Editing Star Trek: The Next Generation (section)

==Seasons==
''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' ran for 178 episodes, over seven seasons, from the fall of 1987 annually to the spring of 1994. At the end of that season, the cast switched over to production of the ''Star Trek'' film ''Generations'' which was released before the end of 1994.
{{:List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes}}

===Season 1 (1987–1988)===
{{main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1}}
[[File:Gates with Denise August 2017.jpg|thumb|Denise Crosby and Gates McFadden were in Season 1 as Tasha Yar and Doctor Crusher respectively, but were removed for Season 2. McFadden then returned for Season 3 as a regular and remained as such for the rest of the series, while Crosby appeared sporadically.]]
''The Next Generation'' was shot on 35&nbsp;mm film before being converted to analog tape for post-production, and the budget for each episode was $1.3&nbsp;million, among the highest for a one-hour television drama.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/technical|title=IMDB Technical Specifications for Star Trek: The Next Generation|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=February 12, 2008|archive-date=March 10, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310043426/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/technical|url-status=live}}</ref>{{r|weinstein19880503}}<ref>[https://www.vfxvoice.com/a-generation-of-star-trek-effects-on-tv/ A Generation of STAR TREK Effects on TV]</ref> While the staff enjoyed the creative freedom gained by independence from a broadcast network's [[Standards and Practices]] department, the first season was marked by a "revolving door" of writers, with Gerrold, [[D. C. Fontana|Fontana]] and others quitting after disputes with Roddenberry.{{r|davies2007}}{{rp|222}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Star Trek: "Where No One Has Gone Before": A History in Pictures (Star Trek (Trade/hardcover)) |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekgenerati00dill |url-access=registration |last=Dillard |first=J. M. |author-link=J. M. Dillard |year=1994 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn= 0-671-51149-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/startrekgenerati00dill/page/130 130–131] |quote= "The writers were being rewritten by Gene, and there was a lot of tumult because people didn't know where they stood."}}</ref> Roddenberry "virtually rewrote" the first 15 episodes because of his "dogmatic" intention to depict human interaction "without drawing on the baser motives of greed, lust, and power". Writers found the show's "[[bible (writing)|bible]]" constricting and ridiculous and could not deal with Roddenberry's ego and treatment of them. It stated, for example, that "regular characters all share a feeling of being part of a band of brothers and sisters. As in the original ''Star Trek'', we invite the audience to share the same feeling of affection for our characters."{{r|teitelbaum19910505}} David Gerrold claimed that at one point, Roddenberry's lawyer came aboard and started taking apart six months of work, including the removal of a gay couple that Roddenberry had promised would be included in the series, which made Gerrold decide to leave the show.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.thegutterreview.com/2020/08/10/david-gerrold-the-man-who-folded-himself-into-fiction/| title = David Gerrold: The Man Who Folded Himself (Into Fiction)| access-date = September 24, 2022| archive-date = September 24, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220924152106/https://www.thegutterreview.com/2020/08/10/david-gerrold-the-man-who-folded-himself-into-fiction/| url-status = dead}}</ref>

Mark Bourne of ''The DVD Journal'' wrote of season one: "A typical episode relied on trite plot points, clumsy allegories, dry and stilted dialogue, or characterization that was taking too long to feel relaxed and natural."<ref name="journal_1">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season01.q.shtml|title=DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season One|access-date=June 7, 2007|archive-date=October 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183214/http://dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season01.q.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Other targets of criticism included poor [[special effect]]s and plots being resolved by the ''[[deus ex machina]]'' of [[Wesley Crusher]] saving the ship.<ref name="verdict_1">{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason1.php|title=DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season One|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313123627/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason1.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="scifi_1">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8324.html|title=Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season One DVD|access-date=June 7, 2007|archive-date=October 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183708/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8324.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Patrick Stewart]]'s acting won praise, and critics noted that characters were given greater potential for development than those of the original series.<ref name="journal_1" /><ref name="verdict_1" /> Actors and producers were unsure whether [[Trekkie]]s loyal to the original show would accept the new one but one critic stated as early as October 1987 that ''The Next Generation'', not the movies or the original show, "is the real ''Star Trek'' now".<ref name="beale19870721">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dJopAAAAIBAJ&pg=6987,2937125 | agency=Los Angeles Daily News | title=A Visit to 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' | work=Deseret News | date=July 21, 1987 | access-date=May 9, 2011 | author=Beale, Lewis | pages=4T | archive-date=November 17, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117213226/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dJopAAAAIBAJ&pg=6987%2C2937125 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="dougan19871003">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xpdKAAAAIBAJ&pg=1428,666280 | agency=Scripps Howard News Service | title=Going where no cast has gone before... | work=Nashua Telegraph | date=October 3, 1987 | access-date=May 9, 2011 | author=Dougan, Michael | page=16 | archive-date=November 17, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117213130/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xpdKAAAAIBAJ&pg=1428%2C666280 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="macmillin19871030">{{cite news | agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N_QaAAAAIBAJ&pg=5529,6154813 | title=New 'Star Trek' looks promising | work=Bowling Green Daily News | date=October 30, 1987 | access-date=May 9, 2011 | author=MacMillin, Guy | location=Bowling Green, Kentucky | page=12 | archive-date=November 17, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117213139/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N_QaAAAAIBAJ&pg=5529%2C6154813 | url-status=live }}</ref>

While the events of most episodes of season one were self-contained, many developments important to the show occurred during the season. The recurring nemesis [[Q (Star Trek)|Q]] was introduced in the pilot, the alien Ferengi had their seminal appearance in "[[The Last Outpost (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Last Outpost]]", the [[holodeck]] was introduced and the romantic backstory between [[William Riker]] and [[Deanna Troi]] was investigated. "[[The Naked Now]]", one of the few episodes that depicted Roddenberry's fascination (as seen in the show's bible) with sex in the future, became a cast favorite.{{r|teitelbaum19910505}}

Later episodes in the season set the stage for serial plots. The episode "[[Datalore]]" introduced Data's [[evil twin]] brother [[Lore (Star Trek)|Lore]], who made several more appearances throughout the series. "[[Coming of Age (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Coming of Age]]" deals with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get into [[Starfleet Academy]] while also hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "[[Conspiracy (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Conspiracy]]". "[[Heart of Glory]]" explored Worf's character, [[Klingon]] culture and the uneasy truce between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, three themes that played major roles in later episodes. Tasha Yar left the show in "[[Skin of Evil]]", becoming the first regular ''Star Trek'' character to die permanently (although the character was seen again in two later episodes) in either series or film. The season finale, "[[The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Neutral Zone]]", established the presence of two of TNG's most enduring villains: the Romulans, making their first appearance since the ''Original Series'', and through foreshadowing, the Borg.

The premiere became the first television episode to be nominated for a [[Hugo Award]] since 1972. Six of the season's episodes were each nominated for an [[Emmy Award]]. "[[11001001]]" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, "[[The Big Goodbye]]" won for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, and "Conspiracy" won for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.<ref name="companion">{{cite book|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion|publisher=Pocket Books|year=2003|author=Nemeck, Larry|isbn=0-7434-5798-6}}</ref> "The Big Goodbye" also won a [[Peabody Award]], the first syndicated program{{r|weinstein19880503}} and only ''Star Trek'' episode to do so.

The top two episodes for Nielsen ratings were "Encounter at Farpoint" with 15.7, and "Justice" with 12.7.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season12.shtml|title=[TNG] Season 1–2 Ratings Archive|date=January 19, 2001|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119055000/http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season12.shtml|archive-date=January 19, 2001}}</ref> The season ran from 1987 to 1988.

===Season 2 (1988–1989)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2}}
[[File:Levar burton.jpg|thumb|upright|LeVar Burton starred as Geordi La Forge in all seven seasons airing between 1987 and 1994, and four ''TNG'' movies premiering between 1994 and 2002. In the second season, the character became Chief Engineer aboard the ''Enterprise'' D, remaining so for the rest of the series.]]
The series underwent significant changes during its second season. [[Beverly Crusher]] was replaced as Chief Medical Officer by [[Katherine Pulaski]], played by [[Diana Muldaur]], who had been a guest star in "[[Return to Tomorrow]]" and "[[Is There in Truth No Beauty?]]", two episodes from the original ''Star Trek'' series. The ship's recreational area, Ten-Forward, and its mysterious bartender/advisor, [[Guinan (Star Trek)|Guinan]], played by [[Whoopi Goldberg]], appeared for the first time. Owing to the [[1988 Writers Guild of America strike]], the number of episodes produced was cut from 26 to 22, and the start of the season was delayed. Because of the strike, the opening episode, "[[The Child (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Child]]", was based on a script originally written for ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'', while the season finale, "[[Shades of Gray (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Shades of Gray]]", was a [[clip show]].

Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as significantly better than season one.{{r|verdict_2}} Benefiting from Paramount's commitment to a multiyear run and free from network interference due to syndication, Roddenberry found writers who could work within his guidelines and create drama from the cast's interaction with the rest of the universe.{{r|teitelbaum19910505}} The plots became more sophisticated and began to mix drama with comic relief. Its focus on character development received special praise.<ref name="verdict_2">{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason2.php|title=DVD Verdict: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season Two|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313114743/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/startrektngseason2.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Co-executive producer Maurice Hurley has stated that his primary goal for the season was to plan and execute season-long [[story arc]]s and [[character arc]]s.<ref>{{cite video|title="Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Two DVD Special Features}}</ref> Hurley wrote the acclaimed episode "[[Q Who]]", which featured the first on-screen appearance of the Borg. Season two focused on developing the character Data, and two episodes from the season, "[[Elementary, Dear Data]]" and "[[The Measure of a Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Measure of a Man]]", featured him prominently.<ref name="scifi_2">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8559.html|title=Sci Fi Weekly: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Season Two DVD|access-date=June 12, 2007|archive-date=October 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183713/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw8559.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)|Miles O'Brien]] also became a more prominent character during the second season, while [[Geordi La Forge]] took the position of Chief Engineer. Klingon issues continued to be explored in episodes such as "[[A Matter of Honor]]" and "[[The Emissary (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Emissary]]", which introduced Worf's former lover [[K'Ehleyr]].<ref name="journal_2">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season02.q.shtml|title=The DVD Journal: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Two|access-date=June 12, 2007|archive-date=June 13, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613142805/http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/s/st-tng.season02.q.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Five second-season episodes were nominated for six Emmy Awards, and "Q Who" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.<ref name="companion" /> The season ran from 1988 to 1989.

Season 2 marked the addition of the "Ten Forward" set at Paramount, located at Stage 8 at the studios.<ref name="auto5">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JCbTA9wMmEAC&q=Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation+ten+forward&pg=PT255|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation 365|first1=Terry J.|last1=Erdmann|first2=Paula M.|last2=Block|date=November 16, 2012|publisher=ABRAMS|via=Google Books|isbn=9781613124000|access-date=November 17, 2020|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117213229/https://books.google.com/books?id=JCbTA9wMmEAC&q=Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation+ten+forward&pg=PT255|url-status=live}}</ref> The set was designed by Herman Zimmerman, and in the show was a place for the crew to relax, hang out together, and eat or have drinks.<ref name="auto5"/> Inside, it featured a bar looking out on large windows, and outside it featured a star field, or with use of green-screen special effects, other scenes.<ref name="auto5"/>

===Season 3 (1989–1990)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3}}
Before the production of the third season in the summer of 1989, some personnel changes were made. Head writer Maurice Hurley was let go and [[Michael Piller]] took over for the rest of the series. Creator and executive producer Gene Roddenberry took less of an active role due to his declining health. Roddenberry gave Piller and Berman the executive producer jobs, and they remained in that position for the rest of the series' run, with Berman overseeing the production as a whole and Piller being in charge of the creative direction of the show and the writing room. McFadden returned to the cast as Doctor Crusher, replacing Muldaur, who had remained a guest star throughout the second season. An additional change was the inclusion of the fanfare that was added to the opening credits of the second season, to the end of the closing credits.{{dubious|this fanfare was in the first season so what is this trying to say?|date=May 2025}} [[Ronald D. Moore]] joined the show after submitting a [[spec script]] that became "[[The Bonding]]". He became the franchise's "[[Klingon]] guru",<ref name="companion" /> meaning that he wrote most ''TNG'' episodes dealing with the Klingon Empire (though he wrote some Romulan stories, as well, such as "[[The Defector (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Defector]]"). Writer/producer [[Ira Steven Behr]] also joined the show in its third season. Though his tenure with ''TNG'' lasted only one year, he later went on to be a writer and showrunner of spin-off series ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/creative/bio/69091.html|title=StarTrek.com Biography of Ira Steven Behr|access-date=February 6, 2010|archive-date=December 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226223902/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/creative/bio/69091.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six third-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "[[Yesterday's Enterprise]]" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and "[[Sins of the Father (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Sins of the Father]]" won for Best Art Direction for a Series.<ref name="companion" /> After a chiropractor warned that the cast members risked permanent skeletal injury, new two-piece wool uniforms replaced the first two seasons' extremely tight spandex uniforms.<ref name="BBC TNG">[http://bbc.adactio.com/cult/st/interviews/stewart/page14.shtml Is it true that you got back ache from your costume?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107000837/http://bbc.adactio.com/cult/st/interviews/stewart/page14.shtml |date=November 7, 2018 }} – BBC's Interview with actor Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard)</ref> The season finale, the critically acclaimed episode "[[The Best of Both Worlds (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Best of Both Worlds]]", was the first season-ending [[cliffhanger]], a tradition that continued throughout the remainder of the series. The season ran from 1989 to 1990.

The Season 3 finale and bridge to Season 4, "The Best of Both Worlds" went on to be one of the most acclaimed ''Star Trek'' episodes noted by ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s "100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History", ranking 70th out of 100 in March 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/speaker606/jim/tv.html|title=The 100 Greatest TV episodes of all time|date=October 28, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028140448/http://members.aol.com/speaker606/jim/tv.html|archive-date=October 28, 2007}}</ref> It has routinely been ranked among the top of all ''Star Trek'' franchise episodes.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Logan |first=Michael |date=August 24, 1996 |title=10 Truly Stellar Episodes |magazine=[[TV Guide]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/star-trek-discovery-cbs-business |title=With Star Trek: Discovery, CBS Discovers That TV Ain't Easy Anymore |first=Adam |last=Rogers |date=September 22, 2017 |magazine=Wired|access-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-date=December 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226164039/https://www.wired.com/story/star-trek-discovery-cbs-business/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Season 4 (1990–1991)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4}}
[[File:Wil Wheaton by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|Wil Wheaton plays Wesley Crusher, Beverly Crusher's son, a regular character in the first four seasons, appearing sporadically in the last three.]]
[[Brannon Braga]] and [[Jeri Taylor]] joined the show in its fourth season. During the fourth season, the series surpassed the ''Original Series'' in series length, with the production of ''TNG'''s 80th episode, "Legacy". A new alien race, the Cardassians, made their first appearance in "The Wounded". They later were heavily featured in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. The season finale, "Redemption", was the 100th episode, and the cast and crew (including creator Gene Roddenberry) celebrated the historic milestone on the bridge set. Footage of this was seen in the ''Star Trek'' 25th-anniversary special hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, which aired later in the year. Seven fourth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "[[The Best of Both Worlds (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Best of Both Worlds, Part II]]" won for both Outstanding Sound Editing in a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series.<ref name="companion" /> Character Wesley Crusher leaves the series in season four to go to Starfleet Academy. "[[Family (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Family]]" is the only ''TNG'' episode where Data does not appear on-screen. The season ran from 1990 to 1991.

===Season 5 (1991–1992)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5}}
The fifth season's seventh episode, "[[Unification (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Unification]]", opened with a dedication to ''Star Trek'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] (though the prior episode, "The Game", aired four days after his death). Roddenberry, though he had recently died, continued to be credited as executive producer for the rest of the season. The cast and crew learned of his death during the production of "[[Hero Worship (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Hero Worship]]", a later season-five episode. Seven fifth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "[[Cost of Living (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Cost of Living]]" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series, and "[[A Matter of Time (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|A Matter of Time]]" and "[[Conundrum (Star Trek: the Next Generation)|Conundrum]]" tied for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects. In addition, "[[The Inner Light (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Inner Light]]" became the first television episode since the 1968 original series ''Star Trek'' episode "[[The City on the Edge of Forever]]" to win a [[Hugo Award]] for Best Dramatic Presentation.<ref name="companion" /> Season five had the introduction of a jacket for Picard, worn periodically throughout the rest of the show's run. The observation lounge set was altered with the removal of the gold model starships across the interior wall and the addition of lighting beneath the windows. Recurring character Ensign [[Ro Laren]] was introduced in the fifth season. The season ran from 1991 to 1992.

===Season 6 (1992–1993)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6}}
{{multiple image
| align = 
| image1 = Mae Carol Jemison.jpg
| width1 = 127
| alt1 = Jemison
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| image2 = Stephen Hawking.StarChild.jpg
| width2 = 111
| alt2 = Hawking
| caption2 = 
| footer = NASA astronaut [[Mae Jemison]] (left) plays an ''Enterprise'' officer in the sixth-season episode "[[Second Chances (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Second Chances]]"; and world renowned astrophysicist [[Stephen Hawking]] plays a holographic simulated version of himself in the sixth-season finale cliffhanger "[[Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Descent (Part&nbsp;I)]]".
}}
With the creation of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', Rick Berman and Michael Piller's time were split between ''The Next Generation'' and the new show. Three sixth-season episodes were nominated for Emmys. "[[Time's Arrow (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Time's Arrow, Part II]]" won for both Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series, and "[[A Fistful of Datas]]" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.<ref name="companion" /> The highest Nielsen-rated episode of Season 6 was "Relics", with a rating of 13.9.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season56.shtml|title=[TNG] Season 5–6 Ratings Archive|date=January 19, 2001|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119060700/http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season56.shtml|archive-date=January 19, 2001}}</ref> The episode featured ''Original Series'' character Scotty played by [[James Doohan]]. Additionally, [[NASA]] astronaut [[Mae Jemison]] played Lt. Palmer in "Second Chances".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2016/05/28/q-dr-mae-jemison-first-black-woman-space-astronauts-nasa-star-trek-african-americans-asheville/84971904/|title=A Q&A with astronaut Mae Jemison, first black woman in space|access-date=March 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/levar-burton-538182?page=1|title=LeVar Burton Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story|publisher=[[Biography.com]]|access-date=April 12, 2013|archive-date=October 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021035414/http://www.biography.com/people/levar-burton-538182?page=1|url-status=live}}</ref> The season 6 finale cliffhanger includes a cameo by [[Stephen Hawking]] (Part I of "Descent"). The season ran from 1992 to 1993.

===Season 7 (1993–1994)===
{{Main|Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7}}
The seventh season was ''The Next Generation''{{'}}s last, running from 1993 to 1994. The penultimate episode, "[[Preemptive Strike (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Preemptive Strike]]", concluded the plot line for the recurring character Ensign (now Lieutenant) [[Ro Laren]] and introduced themes that continued in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and ''Star Trek: Voyager''. ''The Next Generation'' series finale, "[[All Good Things... (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|All Good Things...]]", was a double-length episode (separated into two parts for reruns) that aired the week of May 19, 1994, revisiting the events of the pilot and providing a bookend to the series. Toronto's [[SkyDome]] played host to a massive event for the series finale. Thousands of people packed the stadium to watch the final episode on the stadium's [[JumboTron]].<!-- wasn't this the highest-rated series finale of all time since MASH? can anyone find this info? --> Five seventh-season episodes were nominated for nine Emmys, and the series as a whole was the first syndicated television series nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. To this day, ''The Next Generation'' is the only syndicated drama to be nominated in this category. "All Good Things..." won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects, and "[[Genesis (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Genesis]]" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. "All Good Things..." also won the second of the series' two Hugo Awards.<ref name="companion" /> "All Good Things..." also achieved the highest Nielsen rating for all of Season 7, with a rating of 17.4.<ref name="archive.org1">{{cite web|url=http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season7.shtml|title=[TNG] Season 7 Ratings Archive|date=February 10, 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210044026/http://www.treknation.com/nielsens/tng/season7.shtml|archive-date=February 10, 2001}}</ref>

===Legacy===
Although the cast members were contracted for eight seasons,{{r|schmuckler19940724}} [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] ended ''The Next Generation'' after seven, which disappointed and puzzled some of the actors, and was an unusual decision for a successful television show. Paramount then made films using the cast, which it believed would be less successful if the show were still on television.<ref name="svetkey19940506">{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/1994/05/06/star-trek-next-generation-readies-last-episode/ | title=''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' readies for last episode | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=May 6, 1994 | access-date=January 26, 2022 | author=Svetkey, Benjamin | archive-date=November 5, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105083034/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302144,00.html | url-status=live }}</ref> An eighth season also would likely have reduced the show's profitability due to higher cast salaries and a lower price per episode when sold as [[strip programming]].{{r|schmuckler19940724}}

The show's strong ratings continued to the end; the 1994 series finale was ranked number two among all shows that week, between hits ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' and ''[[Seinfeld]]'',<ref name="schmuckler19940724">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/24/arts/television-profits-reruns-and-the-end-of-next-generation.html?pagewanted=all | title=Profits, Reruns and the End of 'Next Generation' | work=The New York Times | date=July 24, 1994 | access-date=May 24, 2011 | author=Schmuckler, Eric | archive-date=December 19, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219175540/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/24/arts/television-profits-reruns-and-the-end-of-next-generation.html?pagewanted=all | url-status=live }}</ref> and was watched by over 30&nbsp;million viewers.<ref name=generations/> ''TNG'' was the most-watched ''Star Trek'' show, with a peak audience of 11.5&nbsp;million during its fifth season prior to the launch of ''DS9''. Between 1988 and 1992 it picked up half a million to a million additional viewers per year.<ref name="trektoday.com1"/>

Adjusted Nielsen ratings for ''Star Trek'' TV shows:<ref name="trektoday.com1"/>

{{Television season ratings
| multiseries      = y

| series1          = ''The Next Generation''
| n1               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1|1]]
| episodes1        = 26
| start1           = Fall 1987
| end1             = Spring 1988
| season1          = 1987–88
| viewers1         = 8.55

| series2          = ''The Next Generation''
| n2               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2|2]]
| episodes2        = 22
| start2           = Fall 1988
| end2             = Spring 1989
| season2          = 1988–89
| viewers2         = 9.14

| series3          = ''The Next Generation''
| n3               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3|3]]
| episodes3        = 26
| start3           = Fall 1989
| end3             = Spring 1990
| season3          = 1989–90
| viewers3         = 9.77

| series4          = ''The Next Generation''
| n4               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4|4]]
| episodes4        = 26
| start4           = Fall 1990
| end4             = Spring 1991
| season4          = 1990–91
| viewers4         = 10.58

| series5          = ''The Next Generation''
| n5               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5|5]]
| episodes5        = 26
| start5           = Fall 1991
| end5             = Spring 1992
| season5          = 1991–92
| viewers5         = 11.50

| series6          = ''The Next Generation''<br>''Deep Space Nine''
| n6               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6|6]] (TNG)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 1 (1993)|1]] (DS9)
| episodes6        = 26 (TNG)<br>20 (DS9)
| start6           = Fall 1992
| end6             = Spring 1993
| season6          = 1992–93
| viewers6         = 10.83

| series7          = ''The Next Generation''<br>''Deep Space Nine''
| n7               = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7|7]] (TNG)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 2 (1993–94)|2]] (DS9)
| episodes7        = 26 (TNG)<br>26 (DS9)
| start7           = Fall 1993
| end7             = Spring 1994
| season7          = 1993–94
| viewers7         = 9.78

| series8          = ''Deep Space Nine''<br>''Voyager''
| n8               = [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 3 (1994–95)|3]] (DS9)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes#Season 1 (1995)|1]] (VOY)
| episodes8        = 26 (DS9)<br>16 (VOY)
| start8           = Fall 1994
| end8             = Spring 1995
| season8          = 1994–95
| viewers8         = 7.05

| series9          = ''Deep Space Nine''<br>''Voyager''
| n9               = [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 4 (1995–96)|4]] (DS9)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes#Season 2 (1995–96)|2]] (VOY)
| episodes9        = 25 (DS9)<br>26 (VOY)
| start9           = Fall 1995
| end9             = Spring 1996
| season9          = 1995–96
| viewers9         = 6.42

| series10         = ''Deep Space Nine''<br>''Voyager''
| n10              = [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 5 (1996–97)|5]] (DS9)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes#Season 3 (1996–97)|3]] (VOY)
| episodes10       = 26 (DS9)<br>26 (VOY)
| start10          = Fall 1996
| end10            = Spring 1997
| season10         = 1996–97
| viewers10        = 5.03

| series11         = ''Deep Space Nine''<br>''Voyager''
| n11              = [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 6 (1997–98)|6]] (DS9)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes#Season 4 (1997–98)|4]] (VOY)
| episodes11       = 26 (DS9)<br>26 (VOY)
| start11          = Fall 1997
| end11            = Spring 1998
| season11         = 1997–98
| viewers11        = 4.53

| series12         = ''Deep Space Nine''<br>''Voyager''
| n12              = [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes#Season 7 (1998–99)|7]] (DS9)<br>[[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes#Season 5 (1998–99)|5]] (VOY)
| episodes12       = 25 (DS9)<br>26 (VOY)
| start12          = Fall 1998
| end12            = Spring 1999
| season12         = 1998–99
| viewers12        = 4.00

| hide_rank         = y
| hide_timeslot     = y
| hide_18_49_rank   = y
| hide_18_49_rating = y
| hide_FLratings    = y
}}

Science fiction authors noted how ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' influenced their careers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/10/12847342/science-fiction-authors-star-trek-influenced|title=13 science fiction authors on how Star Trek influenced their lives|first=Andrew|last=Liptak|date=September 10, 2016|website=The Verge|access-date=January 31, 2019|archive-date=June 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617204114/https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/10/12847342/science-fiction-authors-star-trek-influenced|url-status=live}}</ref>