Should TNG have shaken up formula in later seasons.

[Jayson]

In away TNG did this in season 3. TNG in season 1 and season 2 compared to later seasons are almost completely different shows. IMO despite some flaws such as the lack of conflict and lack of humor this change worked pretty well for season 3 and 4. Maybe even season 5 to a extent but at this point shouldn't TNG have made yet another shift in formula to keep things fresh? Perhaps a story arc or a new character. RO was a good addition but she wasn't a series regular. Also perhaps some changes in the exsting characters. I think a Riker/Troi romance would have worked. I also think it would have been intresting if Worf wasn't allowed back into starfleet after leaving during the Klingon civil war but still gets to serve aboard the ship as a exchange officer. Perhaps a new ongoing alien threat would have been nice as well.


Jason

 

[sbk1234]

I don't know if audiences would have been as receptive back then as they are now to shaking up the status quo. If I remember correctly, the story arcs on DS9 didn't start until a couple of years after TNG went off the air. Jusy plain ol' good writing with creative ideas would have done it.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Back then tv series generally only got shook up when ratings would slide. Otherwise they pretty much kept on going as is.

 

[Hippokrene]

If season 6 wasn't as good as it was, I'd agree.

Shaking up the formula is only good if there's something lacking in the show.

 

[Kegek]

Seaon one had a big shakesup - a new doctor, Geordi as engineer, Worf and Wesley now permenently security chief and pilot, a new set (Ten Forward) a new recurring character (Guinan) - but that's because there was a lot that didn't work. Writers thought a place characters could unwind, like Ten Forward, was a good idea, and had acknowledged they needed a chief engineer from somewhere, and had backdoor reasons to flipping the doctors, and so on.

Season three brought back the old doctor, introduced a modified uniform and had a complete staff overhaul. It was around this point the show got good creatively and became a ratings hit. There was little point, I feel, to change what wasn't broke, and for four seasons - three, four, five and six - the show continued going strong with its formula and writing team. By the time it was getting stale in the seventh season, the plug was pulled.

Would screwing around with the formula have made a better show? Possibly. It may also have made things worse.

 

[Vulcanian]

I think all shows need to show more variety, TNG's first two and last two seasons need it more than others.

 

[Tactical Drone]

it's sad. If things stick to the same old formula people complain, if they try some new creative ideas and to shake things up a bit people complain. It's crazy I would loved to have had more variety, more of a mix of the episodic format and some small story arcs here and there. Like a more joined and cohesive storyline to the kidnapping of Geordi by Romulans, leading up to the events in Redemption and Unification. That was a great set of episodes. Also the inital discovery of Romulans at Golordian Core in The Enemy, tie in the events in the defector, as well as face of the enemy. tie all those episodes together, and it would have been a great multi episode arc.

 

[Saxman1]

Might have helped, maybe not. Killing off Picard (as much as I love the character and Stewart's work) in BOBW Part 2 would have really been interesting, as Riker would have been captain. If they'd done that, then there should have been no more Borg. Ever. What a way to have ended that mini-arc - what a price to have paid to eliminate them.

 

[toughlittleship]

Kill Will Riker and replace him with Tom as they once considered, get Riker and Troi together and spare us that pointless romance in S7.

 

[Vulcanian]

It's sad. If things stick to the same old formula people complain, if they try some new creative ideas and to shake things up a bit people complain.

*nods*

Killing off Picard would have really been interesting

The fans would complain

I would loved to have had more variety, more of a mix of the episodic format and some small story arcs here and there. Like a more joined and cohesive storyline to the kidnapping of Geordi by Romulans, leading up to the events in Redemption and Unification. That was a great set of episodes. Also the inital discovery of Romulans at Galorndon Core in The Enemy, tie in the events in the defector, as well as face of the enemy. Tie all those episodes together, and it would have been a great multi episode arc.

In a seriousness, I think that's a great idea

 

[Jayson]

Hippokrene said:
If season 6 wasn't as good as it was, I'd agree.

Shaking up the formula is only good if there's something lacking in the show.

I disagree. Keeping things the same are why alot of old shows start to get boring in their later seasons. The show grow grow predictable. I've always been a big fan of bringing in new characters on tv shows because it brings new perspectives,new and sometimes even better actors and creates new character dynamtics. I beleive ever show has a few core characters that you can't repace without it hurting the show. I think with TNG it was Picard and Data. Everyone else could be replaced and maybe you could even upgrade your cast.

Riker=Shelby
Worf=Ro
Geordi=Barclay
Crusher=Pulaski(underated if character who could have been even better if allowed to move away from some McCoyism's.)

Jason

 

[DWF]

Story arcs were in vogue at the time and the series doesn't seem to have suffered from a lack of them as time has gone by and I really don't think they needed a new alien threat the Cardassians clearly filled that role at any rate. And I tto thought the series improved alittle from the fifth season in the last two years of the show.

 

[Tactical Drone]

Vulcanian said:


In a seriousness, I think that's a great idea

I appreciate it. I just wonder in what order would we put all those episodes to make it all fit together. It would be cool to watch them all together.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

I think the seasons could've been tighter, there were a lot of disposable episodes. "Imaginary Friend", anyone? Season 5 entered a family friendly killjoy mode midseason IIRC.

Ro (Michelle Forbes) should've been a main cast member.

Also, though it really wasn't that type of series, TNG was sorely lacking in recurring villains. Q was too powerful to be one, more of an irritation. Sela never seemed interesting. The Duras sisters disappear after the start of season 5 only to appear once more on TNG in late season 7 in little more than a cameo. Lore...oh, boy, the evil twin. He was only good twice, well once in my book (Brothers). Damon Bok...not even the same actor! Tomalok had potential, but only made 3 real appearances (+1 illusionary), and one was a series finale cameo (and his hair was all wrong).

 

[Kegek]

^
Well, if there's one thing I think the series really missed out on, it's more use of Tomalak. Sela wasn't engaging, and anyone who watched B5 (and liked G'Kar) knows Katsulas has great range subtelty and depth, even when in alien makeup. He was woefully underused in the series.

I also think Pulaski was underrated. I think she went really due to three reasons: 1. Massive anti-Pulaski reaction due to her curt dismissal of fan favourite Data early in her short tenure. 2. Obviously a McCoy clone. 3. Muldaur really didn't like having all that excessive old age makeup in "Unnatural Selections". Still, Muldaur had charm and grace in the Doctor role, and I think was more engaging than Crusher. I think she should have been kept on. (I'm going to be stoned now, aren't I? Be gentle!) It's a pity she was never given a cameo appearance later in the series, despite the increasingly ludcrious methods they brought Denise Crosby back.

 

[Anwar]

What about Gul Madred? He was a good villain.

 

[Kegek]

^
An excellent villain. So was Marc Alaimo as Gul Macet (the future Gul Dukat of DS9). But, besides Q, a character I thought was magnificent, TNG had no major recurring villains.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

^^^
Which was good. If you're out travelling between every section of the explored galaxy, you had BETTER not keep running into the same individuals over and over again. Seeing Tomalak as often as we did was perfect, more than that would get into "If Voyager is going AWAY from the Kazons, why do we run into them every week" territory.

The only one that really DOES make sense is Q. As he just has to snap his fingers to find you.

 

[blakbyrd]

Kegek said:
Muldaur had charm and grace in the Doctor role, and I think was more engaging than Crusher. I think she should have been kept on.It's a pity she was never given a cameo appearance later in the series, despite the increasingly ludcrious methods they brought Denise Crosby back.

Agreed.

 

[SmoothieX]

M'rk, son of Mogh said:
"If Voyager is going AWAY from the Kazons, why do we run into them every week" territory.

One of the reasons I got turned off by Voyager was that it seemed like they ran into them at every corner despite supposedly being at Warp 9 24/7.