Chaos on the Bridge - Shatner's HBO doc about TNG

[ALF]

Any word on a US airing of the doc?

“The first and second seasons of The Next Generation are almost unwatchable,” says Ronald D. Moore, a former writer on Star Trek.

What a tool. There was a lot of good material there and people busting their asses to put it on the air.

Can't really disagree. By those standards, the first and second seasons of all the spinoffs are "almost unwatchable"...

I have to say though - after watching this doc I've watched a handful of season 2 eps (and honestly, I've seen this series entirely at *least* ten times per episode. I've watched the living shit out of TNG and that's an understatement) but knowing that the first couple of seasons were being re-written at the last minute by Roddenbery actually affects my reaction to them. It may make a case for rewatching these two first notorious seasons just to know that Gene (and his lawyer) were ghost-writing these first few episodes into existence and it really changes the perspective on the quality of the stories and how they came to be. The Outrageous Okana for example. Some of those B stories (Data and Guinan on the holodeck with Joe Piscopo???) are so bizarre and out of place only this documentary has been able to finally unscramble the questions why.

And... at Moore's comment. I'm sure he doesn't hold grudges or have bad feelings. I'm sure he means they are comparatively unwatchable to the rest of the series. Not to downplay BillJ's comment... people were certainly busting their asses to make this show possible. This doc makes all that more clear... and Gene in spite of himself.

Sadly no updates on US broadcast.

 

[dub]

...is it really a successful comeback story? At its best, it drew fewer viewers than Enterprise did during season three and four. Caprica collapsed after one season and Blood and Chrome never made it beyond the pilot stage.

A very narrow audience found it good.

Perhaps nuBSG was not a success according to Nielsen at the time, but it was certainly a huge critical success. The series received Peabody Awards and several Emmy Awards and nominations among numerous other awards and honors. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time. Throughout its run, the series earned critical acclaim from Time, National Review, Rolling Stone, Newsday, The New York Times, The New Yorker, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, and Entertainment Weekly.

And since people here like to point to Netflix "ratings" (although they really don't mean that much to me)...

nuBSG: 2,751,931 ratings, 1,304 member reviews
BSG TOS: 486,357 ratings, 270 member reviews

 

[eyeresist]

NuBSG didn't impress me, the very little I saw of it. A dull, self-important soap opera. I'd rather watch the first two seasons of TNG!

 

[Joel_Kirk]

NuBSG didn't impress me, the very little I saw of it. A dull, self-important soap opera. I'd rather watch the first two seasons of TNG!

I'm a bit different.

I tuned out after the first or second season of nuBSG. Similar to how I approached TNG.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

TNG's first two seasons better than nuBSG? Jesus, some folks have poor tastes.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

TNG's first two seasons better than nuBSG? Jesus, some folks have poor tastes.

No, some folks have different tastes. No need to troll them.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

TNG's first two seasons better than nuBSG? Jesus, some folks have poor tastes.

No, some folks have different tastes. No need to troll them.

Not trolling, just expressing my opinion that some folks have bad taste. Any sensible adult with a thick skin would understand that (and I'd like to think most folks here do). Not meaning to harass anyone.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

TNG's first two seasons better than nuBSG? Jesus, some folks have poor tastes.

No, some folks have different tastes. No need to troll them.

Not trolling, just expressing my opinion that some folks have bad taste. Any sensible adult with a thick skin would understand that (and I'd like to think most folks here do). Not meaning to harass anyone.

Not meant to harass anyone except those whose "taste" is different than yours. Please refrain or warnings will follow. I'm pretty sure you'd bitch loudly were the reverse situation occur.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

It wouldn't bother me, everybody has an opinion.

 

[knowthyself]

Since, there seems to be no definitive information on a US air date, are virtual private networks "illegal?" And how does one set that up to view. I'm really interested in viewing this documentary especially considering that I've always heard that the TNG cast and crew worked wonderfully together. I'd be interested to know about a different opinion.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

It's only a measure I'd go to for something that can no longer be legally obtained like an out of print film. Still, interesting that Canada is getting first dibs. Hopefully us Yanks can get access to that doc.

 

[bbailey861]

I have since taken this off my PVR - but IIRC from the end credits, Canadian funding was used to make this documentary (rule number 1 - never use your own money), so I can only imagine that part of the deal was that it would be shown here first. It was on HBO Canada so for the life of me I don't know why it hasn't yet been shown on HBO in the U.S.

 

[Maurice]

Here's the trailer (link).

 

[BeatleJWOL]

Looks like it'll be a great counterpoint to the documentaries included on the Blu-Rays

 

[inflatabledalek]

It's not as if Ron Moore is sticking the knife in his predecessors backs when just about everyone who worked on TNG (including those who were there for the first two seasons) seems to agree with him, I don't think I've ever seen anyone associated with the show interviewed who didn't think it didn't become good (bar the odd outstanding episode like Measure or Q Who) until season 3.

 

[Michael]

Again with the Ronald D. Moore hate? I think I can only add that I thoroughly enjoyed most of his work, I love his Battlestar Galactica and really thought Virtuality deserved a chance. In everything I saw from him in interviews he always comes off as a funny, intelligent and very pleasant person.

He's right about what he says about early TNG, too: in many respects it is almost unwatchable. I really love (and prefer) many things about the first two seasons (the music, the cinematography, the sense of wonder), but the quality of the writing and acting really improved in the later years. There's no question for me.

If anything, RDM is underrated. Especially on this board.

Here's the trailer (link).

Great trailer, but please help me: Why is D.C. Fontana labeled as Gene Roddenberry's mistress in this? Did I miss something?

 

[dub]

It's not as if Ron Moore is sticking the knife in his predecessors backs when just about everyone who worked on TNG (including those who were there for the first two seasons) seems to agree with him

How dare they! Apparently they're all "tools."

 

[Maurice]

Here's the trailer (link).

Great trailer, but please help me: Why is D.C. Fontana labeled as Gene Roddenberry's mistress in this? Did I miss something?

That's Susan Sackett, not Dororthy. Dorothy was Gene's secretary back when TOS started, not for TNG.

 

[Michael]

That's Susan Sackett, not Dororthy. Dorothy was Gene's secretary back when TOS started, not for TNG.

Ah, okay! That clears that up. Thank you! Although, Fontana was involved in the genesis of TNG in some capacity, right?

 

[Maxwell Everett]

That's Susan Sackett, not Dororthy. Dorothy was Gene's secretary back when TOS started, not for TNG.

Ah, okay! That clears that up. Thank you! Although, Fontana was involved in the genesis of TNG in some capacity, right?

Definitely! She wrote the pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." She was the first person to dramatize the characters, write dialogue for them, and bring them to life on the page.