I agree. The 90's was just sort of a "meh" decade overall, and TNG - while being a great show, is bland in its colors, music, lighting, and costumes. There is an overall lack of sharpness and "pop".
Has TNG Aged Well?
- Thread starter KirbyHawk
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This is also why I think any revisit of Prime continuity should not be confused with the literal look and feel of Berman-era Trek. That was not just the era but edicts from Berman himself, the sonic wallpaper and what-not. You can do Prime continuity without it looking bland. First Contact is a good example. And the LCARS haven't dated. It's just that we can now have literal LCARS touchscreens instead of static backlit panels.
Agree.
edit to add: ST is first and foremost about ideas, whether commentary on current social issues or SF concepts. TNG could look "dated" if all you're looking at is the look of the sets, costumes or other superficial aspects. However in terms of providing credible settings for the suspension of disbelief an more importantly a dramatic pacing to keep things moving, it isn't dated in the least.
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I think that the show has aged quite well. But maybe I'm biased. This is my favorite TV show of all time.
I think that it looks like a product of the past (mainly seasons 1 and 2) and it has a timeless look to it.
I don't agree that it looks too 80s. I don't see it personally.
I think that it looks like a product of the past (mainly seasons 1 and 2) and it has a timeless look to it.
I don't agree that it looks too 80s. I don't see it personally.
It's aged well in some ways and hasn't aged well in others.
The show's moral messages seem kind of reductionist now, the 80s puritanism of the characters' romance lives seems very aged, and episodes that end with somebody figuring out something clever and then watching the numbers on a console go back to normal have aged very poorly. But the more well written episodes and the characters themselves (Other than early Troi) have aged pretty well.
The show's moral messages seem kind of reductionist now, the 80s puritanism of the characters' romance lives seems very aged, and episodes that end with somebody figuring out something clever and then watching the numbers on a console go back to normal have aged very poorly. But the more well written episodes and the characters themselves (Other than early Troi) have aged pretty well.
It has aged well because it avoided to reference the late 80s/early 90s as much as possible. Especially the HD remaster brought that out. For example they often used hairstyles from the 1930s/40s for the characters instead from the 1980s. Also the language is stylized, avoiding 1980s vocabulary.
The fact that they didnt use computer screens in TNG - unlike in DS9 + VOY (tube monitors) and ENT (TFT flat panels) - but added the computer screens in post production, helped that too.
The fact that they didnt use computer screens in TNG - unlike in DS9 + VOY (tube monitors) and ENT (TFT flat panels) - but added the computer screens in post production, helped that too.
While it was the norm of the era, the beigeness could have played a part on how much it dated. I noticed heavy use of beige and other soft earth colors in a lot of late 80s shows.
I think if they had gone with Voyager's color schemed, it would look even less dated. Even now when I grab a Voyager episode, I still like the color scheme.
I think if they had gone with Voyager's color schemed, it would look even less dated. Even now when I grab a Voyager episode, I still like the color scheme.
I would say that TNG has aged well, EXCEPT for the first season.
I would say it has generally aged well, with only one glaring example that stands out in my mind.
The ridiculous "just say no" style anti-drug PSA episode. You know, the one with the drug addicted aliens that had the ability to generate electricity from their fingers. Tasha Yar gives a cringe-worthy anti-drug monologue to Wesley. It's just so at odds with modern approaches to addiction and drug use, what with pot legalization being embraced more widely and drug liberalization on the horizon (the WHO is calling for world leaders to rethink the drug war). It plays on tired tropes that we know aren't entirely accurate anymore.
The ridiculous "just say no" style anti-drug PSA episode. You know, the one with the drug addicted aliens that had the ability to generate electricity from their fingers. Tasha Yar gives a cringe-worthy anti-drug monologue to Wesley. It's just so at odds with modern approaches to addiction and drug use, what with pot legalization being embraced more widely and drug liberalization on the horizon (the WHO is calling for world leaders to rethink the drug war). It plays on tired tropes that we know aren't entirely accurate anymore.
Visually, I don't think it has aged particularly well. Most of the stories are still very relevant today, so I can ignore the ugly 80s hotel lobby look of the place most of the time. The curved touch screen controls on the bridge still look cool, even if the numerous padds are a bit silly.
Its a product of its time but its still thoroughly enjoyable.
^This. And I agree about the music. Berman never should've gotten rid of Ron Jones.
Some episodes have aged better than others I think. I ended up binging on 60 select episodes over the month of June. 40 or so I pulled from a list that lets you watch through TNG in about 40 hours or so. I dropped a few episodes from that list and added a bunch more I knew I loved watching when they aired. A few I added because if you don't have them you have no idea who some of the characters are later.
Honestly, skipping past some of the more ho-hum episodes and the real stinkers lets you see that yes, when they did it right, TNG is fantastic and really holds up. The remaster into HD actually helps it look less aged by quite a bit. I was skeptical, but watching it on my big screen off Netflix is a joy.
Honestly, skipping past some of the more ho-hum episodes and the real stinkers lets you see that yes, when they did it right, TNG is fantastic and really holds up. The remaster into HD actually helps it look less aged by quite a bit. I was skeptical, but watching it on my big screen off Netflix is a joy.
For me, the excellence of the series came from its reliability. In my opinion, it didn't have that many "great" episodes but was a solidly consistent and genuinely satisfying series. That's why it is still watchable now.
This.
Trek did not foresee the rapid pace or direction computers would go. Someone somewhere else mentioned the multitude of PADDs when one would have sufficed. The computer networking systems today are more advanced than we saw on the E-D. A lot of the technology just doesn't seem as advanced as it should. Not now, anyway.
...except for Sub-Rosa. Time ain't healin' that wound.
TNG looks like it could have been done only few years ago, it has stood the test of time.
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