Season ONE OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

[Ghostface1701]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Just got the very same email from Amazon, fricking sweet! I don't have to do anything, and I automatically get another copy of the entire boxset?!

I love you, whoever made this decision!

 

[inflatabledalek]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Really enjoyed the new documentary, not a huge amount of new information (though it's certainly more honest than the old DVD features) but very well made and engaging. And getting to see all those near mythic screen tests was brilliant.

If I had to wish for something different it's that they'd also been on the disc by themselves to watch in isolation (perhaps with some galleries of design work), but otherwise a really top notch job.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I realized last night (Actually it was right after NCC-1701 linked a Twitter link saying Ira Behr was actually going to do commentary tracks) that there was no audio commentaries to any of the episodes in the first season. Not only that, but not text commentaries either. I hope we get some as the seasons go on but this actually surprised me. It's one thing to re-release TNG with all the remastered upgrades, but I was hoping too that they would correct some of the flaws from the DVD release. They did that to an extent with the more special features and the episode previews, but hopefully we can get some audio commentary to episodes (Audio Commentary for Best of Both Worlds I would imagine would be incredible). Hopefully this is something the developers are thinking about with Seasons 2-7.

 

[Harvey]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I liked the new documentary, but it didn't get into the nitty gritty details of the first season as much as I would have liked it to. The chaos among the production staff is really only alluded to in the third part, and the number of production personnel interviewed struck me as rather limited, especially since the entire regular cast was interviewed. Of course, many people who worked on the show in the early stages are dead, but it still seemed like they could have spoken to a few more writers. John D.F. Black was interviewed for the original series; why not talk to him about his (admittedly, limited) role here?

 

[trekker670]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

The producer mentioned he had to walk a fine line of making the documentary that's more honest and engaging to the audience without damaging the reputation of the show's creators and/or ruining the people's view of the show.

 

[cbspock]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

It would have been nice if they could have done a similar documentary for the original series blu-rays.

Episode commentaries would be nice on the TNG sets, like the starfleet access ones on the original series set.

-Chris

 

[Harvey]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I read that interview with Burnett, and it's understandable that he was in that position. It's really a shame, though. You can't really tell the definitive history of the series without describing the show's early behind-the-scenes problems, which are mostly elided here.

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I thought they touched on the main issues well enough. I don't think there was a need to cover every minor little squabble and disagreement that occurred.

And to be fair, most of the problems could probably just be chalked up to this being the first season of an all new Star Trek. It was a huge, daunting challenge, and it's only natural that there would be some growing pains along the way. No reason to throw anybody under the bus over it.

 

[BillJ]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Surprised Denise Crosby hasn't written a book about the first season. Considering how much she's already milked the show.

 

[Ghostface1701]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Personally, I found the new features to be quite informative. We'll never hear the whole truth, but I've learned a lot in the last few weeks about what went on as TNG started.

Back to the episodes, and I watched WNOHGB and Lonely Among Us tonight. Ugh. I may have said it before, but if feels like the scripts are first drafts. Did no-one ever say those lines out loud before they were filmed, to see if they sounded STUPID?!

Neither episode is terrible, but both seem to suffer from another similar problem: A very disinterested crew. People phase-out in the same room, or are shocked with energy in front of Geordi's eyes, and it's ignored. The ship's in mortal danger, and people just sit around on the bridge waiting for something to happen. Picard's possessed by an alien being, and admits it to Crusher, and he's still allowed to be in command!

I have to believe Roddenberry ruined Lonely Among Us, because the alternative is that D.C. Fontana isn't all she's cracked up to be. Memory Alpha does mention that she wasn't happy with what Gene did to her script for The Naked Now (going so far as to be credited under a pseudonym).

 

[ATimson]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Back to the episodes, and I watched WNOHGB and Lonely Among Us tonight. Ugh. I may have said it before, but if feels like the scripts are first drafts. Did no-one ever say those lines out loud before they were filmed, to see if they sounded STUPID?!

Well, they certainly weren't first drafts, because someone on staff (probably Maurice Hurley) extensively rewrote the Duane/Reaves draft of WNOHGB to where it's not really their teleplay anymore.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Surprised Denise Crosby hasn't written a book about the first season. Considering how much she's already milked the show.

I wonder what made her change her mind. Based on the documentary, she was almost embarrassed to be on the show, thinking the show would never work, it was pretty much dead on arrival, and just really cynical about the whole thing. It really does seem like she took the money, ran away when the show was destined to fail, and then when she realized TNG was a hit, she came back to milk the show even more. It's almost like not wanting to hang out with the nerds in school, only to realize that nerd went on bigger and better things and you're the one working at a job you hate regretting that past decision.

Don't get me wrong, I like Crosby (She was very good in Yesterday's Enterprise) but she came across not looking very good after her interview. It will be interesting if she was interviewed for the Season 3 sets and we get to see some of that progression from "This show is Shit" to "Oh my god, this show is awesome and I suck for leaving" to "Let's make 2 documentaries about hardcore trek fans who look like a laughing stock in ridiculous costumes to the rest of society." Interesting how things work out in a matter of 15 years.

 

[Ghostface1701]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

To be fair to Denise, so many people left that show in its first season because they were unhappy. Denise isn't even the only cast member. The only reason she couldn't come back like McFadden was that her character was dead. You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone in the cast who speaks highly of that first year.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

To be fair to Denise, so many people left that show in its first season because they were unhappy. Denise isn't even the only cast member. The only reason she couldn't come back like McFadden was that her character was dead. You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone in the cast who speaks highly of that first year.

That is true, but she was the only cast member who left on her own accord (Gates left because she was kind of forced out, according to Wikipedia anyway). I don't have a problem with Crosby leaving because of how she felt during the first season. It was a rough season and I can understand people who had the attitude of that at the time. My problem is how cynical she was after the first season, saw that the show got significantly better, and came back not only for 3 episodes, but just got fully ingrained into the franchise.

My problem was, like I said, it looked like she wanted to go because the show wasn't popular enough to when the show did get popular, she begged to come back. No other cast member or writer did that. You didn't have someone like DC Fontana beg to come back and write for TNG when the show got good. Yeah she wrote one episode for DS9 but, unlike Crosby, she didn't force the issue.

It almost sounds like I'm being way too harsh on her and maybe that is not fair. I think that's why I would love to hear her talk about what made her want to come back and be a part of the franchise again. At least that's what I'm hoping for in these new documentaries, a little clearing the air and letting "bygones be bygones" as it were.

 

[Harvey]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

And to be fair, most of the problems could probably just be chalked up to this being the first season of an all new Star Trek. It was a huge, daunting challenge, and it's only natural that there would be some growing pains along the way. No reason to throw anybody under the bus over it.

Creative personnel fled the show in droves; more so than practically any television show I've read about, first season or not. David Gerrold said in an interview that as many as 45 people left during the first season alone. All told, the series had 155 writers write nearly as many episodes during its run.

Still, I don't want to be too hard on the special features. The documentary was nicely put together, and the episodic trailers are great to have archived in one place now.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Creative people left because Roddenberry was getting... looney and Maurice Hurley was a jackass.

Crosby wanted out of her contract which is a big no-no for a young actor without much weight to throw around. Hell, it's a no-no for an older actor with weight to throw around! It's not too unusual for an actor wanting out of their contract to see their character killed to preclude any chance of them coming back. (Short of killing the character, usually the character is otherwise "ruined" beyond a point of redemption to also preclude them coming back.)

Though interviews with Roddenberry suggests killing Tasha was more done for the dramatic impact it'd have. But I wouldn't be surprised if that had a large part of "stick it to her" on Hurley's part.

McFadden was released from her contract so there was little need for a spiteful "ruin/kill the character" moment; and killing her would be redundant anyway sense Tasha's death and probably have too much a dramatic impact on the remaining Wesley than the show wanted to deal with.

There's also been rumors of conflict and sexual harassment on Hurley's part with McFadden. When Hurley left at the end of the 2nd season and Pulaski not working out it was decided to bring Crusher back rather than have a third CMO in as many years. (McFadden gladly came back since her reason for leaving (Hurley) was gone.)

 

[Captrek]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

The only reason she couldn't come back like McFadden was that her character was dead.

So what? This is Star Trek.

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I wonder what made her change her mind. Based on the documentary, she was almost embarrassed to be on the show, thinking the show would never work, it was pretty much dead on arrival, and just really cynical about the whole thing. It really does seem like she took the money, ran away when the show was destined to fail, and then when she realized TNG was a hit, she came back to milk the show even more. It's almost like not wanting to hang out with the nerds in school, only to realize that nerd went on bigger and better things and you're the one working at a job you hate regretting that past decision.

That's not how her interview sounded to me at all. It wasn't embarrassment; it was fear of being locked into a 6 year contract where all she did was stand around and say "Hailing frequences open" over and over.

If I were in her shoes, as a pretty young actress who could be trying out for lots of movie roles, I'd probably be freaking out too.

She already said that she would have gladly stayed if she got better material, but for most of that first season she was little more than a glorified extra.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

^Maybe, I just remember when she was crapping on the show saying it would never work and what the writers were thinking. It just seemed to me that it went beyond fear, but we both interpreted the interview differently.

I just watched Big Goodbye and I've been doing a lot of loving for the documentaries and bringing us more information about the process of making the first season and how in depth they are going, and this episode reminded me of something I wish we would have seen. This episode won the peabody award, and it was the first Holodeck gone awry show that would spawn many many others. It would have been nice if that had been mentioned.

I'm not sure how others feel about this one (I know Jammer gave it like 2 stars) but at the time, it must of been a really cool episode. Now, it's not so much but I enjoy it because I love episodes where the characters are out of uniform and dressed like the time in which they inhabit. However, what is it with historians on Star Trek getting screwed. McGivers gets stranded with Khan, and now Waylen gets shot when the bullets were not supposed to be real and was almost on death's doorstep. If I was a historian on the Enterprise, I would be asked to be left alone.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

If I were in her shoes, as a pretty young actress who could be trying out for lots of movie roles, I'd probably be freaking out too.

She already said that she would have gladly stayed if she got better material, but for most of that first season she was little more than a glorified extra.

Yeah, but as a "pretty young actress" who has done nothing of note it's not a good "selling point" to potential employers to say you quit not even one year into your first contract. It's a sign of indecisiveness and just does not look good.

Now, Crosby wasn't happy on the show which is understandable but she should have stuck it out more if she really didn't think the show was going to make it the length of her contract didn't matter. It's a rock and a hard place to be sure but she decimated her career by quitting her contract. Not because if she stuck with the show she would have eventually gotten stronger material as the show found stronger footing but because quitting your contract just does not look good to people.

But, again, it seemed most of the cast was a bit frustrated with things going on in the "front office" as well as people there not happy with how things were running between Gene and Maurice.

Still, being a young actor who has done nothing of note? Backing out of a contract is just not a smart thing to do.