Why Picard?

Or better yet, why the personality of Picard? Alter ego of Jim Kirk? The wise, fatherly capt worked alot, but sometimes I'd like Jimmy-boy. Press the combadge>>>>>>>>>
"Tomalak" :"Tommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk"

 

Page stretch much?

 

Pretty much the opposite of Kirk. Gene wanted the first officer to be more like Kirk.

 

Which brings an interesting Q: was Riker like Kirk? Kirk liked life on the edge while Riker liked life pretty safe.

 

Actually, Stewart, Frakes, Shatner and Hunter were all given the same character to work with.

Stewart was supposed to play the role imagined for Shatner for "Phase II"--that of an older, more mature version of the same character, that could be conveniently disposed of if his creative and financial demands got out of hand.

 

Why do the characters have to be compared to the TOS characters anyway? They're different people. It's like the old, annoying question that so many non-fans asked upon seeing Data: "Is he the new Spock?"
The characters are different people. I, for one, prefered TNG when they didn't try to copy TOS. Come on, Dr. Pulaski happens to be a curmudgeon who argues with the non-human Data and hates the transporter? Always better when they did their own thing.

 

Thus, the back-up "captains" of Decker and Riker.

To break it down, I've always seen Kirk as Captain Horatio Hornblower from Beat to Quarters and Picard as the older, Admiral Horatio Hornblower from the later books.

 

I think it was "updating" it for a different generation. Sure, sure Kirk is forever imprinted as an American icon but the next generation of trekkies (no pun indeeded) needed for a more mature and diplomatic captain.

 

People,

Well, if the TNG captain was too much like Kirk, you'd have the same kind of comparisons. TNG needed a more thoughtful, even curmudgeonly, captain.

I read once that Wesley and Riker were supposed to represent Picard at different phases of his career, and that all three were basically a triumvirate of the different aspects of a command officer's development -- from wide-eyed innocent, to risk-taking up-and-comer, to older, seasoned veteran.

Red Ranger