Why George R.R. Martin was rejected as TNG writer

[Sci]

I can't speak to his novels, as I haven't read them. But Martin's teleplays for Game of Thrones -- he wrote episodes 1x08 "The Pointy End," 2x09 "Blackwater," 3x07 "The Bear and the Maiden Fair," and 4x02 "The Lion and the Rose" -- are genuinely wonderful.

For an example of Martin's skill in a teleplay, this video is a really good overview of how Martin is able to take a relatively simple scene full of exposition, and turn it into a compelling drama about how Joffrey, a teenage king, vies with and fails to gain power over his grandfather/prime minister, Tywin Lannister:

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He may go overboard in his novels, but when he's writing under the imposed constraints of a teleplay, George R.R. Martin is truly a master at building compelling drama.

I'm basically quite happy not wasting time on GoT, both novel and series.

The first four seasons of Game of Thrones, when the series was based on the published books and Martin was an active co-producer and writer, are truly some of the greatest television ever produced. They are more than worth your time.

The last four seasons, when Martin was no longer active with the show and they started to run out of published novels to hew to... eh. They're fine. Except for the penultimate episode.

 

[Mage]

The first four seasons of Game of Thrones, when the series was based on the published books and Martin was an active co-producer and writer, are truly some of the greatest television ever produced. They are more than worth your time.

The last four seasons, when Martin was no longer active with the show and they started to run out of published novels to hew to... eh. They're fine. Except for the penultimate episode.

I should have been more clear. I did actually see seasons 1 and 2, with a part of 3. Not my thing I'm afraid

 

[publiusr]

He also did Tuf Voyaging.
I heard it said that when Martin offered to write science fiction, he was told that Trek wasn’t sci-fi but about human stories.

 

[Arpy]

He had Troi and Riker as siblings, Picard in stage IV Irumodic Syndrome on the bridge, and Geordi making love to Berengarian dragons on the holodeck in the pilot. Also, Data could only say the word “data” for some mysterious reason that would not be revealed until season 5. Roddenberry threw him out a window...out of love for Star Trek.

 

[Orphalesion]

I can't speak to his novels, as I haven't read them. But Martin's teleplays for Game of Thrones -- he wrote episodes 1x08 "The Pointy End," 2x09 "Blackwater," 3x07 "The Bear and the Maiden Fair," and 4x02 "The Lion and the Rose" -- are genuinely wonderful.

As far as I'm concerned Blackwater is the best Episode of the whole series. Everything about it is perfect. The action. The character parts (especially the exploration and contrast between Cersei and Sansa ) the suspense. I hadn't read the novels at that point so I was really in suspense on how the whole thing would end.

The last four seasons, when Martin was no longer active with the show and they started to run out of published novels to hew to... eh. They're fine. Except for the penultimate episode
.

They are not fine... Especially not in comparison to some of the novel storylines they refused to adapt. No spoilers here, both both Ayra and Sansa go on far more complex, interesting journeys. And Dorne is pretty much the opposite of what we saw.
(There is some good in Novels 4 and 5, they just, imho, drown in their own excess overall)

Also as soona s they ran out (or just rejected) novel material they changed (probably unwittingly) one crucial thing that made Martin's writing in Song of Ice and Fire so excellent.
In seasons 1-4 the plot, complications and consequences arose from the personalities and flaws of the characters, by and large.
in season 5-8 the characters were bent and changed (and often dumbed down, especially in the case of Littlefinger, Tyrion and Margaery) to fit the plot DnD wanted to force on them.

 

[Mister Spock]

If he'd been commissioned to write for the first season, he'd still be working on the pre-credits teaser by the time All Good Things... was broadcast.

 

[Jonesy]

If he'd been commissioned to write for the first season, he'd still be working on the pre-credits teaser by the time All Good Things... was broadcast.

Nah, he would have been run off by Leonard Maizlish

 

[diankra]

If he had written for TNG, it would have been jobbing writer, not creator of Game of Thrones. Don't back project.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

Berman seems like too much of a square to go for characters doing plot exposition while naked to get the audience to pay more attention.

 

[Orphalesion]

Berman seems like too much of a square to go for characters doing plot exposition while naked to get the audience to pay more attention.

Have you even seen Enterprise? If the network had allowed them to have the characters naked during that decon gel rubbing nonsense, I reckon they would have made them naked.