Why did TNG have plots with B-stories?

[Kor]

Because that's just the way television was by that time, and still is.

Kor

 

[Vandervecken]

TNG goes so far as to have Q stories.




Hello? Hello? Is the mike on in here?

 

[Anwar]

TOS didn't need B stories because it had a very small Central Cast, just Kirk Spock and McCoy (and that was on a good day, plenty of times it's just Kirk and Spock).

You can't really do that with a cast that's nearly 3 times the size, you need more than one plotline to give them all something to do.

 

[somebuddyX]

I think I remember reading in one of the reference books that TNG writers/producers felt they had to have A and B stories but often bemoaned the fact. I think the best ones were where they were able to tie the two together. Redemption II and Descent II are two that stick out in my mind as overloaded with A, B and C stories that could've pretty much sustained episodes on their own. One of the things I enjoy about some of the semi-serialised shows today like Flash or Person of Interest is they'll do the A story with case of the week and the B story is usually building up the mytharc.

 

[Mojochi]

Basically it's just the format best suited to a full ensemble. I actually think it's a natural progression of serialized TV writing. It worked well at times & then also not so much on occasion... Like any aspect of the show. My favorite episodes with them are the ones where it was used to feature 2 dimensions of the same event, like Geordi on Galorndon Core v. Worf's ribosomes in "The Enemy" or Data's evacuation v. Picard & the Sheliak in "Ensigns of Command". I felt it broadened the story to break it up like that & treat it as a main plot & a secondary one