The Brilliant Move That Propelled TNG's Success Unveiled by a Star Trek Writer
TNG's brilliance lies in its character-driven storytelling, a formula that continues in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Captain Pike's USS Enterprise crew takes center stage in captivating, personality-rich episodes
Article Overview
The decision made by Michael Piller to prioritize the characterization in every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation had a transformative impact on the show, endearing it to fans across generations.
The Star Trek franchise revolutionized by adopting a character-centric approach, which added a fresh emotional dimension and stronger personal bonds to the series. This successful character-episode formula has been carried forward in other Star Trek series, such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. The current iteration, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, continues to embrace this approach.
In "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek," Ronald D. Moore discusses Michael Piller's ingenious move that transformed Star Trek: The Next Generation into a legendary sci-fi series. Initially facing difficulties during its first season, the show experienced significant turbulence in the writer's room. To restore stability in season 2, Showrunner Maurice Hurley was brought in, but his tenure was short-lived. Seeking a solution, executive producers Gene Roddenberry and Rick Berman turned to Michael Piller, appointing him as TNG's head writer for season 3. Piller's innovative approach of delving into the characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation captivated audiences, allowing them to develop deep connections with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D crew. This emphasis on character exploration is what garnered unwavering adoration from fans across generations. Discover Moore's insight in the quote below:
Michael established a directive to center the storytelling around the Enterprise characters. Each episode would revolve around a specific character, such as Worf or Troi, which was a new approach. While previous series had touched on different character stories, Michael introduced a character-centric perspective that shaped the rest of the series. This formula continued to be utilized in subsequent series like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise, all produced by Rick Berman.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Continues TNG's Character-Episode Formula
Captain Pike's USS Enterprise crew gets character-centric episodes.
Upon its return in 2017, Star Trek embraced the popular trend of serialization in television storytelling. Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard followed this format, focusing on high-stakes galactic adventures and heavily featuring the lead character, Michael Burnham. Unfortunately, this came at the expense of character development for the rest of the ensemble cast. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds successfully returned the franchise to its episodic roots. Each hour-long episode focuses on different members of the USS Enterprise crew, led by Captain Christopher Pike. Lt. Spock has been showcased in two Vulcan-centric comedy episodes, Number One's history has been explored, and the experiences of Dr. Joseph M'Benga and Nurse Christine Chapel during the Klingon War have been delved into. Additionally, a time travel romance between Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh and James T. Kirk has been sparked. Similarly, Star Trek: Lower Decks, a half-hour comedic homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation, also follows an episodic format and tells personal stories about its endearing cast of junior-grade Lieutenants. By returning to the winning formula established by Michael Piller on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek has achieved great success both with its shows and its audience.
Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+.
Source: "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek" by Peter Holmstrom
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I appreciate the emphasis on character-driven storytelling in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It's refreshing to see a sci-fi series that focuses on the personal journeys and relationships of its characters, rather than just the action and adventure.
I think this approach makes the show more relatable and engaging for viewers, as we can see ourselves in the characters and their struggles. It also allows for a deeper exploration of the themes and ideas that Star Trek is known for, such as diversity, inclusion, and the importance of cooperation. Overall, I think the character-driven storytelling in these shows is one of the things that makes them so special and beloved by fans.
