The best way to me seems to be to have the world take the AIDS epidemic more serious.
A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Jim Henson at Disney, 1980)
- Thread starter Geekhis Khan
- Start date
- Status
Is this the first Disney animated film with an active female (human) protagonist? Running through the Disney catalogue in my head I come up with a lot of princesses, who inevitably need rescuing by a passing noble, a lot of animal characters (I think Miss Bianca from The Rescuers is the most active female lead up to this point), and then female villains.
I think the only other candidate is Alice from Wonderland, but she isn't so much active as just being our viewpoint character things happen to.
So yeah, I think congratulations are in order for Maria, having beaten Mulan to the title of 'girl protagonist that actually does stuff'.
Also, congrats to Mr. Little. Speaking from experience that realization of 'Oh, I'M the asshole,' is a powerful one and is a powerful motivator for personal change.
Good post all around!
I think the only other candidate is Alice from Wonderland, but she isn't so much active as just being our viewpoint character things happen to.
So yeah, I think congratulations are in order for Maria, having beaten Mulan to the title of 'girl protagonist that actually does stuff'.
Also, congrats to Mr. Little. Speaking from experience that realization of 'Oh, I'M the asshole,' is a powerful one and is a powerful motivator for personal change.
Good post all around!
Where One Show had Gone Before
Part IV: Where One Show Had Gone Before
Excerpt from Star Trek: An Insiderâs Guide by Tek No Babel
Star Trek: The Next Generation launched on PFN to great excitement in September of 1987. It was the triumphant return of Star Trek to television and the culmination of two decades of attempts to relaunch the franchise, from the Animated Series to Phase II to the film series. It was also the first major change in cast and setting for the classic franchise, and the first time someone other than Kirk, Spock, and McCoy would lead the audience to where no manâŚor no oneâŚhad gone before.
(Image source âgifer.comâ)
And âTNGâ as the fans came to call it had a lot to offer audiences: near cinema quality special effects and futuristic (for the time) sets, props, and ship designs, with an updated social consciousness, particularly in the portrayal of women, which was rather outdated in the original series even by the standards of its time. The set and technology designs still largely hold up today and donât seem quite as dated as the original 1960s look, though they do frequently betray their late â80s/early â90s origins. The sleek Enterprise D, for example, is as iconic of a starship as the original while still looking timeless.
But it was the now-iconic characters that held the show together: stoic, stalwart Captain Jean-Luc Picard, ambitious, adventurous Commander William Riker, flirtatious but wickedly clever and intelligent Dr. Beverly Crusher, curious Data, argumentative Worf, tough Tasha Yar, and the reliable Geordi La Forge. And who can forget the villains? The mischievous Q. The manipulative Ferengi. The plotting Romulans. The machine-like Borg. To look at it today itâs hard to imagine TNG as anything but a born classic. But behind the scenes, particularly in the beginning, disagreements and internal fighting nearly killed the now classic show in the cradle.
The mid-eighties were an odd time for Star Trek, after all. Star Trek Phase II had been abandoned after years of development hell, but the film franchise was going strong, though it was getting increasingly bizarre in the eyes of some fans. After all, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had featured âSpace Whalesâ, time travel, and Eddie Murphy as a nerdy biologist. From the standpoint of Paramount Executives, it was all a huge success, though. The franchise still maintained a strong and loyal fan base after 20 years and syndicated Star Trek episodes were an ongoing source of profits. Similarly, the films were highly successful. It all led to a consistent 30-40% return on investment for the studio.
With Trek a certified cash cow, Paramount executive Frank Mancuso Sr. was once again contemplating a new Trek series, both for the potential profits from the show itself and as a chance to draw in new fans. Furthermore, with the cost of the films growing with each iteration (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Eddie Murphy had all demanded huge salaries to star in Star Trek IV), the chance to continue the franchise with newer (and presumably cheaper) actors was appealing to Mancuso. He assigned the task of building a new series to original Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who in turn recruited Rick Berman.
Roddenberry jumped into the new series with enthusiasm and was contemplating some truly revolutionary changes. At one point he considered eliminating starships all together, where the crew presumably âmight travel by some [other] means.â However, the iconic nature of the USS Enterprise led to a more evolutionary follow up and the development of the Enterprise D. He contemplated having the series set shortly after the films with the original crew as âelder statesmenâ before deciding to have it set a century in the future.
But one change mandated by Roddenberry was despised by the writers (and, reportedly, by Berman as well): the crew of the new Enterprise were forbidden from arguing or disagreeing. Influenced by the linear evolutionary humanism of his friend Isaac Asimov, Roddenberry felt that the humans of a century in Star Trekâs future would have long ago evolved beyond interpersonal conflict. And while this might ring well from a philosophical standpoint, from a dramatic standpoint it was asking the writers to figuratively tie one hand behind their back. Classic Star Trek scribes like D. C. Fontana, Bob Justman, Eddie Milkis and David Gerrold fought back against the âno conflictâ mandate, and Rick Berman was caught up in the middle.
âConflict is drama,â said D. C. Fontana. âWithout interpersonal conflict you inevitably limit your possibilities. All drama will have to come from the outside, and as a writer or even a viewer that can quickly get frustrating. Thereâs only so many times you can have the crew battle a giant glowing thing from space and make it interesting.â
âGene didnât want humans,â said Gerrold, âHe wanted angel-robots.â
âI had no idea what to do,â said Berman in a later interview. âOn one hand it was Geneâs show. On the other hand, the writers were right. One of the driving factors in the original Star Trek was the acrimonious relationships between its crew members, in particular Spock and McCoy. D. C. in particular wanted to turn the charismatic Commander Riker into a foil for the dour Captain Picard and build up a Spock/McCoy relationship between the choleric Worf and the melancholic Data. By Geneâs mandate none of this was possible.â
âIt was actually Eddie Murphy who broke the stalemate,â said Justman. âHeâd swung by to hang out with the crew one day, who heâd befriended while working on Trek IV, and injected himself into the debate. âD. C.âs right, Gene,â he said. âBesides, disagreement doesnât mean everybodyâs fighting and hating on one another. You can show them having strong differences of opinion and when they still work together as oneâŚthatâs powerful stuff.ââ
Eventually a compromise was made where the crew could have disagreements, even strong ones, but come together as a team to execute the plans. Picard could find Rikerâs genteel cockiness frustrating, but still value him as a team member. Worf could lose his patience with the well-meaning but naĂŻve Data. Feelings could be hurt, but enlightened respect would win out every day. And Councilor Troi would have her work cut out for her trying to sort through it all.
And yet, limits remained. Disagreements were permitted. Flat out fights, arguments, raised voices, and lingering angst were not. âYou could have the crew disagree as long as there was âno acrimony or hurt feelings,ââ said Fontana. Furthermore, Roddenberryâs micromanagement of the production didnât end with the conflict moratorium. âSometimes he completely rewrote entire scripts,â recalled Justman. By the end of Season 1, writer turnover was so bad that Roddenberry was âkicked upstairsâ to an Executive Producer billet and all but blocked from day-to-day operations.
âWe all loved Gene, of course,â said Fontana, âbut at some point, you have to be allowed to just do your job.â
Casting also proved a thorny issue. Roddenberry wanted the Kirk-like William Riker[1] to be the Captain, but Paramount, afraid that audiences wouldnât connect to an âersatz Kirkâ, was pushing for the dour, by-the-book Jean-Luc Picard. The studio, who held the purse strings, won out. But casting the role proved a point of contention as well. British actor Patrick Stewart was strongly considered, but Roddenberry reportedly exercised his âcreatorâs vetoâ on Stewart, reportedly due to the actorâs baldness. They ultimately settled on Belgian actor Patrick Bauchau[2], who had a long and distinguished career beginning with the French New Wave, but in the United States he was best known for playing the villainous Scarpine in the James Bond film A View to a Kill. Bauchau gave the role a âGallic gravitasâ in the words of Trekkinâ Magazine and was well accepted by the fandom. Today he is widely considered one of the âtop Captainsâ if not the top Captain.
Patrick Bauchau as Captain Jean Luc Picard (Image by @nick_crenshaw82)
For the First Officer Commander William Riker, American character actor Jonathan Frakes was chosen. His self-assured charisma and aggressive, sanguine nature offered a great foil for Bauchauâs cold stoicism as well as a counter to the more phlegmatic and empathetic Councilor Deanna Troi (Denise Crosby[3]), an empathic âBetazoidâ. The role of the caring but coquettish Dr. Beverly Crusher went to Jenny Agutter after considering Gates McFadden, and the role of her child prodigy daughter Leslie[4] went to Samantha Smith of The Littlest Diplomat fame. Over time the writers took advantage of Agutterâs flirtatious nature and hinted at a possible love triangle between Dr. Crusher, Captain Picard, and Commander Riker, typically with her pursuing the standoffish Picard and Riker pursuing her. Slash writers went nuts.
Jenny Agutter and Samantha Smith c1986 (Image sources âthemoviedb.orgâ and âyoutube.comâ)
The crew was rounded out with Michael Dorn as the argumentative Klingon navigator Worf, Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame as the naĂŻve and curious but emotionless android Data[5], LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow and Roots fame as the blind helmsman-turned-engineer Geordi La Forge (baseball player Reggie Jackson was reportedly considered), and Rosalind Chao as the tough-as-nails security officer Tasha Yar[6].
Rosalind Chao c1986 (Image source âaveleyman.comâ)
The crew gelled well, but the early writing is largely considered stilted and overly philosophical and the first season suffered for it. Roddenberry continued to hold a tight rein on production, overly careful of his utopian vision. Writers left and even many of the cast were starting to lose faith. Crosby in particular found her character of Deanna Troi to be shallow and melodramatic and constantly pushed to make her more of a serious professional therapist[7]. She also reportedly hated the lycra mini-dress that she had to wear. By the end of the season, she had enough and announced that she was quitting the show. Her character was unceremoniously killed off by an alien anomaly. She would be replaced in the role of âshipâs heartâ and âshoulder to cry onâ in season 2 by the ancient and mysterious Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Deanna Troiâs mother Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), who first appeared midway through season 1, would remain a recurring character due to the comic relief that she provided, particularly in her romantic pursuit of the disinterested Picard, though her later appearances always came with a bittersweet ring since Deannaâs death hung over each episode in which she appeared.
By season 2 Roddenberry was removed from direct control of the show in favor of Maurice Hurley (later replaced by Michael Pillar) and the writers were given room to breathe. Jonathan Frakes grew a beard in what fans would later note as the symbolic âmaturityâ that the season had achieved and he, Bauchau, and Agutter became the showâs âpower trioâ for much of seasons 2-3. Worf and Data were repeatedly thrown together as a comedic duo with Yar thrown into the mix on occasion to stir things up (the writers would eventually pair Worf and Yar as a couple with Yar being the first human woman âtough enough to handle a Klingon manâ). Georgi took over in engineering and grew to be a fan favorite as a man ever in futile search of love, much as Data was ever in search of humanity and Worf ever in search of his Klingon-ness.
Smithâs Leslie Crusher, meanwhile, initially ran into a wall of fan hate for being âtoo perfectâ. Early writers relied too much on âLeslie ex machinaâ to overcome the Threat of the Week and soon Smith herself was pushing for changes, eventually gaining a humanizing disobedient streak and a foil in the form of an insufferable young Vulcan named Tâlon (Lukas Haas) that made her look likeable by comparison. Unexpectedly for the writers and producers, TâLonâs coldness and unintentional cruelty soon made him a fan favorite[8]. By the end of the third season, Leslie had shed much of the fan hatred as she and Tâlon went through character growth and emerged as budding young Federation cadets.
Lukas Haas in 1988 (Image source âIMDB.comâ)
Leslieâs young actress Samantha Smith, meanwhile, gained attention of a different type when an obsessive fan named Robert John Bardo was arrested while attempting to break onto the set to see her in 1991. He was in possession of a handgun and was enraged about a scene where she kissed a young Star Fleet officer played by Alfonso Ribeiro, with an ongoing relationship suggested. Bardo was ultimately committed for schizophrenia where he continues to receive medical treatment and counselling[9].
Your typical episode in those early seasons was stand-alone, with the crew travelling to a new planet, encountering a new threat or obstacle, typically in the form of an alien anomaly or plot by the Romulans, Ferengi, or Borg, and solving the problem through clever use of technology and inspiration[10]. The rascally Q would make occasional appearances to mix things up, and was responsible for humanityâs âearlyâ encountering of the Borg, who would grow in threat and menace as the series progressed, culminating in the Season 3 cliffhanger. By comparison, the Ferengi, originally intended as a representation of human mercantile colonialism and intended to be the Federationâs primary external threat, diminished into comic relief in part because of their short statures and in part because of their absurd appearance. Some fans would ultimately dismiss them as âspace Jewâ stereotypes by the time their new characteristics were cemented, but in general the Ferengi grew to be beloved additions to the Trek universe. With the Klingons now at peace with the Federation, the Ferengi diminished, and the Borg best used in moderation, the Romulans stepped up to become the primary enemies for the Federation.
Romulans, Ferengi, and Borg, oh my! (Image source Wikimedia)
Despite its slow and awkward start, TNG took off with fans, becoming a huge success and gaining an audience beyond the core Trekkie/Trekker fandom by the pivotal season 3. âKirk vs. Picardâ became the new Trek fan debate as Bauchauâs stoic professionalism inevitably got compared to Kirkâs swashbuckling swagger. Dr. Crusher inevitably got measured against Dr. McCoy, who appeared as a very old man in Season 1, and Geordi La Forge compared to Scotty, whom heâd eventually meet thanks to transporter tricks. The Worf-Data comedic pairing would be compared to the Spock-McCoy pairing, though with the stoic one being the emotional one and the loquacious one being the emotionless one in this case. And finally, the tough and masculine Tasha Yar would become a feminist and queer icon and a fan favorite, with writers ultimately giving her a quippy, borderline action star persona, occasionally softened (depending on the writer) with a hidden softer more feminine side. Fans (save for an angry, largely racist minority) ultimately saw her romantic pairing with Worf as natural, even as slash writers continued to pair her or Worf with Data or her with Dr. Crusher, Guinan, or even Leslie.
TNG would spawn follow-on Star Trek series as well as competing science fiction series from both Disney and ABC. Eventually it would spawn its own film series as well. Star Trek: The Next Generation would go on to become a beloved Trek series and is considered by many fans to the âthe bestâ. While individual rankings may vary, it and its characters remain a cornerstone of the Star Trek franchise.
[1] Cracked Magazine called him âCommander Re-Kirkâ for a reason.
[2] Strongly considered for Picard in our timeline too (your intense lobbying campaign has paid off, @nick_crenshaw82, congrats!)
[3] Yes, you read that right! Crosby was originally considered for Troi before they gave that role to Marina Sirtis. Sirtis will still make a good career as a character and voice actor.
[4] Originally supposed to be âLeslie Crusherâ in our timeline too. Changed to âWesleyâ in our timeline as a not-too-subtle tribute to Eugene Wesley Roddenberry.
[5] Whereâs Brent Spiner? Find out soon!
[6] Considered for the role in our timeline. Eventually went on to play Keiko OâBrian.
[7] If she hated playing Tasha you know sheâd hate playing Troi.
[8] Think of it like how youâd never really want to meet Jim Parsonsâ Sheldon Cooper in real life, but you love to watch him on TV.
[9] In our timeline after Smith was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from the set of Lime Street, Bardo shifted his obsessions to Rebecca Schaeffer and in 1989 murdered her at her home in California in a delusional attempt to âpunishâ her for becoming âanother Hollywood whoreâ after she performed a sex scene in the risquĂŠ Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. A butterfly of this whole affair is that Schaeffer is never shot and killed in this timeline.
[10] And lots of technobabble. Itâs amazing what one can accomplish by repolarizing the phase inverters.
Excerpt from Star Trek: An Insiderâs Guide by Tek No Babel
Star Trek: The Next Generation launched on PFN to great excitement in September of 1987. It was the triumphant return of Star Trek to television and the culmination of two decades of attempts to relaunch the franchise, from the Animated Series to Phase II to the film series. It was also the first major change in cast and setting for the classic franchise, and the first time someone other than Kirk, Spock, and McCoy would lead the audience to where no manâŚor no oneâŚhad gone before.
(Image source âgifer.comâ)
And âTNGâ as the fans came to call it had a lot to offer audiences: near cinema quality special effects and futuristic (for the time) sets, props, and ship designs, with an updated social consciousness, particularly in the portrayal of women, which was rather outdated in the original series even by the standards of its time. The set and technology designs still largely hold up today and donât seem quite as dated as the original 1960s look, though they do frequently betray their late â80s/early â90s origins. The sleek Enterprise D, for example, is as iconic of a starship as the original while still looking timeless.
But it was the now-iconic characters that held the show together: stoic, stalwart Captain Jean-Luc Picard, ambitious, adventurous Commander William Riker, flirtatious but wickedly clever and intelligent Dr. Beverly Crusher, curious Data, argumentative Worf, tough Tasha Yar, and the reliable Geordi La Forge. And who can forget the villains? The mischievous Q. The manipulative Ferengi. The plotting Romulans. The machine-like Borg. To look at it today itâs hard to imagine TNG as anything but a born classic. But behind the scenes, particularly in the beginning, disagreements and internal fighting nearly killed the now classic show in the cradle.
The mid-eighties were an odd time for Star Trek, after all. Star Trek Phase II had been abandoned after years of development hell, but the film franchise was going strong, though it was getting increasingly bizarre in the eyes of some fans. After all, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had featured âSpace Whalesâ, time travel, and Eddie Murphy as a nerdy biologist. From the standpoint of Paramount Executives, it was all a huge success, though. The franchise still maintained a strong and loyal fan base after 20 years and syndicated Star Trek episodes were an ongoing source of profits. Similarly, the films were highly successful. It all led to a consistent 30-40% return on investment for the studio.
With Trek a certified cash cow, Paramount executive Frank Mancuso Sr. was once again contemplating a new Trek series, both for the potential profits from the show itself and as a chance to draw in new fans. Furthermore, with the cost of the films growing with each iteration (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Eddie Murphy had all demanded huge salaries to star in Star Trek IV), the chance to continue the franchise with newer (and presumably cheaper) actors was appealing to Mancuso. He assigned the task of building a new series to original Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who in turn recruited Rick Berman.
Roddenberry jumped into the new series with enthusiasm and was contemplating some truly revolutionary changes. At one point he considered eliminating starships all together, where the crew presumably âmight travel by some [other] means.â However, the iconic nature of the USS Enterprise led to a more evolutionary follow up and the development of the Enterprise D. He contemplated having the series set shortly after the films with the original crew as âelder statesmenâ before deciding to have it set a century in the future.
But one change mandated by Roddenberry was despised by the writers (and, reportedly, by Berman as well): the crew of the new Enterprise were forbidden from arguing or disagreeing. Influenced by the linear evolutionary humanism of his friend Isaac Asimov, Roddenberry felt that the humans of a century in Star Trekâs future would have long ago evolved beyond interpersonal conflict. And while this might ring well from a philosophical standpoint, from a dramatic standpoint it was asking the writers to figuratively tie one hand behind their back. Classic Star Trek scribes like D. C. Fontana, Bob Justman, Eddie Milkis and David Gerrold fought back against the âno conflictâ mandate, and Rick Berman was caught up in the middle.
âConflict is drama,â said D. C. Fontana. âWithout interpersonal conflict you inevitably limit your possibilities. All drama will have to come from the outside, and as a writer or even a viewer that can quickly get frustrating. Thereâs only so many times you can have the crew battle a giant glowing thing from space and make it interesting.â
âGene didnât want humans,â said Gerrold, âHe wanted angel-robots.â
âI had no idea what to do,â said Berman in a later interview. âOn one hand it was Geneâs show. On the other hand, the writers were right. One of the driving factors in the original Star Trek was the acrimonious relationships between its crew members, in particular Spock and McCoy. D. C. in particular wanted to turn the charismatic Commander Riker into a foil for the dour Captain Picard and build up a Spock/McCoy relationship between the choleric Worf and the melancholic Data. By Geneâs mandate none of this was possible.â
âIt was actually Eddie Murphy who broke the stalemate,â said Justman. âHeâd swung by to hang out with the crew one day, who heâd befriended while working on Trek IV, and injected himself into the debate. âD. C.âs right, Gene,â he said. âBesides, disagreement doesnât mean everybodyâs fighting and hating on one another. You can show them having strong differences of opinion and when they still work together as oneâŚthatâs powerful stuff.ââ
Eventually a compromise was made where the crew could have disagreements, even strong ones, but come together as a team to execute the plans. Picard could find Rikerâs genteel cockiness frustrating, but still value him as a team member. Worf could lose his patience with the well-meaning but naĂŻve Data. Feelings could be hurt, but enlightened respect would win out every day. And Councilor Troi would have her work cut out for her trying to sort through it all.
And yet, limits remained. Disagreements were permitted. Flat out fights, arguments, raised voices, and lingering angst were not. âYou could have the crew disagree as long as there was âno acrimony or hurt feelings,ââ said Fontana. Furthermore, Roddenberryâs micromanagement of the production didnât end with the conflict moratorium. âSometimes he completely rewrote entire scripts,â recalled Justman. By the end of Season 1, writer turnover was so bad that Roddenberry was âkicked upstairsâ to an Executive Producer billet and all but blocked from day-to-day operations.
âWe all loved Gene, of course,â said Fontana, âbut at some point, you have to be allowed to just do your job.â
Casting also proved a thorny issue. Roddenberry wanted the Kirk-like William Riker[1] to be the Captain, but Paramount, afraid that audiences wouldnât connect to an âersatz Kirkâ, was pushing for the dour, by-the-book Jean-Luc Picard. The studio, who held the purse strings, won out. But casting the role proved a point of contention as well. British actor Patrick Stewart was strongly considered, but Roddenberry reportedly exercised his âcreatorâs vetoâ on Stewart, reportedly due to the actorâs baldness. They ultimately settled on Belgian actor Patrick Bauchau[2], who had a long and distinguished career beginning with the French New Wave, but in the United States he was best known for playing the villainous Scarpine in the James Bond film A View to a Kill. Bauchau gave the role a âGallic gravitasâ in the words of Trekkinâ Magazine and was well accepted by the fandom. Today he is widely considered one of the âtop Captainsâ if not the top Captain.
Patrick Bauchau as Captain Jean Luc Picard (Image by @nick_crenshaw82)
For the First Officer Commander William Riker, American character actor Jonathan Frakes was chosen. His self-assured charisma and aggressive, sanguine nature offered a great foil for Bauchauâs cold stoicism as well as a counter to the more phlegmatic and empathetic Councilor Deanna Troi (Denise Crosby[3]), an empathic âBetazoidâ. The role of the caring but coquettish Dr. Beverly Crusher went to Jenny Agutter after considering Gates McFadden, and the role of her child prodigy daughter Leslie[4] went to Samantha Smith of The Littlest Diplomat fame. Over time the writers took advantage of Agutterâs flirtatious nature and hinted at a possible love triangle between Dr. Crusher, Captain Picard, and Commander Riker, typically with her pursuing the standoffish Picard and Riker pursuing her. Slash writers went nuts.
Jenny Agutter and Samantha Smith c1986 (Image sources âthemoviedb.orgâ and âyoutube.comâ)
The crew was rounded out with Michael Dorn as the argumentative Klingon navigator Worf, Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame as the naĂŻve and curious but emotionless android Data[5], LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow and Roots fame as the blind helmsman-turned-engineer Geordi La Forge (baseball player Reggie Jackson was reportedly considered), and Rosalind Chao as the tough-as-nails security officer Tasha Yar[6].
Rosalind Chao c1986 (Image source âaveleyman.comâ)
The crew gelled well, but the early writing is largely considered stilted and overly philosophical and the first season suffered for it. Roddenberry continued to hold a tight rein on production, overly careful of his utopian vision. Writers left and even many of the cast were starting to lose faith. Crosby in particular found her character of Deanna Troi to be shallow and melodramatic and constantly pushed to make her more of a serious professional therapist[7]. She also reportedly hated the lycra mini-dress that she had to wear. By the end of the season, she had enough and announced that she was quitting the show. Her character was unceremoniously killed off by an alien anomaly. She would be replaced in the role of âshipâs heartâ and âshoulder to cry onâ in season 2 by the ancient and mysterious Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Deanna Troiâs mother Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), who first appeared midway through season 1, would remain a recurring character due to the comic relief that she provided, particularly in her romantic pursuit of the disinterested Picard, though her later appearances always came with a bittersweet ring since Deannaâs death hung over each episode in which she appeared.
By season 2 Roddenberry was removed from direct control of the show in favor of Maurice Hurley (later replaced by Michael Pillar) and the writers were given room to breathe. Jonathan Frakes grew a beard in what fans would later note as the symbolic âmaturityâ that the season had achieved and he, Bauchau, and Agutter became the showâs âpower trioâ for much of seasons 2-3. Worf and Data were repeatedly thrown together as a comedic duo with Yar thrown into the mix on occasion to stir things up (the writers would eventually pair Worf and Yar as a couple with Yar being the first human woman âtough enough to handle a Klingon manâ). Georgi took over in engineering and grew to be a fan favorite as a man ever in futile search of love, much as Data was ever in search of humanity and Worf ever in search of his Klingon-ness.
Smithâs Leslie Crusher, meanwhile, initially ran into a wall of fan hate for being âtoo perfectâ. Early writers relied too much on âLeslie ex machinaâ to overcome the Threat of the Week and soon Smith herself was pushing for changes, eventually gaining a humanizing disobedient streak and a foil in the form of an insufferable young Vulcan named Tâlon (Lukas Haas) that made her look likeable by comparison. Unexpectedly for the writers and producers, TâLonâs coldness and unintentional cruelty soon made him a fan favorite[8]. By the end of the third season, Leslie had shed much of the fan hatred as she and Tâlon went through character growth and emerged as budding young Federation cadets.
Lukas Haas in 1988 (Image source âIMDB.comâ)
Leslieâs young actress Samantha Smith, meanwhile, gained attention of a different type when an obsessive fan named Robert John Bardo was arrested while attempting to break onto the set to see her in 1991. He was in possession of a handgun and was enraged about a scene where she kissed a young Star Fleet officer played by Alfonso Ribeiro, with an ongoing relationship suggested. Bardo was ultimately committed for schizophrenia where he continues to receive medical treatment and counselling[9].
Your typical episode in those early seasons was stand-alone, with the crew travelling to a new planet, encountering a new threat or obstacle, typically in the form of an alien anomaly or plot by the Romulans, Ferengi, or Borg, and solving the problem through clever use of technology and inspiration[10]. The rascally Q would make occasional appearances to mix things up, and was responsible for humanityâs âearlyâ encountering of the Borg, who would grow in threat and menace as the series progressed, culminating in the Season 3 cliffhanger. By comparison, the Ferengi, originally intended as a representation of human mercantile colonialism and intended to be the Federationâs primary external threat, diminished into comic relief in part because of their short statures and in part because of their absurd appearance. Some fans would ultimately dismiss them as âspace Jewâ stereotypes by the time their new characteristics were cemented, but in general the Ferengi grew to be beloved additions to the Trek universe. With the Klingons now at peace with the Federation, the Ferengi diminished, and the Borg best used in moderation, the Romulans stepped up to become the primary enemies for the Federation.
Romulans, Ferengi, and Borg, oh my! (Image source Wikimedia)
Despite its slow and awkward start, TNG took off with fans, becoming a huge success and gaining an audience beyond the core Trekkie/Trekker fandom by the pivotal season 3. âKirk vs. Picardâ became the new Trek fan debate as Bauchauâs stoic professionalism inevitably got compared to Kirkâs swashbuckling swagger. Dr. Crusher inevitably got measured against Dr. McCoy, who appeared as a very old man in Season 1, and Geordi La Forge compared to Scotty, whom heâd eventually meet thanks to transporter tricks. The Worf-Data comedic pairing would be compared to the Spock-McCoy pairing, though with the stoic one being the emotional one and the loquacious one being the emotionless one in this case. And finally, the tough and masculine Tasha Yar would become a feminist and queer icon and a fan favorite, with writers ultimately giving her a quippy, borderline action star persona, occasionally softened (depending on the writer) with a hidden softer more feminine side. Fans (save for an angry, largely racist minority) ultimately saw her romantic pairing with Worf as natural, even as slash writers continued to pair her or Worf with Data or her with Dr. Crusher, Guinan, or even Leslie.
TNG would spawn follow-on Star Trek series as well as competing science fiction series from both Disney and ABC. Eventually it would spawn its own film series as well. Star Trek: The Next Generation would go on to become a beloved Trek series and is considered by many fans to the âthe bestâ. While individual rankings may vary, it and its characters remain a cornerstone of the Star Trek franchise.
[1] Cracked Magazine called him âCommander Re-Kirkâ for a reason.
[2] Strongly considered for Picard in our timeline too (your intense lobbying campaign has paid off, @nick_crenshaw82, congrats!)
[3] Yes, you read that right! Crosby was originally considered for Troi before they gave that role to Marina Sirtis. Sirtis will still make a good career as a character and voice actor.
[4] Originally supposed to be âLeslie Crusherâ in our timeline too. Changed to âWesleyâ in our timeline as a not-too-subtle tribute to Eugene Wesley Roddenberry.
[5] Whereâs Brent Spiner? Find out soon!
[6] Considered for the role in our timeline. Eventually went on to play Keiko OâBrian.
[7] If she hated playing Tasha you know sheâd hate playing Troi.
[8] Think of it like how youâd never really want to meet Jim Parsonsâ Sheldon Cooper in real life, but you love to watch him on TV.
[9] In our timeline after Smith was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from the set of Lime Street, Bardo shifted his obsessions to Rebecca Schaeffer and in 1989 murdered her at her home in California in a delusional attempt to âpunishâ her for becoming âanother Hollywood whoreâ after she performed a sex scene in the risquĂŠ Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. A butterfly of this whole affair is that Schaeffer is never shot and killed in this timeline.
[10] And lots of technobabble. Itâs amazing what one can accomplish by repolarizing the phase inverters.
Robert Englund is the kind of actor who could make reading the phone book interesting, so it's only natural that he could do the part of Data justice.
Would it be possible for Tim Curry to play the Joker in the inevitable Batman animated series? I'm sure there are other roles for Mark to fill when it comes to casting.
Would it be possible for Tim Curry to play the Joker in the inevitable Batman animated series? I'm sure there are other roles for Mark to fill when it comes to casting.
Wow.... just wow @Geekhis Khan - whatâs some changes to TNG there!
Robert England as Data will certainly help shake off his âslasherâ label, though being stuck with ârobotâ might be worse!
Bauchau as Picard? Ok,,, need to see more of him to âget itâ I think, but I suspect they will not lean on him for Shakespeare as hard as Stewart.
La Forge becoming Engineer in season 1? Well that will not actually change much, but I guess a handover scene or âbreakdown of the weekâ moment between Argyle (original engineer) and La Forge where âthe babiesâ need to be fixed between them would be cool.
Be nice is the episode where LaForge calls up Lea Brahams to help with the engines has him call up Scotty on the Holodeck instead...
Pleassssseeee tell me Worfâs mate K'Ehleyr survives?
Berman taking over in Season 2 will really help the shows quality, though that might also depend on if the writers strike still happens and they are forced to use old scripts?
Does the original composers stay? The music in Season1 was much better than later, but the damm lawyer drove them out.
Leslie gaining a similar aged kid in Tâlon will certainly eliminate a lot of the âteen trying to hang with adultsâ problem Wesley had. Well done on that idea, itâs a great one. Also an opportunity to,see how a young Vulcan develops.
Anyother recurring non-Humans on the ship? Be nice if there was an Andorian or similar we saw often and occasionally got B stories? Maybe one of the nurses, engineers, or similar? Cannot be helm as Worf if there, and Data is Ops. Unless there is a deadicated Science officer on the Bridge?
Without Troi, although Guinan is there as an councillor not bartender whom do the crew go to for official help?
Any chance of Robin Williams turning up? He was a HUGE Trekkie OTL and they could never schedule time for him, but here? Please? The linked article mentions A Matter of Time, but a recurring role before then would be awesome!
Will Berman allow more use of TOS actors and concepts once he takes over? Be nice to see follow up to episodes like Miri
Are the Klingons in the Federation as one script said, or just allies?
No saving the Ferengi even here, guess we will need to wait for DS9 again...
Still practical effects and not cgi for TNG?
Fantastic work -looking forward to more!
Robert England as Data will certainly help shake off his âslasherâ label, though being stuck with ârobotâ might be worse!
Bauchau as Picard? Ok,,, need to see more of him to âget itâ I think, but I suspect they will not lean on him for Shakespeare as hard as Stewart.
La Forge becoming Engineer in season 1? Well that will not actually change much, but I guess a handover scene or âbreakdown of the weekâ moment between Argyle (original engineer) and La Forge where âthe babiesâ need to be fixed between them would be cool.
Be nice is the episode where LaForge calls up Lea Brahams to help with the engines has him call up Scotty on the Holodeck instead...
Pleassssseeee tell me Worfâs mate K'Ehleyr survives?
Berman taking over in Season 2 will really help the shows quality, though that might also depend on if the writers strike still happens and they are forced to use old scripts?
Does the original composers stay? The music in Season1 was much better than later, but the damm lawyer drove them out.
Leslie gaining a similar aged kid in Tâlon will certainly eliminate a lot of the âteen trying to hang with adultsâ problem Wesley had. Well done on that idea, itâs a great one. Also an opportunity to,see how a young Vulcan develops.
Anyother recurring non-Humans on the ship? Be nice if there was an Andorian or similar we saw often and occasionally got B stories? Maybe one of the nurses, engineers, or similar? Cannot be helm as Worf if there, and Data is Ops. Unless there is a deadicated Science officer on the Bridge?
Without Troi, although Guinan is there as an councillor not bartender whom do the crew go to for official help?
Any chance of Robin Williams turning up? He was a HUGE Trekkie OTL and they could never schedule time for him, but here? Please? The linked article mentions A Matter of Time, but a recurring role before then would be awesome!
Will Berman allow more use of TOS actors and concepts once he takes over? Be nice to see follow up to episodes like Miri
Are the Klingons in the Federation as one script said, or just allies?
No saving the Ferengi even here, guess we will need to wait for DS9 again...
Still practical effects and not cgi for TNG?
Fantastic work -looking forward to more!
My hopes for Next Generation ITTL:
--1) Berman doesn't fire Ron Jones.
--2) Riker is bi.
--3) For the love of Jehovah and the Prophet Burr (May He Rest In Peace), NO "CODE OF HONOR", "JUSTICE", OR "OKONA"!!!
--1) Berman doesn't fire Ron Jones.
--2) Riker is bi.
--3) For the love of Jehovah and the Prophet Burr (May He Rest In Peace), NO "CODE OF HONOR", "JUSTICE", OR "OKONA"!!!
Some fascinating alternate casting there, I love Englund as Data and Chao as Yar.
I first knew Bauchau from The Pretender so I think he's an excellent Picard, I wonder if they'll have off-duty Picard notably more relaxed and informal than his on-duty behaviour. A shame Stewart was dropped due to 'creator's veto', as Stewart's own account of the affair OTL (assuming I remember right) was that he argued 'in the future no one will care [about baldness]', which secured him the role. Still, it'll be neat to see what he ends up doing this timeline, maybe leading a British crime drama (Inspector Morse is contemporary, though I'm not sure about the exact timing).
Looking forward to seeing what Disney's hinted answer to TNG turns out to be, surely not a Black Hole series! Maybe they go the other way and make an alternate version of SeaQuest DSV (or maybe that's ABC's entry).
My ideal would be for Disney to take inspiration from classic 'hard' sci-fi and have a series set in our own solar system, with a look at how people have colonized space and the resulting politics that arise between the various colony city-states and competing interests on Earth, sort of like an amalgamation of Babylon 5, The Expanse, and Starcom: The U.S. Space Force (seriously, does anyone else remember that show? The toys were amazing) and maybe some Mobile Suit Gundam: UC 0080 thrown in for good measure (for setting flavour, not the giant robots). No aliens, no 'planet vs. planet' conflict, nations are still very much a thing and the colony shoals are nations in their own right.
I first knew Bauchau from The Pretender so I think he's an excellent Picard, I wonder if they'll have off-duty Picard notably more relaxed and informal than his on-duty behaviour. A shame Stewart was dropped due to 'creator's veto', as Stewart's own account of the affair OTL (assuming I remember right) was that he argued 'in the future no one will care [about baldness]', which secured him the role. Still, it'll be neat to see what he ends up doing this timeline, maybe leading a British crime drama (Inspector Morse is contemporary, though I'm not sure about the exact timing).
Looking forward to seeing what Disney's hinted answer to TNG turns out to be, surely not a Black Hole series! Maybe they go the other way and make an alternate version of SeaQuest DSV (or maybe that's ABC's entry).
My ideal would be for Disney to take inspiration from classic 'hard' sci-fi and have a series set in our own solar system, with a look at how people have colonized space and the resulting politics that arise between the various colony city-states and competing interests on Earth, sort of like an amalgamation of Babylon 5, The Expanse, and Starcom: The U.S. Space Force (seriously, does anyone else remember that show? The toys were amazing) and maybe some Mobile Suit Gundam: UC 0080 thrown in for good measure (for setting flavour, not the giant robots). No aliens, no 'planet vs. planet' conflict, nations are still very much a thing and the colony shoals are nations in their own right.
I never knew who Bauchau was until now.
I have no doubt Stewart will have a role in TNG here, if only as a one off character.
Pretty interesting way for Eungland to play against type for a more comedic way - and maybe get a new type.
I have no doubt Stewart will have a role in TNG here, if only as a one off character.
Pretty interesting way for Eungland to play against type for a more comedic way - and maybe get a new type.
This makes me think the next series, not nessicarily DS9 could have a comically exasperated captain.
Hmm... maybe Hamill could play Robin here? Or even Batman himself?
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I approve of this alternate character for Janeway. Kate Mulgrew can do exasperated like a champion, especially if they keep the joke where Janeway is a coffee addict.
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For Bauchau just watch 'The Pretender' it make clear that's good in an ensemble show and also as projecting a good father figure. IRC Williams was a big contender for the role of Q, even if he get the job it will make difficult getting him as a recurring due to his movie career (and cost).
Probably still pratical as CGI is still not that reliable and the OG fx team was really not fond of it
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Yeah i remember that show, few episodes but for the time really really well done.
Well many has pitched their 'favorite show to be saved' and so this is mine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exosquad ...it had a strong story, greath characters and for a kid show the punch has not pulled
Is it too late to pitch my favorite show to be saved?
In any case, I'd love to save https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Adventures_of_Winnie_the_Pooh from being butterflied away. Sure, it went through a rough patch early on, but considering how much it was a boon for the franchise, I want to see this show flourish. I mean, you can thank, or blame, this show for the overwhelming amount of Pooh merchandise that's available nowadays. Heck, that show was my first taste of Disney, so you can also thank this show for introducing me to the greater Disney properties, chief among them being the Mickey Mouse franchise.
In any case, I'd love to save https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Adventures_of_Winnie_the_Pooh from being butterflied away. Sure, it went through a rough patch early on, but considering how much it was a boon for the franchise, I want to see this show flourish. I mean, you can thank, or blame, this show for the overwhelming amount of Pooh merchandise that's available nowadays. Heck, that show was my first taste of Disney, so you can also thank this show for introducing me to the greater Disney properties, chief among them being the Mickey Mouse franchise.
which in later seasons in otl also was regularly the case. yes dumb, but sometimes smarter than you thought.
would be a good change, maybe added change so that marcy isn't as smart as she thinks she is? (or more so than otl)
The changes to Star Trek sound fascinating. I do wonder though how these changes will effect Patrick Stewart and Brent Spinerâs careers.
Also, to go back to yesterdayâs update for Mistress Masham/A Small World, I have to say the film sounds interesting. I do like the message of how the making of the film made Little a more tolerable person.
Anyways, I hope Howard Ashman can be saved ITTL, and that Howard Ashman and Alan Menkenâs next film after this will be The Little Mermaid. I mean, theoretically Ron Clements still directed Great Mouse Detective/Elementry! In ITTL, so he should have still pursued it like he did OTL. Also since Patrick Stewart isnât in TNG this timeline, hopefully Disney can get him to play King Triton like they originally wanted, since now heâs available.
I do wonder though what OTL Renaissance films might still happen. I think the most likely to still happen in some form or another are Little Mermaid (as I mentioned beforehand, itâs probably the most likely in my opinion to still happen ITTL due to the origin point of the film seemingly not being butterflied away), Beauty and the Beast (though the original script was very different, so who knows if the final project ITTL will even resemble the OTL film), and maybe Aladdin (From what I remember, it was Howard Ashmanâs pet project, but the original story was vastly different originally OTL. On the other hand, Musicana ITTL has a 1001 Arabian Nights sequence, so it might be the original Ashman story put in other film entirely).
After that though? Who knows. Lion King and a lot of the following films are likely all butterflied, so weâd have a completely new state afterwards. If I could then suggest one Disney animated film in the 90âs @Geekhis Khan, I think a Howard Ashman and Alan Menken take on the Snow Queen/Frozen story could be interesting.
Also, to go back to yesterdayâs update for Mistress Masham/A Small World, I have to say the film sounds interesting. I do like the message of how the making of the film made Little a more tolerable person.
Anyways, I hope Howard Ashman can be saved ITTL, and that Howard Ashman and Alan Menkenâs next film after this will be The Little Mermaid. I mean, theoretically Ron Clements still directed Great Mouse Detective/Elementry! In ITTL, so he should have still pursued it like he did OTL. Also since Patrick Stewart isnât in TNG this timeline, hopefully Disney can get him to play King Triton like they originally wanted, since now heâs available.
I do wonder though what OTL Renaissance films might still happen. I think the most likely to still happen in some form or another are Little Mermaid (as I mentioned beforehand, itâs probably the most likely in my opinion to still happen ITTL due to the origin point of the film seemingly not being butterflied away), Beauty and the Beast (though the original script was very different, so who knows if the final project ITTL will even resemble the OTL film), and maybe Aladdin (From what I remember, it was Howard Ashmanâs pet project, but the original story was vastly different originally OTL. On the other hand, Musicana ITTL has a 1001 Arabian Nights sequence, so it might be the original Ashman story put in other film entirely).
After that though? Who knows. Lion King and a lot of the following films are likely all butterflied, so weâd have a completely new state afterwards. If I could then suggest one Disney animated film in the 90âs @Geekhis Khan, I think a Howard Ashman and Alan Menken take on the Snow Queen/Frozen story could be interesting.
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At least his slight Belgian accent will make more sense for a French character.
I suspect his career still follows the same path as OTL.
Considering the budding romance between Worf and Tasha Yar ITTL I doubt she'll even exist or if she does will become a a third wheel in their relationship unless the make Klingons polyamorous.
The two roles aren't mutually exclusive.
I love the idea of him as Inspector Morse, @Geekhis Khan please make this canon.
marathag
Banned
They will, and will be called _Event Horizon_, over the namesake vessel, was the first human vessel designed to travel faster than the speed of light by opening a rift in the space-time continuum.
Whatever could go wrong with that theory?
Anyway, Gene was feeling left out after being kicked upstairs, saying they want dark-SF, they will see what a real dark SF series looks like
I'd have it be shown (to the audience) that Kelly is smarter than she looks, but hides it in order to play up her dumb blonde persona...
On a side note, here's one of my favorite Al Bundy moments (please keep Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy--I can't see anyone else in the role):
Note the identity of Kelly's cheating boyfriend--that's Angel from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise...
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