Star Trek: The Next Generation in HD (part2)

I bet that's how the "Beatles Lost Concert" screenings would have been done...thank god it got cancelled.

 

I yearn for 1966 where the focus was on the story and not on random character development. The time wasted learning about Riker's interest in the trombone or Picard's interest in archeology would have been better spent on the story. Loved TNG, but a lot of the character development seemed pointless.

 

The extended cuts of Lord Of The Rings didn't suffer at all, but I suppose they got special treatment, being actual movies, instead of just TV shows...

 

That had little to do with Roddenberry by the third season and he wasn't writing the show contributing, what, two episodes to TNG?

He did love to rewrite however. The characters were as most TV characters were in the 1960's defined by their actions not just what they said whereas TNG could often be very static and too dialog driven at times focusing on small character moments at the expense of better storytelling.

The lack of dramatic conflict between the main characters and their acceptance of each other and "lack" of flaws made them much less interesting in TOS characters to me. The show only truly gained steam once Roddenberry was less in charge by season three.

Also what isn't realized because of the legal agreement and settlement between Paramount and David Gerrold is the fact that HE wrote the bible for the show and working with Roddenberry basically was co-creator of the series in many respects.

Very true although D.C. Fontana (and Roddenberry) did a signficant amount of rewriting on Ellison's original script (which is a gem either way) to make it "fit" the "Star Trek" format. Ellison got P.O. (as he often did) and Roddenberry justified his changes by claiming that Ellison made Scotty a drug dealer (he didn't although he did introduce a character on the Enterprise who was dealing drugs which would have been fascinating and real world to me than the changes that were made).


Ellison's script won the WGA as you mention but it was his original script.

The episode did win a Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation.

 

Geez .....I guess you are right, I think since rewatching almost the entire Next Gen series over the last several months, ive simply come to appreciate the characters a LOT more then I did when the show was on weekly. Somehow seeing up to 2 episodes a day just about 4 days a week, the characters build on one a lot more and become a lot more endearing. It wasnt evident to me on the initial broadcast how great some of the characters were. In fact a lot of the character development was somewhat lame to me on initial viewing. I think a lot of watching the new Battlestar made me appreciate next gen.

I do agree about 1966 though. I guess im a bit harsh on the old show as ive seen them all perhaps 10 times each at least. After all those years of watching them, the flaws come more to the forefront. Still a great older show but as you say, limited by its age and Gene Rodenberry in a lot of ways.

What shocks me, is after all these year, I can still really get into the pilot episode "The Cage", somehow despite it being the oldest and all, it has some charm and excitement that is a bit lacking on many of the Captain Kirk episodes.

 

Watched that recently for the first time in ages. Besides being stunned by the image quality (and the sound, although there were a few rough spots) and certain elements, let's say "of its time," I was surprised at how well it held up. It was all so fresh. Interesting to speculate if that first take had been picked up...

 

It is interesting to reflect that Jeffrey Hunter, who had been in the original Star Trek pilot, turned down the series and then deeply regretted it for the next few years. It would've been an interesting series had he stayed and been the Captain of the Enterprise instead of Shatner.

I agree, there's a lot of humor and energy in the old show. I felt like the later Star Trek shows took themselves much too seriously and got very heavy-handed. Not that the old show didn't occasionally get very preachy...

 

Does that mean Jeffrey Hunter would have also played Denny Crane?

 

Oh yes. The original series has its Ideas and Meanings among its formula, all usually delivered with a rough energy. The ideas make enough impression to stay with you no matter what one thinks of the rest of the show. It's... Star Trek! People also like to rag on the "cheap" sets and such, but that was a high budget show for TV then. The color work was/is striking, especially when seen in quality high def. It's not subtle, not "realistic" but a distinctive, stylized series of stories that was among the amazing things going on the later '60s. Taken for granted now sometimes.

The Next Generation couldn't be all that. It's definitely a sequel, but of the best kind, offering its own appeals. It managed a style of its own and quite a few good stories usually told in more subtle ways and with more rationalizing, what with the technobabble generously ladled around its Messages. Personally I'd have liked it to go further with integrating the personalities of the regular characters, particularly for the female regulars who got the thin end of the wedge, and to loosen up a bit in general. But they did good - for 7 seasons.

 

He wouldn't have even made it to the end of the 3rd season. He died in May, 1969, before they filmed Turnabout Intruder.

 

I know Brannon pretty well having worked with him for seven years. He is many things but I would never put him in the "dick" category.

 

From the story of what led to his death, I don't think it would have happened if he had been doing Star Trek...

 

Good to know. He's evidently disliked by many of the fans of the spin-off "Star Trek" series for whatever reason but either way I think he's a very good writer.

 

Well...opinions vary....my analogy of STNG story lines was like drinking flat coke...you keep coming back to your favorite restaurant - but the coke is still flat.....imo....

 

One of the reasons he died was because of alcoholism. If he'd been on a show like Star Trek, maybe that would've stopped Hunter from drinking.

 

Braga and Moore made a great show better. I think Cause and Effect and Relics stand alone as their high achievements respectively, but there are so many other choices. Look at what happened when Braga came onboard Voyager...the show improved 1000%. Unfortuately I originally bailed on that show about halfway through due to boredom and missed the Braga period until many years later on DVD. Anyone who missed these later episodes should investigate.


Rene Echevarria and Joe Menosky - two other awesome writers on TNG. Ship in a Bottle, I Borg, Darmok, Family, The N'th Degree.....all classics

 

http://www.fandango.com/startrek:thenextgeneration25thanniversaryevent_155848/movieoverview

Pretty cool to see it on the big screen.

 

As we've discussed upthread, be wary of this as it appears most theaters will be showing it on their inferior pre-show projectors...

 

That doesn't mean it won't be fun.

 

Now also in Australia on the big screen on 26th July:

http://www.sharmillfilms.com.au/?p=1846

PARTICIPATING CINEMAS

VIC: Cinema Nova, Palace Kino, Palace Westgarth, Upper Yarra Arts Centre

NSW: Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Dendy Newtown, Chauvel Cinemas, Dendy Byron Bay, Belgrave Cinemas Armidale, Avoca Beach Picture Theatre, Cinemax Cinema Kingscliff, Narooma Theatre, Arcadia Twin Ulladulla,

ACT: Dendy Canberra

QLD: Palace Centro, Dendy Portside

SA: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas

WA: Luna Cinemas Leederville, Grand Cinemas Warwick

TAS: State Cinema Hobart


The Blu-ray will be released on August 1 in Australia.

 

Here is something VERY Interesting to any that love STTNG

http://www.startrek.com/article/a-closer-look-at-an-extra-special-tng-blu-ray-extra

 

Thanks for the link. Very nice to know they found that interesting footage.

The article goes on to state this:

I guess Anthony Kiedis was right after all!

 

Rob Legato is a genius -- quite an amazing VFX guy.

 

Coming out on Tuesday at long last. BestBuy.com, as of this moment, has a pretty incredible deal on it: $59.99 (list price $129.99; Amazon currently $78.99 or so), and if you order on-line for in-store pick up, you also get a credit for $10 off a future purchase.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Star+Tr...skuId=5795252&st=star trek blu next&lp=1&cp=1