Star Trek: The Next Generation was more than just a television series; it became a huge part of pop culture that changed how science fiction was presented on screen.
Starting in 1987, it ventured into new territories, mixing the deep thinking of classic drama with the excitement of space adventures.
When it ended in 1994, it attracted more than 30 million viewers, making TNG a benchmark for great sci-fi stories. However, aside from its exciting storylines and memorable characters, the show has hidden details and surprises that even the biggest fans might not be aware of.
Became life-long friends
Star Trek: The Next Generation is a show that follows the exciting journeys of the starship Enterprise-D. Its unique crew explores new planets, solves space mysteries, and faces tough moral questions. This series takes place 100 years after the original Star Trek and brings in new characters, cool technology, and interesting stories.
An interesting fact is that many of the actors from Star Trek: The Next Generation became great friends after the show ended. Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Picard, and Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker, are known for their funny friendship. They often make each other laugh at conventions and keep in touch by going out for dinner together. Their strong bond is clear whenever they are seen together.
When LeVar Burton got married in 1992, Brent Spiner was his best man, and Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and Michael Dorn were ushers at the wedding.
Martina Sirtis hated Michael Dorn
Among the many friendships that grew from the cast of The Next Generation, one of the most heartwarming is the connection between Michael Dorn, known for his portrayal of the stoic Lt. Worf, and Marina Sirtis, who brought the empathetic Counselor Troi to life.
”I’ve always been attracted to very strong women,” Dorn shared with Buzzfeed.
”I don’t know why. I was just very attracted to our sort of chemistry. We’re just crazy about each other.”
Even though their friendship has lasted for more than thirty years, it didn’t begin on a good note. Sirtis has openly shared that during the first season of the show, they really couldn’t stand each other. However, as time went on, their strong chemistry brought them closer together, leading to rumors that they might be dating in secret.
Even with all the gossip, Sirtis and Dorn have always made it clear that they were never in a romantic relationship back then, and they aren’t now.
The Starfleet uniform was really uncomfortable.
The Star Trek cast often gets a lot of questions about their makeup, costumes, and those famous masks — it’s what fans are really curious about.
Did you know that the original Starfleet uniform was so uncomfortable that Sir Patrick Stewart’s agent had to get involved? He even threatened to sue Paramount if Stewart ended up with any muscle or joint injuries from wearing that one-piece spandex suit.
That little scare led to a change in wardrobe, and by the third season, the crew switched from the tight spandex to a much more comfortable two-piece polyester outfit.
The unlikely casting of Captain Picard
Gene Roddenberry, the guy who created Star Trek, wasn’t super excited about casting Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard at first. He really wanted a younger captain with a full head of hair. But producer Robert H. Justman thought Stewart was so talented that he worked hard to get him the part.
After trying out a bunch of other actors and not finding anyone who matched up, Roddenberry finally changed his mind.
Now, here’s the funny part: for his first meeting with the Paramount executives, Stewart wore a wig because the producers were worried they might not want him since he was bald. The funny twist? After the meeting, the executives decided to cast him, but only if he got rid of the “silly wig.”
When the show’s cast was announced, some news outlets called Sir Patrick Stewart an “unknown British Shakespearean actor.” To poke fun at this, Brent Spiner made a poster for Stewart’s dressing room that said, “Beware: Unknown British Shakespearean actor!”
As for Worf, the fierce Klingon played by Michael Dorn, he had to go through a tough two-hour makeup routine every time he got ready for his role. But things didn’t always go smoothly for Worf’s famous look. In Season 2, there was a big problem when his original forehead prosthetic got stolen!
The crew was thrown into chaos when they faced an unexpected problem, and they had to hurry to come up with a new piece. In the end, they created a slightly different forehead piece that changed Dorn’s character’s look just a bit.
Wheaton’s hilarious reply
When the cast wanted a raise, Wil Wheaton was offered a promotion for his character, Wesley Crusher, instead of more money.
The producers suggested making Wesley a Lieutenant. Wheaton’s reaction was hilarious: “What am I supposed to tell my landlord when I can’t pay my rent? ‘No worries, I just got promoted to Lieutenant!’”
Also, it’s interesting to note that Wil Wheaton is the first actor from Star Trek and the only member of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) who was born after the franchise started.
Painful truth about Geordi’s VISOR
Geordi’s iconic VISOR was actually thrown together on the first day of shooting using a car air filter and a hair band, showcasing some quick improvisation.
While it was key to Geordi’s look, the VISOR wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for actor LeVar Burton. In an interview with the BBC, he revealed that wearing the prop gave him daily headaches and that it had to literally be screwed into the sides of his head. Despite the discomfort, Burton powered through, keeping the iconic device as a core part of Geordi’s identity.
After season two, producers had initially planned to have Geordi undergo an experimental procedure to restore his natural eyesight and eliminate the need for his iconic VISOR eyepiece.
They realized that the VISOR had become a really important symbol for the disabled community, so they decided to drop the original idea. Geordi La Forge’s VISOR stayed a key part of his character for all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
LeVar Burton’s secret nap
I have to tell you this fun story about LeVar Burton.
During the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, there were times when he would be sitting on the bridge set for a long time, often without many lines to say.
This made things pretty dull, and sometimes LeVar would doze off or even fall asleep! The funny thing is, since his eyes were covered by the VISOR, no one really noticed!
“They’re not telling the truth…”
In the ’90s, Marina Sirtis was definitely one of the most stunning women in the sci-fi world. Known for her British accent, she actually has Greek heritage and speaks Greek fluently.
Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, still gets tons of compliments about how youthful she looks, even now.
Whenever her pictures show up on social media, fans can’t help but fill the comments with praise, saying she looks just as amazing as she did during her Star Trek days.
I have a photo hanging on my wall that shows all of us together. It’s the same picture that was on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, and it’s displayed in my living room. It brings back memories of my closest friends. You know what? I think we all look pretty much the same. The guys have a bit less hair now. Michael Dorn is definitely thinner than he used to be. As for Patrick Stewart, he seems to look just like he always has. People often tell me, “You haven’t changed at all.” But honestly, that’s not true because 25 years have passed, and that’s a long time! Still, I think we all look pretty good, so it’s not too hard to watch myself in those early episodes.
At first, Denise Crosby was supposed to be Counselor Troi, and Sirtis was going to play Lieutenant Macha Hernandez, the security chief. But right before they started filming the pilot, they switched the roles. And honestly, I’m really happy they did!
Behind the wig: The hair drama on TNG
If you pay attention to Star Trek: The Next Generation, you might discover a cool behind-the-scenes fact that a lot of fans didn’t catch: Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, actually wore a wig for most of the show! She styled her real hair around the wig to create those beautiful flowing locks that everyone adored.
On the other hand, Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher, also wore a full wig during the early seasons. Wigs were definitely a big deal in the ’80s and ’90s!
Gates McFadden’s hair caused some issues during Season 1. Her fine red locks were always getting messed up by the studio lights, which meant she had to spend a lot of time washing and fixing it to keep it looking the same. By Season 3, they decided to use fancy real-hair wigs instead. While Gates was looking fabulous in her new wigs, Marina felt a bit jealous! At conventions, Marina admitted she wished she had Gates’ wig collection because she was stuck with a cheaper nylon one. But don’t worry — by Season 4, Marina finally got her own real-hair wig. What a hair upgrade!
So, when you’re watching the show again, pay attention to these cool hair tricks — it’s a fun little piece of TNG trivia!
From unknown to icon
Marina Sirtis wasn’t a big name in Hollywood when she got the chance to be in Star Trek. She confessed that she had never actually seen the original series. “I have to admit, I never watched the show, but I knew it was really popular,” she said.
“I had no clue what I was getting myself into. They told me it would be a year of work, and those ten months turned out to be the longest job I ever had. The next six years felt like a bonus.”
Sirtis also shared how heartbroken she felt when the show finally ended.
How Riker’s iconic beard was born
When Jonathan Frakes showed up for the second season rehearsals, he had a beard that he grew during the writers’ strike in 1988. He intended to shave it off before they started filming, but the producers loved his new look and asked him to keep it. That’s how Riker’s famous beard came to be, and it became a key part of his character for the entire series.
The beard became so well-known that when Frakes finally got rid of it for Star Trek: Insurrection in 1998, fans immediately noticed. Even Q couldn’t help but make a funny comment, saying, “Riker was more fun before the beard!” Classic Q!
At that time, there was a meeting with Gene Roddenberry, producer Rick Berman, and another producer named Hurley. Roddenberry noticed Frakes’ new facial hair and said it had a “nautical” feel to it. This funny comment led to a spontaneous beard trimming contest among the executives, showing that even little things can create fun moments behind the scenes. The beard ended up being just as famous as Riker!
Robin Williams almost joined Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation brought in a lot of famous people and public figures who were big fans of the original Star Trek series and were excited to make guest appearances.
One of the most memorable guests was Whoopi Goldberg, who became really popular for her role as Guinan. She actually reached out to the show before it even started airing! But it took almost a year for the producers to get back to her because they didn’t think her request was serious at first.
Sadly, not everyone got to join the cast. For example, Robin Williams wanted to be part of the show, but he was busy filming Hook (1991) and had to turn down a role in Season 5, Episode 9, called “A Matter of Time.” Instead, Matt Frewer took on that role.
Sir Patrick Stewart was so convinced that Star Trek: The Next Generation would fail that he didn’t even unpack his suitcases during the first six weeks of filming. But by the end of the first season, the show proved him wrong, making Paramount a whopping $1 million per episode in advertising.
By 1992, the budget for each episode had jumped to nearly $2 million, and the studio was making an incredible $90 million a year just from ads. Each 30-second commercial was selling for between $115,000 and $150,000. With 178 episodes over seven seasons from 1987 to 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation became not just a cultural hit but also a financial success, leaving a lasting impact on TV history.
Star Trek was truly an awesome series, right? Do you have any cool memories or interesting facts about the show to share? Feel free to let us know, and don’t forget to share this article with others!