Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season

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

The first season has often been termed 'sterile' by some; this probably has some merit given that any new series doesn't necessarily have chemistry from the outset. However, some of the episodes are in the opinion of this writer among the best in the series--among these, "Code of Honor," "Where No One Has Gone Before," "Justice," "The Big Goodbye," "Datalore," "11001001," "Home Soil," "Coming of Age," "Heart of Glory," "The Arsenal of Freedom," the Stefano-written "Skin of Evil," "Conspiracy," and "The Neutral Zone"--the latter episode perhaps introducing us (albeit cryptically) to the Borg.

The segment on "Memorable Missions" was particularly poignant, especially the portion where Natasha Yar (Denise Crosby) reflects on her work on ST:TNG. The interviews with the Production (and other) Staff were also very interesting and informative; I found the excerpt with Michael Okuda intriguing and eye-opening. This DVD boxed set is a must for lovers of any of the five Star Trek series. I've already placed my order for ST:TNG Season Two. :)...


All About The Fitst Set   January 17, 2002
261 out of 304 found this review helpful

Each season of TNG will be presented in a highly collectable box set, with seven discs and a pull-out booklet of episode information and a panoramic montage of the crew (Season 2 will have only six discs due to the abbreviated season of 22 episodes versus 26). The seven box sets will create an attractive library of the entire series.

"Star Trek is one of our most popular and enduring video franchises," said Eric Doctorow, president, Paramount Home Entertainment Worldwide. "We are very excited to be releasing Star Trek: The Next Generation on DVD because we are now offering consumers the ultimate home viewing experience for this immensely popular show."

The contents of the Season One box set are as follows:

Disc 1: Encounter at Farpoint Parts 1 & 2 (episodes 101, 102), The Naked Now (103), Code of Honor (104)

Disc 2: The Last Outpost (107), Where No One Has Gone Before (106), Lonely Among Us (108), Justice (109)

Disc 3: The Battle (110), Hide and Q (111), Haven (105), The Big Goodbye (113)

Disc 4: DataLore (114), Angel One (115), 11001001 (116), Too Short a Season (112)

Disc 5: When the Bough Breaks (118), Home Soil (117), Coming of Age (119), Heart of Glory (120)

Disc 6: The Arsenal of Freedom (121), Symbiosis (123), Skin of Evil (122), We'll Always Have Paris (124)

Disc 7: Conspiracy (125), The Neutral Zone (126), Special Features

Disc 7 includes the following special features:

- The Beginning: focusing on the challenges of creating a new series and keeping to Gene Roddenberry's vision. Includes interviews with Roddenberry, Patrick Stewart, Robert Justman (former producer of the Original Series), Rick Berman (Co-Executive Producer at the time), Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Denise Crosby and other cast members.

- Selected Crew Analysis: features first-season cast members talking about their roles, their acting backgrounds prior to being cast and their impressions of the Star Trek legacy. Also features a comparison between the launch of the series in 1987 and the comments from the cast seven years later (1994), using archive interviews and b-roll to present a fascinating "before-and-after" look from the series cast members.

- The Making of a Legend: features commentary from the first-season production staff members - Michael Westmore (Make-up), Herman Zimmerman (Production Designer), Mike Okuda (Scenic Artist), Richard Stembach (Scenic Artist), Dan Curry (Visual Effects), Peter Lauritson (Co-Producer), Rick Berman and others - as they discuss the making of the new series. Uncovers information on how the beaming effect is achieved, Worf's make up process and how much time and effort goes into creating each episode.

- Memorable Missions: cast and crew discussions of specific episodes and events that occurred during the first season.

The DVD of Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season One is presented in a full-frame version, and the audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The DVDs are subtitled in English and closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired.

The Season One box set carries no suggested retail price but is expected to be priced by retailers for their customers at under... It is not rated in the U.S. by the Motion Picture Association of America; it is, however, rated G in Canada. Each disc has a running time of approximately 176 minutes, with the exception of Disc 7, which has 88 minutes of features and approximately 60 minutes of special features. All seven discs are encoded with the Macrovision™ AntiCopy process. The above information pertains to the North American release only.


Just the beginning...   February 16, 2002
James Reese (Columbia, SC United States)
31 out of 36 found this review helpful

I have anxiously awaited this release on DVD. The VHS version seems like such a waste of good shelf space.

I've done a little digging, and found that Paramount plans to release each season of TNG as a boxed set, about every 2 months, to be followed by releases of each season of Deep Space 9 and Voyager, in the same timely manner.

The future is certainly looking brighter for those of us who love these shows.


It's been a long time coming but it's been worth it   January 16, 2002
Colin Neal (Reading, Berkshire. England United Kingdom)
23 out of 26 found this review helpful

Paramount seem to have listened, planned and are going about releasing quality DVD box sets with extras. One season is planned for release every 2 months

The great news is that the picture has been remastered and the sound remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. 4 new documentaries have been created for this release lasting for an hour. Presentationally the box sets form a neat library of 7 packs when placed alongside each other. A booklet is also included per box.

Season 1 of The Next Generation has only a few outstanding stories. The rest (looking like they are from the eighties) tend to spend too much time on supporting characters such as Wesley Crusher. Fortunately Patrick Stewart does such a superb job of leading the cast, the weaker stories can be forgiven for the most part.

An excellent release with the entire 7 seasons on the way. Fingers crossed for Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise releases soon!


ST TNG-1   May 4, 2002
Ned (Eldersburg, Maryland United States)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

This first release of Star Trek The Next Generation on DVD contains all of the episodes of its first season. Years ago I recorded all of the show on VHS and as can be imaged it takes a bit of shelf space to hold the tapes.

Through the years I've discovered that people either like the series or hated it, I for one love the series.

All 25 episodes are contained on 7 disks.

1) Encounter at Farpoint - To discover how the inhabitants built Farpoint Station so quickly, the Enterprise is stopped by Q, an advanced life form that condemns humanity as a savage race. DeForest Kelly has a cameo as Dr. McCoy.

2) The Naked Now - Geordi contracts a virus from the USS Tsiolkovsky, which makes the crew seem "drunk" - Data traces the antidote back to the Enterprise under Captain Kirk.

3) Code of Honor - Tasha Yar is kidnapped by leader Lutan in a peculiar bid of "counting coup" and is forced into a death duel to be released from it.

4) The Last Outpost - The USS Enterprise and a Ferengi vessel are trapped above Delphi Ardu; the last outpost of the Tkon Empire, where they are challenges them to solve a riddle.

5) Where No One Has Gone Before - An alien traveler propels the Enterprise into an alternate universe where thought becomes reality.

6) Lonely Among Us - The USS Enterprise passes through a living cloud that infiltrates the computer and eventually takes control of Captain Picard.

7) Justice - The USS Enterprise visits Rubicam Three, whose hedonistic occupants welcome the crew with open arms but the mysterious, transparent "god" in orbit has a different attitude.

8) The Battle - A Ferengi DaiMon offers Captain Picard the derelict of his former command, the USS Stargazer, which carries aboard it a mind-control sphere, an illegal device, that puts him in the captain's seat against the Enterprise! Data uses one of the Picard tactics to stop the Stargazer.

9) Hide and Q - Q gives Riker is given the powers of the Q Continuum.

10) Haven - Deanna is faced with her arranged marriage to Wyatt Miller; a young doctor plagued by dreams of another woman, which leads him to a group of refugees, last survivors of a dead planet.

11) The Big Goodbye - Picard, Data, Beverly and Whalen, a historian, visit 1941 San Francisco via the holodeck, but an alien scan disrupts the equipment, leaving them "stranded" in the 20th Century.

12) Datalore - On Data's home world, Omicron Theta, a duplicate android is discovered, Lore, which is much more human and does not mind killing.

13) Angel One - While searching for the missing vessel SS Odin, the Enterprise finds a planet where the women are the masters and men are subservient.

14) 11001001 - The Enterprise undergoes a refit at Starbase 74 on its holodeck, and while a holographic beauty distracts Picard and Riker, the Bynars, steal the vessel. The Bynars only think in 1's and 0's.

15) Too Short a Season -The Enterprise responds to a hostage situation on Mordan IV. They take along Mark Jameson, a famous Admiral who can help the situation.

16) When the Bough Breaks - The people of Aldea capture children from the Enterprise in an attempt to repopulate the planet, because their planet is losing their ozone.

17) Homesoil - Once on board, a mysterious life form from Velara III to grow at a fantastic rate.

18) Coming of Age - On Relva 7, Wesley undergoes testing to enter Starfleet Academy while Remmick investigates Picard and his crew in an effort to determine if Picard is still loyal to Starfleet.

19) Heart of Glory - Believing in the old ways of their Empire, Klingons come aboard the Enterprise and attempt to convert Worf to their cause.

20) The Arsenal of Freedom - While searching for the USS Drake, Picard, Riker, Dr. Crusher, Data, and Tasha are stranded on a planet leaving Geordi in command of the Enterprise.

21) Symbiosis - The Enterprise mediates a trade dispute between representatives from Ornara and Brekka.

22) Skin of Evil - An evil alien being kidnaps Troi and Picard must fight for her.

23) We'll Always Have Paris - Dr. Paul Manheim's experiments trap the universe in a time loop.

24) Conspiracy - Walker Keel warns Picard of a conspiracy within Starfleet Command and Picard go to Earth and uncovers the plan by a race of parasites to conquer the Federation. It's not always easy to show up unannounced at Star Fleet Command.

25) The Neutral Zone - The USS Enterprise discovers an old Earth satellite with three frozen humans. They remain on board while the ship goes to the Neutral Zone.