember after TNG started there sprang up hundreds of alt. newsgroups with variations of three words: Crusher, die and Wesley.

 

[RAMA]

I remember after TNG started there sprang up hundreds of alt. newsgroups with variations of three words: Crusher, die and Wesley.

Slightly before my time...a computer literate friend of mine used to give me access to his pc and also used to print news for me back in 1991-1994, before I got my own computer. I was always amazed when I saw something negative because the show was doing so well by then.

RAMA

 

[Deckerd]

We must be wired differently. I didn't see it as negative, merely very funny.

 

[RAMA]

We must be wired differently. I didn't see it as negative, merely very funny.

Oh don't get me wrong, Wes is not my fav character, some of that stuff is amusing, but it got old quick in my book.

RAMA

 

[Deckerd]

I never actually read them, I just looked at the endless variations people had created and laughed.

 

[RAMA]

Wow Deja Vu...this was the channel I watched Farpoint on out of NYC...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWfjDaZEHgk&feature=related

Full version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ6NIuaTWjU&feature=related

 

[GNDN]

Good ol' WPIX. I still have the VHS I recorded of the premiere somewhere around here. Watched it at least twice that night.

'Bones' McCoy?
Data?
The Holodeck?
The Battle Bridge?
Saucer Separation?
Tapping a chest badge to communicate?
Awesome ILM VFX?

What an awesome night!

 

[RAMA]

More early goodies:

 

[Doug Otte]

That was the Golden Age of Trek. During the 80s, we sat on pins and needles anticipating each new film, gleaning bits of info from the Fan Club magazine and from Cons. I tried to fill the imagination gaps by reading the novels, building models, and watching episodes on the tube or on Beta or on VHS, etc.

I hadn't heard anything about TNG until I went to a Con where De Kelley was the main guest. After he spoke, Richard Arnold got up and announced TNG. He spoke about some of the characters, and I particularly remember him naming Geordi LaForge.

I was excited...a new weekly series in addition to the bi-annual (or so) movies!

Doug

 

[RAMA]

That was the Golden Age of Trek. During the 80s, we sat on pins and needles anticipating each new film, gleaning bits of info from the Fan Club magazine and from Cons. I tried to fill the imagination gaps by reading the novels, building models, and watching episodes on the tube or on Beta or on VHS, etc.

I hadn't heard anything about TNG until I went to a Con where De Kelley was the main guest. After he spoke, Richard Arnold got up and announced TNG. He spoke about some of the characters, and I particularly remember him naming Geordi LaForge.

I was excited...a new weekly series in addition to the bi-annual (or so) movies!

Doug

Oddly I miss those days!

 

[RAMA]

Always loved Probert's work:

 

[RandyS]

That was the Golden Age of Trek. During the 80s, we sat on pins and needles anticipating each new film, gleaning bits of info from the Fan Club magazine and from Cons. I tried to fill the imagination gaps by reading the novels, building models, and watching episodes on the tube or on Beta or on VHS, etc.

I hadn't heard anything about TNG until I went to a Con where De Kelley was the main guest. After he spoke, Richard Arnold got up and announced TNG. He spoke about some of the characters, and I particularly remember him naming Geordi LaForge.

I was excited...a new weekly series in addition to the bi-annual (or so) movies!

Doug

Oddly I miss those days!

Nothing odd about that, so do I. And, like I said before, for reasons that have very little to do with Star Trek.