TOS references in TNG (real and imaginary)

[WarpFactorZ]

During TNG's first run -- especially in the first season -- I had fun trying to find TOS references in various episodes. Of course we had "the Doctor" in "Farpoint" and all the references in "The Naked Now". But I wondered how far the writers would go to continue including TOS.

So, all the obvious ones notwithstanding (Spock, Scotty, Sarek, etc...), what other references were in TNG, were originally supposed to be in TNG, or might have been in TNG? Three come to mind immediately. First, I recall reading that Admiral Mark Jameson in "Too Short a Season" was originally slated to be James Kirk / Shatner, and the episode was meant as a sequel to "A Private Little War" (though Memory Alpha doesn't substantiate this).

Next, I believe the Stargazer was supposed to be a Constitution class?

Lastly, what other things in TNG might have been hidden TOS references? When the Edo God appears out of some other dimension in "Justice", the first thing I thought was that it's V'ger. Might not have been intentional, but was certainly fun to think about.

Any other such examples that people can mention?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Q being grown-up Trelane, or his father, Or another of his people etc.

 

[Prax]

oooh, I got a good one. In Season 2's Where Silence Has Lease There's a cute, subtle reference to The Immunity Syndrome. When facing the black nothingness in space, Riker asks Data "is there any record anywhere of any occurrence even vaguely similar to this?" To which Data replies "Accessing... Negative, sir. There is no record of any Federation vessel encountering anything remotely like this."

Much of the act 1 scene in TNG is a reference to act 1 of the original episode. Picard argues with Data the same way Kirk argues with Spock, Chekov and Wesley Crusher both talk about not being able to see around it, etc.

 

[Mojochi]

Well, there's the obvious history of Khitomer carrying over from the movie franchise to TNG

 

[F. King Daniel]

oooh, I got a good one. In Season 2's Where Silence Has Lease There's a cute, subtle reference to The Immunity Syndrome. When facing the black nothingness in space, Riker asks Data "is there any record anywhere of any occurrence even vaguely similar to this?" To which Data replies "Accessing... Negative, sir. There is no record of any Federation vessel encountering anything remotely like this."

Much of the act 1 scene in TNG is a reference to act 1 of the original episode. Picard argues with Data the same way Kirk argues with Spock, Chekov and Wesley Crusher both talk about not being able to see around it, etc.

I have a feeling part of that was written as a wink to the audience, but the director played it straight.

Imagine if Data looked right into the camera when he said "we have no record of anything remotely like this" and its perfect.

Instead it reads like they were deliberately saying "The Immunity Syndrome" never happened

 

[Gary7]

I have a feeling part of that was written as a wink to the audience, but the director played it straight.

Imagine if Data looked right into the camera when he said "we have no record of anything remotely like this" and its perfect.

Instead it reads like they were deliberately saying "The Immunity Syndrome" never happened

Agreed. He could have said something along the lines of "A quick scan of our database is not turning up any record of a phenomenon like this over the last 80 years."

It would have been SO COOL if he had referenced the early Enterprise captained by James T. Kirk. Just say that it seems to have similar characteristics but is not identical. Yet the explict "not anything remotely like this" is more like a POKE in the eye of TOS.

 

[Tosk]

Well, there's the obvious history of Khitomer carrying over from the movie franchise to TNG

Wasn't it the other way around? TNG first, Star Trek VI later?



I've got a TOS reference that few ever notice...if you look closely, the name of the ship is ENTERPRISE!

 

[Prax]

 

[Finn]

Well, there's the obvious history of Khitomer carrying over from the movie franchise to TNG

I believe the mention of the massacre at Khitomer, on TNG predates Undiscovered Country ( it came out during season 5...)...

 

[Mojochi]

Hmmm. So it is. Worf mentions it as early as season 3, if not sooner.

 

[F. King Daniel]

There are silver-painted models of the movie USS Enterprise in some TNG episodes ("The Battle", Booby Trap" etc), sometimes with the nacelles on incorrectly and with window panels in the saucer missing.

In the Generations movie, the Armagosa Observatory has some TOS-style computer graphics and consoles.