New Star Trek shows have always faced backlash from some fans, but even Star Trek: The Next Generation had its haters before it premiered in 1987.
While Star Trek: The Next Generation might be highly regarded today, it faced quite a bit of backlash when it first premiered in 1987. In a newspaper article (seen below) written just before the premiere of TNG, Star Trek: The Original Series fans revealed their reservations about the new crew of the USS Enterprise. Some TOS fans participated in a write-in campaign to get TNG canceled before it even began, saying that it would be “sad to see this rip-off series going on the air.” Fans feared that TNG would not be able to capture the same magic that the cast and crew of TOS had managed to achieve.
Some fans remained wary even after watching the feature-length pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation called “Encounter at Farpoint.” A reviewer writing for the New York Times in October 1987 stated that: “On this initial voyage, the Enterprise and its new crew simply fail to take flight.” This same reviewer also hoped that “things [would] get a little livelier” in the following episodes. The first season of TNG is generally regarded as its weakest, and it took about three seasons for the show to truly resonate with viewers.
Star Trek TOS Fans Tried to Get TNG Canceled Before It Began
When Star Trek: The Next Generation began, most of the actors were unknown. The news article above even refers to Patrick Stewart as “an unknown British Shakespearean actor” and claims that LeVar Burton’s Geordi La Forge will serve as “the new Spock,” even though the android Data (Brent Spiner) would prove to be a more apt comparison. This article doesn’t even mention Worf (Michael Dorn) or Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), although both would play important roles. The crew of Picard’s Enterprise would go on to become one of the most beloved Star Trek casts, and most of them came together again 30 years later for the nostalgia-filled Star Trek: Picard season 3.
All things considered, it’s a miracle that Star Trek: The Next Generation made it past the divisive first season. The show struggled to find its footing over the course of its earliest episodes, but thankfully, the cast of characters on TNG managed to capture some of that magic that captivated fans of TOS. After a few bright spots in the second season, such as the fantastic “Measure of a Man,” the show truly began firing on all cylinders during its third season. From then on, TNG would produce some of the best science fiction television of all time and more than live up to its predecessor.
New Star Trek Shows Always Get Hate From Some Fans
Every time a new Star Trek series or film is announced, it’s met with enthusiasm from some fans and doubt and even anger from others. Star Trek: Discovery, in particular, has faced backlash throughout its run. Every time Star Trek: Strange New Worlds experiments with genre or storytelling styles, such as the recent musical episode, some fans will scoff and say it’s not real Star Trek. What audiences seem to have forgotten is that Star Trek has always been progressive and experimental.
Star Trek: The Original Series tried out multiple genres, from Westerns to 1920s gangsters to space Nazis. TNG, too, had its fair share of holodeck adventures that incorporated various genres. Some viewers didn’t consider Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “real Star Trek” because it didn’t take place on a ship. Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise also faced their own criticisms, but time has been kinder to these Star Trek shows.
Hate for new Trek shows is not a new phenomenon. Star Trek has always been political and always told stories that reflect the society in which it was made. The world of Star Trek is vast and has room to tell many kinds of stories from many different perspectives. Some stories will simply work better for some audiences than others. It took around three seasons for fans to fall in love with Star Trek: The Next Generation, but now it’s widely regarded as not only great Star Trek, but also one of the best science fiction shows of all time.
