Who do you think was the worst actor among the TNG cast?

[Gary7]

^ I didn't care for Pulaski either. It was in some respects an interesting tie-in, bringing a TOS guest actor into the TNG cast. But her personality just didn't work well as a ship's doctor. I didn't like her voice and her mannerisms for that role. Just didn't feel right.

According to comments on the Season 2 Blu Ray, Gates McFadden was very vocal about the tendency of the scripts to run sexist in the first season, which created tension between her and the writers and producers. Patrick Stewart, on at least one occasion, stood up for her and added his voice to the complain leading a script to be largely changed.

And apparently Maurice Hurley, one of the head writers, had some friction with McFadden. He was instrumental in having her fired. Then he left at the end of the season, whereby Berman decided they should bring back McFadden (Pulaski wasn't working out). It was likely more due to the complications of introducing a 3rd doctor, and there was a nice plausible "fitment" to bring back McFadden, given Dr. Crusher being Wesley Crusher's mom. I think they were right to do it... as ultimately it did work. But I never liked any of the episodes where McFadden was the lead. Like in Sub Rosa.

 

[Herrick]

Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi. She was the character that I loathed seeing as a child. I can tell she was there for comic relief but it failed as she was too loud and obnoxious. They humanized her character a bit at the end but by then the damage was already done.

I wasn't a fan of her character but I thought she played that type of character pretty much perfectly. She wasn't nearly as attractive as someone with that personality should be but maybe that was the point.

Will Wheaton wasn't bad at all. Maybe it's because I heard how terrible he was for years so I braced myself while getting into the first season but I thought he was all right and his character was ok too. I didn't miss him when he left the show though.

Marina Sirtis was awkward for quite a while. Like someone else said, her delivery was stilted. So I'd say she was the worst.

But the worst line in the show might be from Patrick Stewart. There are Four Lights!!!

 

[ThatChapThere]

I recently watched the Icarius factor, and It's one of the few episodes where Troi actually does anything. I actually think Sirtis did a decent job as well, when the writers bothered. I'm not saying by any means that it was perfect, but I think all this bad rap is unnecessary with cringe McFadden on board for most seasons.

 

[Maurice]

I dunno that "Pulaski wasn't working out", since Diana Muldar said she was asked back for the 3rd season but when they wouldn't give her the opportunity do the McCloud reunion telefilm she balked and that was that. Perhaps it was a case where she wasn't that interested in staying and Berman wasn't that interested in her staying either.

 

[Tomalak]

I don't think she ever intended to stay a second year - it was a favour to Roddenberry by all accounts and she was always "special guest star". She wasn't exactly planning to be a regular.

McFadden is fine in the first season when she gets scenes with Stewart, but the character was so poorly written once they stripped out any semblance of sexual tension with Picard. She was just "Mom" until they got rid of Wesley, and then she was just the doctor. She was always likeable but wasn't well-served by the scripts.

 

[Herrick]

I don't think she ever intended to stay a second year - it was a favour to Roddenberry by all accounts and she was always "special guest star". She wasn't exactly planning to be a regular.

That's interesting. Was she friends with Roddenberry?

 

[Aerotrek]

From my perspective, Sirtis was the worst. McFadden wasn't great but seemed strong when acting with Patrick. I also thought she was pretty good in descent part 2, attached and suspicions. Also whenever anyone mentions Sirtis and acting I always think of "great joy and gratitude" and her drunk acting in First Contact.

 

[ThatChapThere]

From my perspective, Sirtis was the worst. McFadden wasn't great but seemed strong when acting with Patrick. I also thought she was pretty good in descent part 2, attached and suspicions. Also whenever anyone mentions Sirtis and acting I always think of "great joy and gratitude" and her drunk acting in First Contact.

I think we shall have to agree to disagree.

 

[Tomalak]

I love the drunk Troi scene - it might be her best scene ever. Plays really well off Frakes too.

 

[Kaelef]

My 2¢ - I agree with those who said most of the actors were mediocre at best, with the exception of Stewart. And I also agree that much of the fault can be laid squarely on the writing. I'm surprised I'm one of the few who found Dorn/Worf the worst of the bunch, though. Though I was tempted to blame the writing for that opinion, I found that I liked other Klingon characters that were introduced in later seasons, but never got to feeling anything but embarrassment for Worf.

And to those who say the acting and writing were just fine on TNG: have you seen DS9? I can't speak for Voyager because I didn't watch much of it, but DS9 was clearly much, much better in terms of both the writing and the acting.

I'm still enjoying rewatching TNG because it's Star Trek and I love me some Star Trek, but it definitely wasn't blessed with the best cast in Trekdom, as important and beloved as their characters have become.

 

[ThatChapThere]

I agree with those who said most of the actors were mediocre at best, with the exception of Stewart.

And Frakes.
Riker is poorly written sometimes, but even then you can see Frakes trying his best to make it work. Sometimes you can almost see him cringe at his lines, which can be amusing sometimes. I always felt that Riker and Picard felt like real people surrounded by amateur dramatics. Although Sirtis' performances in Voyager were brilliant, but that was well after TNG.
I have always found this interesting though, the fact that TNG is considered the best series, (with 8.6 IMDb; TOS: 8.4, DS9 7.9, VOY: 7.7, ENT: 7.5) while DS9 had amazing acting and writing, and Voyager had some decent acting as well. I'm not sure why this is the case (Although TNG is my favorite series).
It's also a strange reversal of TOS, with a
captain who can act surrounded by people who can't in TNG,
captain who can't act surrounded by people who can in TOS
(especially Takei, Kelley and Nimoy).

 

[Tomalak]

You think Takei is a better actor than Shatner?

 

[ThatChapThere]

You think Takei is a better actor than Shatner?

I do.

 

[ThatChapThere]

The actor(s) who played Spot in TNG were better than Shatner

 

[Tomalak]

Well it's an interesting opinion.

 

[Kaelef]

In terms of TNG being considered the best, or at least most popular: I think that falls squarely on timing. TNG was new and exciting when it came out, and many people grew up with that being their first real Trek experience. I grew up with TOS, so, I still have the greatest connection to it, despite the fact that I consider DS9 to be the best program. By the time DS9 came out, Trek had lost much of its luster in general, so it didn't get the benefit of everyone's attention, and I've yet to meet anyone who "grew up" on it. Maybe the nature of that show was less conducive to young minds being excited by it - it may be the more captivating show to watch as an adult.

Still, it's interesting that we haven't yet seen a TNG revival or reboot given it's unquestionably the most popular Trek series. It'll be very interesting to see if that ever comes to pass, or if it turns out that there's a certain timelessness to TOS that will never apply to the follow-up series.

 

[Timewalker]

However, for some reason, TNG had a real phobia of having Vulcans around in any substantial way, like they were afraid they'd be seen as retreading TOS turf

Something about not wanting fans to focus on comparing any hypothetical Vulcan character with Nimoy/Spock and not paying enough attention to the rest of the characters, is what I heard.

This is quite ironic, considering that they brought both Spock and Sarek back for a few episodes, and in the later seasons, TNG basically turned into the Worf and Data Family Soap Operas (Klingons all over the place).

The Worf soap opera then got carried over to DS9, combined with the smug, boring Jadzia, and ruined that show as well. Thank goodness they never brought Worf into the Voyager series, or that would have become unwatchable as well. The Data soap opera is a significant part of the reason why I don't like the TNG movies.

^ I didn't care for Pulaski either. It was in some respects an interesting tie-in, bringing a TOS guest actor into the TNG cast. But her personality just didn't work well as a ship's doctor. I didn't like her voice and her mannerisms for that role. Just didn't feel right.

She should have stayed. She was more in line with how I perceive a Starfleet doctor to be: professional, competent, willing to put her patients' needs ahead of the Captain's stomping around and huffing about protocol, etc.

I realize that some of the dislike people have for her is that she had antipathy for androids and transporters (too McCoy-like), but there's a fanfic theory to explain that.

 

[Herrick]

I haven't watched Deep Space 9 yet so I'm trying to avoid any mention of TNG characters in DS9 or Voyager.

 

[Tomalak]

Still, it's interesting that we haven't yet seen a TNG revival or reboot given it's unquestionably the most popular Trek series. It'll be very interesting to see if that ever comes to pass, or if it turns out that there's a certain timelessness to TOS that will never apply to the follow-up series.

Probably because the reboot films came out soon after Nemesis when it was clear the audience for TNG wasn't there.

I'd dispute that it's the "most popular" - Star Trek is still defined more by Kirk and Spock than Picard and Data. The reboots were essentially remakes/adaptations of the original sixties show.

Three out of four TNG films didn't really work, so clearly the show was more suited to the TV than TOS. Discovery is the right way forward, something new rather than a remake.

 

[suarezguy]

I'm surprised I'm one of the few who found Dorn/Worf the worst of the bunch, though. Though I was tempted to blame the writing for that opinion, I found that I liked other Klingon characters that were introduced in later seasons, but never got to feeling anything but embarrassment for Worf.

I thought he was generally quite compelling.

And to those who say the acting and writing were just fine on TNG: have you seen DS9? I can't speak for Voyager because I didn't watch much of it, but DS9 was clearly much, much better in terms of both the writing and the acting.

I think there the acting was pretty strong but the writing generally uneven (although improved by the acting).