Star Trek Next Generation should have been called Phase II
- Thread starter urrutiap
- Start date
One could argue that "Star Trek: The Fifth Generation" would be apropos, since nobody knew who'd captain the "A" at the time. Or the Sixth, if the "Enterprise" prequel is to be considered, even if the 1701-D was specific in regaling to Scotty all the starships given the name "Enterprise", etc, and "The D Generation" was already a thing in Australia and this is already confusing enough...
But wait, there's more!! Nobody at the time was really going to go with the usual monikers attached to shows to create titles such as "The New Star Trek" or "Star Trek Today" in the way many 80s revival shows were doing, so that other standby "The Next Generation" was tacked on instead. Like "Bonanza" had.
For shows featuring tag words such as, but not limited to, "Today" or "The New" in them, check out some of these all-time classics:
And having seen most of those shows and almost puking in the process for some, it's even more amazing twofold, that:
* This oddly well-defined sequel ran for one season longer (and netting two more episodes) than its original and, especially with the pilot and early on, had actual potential to be a great revival - but ended up being uneven and way too trendy with 80s fashion kitsch (so kids, while trying to watch this when done with the 60s original we know you'll never watch either, do wear sunglasses to help dull the 80s color schemes in the fashions as it gets really up there).
** It gets boring watching outlandish silliness and there were already new takes on the formula, such as "Love Connection". Elaine Joyce was the more memorable (and great) host, but this revival didn't stand a chance outside of wax nostalgia.
*** The actors/musicians hired were objectively really good, but the TV episodes were largely awful and there was stigma over copping the name instead of trying to be its own thing instead
**** A retooling of "Battlestars" from a couple of years earlier, both versions innovated on "Hollywood Squares" but were derided by some for being too similar to it. A shame, as not only did the same creator create both shows, host Alex Trebek looked like he was having fun often enough. Not to mention the ill-fated 1983-1984 "The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour" that probably did "The New Battlestars" little good as well...
But wait, there's more!! Nobody at the time was really going to go with the usual monikers attached to shows to create titles such as "The New Star Trek" or "Star Trek Today" in the way many 80s revival shows were doing, so that other standby "The Next Generation" was tacked on instead. Like "Bonanza" had.
For shows featuring tag words such as, but not limited to, "Today" or "The New" in them, check out some of these all-time classics:
- The New Gidget
- The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
- The Munsters Today*
- The New Hollywood Squares
- The All-New Dating Game**
- The New Monkees***
- The New Battlestars****
- etc
And having seen most of those shows and almost puking in the process for some, it's even more amazing twofold, that:
- TNG season 1 was better than those listed
- TNG became uniquely iconic and mainstay as early as it had (During season 2, despite the strike and other problems, feels like it's found itself and season 3 just adds the final polish)
* This oddly well-defined sequel ran for one season longer (and netting two more episodes) than its original and, especially with the pilot and early on, had actual potential to be a great revival - but ended up being uneven and way too trendy with 80s fashion kitsch (so kids, while trying to watch this when done with the 60s original we know you'll never watch either, do wear sunglasses to help dull the 80s color schemes in the fashions as it gets really up there).
** It gets boring watching outlandish silliness and there were already new takes on the formula, such as "Love Connection". Elaine Joyce was the more memorable (and great) host, but this revival didn't stand a chance outside of wax nostalgia.
*** The actors/musicians hired were objectively really good, but the TV episodes were largely awful and there was stigma over copping the name instead of trying to be its own thing instead
**** A retooling of "Battlestars" from a couple of years earlier, both versions innovated on "Hollywood Squares" but were derided by some for being too similar to it. A shame, as not only did the same creator create both shows, host Alex Trebek looked like he was having fun often enough. Not to mention the ill-fated 1983-1984 "The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour" that probably did "The New Battlestars" little good as well...
Well, I'll concede that it could've been called something better than The Next Generation, given that Sulu's daughter would become the next generation.
But at TNG's inception, the 1701-B wasn't yet conceived of. I like to think that had they known just how in-depth the historical narrative was going to become, they'd have factored that consideration, but back then I'm betting no one even thought, in their wildest dreams, we'd be fleshing out the franchise with a ton of prequels & reboots, that filled in all the nooks & crannies of the canon, ad nauseum.
But at TNG's inception, the 1701-B wasn't yet conceived of. I like to think that had they known just how in-depth the historical narrative was going to become, they'd have factored that consideration, but back then I'm betting no one even thought, in their wildest dreams, we'd be fleshing out the franchise with a ton of prequels & reboots, that filled in all the nooks & crannies of the canon, ad nauseum.
Star Trek: The New Generation
That works too, albeit it too is a little boxed in IMHO... to reference it in terms of years like that. I'm my mind, it just makes it sound like "Star Trek: Some Few Decades Later
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