For an IP that served as a pioneering sci-fi force on the small screen, Star Trek, despite becoming a giant in the realm of sci-fi, its original run wasn’t exactly an immediate success. To the contrary, the show was canned after three seasons, as despite developing a passionate fanbase, the ratings weren’t enough to keep the Original Series afloat under the NBC umbrella.
Although the show grew a major following through syndication and the first Star Trek feature, the showrunners struggled to land a network for the next live-action series, arguably the best in the franchise.
Major networks brushed off The Next Generation‘s potential
While The Original Series‘ reruns and the ’79 feature release made Star Trek a hot topic within the sci-fi community, there was still some hesitation regarding the IP’s legs on the small screen, given the relatively modest ratings of the original. As a result, The Next Generation struggled to land a major network, as all of the big three, ABC, CBS, and NBC, which aired the original series, passed on it.
Although NBC and ABC rejected the show outright, CBS, for a while, entertained the prospect if the showrunners were ready to do it as a miniseries. Fox’s then-head Barry Diller also refused to commit until the season was trimmed to 13 episodes. The initial lack of confidence with this series also had to do with the showrunners’ risky approach, as instead of building on the original series, TNG largely consisted of new characters.
After being passed around the block with no success, John Pike finally approached Paramount (via Chaos on the Bridge). Under the president of distribution, Lucie Salhany, Paramount opted to air it through its first-run syndication instead of striking a deal with a major network.
Patrik Stewart almost walked off from The Next Generation
Despite the lack of the iconic crew from the original series, the core cast of TNG was nothing to scoff at, and amidst them, Patrick Stewart‘s Picard was arguably the show’s biggest draw. But for a moment, Stewart threatened to walk off after a long argument. This stemmed from tensions between writer-producer Mauric Hurley and executive producer Rick Berman and Stewart, as according to Hurley, “Egos kicked in in the second year, big time”.
In the documentary, Berman recalled:
There was an argument and it went on a little bit too long. Patrick got a little angry, and he sort of said, ‘If you guys don’t get out of here, I’m getting out of here.
Although not an outright success, as season 1 still had its issues and was far from the quality that fans now associate the series with, by the time season 2 concluded, TNG became a giant in the sci-fi landscape. Despite remaining in first-run syndication throughout its entire run, the series remains one of the most revered installments in the franchise, and its impact remains unmatched.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount Plus (USA).
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