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Should I start watching Star Trek TNG?

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Cream of the Crop (IMO)

Season 2:
The Measure of a Man

Season 3:
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1

Season 4:
The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2

Season 5:
Darmok
The Inner Light

Season 6:
Chain of Command
Tapestry

Season 7:
All Good Things...

Links are to pieces I've written, because they're fucking awesome.
 
Do it!

Do-It.gif
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The first two seasons are rough (as is the last) but it was such an influential show that it's worth watching the entire thing. I've probably seen even the terrible episodes a couple times each.
 
If you get through all of TNG and the 4 TNG movies and you still want more from this cast check out the TNG-focused episode of Family Guy and the entire run of Disney's Gargoyles.
 
Yes.

But be warned season 1 isn't good. There are a few key episodes (particular the season 1 opener) that gest reference later on.

Season 2 is much better, and Seasons 3 - 7 is mostly gold.

Also, as a side note :

Star Trek Voyager >Star Trek TNG.

I was born in 86' so Voyager was my generation. TNG I watched much more recently.
 
Go for it OP! I've just been re-watching the series and on season 4 right now, absolutely awesome show. Watch it from the beginning, there's no reason to jump ahead, else you'll also miss some story arcs that carry through the series.
As with any show there are some did episodes here and there, but truly fantastic show. Enjoy!
 
Yes.

Definetly yes.

Oh yes.

So much yes.

Do you? Yes.

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yes.

Do you wanna watch season 1 and 2 just to get to the really good stuff that is season 3 and onwards? Yes.
 
Dragonborn said:
I've always wanted to get into Star Trek, but can't ever get past the first few episodes. Might try this. Is there anything I need to know for season 1 and 2?
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Watch Measure of a Man, and then go to season 3 in your case. After you've seen the later Q episodes, you can go back and catch the ones you missed.
 
Heck yeah! i pretty much had just as much familiarity with the show as you and decided to start watching. I am so glad i decided to watch it as it is now one of my favorite shows of all time (right behind futurama of course). seriously though, go watch it. and i would personally start from the beginning, but that's just me. i agree with most people that it doesnt really get good until around mid 2nd season
 
Cameron122 said:
If I managed to enjoy season 1 of babylon 5 (Which is considered subpar) Would I be able to enjoy S1 of TNG?
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Yes, geez the first season of Babylon 5 is such a slog, if you can get through that then you can definitely get through the first season of TNG which actually has some pretty darn good episodes.
 
Watch the following from Seasons 1-2:

From Season 1:

Encounter at Farpoint
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Big Goodbye
Hide and Q
11001001
Heart of Glory
Datalore
Conspiracy
Neutral Zone
Arsenal of Freedom
Skin of Evil


From Season 2:

Elementary, Dear Data
Measure of a Man
Emissary
Schzoid Man
Q Who
A Matter of Honor
 
radcliff said:
Watch the following from Seasons 1-2:

From Season 1:

Encounter at Farpoint
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Big Goodbye
Hide and Q
11001001
Heart of Glory
Datalore
Conspiracy
Neutral Zone
Arsenal of Freedom
Skin of Evil


From Season 2:

Elementary, Dear Data
Measure of a Man
Emissary
Schzoid Man
Q Who
A Matter of Honor
Click to expand...

Am I the only one that enjoys the S1 episode "Too Short A Season"?
 
radcliff said:
Watch the following from Seasons 1-2:

From Season 1:

Encounter at Farpoint
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Big Goodbye
Hide and Q
11001001
Heart of Glory
Datalore
Conspiracy
Neutral Zone
Arsenal of Freedom
Skin of Evil


From Season 2:

Elementary, Dear Data
Measure of a Man
Emissary
Schzoid Man
Q Who
A Matter of Honor
Click to expand...
This list does not include "The Royale" which is a travesty and therefore makes this list null and void. It's too fun to not include.
 
I bet it will piss you all off to realize that all of the actors were in fact signed to an eighth season which was cancelled despite good ratings and low production costs for the sole purpose of increasing syndication value and avoiding rating splitting with DS9.
 
OP don't listen to anyone saying to skip the first two seasons. You may end up liking episodes that the general fandom hates and vice versa.

foxtrot3d said:
Am I the only one that enjoys the S1 episode "Too Short A Season"?
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No. It's a good episode.

Angry Grimace said:
I bet it will piss you all off to realize that all of the actors were in fact signed to an eighth season which was cancelled despite good ratings and low production costs for the sole purpose of increasing syndication value and avoiding rating splitting with DS9.
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What? That's the first I've heard of this. Pretty sure they knew going in that 7 was going to be the last.
 
Generally when I pick up a new show I watch them all, regardless of what are considered "bad" seasons, etc. You can always do your taxes while the bad ones play in the background.

Personally, TNG is my favorite Trek. Not much in the way of story arcs, which is fine by me. Each episode is like a comforting mug of hot chocolate on a cold day (even if sometimes the chocolate is kinda lousy :-P).
 
Angry Grimace said:
I bet it will piss you all off to realize that all of the actors were in fact signed to an eighth season which was cancelled despite good ratings and low production costs for the sole purpose of increasing syndication value and avoiding rating splitting with DS9.
Click to expand...
Wow. Would it have been set after Generations, so they'd get the new uniforms and Enterprise-E? I would've watched it for those 2 things alone!
 
Henchmen21 said:
OP don't listen to anyone saying to skip the first two seasons. You may end up liking episodes that the general fandom hates and vice versa.



No. It's a good episode.



What? That's the first I've heard of this. Pretty sure they knew going in that 7 was going to be the last.
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Summary from Wiki:

"Although the cast members were contracted for eight seasons, Paramount ended The Next Generation after seven, disappointing and puzzling some of the actors, and an unusual decision for a successful television show. Although doing so let the studio begin making films using the cast, which it believed would be less successful if the show were still on television, the main reason was that additional seasons would likely have reduced the show's profitability due to higher cast salaries and a lower price per episode when sold for stripping."

An NYT article was written right around the cancellation that went into the business reasons. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/24/a...he-end-of-next-generation.html?pagewanted=all

Many people in the television industry believe that Paramount faced declining profitability on any future episodes of "Next Generation." "You can only get so much out of the stations," says Mr. Fentress. That is, stations can commit only so much money to any single series. As the library pushes 200 episodes, the price per episode that stations are willing to pay usually decreases. At that point, for each additional episode the studio produces, its profit margin shrinks.

However, Mr. McCluggage says: "We really weren't looking at diminished profitability. The show remained extremely profitable."

[. . .]

To keep a show running beyond seven years entails costly renewals and renegotiations, especially for a large ensemble cast like the one in "Next Generation." It could have added tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to a reported budget of $1.7 million per episode. Mr. McCluggage says the cast had already been secured for an eighth season. "We could have done that if we'd chosen to," he says.
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I'm watching it now for the first time in fact.

S3 and on is great really. S1 and 2 have some gems.
 
radcliff said:
Watch the following from Seasons 1-2:

From Season 1:

Encounter at Farpoint
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Big Goodbye
Hide and Q
11001001
Heart of Glory
Datalore
Conspiracy
Neutral Zone
Arsenal of Freedom
Skin of Evil


From Season 2:

Elementary, Dear Data
Measure of a Man
Emissary
Schzoid Man
Q Who
A Matter of Honor
Click to expand...

This is what I wanted. I have always wanted to watch The Next Generation (I am also a Star Trek virgin), but I refuse to sit through 35-40 episodes worth of garbage to get to the good ones, particularly if the show is mostly episodic. This list will make my life easier, if anyone else have anything to suggest, I am all ears!
 
vas_a_morir said:
I'm watching Enterprise, and I finally found an episode I liked... the one where they find the comet. I'm going to keep watching.
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Damn that's early. lol

That's the one after the Andorians (blue antenna aliens) show up, right?

Necrovex said:
This is what I wanted. I have always wanted to watch The Next Generation (I am also a Star Trek virgin), but I refuse to sit through 35-40 episodes worth of garbage to get to the good ones, particularly if the show is mostly episodic. This list will make my life easier, if anyone else have anything to suggest, I am all ears!
Click to expand...

No, that's a good list, though I would have put way fewer episodes in season one.
 
Saying here what I say in every TNG thread: there's no reason to watch the season finale of season 2. It's a clip show, and not a particularly good one.
 
I just want to sign onto the "don't avoid season 2 as "Measure of a Man" is some of the best the series has to offer.

So fucking good.
 
Petrie said:
I just want to sign onto the "don't avoid season 2 as "Measure of a Man" is some of the best the series has to offer.

So fucking good.
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But you can just watch that one episode and be fine. I kind of like "Where Silence Has Lease" too, though.
 
Necrovex said:
This is what I wanted. I have always wanted to watch The Next Generation (I am also a Star Trek virgin), but I refuse to sit through 35-40 episodes worth of garbage to get to the good ones, particularly if the show is mostly episodic. This list will make my life easier, if anyone else have anything to suggest, I am all ears!
Click to expand...

Include "Too Short a Season" from Season 1 on that list and you're good.

EDIT:

The only thing that bothers me about that episode is the fact that
Picard gets all angry for what the Admiral did all those years ago when Kirk did the exact same thing in an episode of TOS.
 
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