Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season

Starring:Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, John de Lancie, Michael Bell, DeForest Kelley, Colm Meaney, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Timothy Dang, David Erskine, Evelyn Guerrero, Chuck Hicks, Jimmy Ortega, Phil Fondacaro
Director: David Carson, Chip Chalmers, Joseph L. Scanlan
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Warping into syndication in 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully launched its seven-season "continuing mission" of the starship Enterprise, and this classy DVD boxed set gathers the show's inaugural season in crisp picture clarity and dazzling 5.1-channel sound. A ratings leader with a sharp ensemble cast, this revamped Trek honored series creator Gene Roddenberry's original Trek concept, nurtured by returning veterans like producer Robert H. Justman and writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold. Several first-season episodes have original-series counterparts, and while the season was awkwardly inconsistent for all involved (including Roddenberry's heir apparent, producer Rick Berman), in retrospect the series began on remarkably solid footing.

Amazon.com

Warping into syndication in 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully launched its seven-season "continuing mission" of the starship Enterprise, and this classy DVD boxed set gathers the show's inaugural season in crisp picture clarity and dazzling 5.1-channel sound. A ratings leader with a sharp ensemble cast, this revamped Trek honored series creator Gene Roddenberry's original Trek concept, nurtured by returning veterans like producer Robert H. Justman and writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold. Several first-season episodes have original-series counterparts, and while the season was awkwardly inconsistent for all involved (including Roddenberry's heir apparent, producer Rick Berman), in retrospect the series began on remarkably solid footing.

Patrick Stewart was perfect as Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard, while Marina Sirtis struggled with a wretched hair bun and an ill-defined character, eventually blessing Counselor Troi with delicate nuance. Denise Crosby made a strong but underutilized impression as Security Chief Tasha Yar, and left the series before season's end, allowing writers to develop Klingon Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn) into a fan favorite. Brent Spiner transcended Spock comparisons with his triumphant portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data; and while Jonathan Frakes was accepted as First Officer Will Riker, fans ultimately rejected Wil Wheaton as ensign Wesley Crusher, the teenaged son of the ship's doctor (Gates McFadden). Still, these 25 episodes laid a firm foundation for subsequent seasons, and highlights include the Raymond Chandleresque "holo- novel" of "The Big Goodbye," Data's backstory in "Datalore," the Klingon rituals of "Heart of Glory," and a Romulan encounter in "The Neutral Zone." The DVD supplements (all on the seventh disc) are good enough to make anyone wish for more: four featurettes recall myriad first-season challenges, filled with insider perspective and enough NextGen trivia to satiate all but the most obsessive Trekkers back on Earth. Looking back, it's easy to see why NextGen lived long and prospered. --Jeff Shannon

Description

25 episodes on 7 discs: Encounter at Farpoint, The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost, Where No One Has Gone Before, Lonely Among Us, Justice, The Battle, Hide and Q, Haven, The Big Goodbye, Datalore, Angel One, 11001001, Too Short a Season, When the Bough Breaks, Home Soil, Coming of Age, Heart of Glory, The Arsenal of Freedom, Symbiosis, Skin of Evil, We'll Always Have Paris, Conspiracy, The Neutral Zone. Four new exclusive featurettes: "The Beginning" (the genesis of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Gene Roddenberry's vision), "Selected Crew Analysis" (first-season cast members discuss their roles), "Making of a Legend" (first-season production staff reminisce about their favorite episodes), "Memorable Missions" (cast and crew discuss key episodes and events of the first season).

Customer Reviews:

New Crew, New Light.......2007-06-29

Having first watched this show when I was 14, and being a fan of the original series, It was great to go back and watch them all again with older eyes. I have to admit I hated Wesley Crusher, because I saw him as a "know it all", plus his futuristic cosby sweaters and later his rainbow pleated uniform screamed "dork!" Watching it now, I don't hate him at all! In fact, I have an endearing sense of "he is adorable" coming through. I can respect what it took to be an actor that young, coming off of Stand By Me into a mostly adult cast. The crewmember I ended up hating now, as an adult, was Tasha Yar. She is supposed to be chief of security, yet she is impulsive, and overly emotional! The woman cries all the time, I just wanted worf to back hand her off the bridge. I was so relieved when the "tar monster" snuffed her out. The beginning episodes were a bit rough. The planets were similar to Classic star trek, purple green and fake rocks everywhere, but it worked. The story lines were also hard to get into, although anything with "Q" in it I love! Of course I still detest Jeordi's Banana Clip, and Deanna Trois Phallic hair, but I still adore this season nevertheless, every show has to find its footing and by the end of it they did.

"Lets See What's Out There".......2007-05-16

Watching this DVD does bring back happy nostalgiac memories for me;towards the end of September in 1987 my folks allowed me to stay up until 11:00PM (which seemed like eternity then)to watch the premire of Star Trek:The Next Generation.At the time I was fascinated:the huge ship,these new characters,Q-it was such an grand adventure.Seeing "Encounter At Farpoint" 20 years later my opinion has improved;it's such a different story from anything done in TOS.It's almost like a feature film.A lot of people will tend to critisize this season for not quite being as secure characterizations.That is present here to a certain degree:in episodes such as "Code Of Honor" and "The Last Outpost" Captain Picard tends to make a big deal of being French.Another interesting notion about this season is Worf's smugness and strange lack of purpose;until the unfortunate death of Tasha Yar Worf seemed to be an overly aggresive token Klingon.None of that matters to me though because I think the first season of TNG is one of the best and most unique this show ever did.Actually some of the look of this season I prefer the look of this season,especially early on.The lighter colors of the crew quarters lighting and the jumpsuit uniforms (that would extend through the second season),as well as a lot of character exploration.This first season should be re evaluated by fans who once looked at this corney and incomplete at first.TNG is,to me (even at this stage) is the best of the Star Trek spin offs and has aged beautifully to this day!

STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION(FIRST SEASON).......2007-05-13

THE FIRST SEASON OF STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION RATES FIVE STARS.
IT HAS A GREAT CAST OF ACTORS AND HAS PLENTY OF ACTION.IF YOU ARE A
STAR TREK FAN OR NOT,I THINK THIS IS VERY GOOD PURCHASE FOR EVERYONE.

star trek season 1.......2007-02-24

I hate the 1st season but you got to have it to complete the set.

Nostalgic Next Generation.......2007-01-17

Ahhh. The nostalgia...the wonder...the excitement...they don't make television shows like this anymore.

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