Jonathan Frakes has been long associated with the Star Trek franchise. While he was part of the main cast as William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he also turned director with multiple episodes of the series and even went on to direct First Contact and Insurrection.
Frakes also returned to the role of Riker and as director for the spinoff series Star Trek: Picard. While the actor was satisfied with what TNG did in its seven-season run, he reportedly had one complaint. Much like the original series’ trio of Spock-Kirk-McCoy, Frakes wanted more banter between Riker, Patrick Stewart’s Picard, and Brent Spiner’s Data.
Jonathan Frakes Wanted More Banter Between Characters In Star Trek: The Next Generation
Despite having a loyal fanbase, the original Star Trek was finished after the first three seasons and only reached a larger audience with the movies and the spinoff show The Next Generation. While the original series was focused mostly on the central trio: Captain Kirk, Officer Spock, and Dr. McCoy, TNG gave equal space to other crew members.
This was reportedly a mandate by creator Gene Roddenberry, who forbade interpersonal conflicts between the crew members as he believed people would be more dedicated to their work in the future. However, this meant that TNG did not have a central trio like Spock-Kirk-McCoy and none of the witty banter between the three.
Jonathan Frakes, who played William Riker in TNG, reportedly missed this aspect of the spinoff series and hoped that Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard, Brent Spiner’s Data, and his Riker would have shared a similar relationship. He said in the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years (via Slash Film),
I only wish we’d found a way to have the irony and tongue-in-cheek banter of the triumvirate of the original. Picard, Data, and Riker should have that. We had our own relationship, but there are moments between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy that I’ve always envied. That’s a small complaint in a show that I was very proud to be a part of.
Though the banter might have added some entertainment to the show, the concept of giving every other crew member equal status and focus is something that needs to be appreciated.
Gene Roddenberry’s Rules For Star Trek Annoyed TNG Writers
While Captain Kirk’s kiss with Uhura has often been regarded as a major milestone with it being TV’s first interracial kiss, creator Gene Roddenberry was reportedly mostly against officers of the Starfleet fraternizing. His idea of the future was that officers would be professional, and efficient, and would not waste time in interpersonal drama.
This rule reportedly irked many writers as it held them back from exploring a lot of dramatic potential. William Shatner, who played Kirk, recalled that they would butt heads with Roddenberry on multiple occasions due to this rule. He said to THR,
The fights that went on, to my understanding, were big because the writers had their difficulties. ‘We need some more material.’ ‘We need to get out of here. It’s claustrophobic.’
After Roddenberry’s death during the production of TNG, producer Rick Berman reportedly kept these rules intact for a while before they were eventually broken. Shatner even joked that Roddenberry would twirl in his grave looking at the scenes in TNG.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.
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