The Star Trek sequel many thought could not work became Patrick Stewart’s defining role

When Star Trek returned in 1987, it did not bring Kirk and Spock back to the bridge. Star Trek: The Next Generation jumped ahead to a new century, a new Enterprise and a new captain, then pulled off the rare feat of becoming a sequel fans accepted on its own terms.

The shift took effect when the series premiered in October 1987. Set in the 24th century, long after the era of the original show, The Next Generation put Patrick Stewart in command as Jean-Luc Picard. The British actor was best known for stage work, including Shakespeare, and he described Picard as a more seasoned captain than Kirk. The Enterprise also changed. It was larger, carried families as well as crew members, and introduced a lineup meant to feel different from the 1960s original.

That new crew included Brent Spiner as the android Data and Michael Dorn as Worf, a Klingon serving as a Starfleet officer, a notable contrast with the period when Klingons had been the Federation’s enemy. Gene Roddenberry returned to oversee the show, and he said it would address problems that had emerged over the previous two decades, including terrorism and drugs. He was also firm that the series would not explain what had happened to the old crew.

Even with that fresh approach, the start was uneven. The two-hour pilot, Encounter at Farpoint, drew a 15.7 Nielsen rating, but most first-season reviews were poor. Denise Crosby left during that opening season, and her character, security chief Tasha Yar, was killed off. Gates McFadden was absent in season two before coming back as Dr. Beverly Crusher. Yet by January 1988, the show had already reached the No. 1 position in most syndication markets, ahead of the original Star Trek.

Many fans see season three as the point where the series fully settled in, after Michael Piller joined as head writer. That season ended in June 1990 with The Best of Both Worlds, which left Picard captured by the Borg and turned against his own crew, forcing viewers to wait through the summer for the outcome.

After Roddenberry died in October 1991, producer Rick Berman guided the show through the rest of its run. Its success led to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which premiered in January 1993 while The Next Generation was still producing new episodes. The series finished after seven seasons and 178 episodes. Its two-hour finale, All Good Things..., aired on May 23, 1994 and brought back Q, the same figure who had put humanity on trial in the pilot. That year it was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, still the only syndicated series ever to receive that nomination. The cast moved on to films beginning with Star Trek Generations in November 1994 and ending with Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002. Stewart later returned as Picard from 2020 to 2023, and the final season brought most of the old bridge crew back together.