New TNG

[BrownShatner]

I like the ideas about giving the characters a far deeper psychological background. To that end, I would eliminate the "perfect federation" concept and have far more interpersonal drama that isn't imposed by aliens.

Riker should also be cast by a younger actor and be more of an upstart rather than an organization man. His romantic relationship with Troi should be active, or at least on-again, off-again.

Tasha Yar is unnecessary with Worf on the bridge, just like the real TNG. However there should be a younger female character on the crew, possibly replacing Wesley. To that end, I would remove all the technobabble aspects and make Geordi a much more minor character.

 

[Anwar]

Eh, what made the technobabble bad in Trek was using it to solve problems. If you can solve problems with character actions or more basic stuff then you can use all the technobabble you want the rest of the time.

Geordi, well if Scotty can be a bigger character and he's the engineer why NOT have Geordi?

 

[Logical Leopard]

I
Tasha Yar is unnecessary with Worf on the bridge, just like the real TNG. H

Unless of course, Tasha Yar is being played by Katee Sackoff, and she's necessary only because she needs to wave goodbye from the door to the Holodeck, get killed by the Exxon Monster, only to reappear later outside the Holodeck after Picard comes out of one of his detective simulations....

But seriously, Battlestar Galactica jokes aside, you could make something more meaningful out of the whole Yar/Worf thing. Portray it more like a Teacher/Student relationship, or Worf could be the weopons officer, and Yar can just be chief of security.

 

[BrownShatner]

Eh, what made the technobabble bad in Trek was using it to solve problems. If you can solve problems with character actions or more basic stuff then you can use all the technobabble you want the rest of the time.

Geordi, well if Scotty can be a bigger character and he's the engineer why NOT have Geordi?

I don't disagree with you that 'technobabble' can help move the story along, however I think TNG tended to be too engineering-focused, and Geordi functioned as a token "nerd" character.

Actually, if I were to rephrase that, my TNG remake would be more strongly focused around the core group of bridge officers (Picard/Riker/Data/Crusher/Troi) with less exposition about the support staff.

(Scotty was a semi-major character on TOS, but he received most of his screen time as the head redshirt on the away missions.)

 

[Logical Leopard]

Hmmnn...you know...this is probably heresy, but....


What if Wesley Crusher could be made into a great character in a NuTNG?

I think most of Wesley's annoyance came from the fact that his genius was wrapped up in a shell of an "Aw, shucks, ma, why cant I go to the swimmin' hole" demeanor. He was almost like a 50's era Stepford child. If he had a bit of an edge...I don't mean juvenile delinquent edge...but sort of a hackerish, hipper quality. More brash, more sure of himself. More relatable as a teenager, and not just a short adult with no uniform. Able to look Picard in the eye and say "You're just mad because out of your entire compliment of officers, none of them came up with the idea that saved the ship".

 

[Anwar]

I'd have just made him a 20 year old Ensign fresh from the Academy (higher intelligence and scoring on tests allowed him to be on a ship while technically not a full officer yet), holds resentment towards Picard for what happened to Jack Crusher and doesn't like the idea of having to hide his intelligence from the older crewmembers when it comes to solving problems. Course his social skills were not developed that well growing up since he was smarter than most others and his experiences with things will help him open up better to others.

 

[Sovay]

Yeah, picard strikes me as the type of person who wouldn't try to avoid something like hair loss, he has a lot of romantic notions and I think aging gracefully is one of them.

Only thing I'd like different about TNG is to have some decent chemistry and amusing banter between the main cast, and less of a focus on anyone not riker, picard, and data.

 

[USS Intrepid]

He wasn't bald, he still had hairs on the sides of his head.

That might be a aesthetic choice, but seeing as the rest of the haircuts are quite 'normal', I don't think that's the case.

Besides, I've never heard any man saying "I'm going bald, but it doesn't matter; I like it better this way".

Yeah, nothing in the least bit futuristic about a society where people are actually comfortable in their own skin, and not pressurised to conform to some backward media-imposed image of what constitutes 'normal'.

 

[beacon]

This is what I would have done.

In general there would be more character arcs. These people live and work in space, let's explore what it is really like in the 24th century.

Picard: He's gung-ho to get out there after the loss of the Stargazer but is worried about it happening again, especially with kids onboard.

Riker: He'd have his beard from the get-go. He'd be a bit more cocky and have to learn restraint. He and Troi would rekindle their romance.

Data: Wouldn't change him much at all.

Geordi: Would start out as the conn officer but show an interest in engineering. There would be a regular Chief Engineer who would retire at the end of the first season and a story arc would prepare Geordi to take his place.

Worf: Would be a science officer. He chose not to follow typical Klingon paths and get in command or security. He has an innate talent for security.

Yar: Would have a crush on Worf and work to get him to transfer to Security. She would die and and arc would have Picard acknowledging her request that Worf take over security.

Dr. Crusher: Picard does not know she is aboard. She is still angry at Picard in regards to her husbands death. When Picard finds out she is the CMO, he tries to get her transferred off the ship.

Troi: She'd be a civilian. Enterprise is a test-bed for families aboard Starfleet starships and her position of Ship's Counselor is mostly for the civilians on board. But when Picard realizes she has mental abilities being half-Betazoid, he decides to make her part of his senior staff so that he can make use of her abilities.

Wesley: He'd be younger. He'd also be a recurring character rather than a regular. He would still save the ship from time to time, but in-directly. He would have to hack the computer or convince Data, Geordi, or his mother to give his idea to Riker or Picard. There would be times where they would have to lie and say they came up with the idea if it meant Picard would take it seriously.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

He wasn't bald, he still had hairs on the sides of his head.

That might be a aesthetic choice, but seeing as the rest of the haircuts are quite 'normal', I don't think that's the case.

Besides, I've never heard any man saying "I'm going bald, but it doesn't matter; I like it better this way".

Yeah, nothing in the least bit futuristic about a society where people are actually comfortable in their own skin, and not pressurised to conform to some backward media-imposed image of what constitutes 'normal'.

Oh of course, how could I have been so stupid. If you're going bald and you'd rather not be going bald, it isn't personal preference but adherence to a society where you personal self-image leans on the opinions others have of you.

Or, alternatively, you can simply not like it, you know. Getting bald. Some people rather not. Nothing 'pressuring' or 'society-conforming' about it.

 

[USS Intrepid]

Oh of course, how could I have been so stupid. If you're going bald and you'd rather not be going bald, it isn't personal preference but adherence to a society where you personal self-image leans on the opinions others have of you.

Or, alternatively, you can simply not like it, you know. Getting bald. Some people rather not. Nothing 'pressuring' or 'society-conforming' about it.

And some people simply don't care. You may not like it, but the concept of a society that isn't image-obsessed (societal pressure has much to do with how people perceive themselves) is fairly forward thinking.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

And some people simply don't care. You may not like it, but the concept of a society that isn't image-obsessed (societal pressure has much to do with how people perceive themselves) is fairly forward thinking.

If it were just anybody, I agree. However, Picard is in a role where he will often be the first of us a first-contact society will see. As such, it isn't unnatural to pay great attention to how one looks, acts and reacts. Certainly, we have seen enough evidence that Picard cares a great deal about the image others have of him.

 

[Cheapjack]

I thought Sean Connery made bald look sexy??

What about that man from 'Hot Chocolate'?

What about Yul Brynner?

I think Patrick's in the same league.

 

[USS Intrepid]

If it were just anybody, I agree. However, Picard is in a role where he will often be the first of us a first-contact society will see. As such, it isn't unnatural to pay great attention to how one looks, acts and reacts. Certainly, we have seen enough evidence that Picard cares a great deal about the image others have of him.

Being bald (or not) has nothing to do with whether one projects a positive image.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

If it were just anybody, I agree. However, Picard is in a role where he will often be the first of us a first-contact society will see. As such, it isn't unnatural to pay great attention to how one looks, acts and reacts. Certainly, we have seen enough evidence that Picard cares a great deal about the image others have of him.

Being bald (or not) has nothing to do with whether one projects a positive image.

That's you interpreting my words again; I never said that. However, caring about one's image does not have to exclude caring about one's hair. Vanity, after all, isn't gone away with by that time; we've had enough examples of that, too.

 

[USS Intrepid]

That's you interpreting my words again; I never said that. However, caring about one's image does not have to exclude caring about one's hair. Vanity, after all, isn't gone away with by that time; we've had enough examples of that, too.

Nor does it require anyone to care if they go bald. So what exactly is your point? Other than disliking the fact that Picard is bald.

 

[BrownShatner]

IMO the original idea was to make Picard the older voice of experience, while Riker was intended the young, brash sex symbol.

It didn't work out that way in TNG, but if you were to do a remake, you certainly could cast a younger 'hunky' captain with a full head of hair.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

That's you interpreting my words again; I never said that. However, caring about one's image does not have to exclude caring about one's hair. Vanity, after all, isn't gone away with by that time; we've had enough examples of that, too.

Nor does it require anyone to care if they go bald. So what exactly is your point? Other than disliking the fact that Picard is bald.

Never mind; I obviously do not posses the high-level communicative skills needed to get my point across.

 

[USS Intrepid]

That's you interpreting my words again; I never said that. However, caring about one's image does not have to exclude caring about one's hair. Vanity, after all, isn't gone away with by that time; we've had enough examples of that, too.

Nor does it require anyone to care if they go bald. So what exactly is your point? Other than disliking the fact that Picard is bald.

Never mind; I obviously do not posses the high-level communicative skills needed to get my point across.

Oh I think you made yourself quite clear. I simply don't agree with your superficial reasoning on the point. But by all means, keep implying I'm too dim to grasp your argument if it makes you feel better.

Bottom line; there's no particularly compelling reason Picard should care that he's bald, or that it should affect his standing as a diplomat, a representative of the Federation, nor how he or anyone else views him in that role.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Oh I think you made yourself quite clear. I simply don't agree with your superficial reasoning on the point. But by all means, keep implying I'm too dim to grasp your argument if it makes you feel better.

Bottom line; there's no particularly compelling reason Picard should care that he's bald, or that it should affect his standing as a diplomat, a representative of the Federation, nor how he or anyone else views him in that role.

Dismissing my argument as superficial is nonsense. My argument is, and has been, very simple.

If Picard didn't care at all about his looks, he wouldn't have shaved the remaining hairs off his head. Medical technology is shown to be advanced enough to regrow hair follicles after a skin burn. As such, Picard could have a full hairdo, but he chooses not to. Since he does shave the remaining hairs, he either does care about how he looks and obviously does not like getting bald (or he would not hide it as would almost any other man -- a regressing hair line often looks shitty), or his hairline doesn't matter since he shaved it before he became bald. Certainly, we've seen evidence of that in the episode with Q and the Nausicans. As such, he probably likes the authority a bald hairdo brings. Sort of like growing a mustache.

However, the fact that he does deliberately choose a certain hairdo (instead of simply keeping it short no matter if he were getting bald -- like in the military) means that vanity does enter the equation, if only slightly. And that's not strange; caring about one's looks isn't primitive or unintelligent. Neither is it superficial, as you seem to think. It's only human; everybody wants to look their best -- both inside and out. Someone who doesn't care about his/her looks even in the slightest, often does not care about his/her personality either -- not someone you'd want to hang out with.