TNG Rebooted Questions

[JJohnson]

As a hypothetical, let's say TNG is rebooted from the beginning.

You get to undo/redo anything in the series, but the characters, names, and backgrounds are the same (you can change actors and how they do develop on the show). The objective is to make the humans less irritatingly arrogant about their 'evolved sensibilities,' Starfleet more like a real military/exploratory organization, and in general improve the atmosphere of the show so that it doesn't date itself.

Which TNG Bridge would be used - season 1, 3, or Generations?
Which uniforms would be used - season 1, 3, a mix of TNG/TOS, or something else?
How long would officers take to get promoted, assuming they perform competently, and are interested in promotion? Would there be a certain number of slots for each rank? Like 2048 captain slots, so Riker passing on the Melbourne means that only after Wolf 359 would another open up.
How would admirals act, such that they aren't there to cause conflict, but to act as real admirals would act in a military-style organization?
How would the crew interact, senior staff amongst themselves, and senior staff to enlisted? I never served on a naval ship (I was on land), so I'm not sure how all that would've worked.
For civilians, would you keep that as it was in TNG (and have saucer separation before each battle), or limit it to mission-specialist civilians and perhaps crews' immediate family and any diplomats/ambassadors the mission requires?

As for the TNG crew, which roles would you recast, if you could keep the originals at their starting ages, but put anyone else there? Replace Wesley with Leslie? Gates McFadden with Michelle Specht from Star Trek Continues? Jonathan Frakes with David Boreanaz?

I had the random idea for a full on reboot pop in my head, having watched some Star Trek Continues, and was wondering, how it could be handled to make it still TNG, but better and more real.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Firstly, this would have nothing to do with NuTrek. It is an alternate timeline that has no bearing on any other Trek and is best left on its own. This would be looking more at starting from the basics of TNG—as specified by the OP.

These are just some random thoughts I have on a new-look TNG.

The Bridge would be closer to the Generations style, with numerous consoles, a busier feel and more ‘subdued’ lighting to it, so it actually looks like the command centre for such a large ship. Engineering would also be a much grander set, whilst more of the ship would also be explored (such as a large arboretum), as well as more laboratory space and also looking at life onboard the ship. The Enterprise would retain its luxurious feel and finishing, seeing as how it is such a prominent ship, it would have to look its best. Though well-armed she would be used primarily as an explorer, out on the fringes of space, so they would spend more time operating independently and only returning to known space infrequently.

Uniforms would stick with the TNG colour scheme, though maybe with less colour on them, as well as a couple of different styles available to give the crew a bit of visual diversity (such as Class A and Class B uniforms). Everyone on the main cast would be in uniforms, no stupid jumpsuits for Troi. The one place that uniforms wouldn’t be seen would be in Ten Forward, seeing as it’s an off-duty lounge.

Officers would get promoted at more regular intervals, even if it did mean that cast members left the series main cast—they would still return for some stories, especially the big events. Riker would be the most obvious character that this would happen with, which would open his post up either for another promotion or the introduction of a new character.

Admirals would act like admirals, the men, women and others who are calling the shots and making the big decisions, some will be friendlier than others, but the crew won’t act like spoilt children if one doesn’t tell them all the details of an operation but just issues their orders (as the crew sometimes did when faced with Nechayev).

The rank structure and hierarchy are in place for smooth operations and establish a clear chain of command, but all people are equal in life, so mutual respect would underpin all relationships and interaction between officers and non-coms (who would have greater representation on the show). There would also be a greater number of recurring characters who would feature and be developed (Ogawa, Barclay, O’Brien, etc), whilst aliens would be a far more common sight in the background (I’m thinking humans would make up—at the absolute most—20% of the overall crew complement). Same-sex couples would also be a common sight. Civilians would be aboard, in much the same way as the TOTNG (The Original The Next Generation), to show the era of peace and prosperity the Federation is enjoying—also there would need to be some excuse for why Guinan was onboard.

As a reboot, then the roles would need to be cast with current actors, though some of the originals could pop up from time to time in new roles—as titillation for fans. I’m not sure exactly who I would cast though, it’d be a very tough decision to make. The main character list would look like this though:
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commanding Officer (Human, male, late-50s/early-60s)
- He would need to be well spoken, not necessarily a French actor or even accented (or bald)

Commander William Riker, First Officer (Human, male, early-30s)
- Definitely a bit cockier, he and La Forge were classmates so a stronger friendship between them, as well as more tension (both sexual and general) between him and Troi due to their past

Commander Beverly Crusher, Chief Medical Officer (Human, female, early/mid-50s)
- Emphasis the long-standing friendship between her and Picard and not just the attraction, she and Leslie will have a few mother-daughter moments—something they have to balance with both being officers

Lt. Commander Data, Chief Operations Officer (Android, male, appears to be mid-30s)
- He has been about for a few decades so won’t be as ‘mechanical’ at the start, one major change will be his exploration of sexual identity at various points

Lt. Commander Deanna Troi, Ship’s Counsellor/Diplomatic Officer (Betazoid/Human, female, mid-30s)
- She will have a more professional appearance (no awful jumpsuits), her abilities will be put to better use as will her actual qualifications, she and Riker have issues that need to be addressed

Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Chief Engineering Officer (Human, male, early-30s)
- Chief Engineer from the start, he is good friends with Riker and of course Data, as well as being a big brother to Leslie

Lieutenant Natasha Yar, Chief Security/Tactical Officer (Human, female, late-20s)
- Hire an actress willing to commit to multiple seasons, as she will be about for a while, she is tougher than anyone onboard but also has a sensitive side (due to her horrific childhood)

Lieutenant JG Worf, Chief Flight Control Officer (Klingon, male, mid-20s)
- Seated next to Data, he will have a few human mannerisms due to his upbringing, which will put him more at odds with his Klingon heritage

Ensign Leslie Crusher, Junior Science Officer (Human, female, early-20s)
- Fresh from the Academy, brilliant but very inexperienced, she is mortified to be serving with her mother, but wants to prove herself on her own two feet (no more annoying teenager)

 

[Lance]

to all of Bry_Sinclair's post. Some terrific analysis there.

I'd definitely go back to 'brass tacks' in the same way the Abrams movies sometimes did including perhaps incorporating character stuff that was conceived at the beginning but never made it to screen. So for example, perhaps forget Soong as Data's creator and instead explore the earlier concept of him being a mysterious remnant of an otherwise dead/unknown alien society. Perhaps string the mystery along by having them discover clues as they go, eventually find the colony, etc. Or if they want to include Soong in it, make him a member of this mystery alien society rather than a human scientist.

Things like this would be fine with me because as a reboot I'd feel no need to stick to the existing continuity. So somebody like Data can have a totally different history.

I'm loving that idea of using the early Leslie Crusher idea there too Bry, I'd be totally on board with that idea! Exactly the kind of 'go back to brass tacks' idea I was thinking.

Basically I'd see a TNG reboot as a good opportunity to maybe explore some of the paths not taken in the original TNG. Go back to the early character documents and see what other ideas were spitballed at the time, then follow those as a basic blueprint. On the same token, I wouldn't want to be beholden to every un-used idea that was thrown around back in '86. I'd certainly give the crew more opportunities for conflict for example (which was verboten even in the original conception of the show).

As an example of the kind of conflict I mean: as far as Picard is concerned I'd make him something of a liability (having only just scraped through the Stargazer incident 20 years ago without being thrown out of the service, and making this basically his big second chance to prove himself after an extended period of non-ship duty following Stargazer's destruction). So being a good captain on the Enterprise means a lot to him, and Beverly Crusher's presence only reminds him more of his dubious past and sometimes makes him doubt himself more. I'd also use this as a point of contention between him and Riker: maybe Will is a bit more like the Shelby character in BOBW, he's ambitious and a fast-tracker and sees the Big Chair as his, and there's an opportunity for some conflict there as he disagrees with some of Picard's decisions and sometimes even actively undermines him, while Picard sees Riker as a promising if hot-headed officer who needs to be put in his place on occasion as a means of seasoning him up a bit, etc.

 

[2takesfrakes]

 

[Trek Survivor]

I love TNG as it is, so there isn't really much I would change. Sure, you can point to specific episodes or moments and think "that could've been better", but structurally, not really.

I suppose you could point to things like special effects, alien make-up etc, but again nothing too major.

Some things I WOULD NOT want in a reboot TNG:

* More serialised.

I'm sick to death of the prevalent attitude at the moment that serialised/continual plotlines are somehow more "adult", intelligent or superior to episodic television. I love the fact that you can drop in on TNG (and most other Trek, even the sainted DS9 - despite how its fans go on and on about it being serialised - was mostly episodic, and it was easy enough to pick up what was going on in any given episode) for an entertaining, hopefully-thought-provoking hour of teleivison is just fine.

TNG had just the right amount of revisiting older stories and character plots. No more was needed.

* More character conflict

I don't want to see Picard yelling at Riker, or Geordi resenting Data for some reason (yes, I know I'm simplifying what is meant by "character conflict"). I must be the only person in the world who was quite happy that nobody tried to change Trek into something it wasn't. As Maurice Hurley once said (paraphrasing): "If you think you can write something better, you probably could - but it wouldn't be Star Trek."

 

[Melakon]

Roddenberry didn't want a bald guy as captain, so that's probably the first thing that would change.

 

[JJohnson]

Bry, Lots of good ideas in there! Great stuff! I also like the no NuTrek, which is entirely the point of this thought exercise.

If I keep all the same main characters from the start, and assume a complete recast in 2014, I would have:

Cptn Jean-Luc Picard - roughly the same, but with a French accent if a French actor can be found, but not necessary. He was attracted to Beverly before she married Jack, and they dated, but duty came first for Picard. He was Jack's best man, and still carried some attraction to Beverly, but never acted on it. When Jack died on a mission, Picard felt guilty, believing he could've done something to save him, and remembers Leslie's face when he brought her father home. He was married, and believed his wife and kids died, never remarried.
Cdr Will Riker - still ambitious, and have some unresolved issues with Troi that are actually addressed. Gets promoted off after Wolf 359 in favor of Shelby. I like your characterization, and would have him start off like Shelby was in BoBW, but have Picard kind of mentor him in command so that by BoBW, he sees the difference in himself and Shelby, and we see that growth over the first four years of the series. Much more of an outdoorsman having grown up in Alaska, travelled to the Yukon and BC, Montana, Idaho quite a bit.
Lt Deanna Troi - in a uniform, possibly the skant, more often the regular uniform, and often acts as chief diplomat in addition to counselor, helping with diplomatic protocols, etc. Still has relationship to Riker that left somewhat in limbp. He was still assigned to Betazed, 2 years, but got transferred and never had time to write back to Troi.
Lt Cdr Beverly Crusher - I'd make her more interesting, perhaps Scottish, and a bit feisty, somewhat like an Amy Pond, but with Rose Tyler's strong sense of right and wrong, and still motherly to her daughter. There was an attraction to Picard before she married Jack, but Picard didn't act on it due to loyalty to his friend. She would be persistent, and capable of leaps of logic, and loves all things Scotland.
Lt Cdr Data - same, but in Starfleet for less time, so that some things he doesn't know would actually make sense, and he actually knows not to blather on like a dictionary on the bridge.
Lt Geordi La Forge - possibly chief engineer to start, Data's best friend, mentor to Leslie.
Lt JG Worf - same, though has some human mannerisms and conflicts with honoring his human adoptive parents and his Klingon heritage. He's fluent in Klingon, as expected. He grew up human, but adopted as much Klingon culture as he could find in the databanks, as a way to give himself identity.
Lt Natasha Yar - stays for 2-4 years, transfers off instead of having a 'senseless death.' Strong and strong-willed, but does want to let go when off duty.
Ens Leslie Crusher - young, smart, gets sponsored to the Academy by Picard, but has been taking courses while on Enterprise, so she skips a year. Doesn't come back till mid third season as a new ensign. Or...was on the Melbourne at Wolf 359, and is the only escape pod the Enterprise found intact, and is reintroduced back in BoBW part 2.

Various NCOs - plenty of enlisted, and plenty of non-human officers. I can agree on not having a huge number of humans on the ship, I don't know percentages, but have lots of species - Andorian, Vulcan, Orion, Alpha Centauran, Bolian, etc. Have recurring enlisted show up and exhibit their skills so it doesn't appear as though 7 people are doing everything in the ship.

Admirals: have them act more like real admirals, not as sources of conflict to the isolated clique-ish crew (they did act like know-it-all cool kids to outsiders quite often).

Uniforms: use my concept uniform (we can dream, right?), and use this as the 2320s-2340s uniform, this for 2340s-2360-ish. Off-duty, people wear comfortable, futuristic clothing that doesn't look like couch fabric (Wesley's sweaters!) from the 80s. Medals, years of service are shown, and dress uniforms don't really look like dresses, just more formal versions of the existing uniforms.

Interiors: Season 3 bridge for 2 years, then upgrade to Generations bridge. More arboretums, shops, etc. would be shown to explain some civilians being on board. Saucer rim is 2-decks and has ten forward, but has some two-level split walkways to allow some impressive vistas out into space, perhaps in quarters or eighths, with lounges dividing the rim where people can walk in from the walkways to the officer/enlisted lounges. Engineering would be more like in season 2, but I would like to see more of the guts of the ship around the warp core to get a feel for the immensity of the ship. Show the main shuttlebay and shuttlebay 2/3 with real sloping exterior.

Episodes: skip the bad ones (Shades of Gray, for one). Keep the good ones (Best of Both Worlds, for one). Do others better (Naked Now, Where No Man has Gone Before, 11001001).

Exteriors: Have at least 3-5 stock exterior shots newly produced each season so there's variety and not the same starboard through the neck warp shot every. single. episode.

That's all I've got so far, but we can all think of more later, I'm sure.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Over the years the crew could go through some more drastic changes, with people being lost or moving on.

For example:
In Best of Both Worlds: Data and Yar are unable to secure Locutus, but later as they race towards Earth they discover a way to tap into his cybernetic devices (Leslie can be the genius behind this discovery), to shut off the Borg link and communicate directly with him. It is then Picard who forces the ship to self-destruct and sacrifices himself to save Earth. Afterwards, Riker's promotion is made permanent, leaving him with considerable guilt and doubt over what happened and his suitability to take over from Picard. Shelby joins the crew and initially is a source of conflict, especially with Riker and Troi. This might also be a time for Crusher to leave, mourning for the loss of her good friend, she takes over at Starfleet Medical and is replaced onboard by Doctor Selar.

In Redemption: Worf leaves Starfleet and the Enterprise-D to assume a commission in the Imperial Fleet, where he works towards clearing his family name and exposing the Duras involvement with the Romulans. Before he can do so, Lursa and B'Etor are successful is seizing control of the High Council (possibly with the aid of a Romulan-created Picard clone, if not then a recurring Romulan foe such as Tomalak) and lead the Empire down a dark path, with the Romulans by their sides, thus posing a considerable threat to the Federation. Worf's status is left unknown by the end. A couple of episodes later, a new Conn Officer joins the ship, a troubled Bajoran by the name of Ro (though I would envision this Ro being male). This season would see almost all-out war between the Klingon/Romulan alliance and Starfleet. I would switch around the episodes, to make "Unification" the end of the season, where Worf is revealed to be alive and assisting Spock in bringing down the alliance from within.

Again, just some stray thoughts on possible paths.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Really I think the only reason TNG has the reputation of being smug and uppity is because they're written that way in a handful of the series' worst episodes. Nix those episodes and the problem is under control.

-To address the 'smugness' issue, it's really just a change of language. No use of the word 'Evolved', no reference to the 'Barbarians we used to be'. Instead of focusing on the 20th century negatively, focus on the 24th century positively, talk about how poverty and war were eliminated on Earth without being dicks about it.
-Bring the premise closer to TOS. The Enterprise is out on its own, not always involved in the core politics of the Federation, far from reinforcements, exploring new and strange places on a deep space mission.
-The writing staff is the season 3-7 era staff with Piller, Moore, Behr, Biemer, Braga, etc.
-No beige
-There is no directive among the staff to have no interpersonal conflict and present the characters as flawless heroes. However, professional duty always comes before interpersonal problems and we don't get the childish drama most writers happily use as a crutch. Like, somewhere in between the 'Roddenberry box' and normal television shows. Where characters disagree with each other and have some interpersonal conflict but express these as mature professionals or at worst in a humorous way like Spock and McCoy did. And the stories still come from external to the ship rather than focusing on the characters' personal issues.
-A full robust recurring cast of secondary characters.
-A balance between the episodic and the serialized. Like, A plots that are episodic but B plots that work toward arcs that carry through a season.
-Characters mostly have the same identities only you start the characters in their season 3 roles. Their personalities are a more humanized version of themselves.
-More species diversity in the show. Picard is an alien, as are at least 75% of the random crew. There's more mention of the logistic ways the ship handles different races with different dietary and environmental needs. Like, maybe show that diversity in particular with the forementioned secondary cast. A character who is not bipedal, a character who can fly, etc.

 

[borgboy]

I'd want it to be a continuation of the new movies continuity.
Get Karl Urban to play elderly McCoy in the first episode. Maybe try to get Quinto to do a story arc as Spock, and Ben Cross to appear as Sarek.

I'd want big epic story arcs. Sorry, but that is what I want.

I'd want to shake things up, change the basic dynamic. If you're not going to do something different with the characters, what's the point? We can always watch our blu rays of the original.

I think having difficult relations with the Klingons would be interesting, to set that up as a major plot of the series. Relations could be tettering on the brink of war for a year or two, then do a big Klingon War arc. Worf would be raised by his birth parents, so he would be a major recurring character but not a Enterprise crew member.

Once relations with the Klingons really got bad, the civilians and non Starfleet families would be permanently removed from the Enterprise. Beverly might choose to leave (temporarily) with Wesley but she could have a story arc on Earth where she would serve as a way of seeing the war from a Earth bound perspective and get caught up in her own storyline with intrigue. Possibly Pulaski could be used on the Enterprise at that point, but I think I'd rather her just be a recurring character and let Selar be the regular replacement doctor. After a season of that set up, Wesley could enter Starfleet Academy, fast tracked to with earned credits from his advanced education and Bev returns to the Enterprise.

I'd have more mature romances for Picard and Beverly, and Riker and Troi.

Tasha doesn't die.

Bring in a new character to replace Worf as head of security/ops or whatever. This could be a LGBT character, and in my imagination it could be Hawke, and Keru from the novels could eventually be his partner and a supporting character as the secondary chief engineer.

Guinan should be a regular character, and I would love it if Whoppi still played the role, but if not, I'd still want a good recast.

I agree that Troi should wear the skant uniform, with it as an option for both genders. Riker wears it every once in a while.

 

[JJohnson]

I love TNG as it is, so there isn't really much I would change. Sure, you can point to specific episodes or moments and think "that could've been better", but structurally, not really.

I suppose you could point to things like special effects, alien make-up etc, but again nothing too major.

Some things I WOULD NOT want in a reboot TNG:

* More serialized.

I'm sick to death of the prevalent attitude at the moment that serialized/continual plot-lines are somehow more "adult", intelligent or superior to episodic television. I love the fact that you can drop in on TNG (and most other Trek, even the sainted DS9 - despite how its fans go on and on about it being serialized - was mostly episodic, and it was easy enough to pick up what was going on in any given episode) for an entertaining, hopefully-thought-provoking hour of television is just fine.

TNG had just the right amount of revisiting older stories and character plots. No more was needed.

* More character conflict

I don't want to see Picard yelling at Riker, or Geordi resenting Data for some reason (yes, I know I'm simplifying what is meant by "character conflict"). I must be the only person in the world who was quite happy that nobody tried to change Trek into something it wasn't. As Maurice Hurley once said (paraphrasing): "If you think you can write something better, you probably could - but it wouldn't be Star Trek."

I like it. And I agree. I want episodic Trek, aside from the occasional 2-part episode and season opener/cliffhangers. Serial TV is ok, but you really need to get a few episodes on your DVR to watch back to back to enjoy the progression, and I agree that I like Trek being easy to jump in just about anywhere, and not have much problem doing so.

For conflict, I would like to see more of that in a realistic sense - not over-dramatized reality-TV-style like the Office or Real World with the irritating zoom-in-zoom-out pauses for reaction shot camera work. Something that would really happen on a naval ship, or could logically be seen as a conflict.

 

[Takeru]

The bridge would be the generations version just with the lights turned on, there's no reason to sit in the dark during everyday operations, the lights would go out during red alert like on Voyager to give it a more dramatic look.

Ten Forward wouldn't be a dinky little bar, the saucer rim would still be two decks in my version and Ten forward would be a big set spanning two decks with big windows in the front and ceiling, it wouldn't just be a bar with a few tables, it would be more similar to quark's (just without hookers), there are games, music, direct access to holodecks. It's a place where the crew goes to have fun, not sit quietly while drinking prune juice and pondering this weeks dilemma. A part of of the set is a lounge area surrounded by soundfilters, they are like forcefields except they just block out sound, that way you can still have quiet scenes in a loud environment.

There would be more people on board, probably 5000 including lots of civillians, the mission is the original idea behind TNG, they are out there exploring the galaxy not ferrying around diplomats or cargo between federation planets, there's no need to explain why no one transfers off the ship, they signed up for a 10 year mission in deep space.

The uniforms are based on the First Contact version, I thought they looked great and the color being reduced to the undershirt and striped on the sleeves made them look less like pyjamas.

Commanding officer: Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a human from a former earth colony which became independet member state ofmthe federation a hundred years ago, he has never been to earth and doesn't feeld the need to see it, he's in his mid 50s. Not a "Set course to soandso ..." CO, he doesn't spend much time on the bridge except during emergencies, his most important job is running the city in space itself, not getting it from A to B.

First officer: Captain Deanna Troi, early 40s, from England, Earth. Basically Riker from the original show but less ambitious, is perfectly fine remaining first officer for a decade if it's on a prestigious deep space exploration. I wanted to gender fllp Riker and Troi but I'm not a fan of "Wilhelmina" Riker as a name.

Second officer: Commander Eric Shelby, mid 30s, very similar to the shows's Shelby, less antagonistic but still a pain in the ass, usually in charge of away teams while Troi runs the day to day operations of the ship.

Chief Science Officer: Lt. Commander Data, age unknown, even to himself, he's an adroid who was found and activated 15 years ago with his memory wiped, he almost perfectly mimicks human behaviour except that he prefers to spend his free time on duty.

Chief Medical Officer: Commander Beverly Crusher, late 40s, born and raised on earth's moon, a long time friend of Picard, no romantic feelings bullshit, they have a purely platonic relationship. Doesn't trust Data because his origins are unknown and there's no proof for his wiped memory except his own words, that he mimicks human emotions despite not feeling anything creeps her out.

Ship's counselor: Lt. Commander Will Riker, mid 30s, human/betazoid hybrid, has empathic abilities but has to be familiar with a species for them to work reliably, he perceives all species differently, in a dark room he could not just feel that someone happy and someone angry is present, he could also tell you that it's a happy bajoran or a sad bolian. Is uncomfortable in the presence of vulcans, he feels their emotions but can't interpret them because as a species they've never really given him a frame of reference.
If he's really close to someone he becomes fully telepathic with that person, Deanna was the first person outside of his family who he was able to communicate with telepathically.
The relationship with Deanna Troi ended a few years before the series starts, when they meet on the Enterprise he realizes that Deanna can no longer hear his thoughts which greatly disappoints him.

Security Chief/tactical officer: Lt. Tasha Yar, late 20s, same as she was on TNG except less dead. Has a "relationship" with Data, they basically use each other, she's a girlfriend he thinks he needs to appear human, she gets uncomplicated sex.

Ship's pilot: Ensign Wesley crusher, fresh from the academy, Beverly's son. Accidentally causes an accident that leads to the death of someone on a planet the Enterprise visits, he is put on trial and sentenced to death by the locals. Although Picard thinks the punishment is too harsh no one can deny that Wesley is guilty, Picard decides to not force the locals to hand Wesley, who is executed in the first season's finale. Beverly's friendship with Picard ends at this point, they are stuck on the same ship and have to work together but as a person he's dead to her.
Wesley is replaced as the pilot with Ro Laren who was never court martialed or in prison, she's a young bajoran woman who lost her entire family during the cardassian occupation.

Worf and Geordi don't exist, I'm over klingons and Geordie was always boring. I don't think the ship needs a regular engineer, I will not allow technobabble and if something needs to be fixed it can happen off screen.

Picard will die 3 or 4 years into the mission during an accident on a planet, Troi takes over as CO, Riker starts a relationship with Shelby (Riker is bi, shelby is gay), this will NOT become a love triangle, Riker and Troi are done as a couple at that point, they are colleagues and friends, nothing more amd they are genuinely happy for each other when they fall in love again.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Here's my real idea for a TNG reboot.

Humans invented machines, gave them really advanced AI and made them their slaves. This AI rebels against them, and takes them by surprised, nearly wiping out all of humanity. Only one warship and a lot of civilian ships escape, so there are only about 50,000 humans left. The show revolves around this fleet trying to find its way to Earth to start again new.

Now, this show would have more strict military roles, heavy use of the shaky cam and a large cast of secondary characters who often get killed off. Commander Picard would be in charge of the fleet, and Captain Riker would be his son and CAG, who loves his father but strives to step out of his shadow. Lt Tasha Yar would be a hotshot rebellious pilot who is extremely skilled and frequently disciplined, and President Beverly Crusher would be the Secretary of Education who becomes President because everybody else in the chain of advancement is killed in the initial attack.

Also, no beige.

 

[AirCommodore]

As a hypothetical, let's say TNG is rebooted from the beginning.

You get to undo/redo anything in the series, but the characters, names, and backgrounds are the same (you can change actors and how they do develop on the show). The objective is to make the humans less irritatingly arrogant about their 'evolved sensibilities,' Starfleet more like a real military/exploratory organization, and in general improve the atmosphere of the show so that it doesn't date itself.

I wouldn't make it necessarily the same characters. If they were the same, then they all have to be recast. And no "Acting Ensign" Wesley. And I would have realistic transfers, promotions and crew rotations. Law and Order and Game of Thrones show us the way here. And yes, more conflict would be better. I liked the military coup story arc from DS9 for instance.

Which TNG Bridge would be used - season 1, 3, or Generations?

None of the above. The wood finishes and carpeting thoughout the ship and crew quarters all gave the impression of a Cruise ship and not a research, exploration or military vessel. Complete rehaul of the sets. Much more Spartan and functional living accommodations and work spaces

Which uniforms would be used - season 1, 3, a mix of TNG/TOS, or something else??

Something else. With real world research and military organizations as our guide, we need more functional duty uniforms. Enterprise came closest to something that looks like it actually might be worn by people in a Starfleet-like organization.

How long would officers take to get promoted, assuming they perform competently, and are interested in promotion?

Like the real world, except with some modification for the duration of space missions. An average of maybe 5 years in command of a single ship instead of the 1-2+ years in the real world Navies.

How would admirals act, such that they aren't there to cause conflict, but to act as real admirals would act in a military-style organization?

They are at far greater range from bases than today's forces are. I would expect considerable autonomy and liberty of action in deep space exploratory missions.

For civilians, would you keep that as it was in TNG (and have saucer separation before each battle), or limit it to mission-specialist civilians and perhaps crews' immediate family and any diplomats/ambassadors the mission requires?

No civilians unless they are mission specialists. No children, no families. The whole idea of that was ridiculous. Ships would have a Starbase that was their "Home Port". That is where the crew families should be living.

 

[AirCommodore]

For the rebooted Characters :

Captain Jeannette Picard, Commanding Officer (Human, female, late-40's)

- She comes from a long line of Picards who were accomplished military and naval officers, explorers and scientists since at least the 18th Century. Picards have served in Starfleet from it's foundation 200 years earlier. An accomplished student and athlete since childhood, her more spirited and impulsive nature was altered by a life changing event in her early career that made her a more driven, determined and serious officer.

Commander Wilma Riker, 1st Officer (Human, female, late-30s)

- Wilma Riker has spent her life largely on her own. The early loss of her mother and an absentee father toughened her from an early age. She is a highly accomplished Mixed Martial Artist, and a hard working officer with a brash, take-charge personality. Chosen by Picard for 1st Officer precisely because of, and not in spite of, her penchant for standing her ground with her former CO's on matters of principle.


Commander Ben Crusher, Chief Medical Officer (Human, male, late 40's)

- Son of Admiral Beverly Crusher and a life long friend of Captain Picard who introduced Ben to his former wife (who was later killed in action under the command of Lieutenant Picard years before). Reunited for the first time years, their relationship, always complex, may change in unexpected ways.

Lt. Commander Lal, Chief Operations Officer (Android, female )

- A fully sentient Android with extraordinary capabilities and with the appearance of a human female in her early 30's. She spent her first years living on a distant human colony with her "mother" and creator, the brilliant but eccentric Dr. Nina Soong. The destruction of the colony and the apparent death of her mother left an her orphan in a human world that she finds both fascinating and perplexing. Her rescue by Starfleet officers gave her a sense of mission to serve and help others. She continues in her search for her own identity while always offering a unique perspective to her Captain and crewmates.

Lt. Commander Deanna Troi, Ship’s Counselor/Diplomatic Officer (Betazoid-Human, female, mid-30s)

- With a human father in Starfleet and Betazoid mother, Deanna has always been the child of two worlds. She uses the empathic gifts inherited from her Betazoid mother both as a Ship's Counselor and a bridge officer. An old romance with Wilma Riker ended several years before. Their reunification on the Enterprise is awkward as both work to reconcile themselves as colleagues and friends even as old feelings remain.

Captain Geordi La Forge, Chief Engineer (Human Cyborg, male, early-40's)

- A brilliant Engineer, and natural leader. He is a role model, mentor and friend to many, but a lifelong commitment to Starfleet has left him without a family of his own. Blind and unable to walk at birth, La Forge received extensive machine implants to restore and enhance his natural abilities.

Starfleet Marine Captain Natala Yar, Commanding, Marine Detachment. (Alien, female, late-20s)

- Born and raised in a bleak post-apocalyptic landscape on a world outside of the Federation. Orphaned at an early age, Natala learns to fight and survive by any means necessary. Escaping the planet in her teens, she is living in a transient refugee camp on the Federation frontier when she meets Starfleet Marine Colonel William Yar who takes her in and becomes the only father she has ever known. Taking his name, and following in his footsteps Captain Yar is now a highly decorated Marine officer. In Lal and Kori, fellow outsiders, and Troi, a big sister, Natala learns to show another side of herself, even while always haunted by the traumas of her youth.

Lieutenant Commander T'Lar, Chief Science Officer (Vulcan, female, 30's)

Formerly posted to all-Vulcan ships, the Enterprise is her first assignment to a multi-species ship. Accustomed to a serene meditative life of Logic, discipline and scientific study, T'Lar finds life on her new ship chaotic and disordered. At least by her standards.

Lieutenant Kori, Navigator (Human-Klingon, female, mid-20s)

- Although a great grand niece of legendary Klingon commander Kor, Lieutenant Kori is estranged from her powerful Klingon family as a result of her mixed parentage. Raised in the Federation by her human father and Klingon mother, Kori felt equally isolated in the Federation as her Klingon appearance made those around her fearful and apprehensive. Powerfully drawn to the Klingon Empire and culture but loyal to her Captain and the Federation, Kori struggles to find balance.

Lieutenant Gadhir Abdallah, Communications Officer (Human, female, late 20's)

- Daughter of famed Starfleet general Gamal Abdallah, spent her childhood as an "Army brat", moving from Starbase to Starbase. A prodigy in Linguistics, she used every opportunity in her ever changing environments to learn and master every form of language and communication she encountered. A natural explorer, she looks forward to her assignment on the Enterprise and the chance to encounter new life.


Ensign Leslie Crusher, Engineering Officer (Human, female, early-20s)

- Fresh from the Academy, brilliant but very inexperienced, she is mortified to be serving with her father, but is determined to prove herself.

I liked the Leslie Crusher idea!

 

[F. King Daniel]

A rebooted TNG series would have to be very different to survive in the current day. Probably unrecognisable but for the character names.

 

[borgboy]

A rebooted TNG series would have to be very different to survive in the current day. Probably unrecognisable but for the character names.

My thought would be to have the characters be very recognizable with their original personalities, more or less, but put into very new situations.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

If it was just another pew pew pew show with people realizing that morals don't apply in an actual dangerous situation like every other action oriented show that's come out since 2001 there'd be no point in calling in Star Trek.

 

[JJohnson]

If it were such a show it wouldn't be Trek. I can agree.

Another bit is the PADD. Tablets are much more common now than when TNG was made. I was thinking two different designs: an ultra-thin, bezel-less design about the size of the Surface Mini rumored from Microsoft, and then a roll-out design that rolls up into a 1"x1"x8" rectangle, and when rolled out, can be either opaque or transparent, allowing for augmented reality applications, which could be useful for engineering diagrams.

And then, the captain's ready room. Would you keep the display monitor or go with something else, like a form of dockable tablet? Or maybe use more of the stand-up holograms they occasionally showed in seasons 1/2?

 

[2takesfrakes]

A rebooted TNG series would have to be very different to survive in the current day. Probably unrecognisable but for the character names.

That's one of the many reasons why "they" should just leave TNG alone and not try to improve upon perfection. It drives me nuts - do you hear? - NUTS when people post things like, "Oh! I can't wait for a TNG reboot! Patrick Stewart could come back for it, too. How he looks ever much The Same!!!" If they just calm down ... have a glass of water water - you know? - review and examine this flawed notion with clarity and an objective mind, and it'll soon become apparent that STAR TREK: The Next Generation is Reboot Proof! Any attempt to do so would fail and that's not the name of the game, after J.J. Abrams has shown the way. $ave your Time, Energy & Resources ... and just appreciate TNG for what it is: Gene Roddenberry's Coup de Grâce. A Timeless Masterpiece ...