Subj : Re: TNG vs TOS - anybody still think Next Generation sucks?
To   : rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.startrek.current,alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From : Chris Basken
Date : Thu Sep 29 2005 09:47:53

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos

electrictroy@gmail.com wrote:
> My opinion is that, yes, in 1987-89, TNG was inferior to the original
> series.  Two years of lousy stories.  So I can understand why netizens
> of 1987-89 thought TNG was an insult to the loyal fandom.  And yet,
> ultimately in seasons 3-6, TNG outshone the original series in the
> quality of story telling.

Interesting.  I found TNG's first season to be about equal to TOS at its 
best.  Hokey but earnest.

The second season was much like the first, just a bit more polished (and 
while I like Diana Muldur, I chafed at the writers' obvious ploy to 
create TNG's version of Dr. McCoy).

The third season was the shining point in TNG, IMHO.  Almost flawless, 
even the worst episodes were better than much of seasons 1 and 2.

The fourth was good, but it felt like they were struggling to maintain 
the quality of season 3.  Still, some very good S4 episodes.

The fifth season couldn't maintain it and began degenerating into really 
obvious formula.  In many respects this season reminded me of season 2.

The sixth season continued the downward spiral as the creators' 
attention was split between TNG and DS9.  That DS9 managed to 
(eventually, anyway) break from the Trek mold only made TNG seem more 
stale.  How many times can we see Data drone on about how Soong 
programmed him and how it made him different (yet similar) to humans? 
("He kept talking and talking in one long incredibly unbroken sentence 
jumping from topic to topic so that no one could interrupt him...")

The seventh season was the season that shouldn't have been (literally; 
Roddenberry only wanted to go to six).  It seemed every other story was 
about Worf having trouble with Alexander or the Cardassians twirling 
their mustaches or the holodeck not performing up to spec.  _All Good 
Things_ was the bright exception.

.