TTV Read

TNG

From: George

Another great podcast, and a much quicker listen than the last. I got through the whole thing coming into work. Back in the mists of time when TNG first came out the only way I could see it in the UK was to rent it from a video store. The first VHS with Farpoint and the Naked Time on it were rushed from trembling hands into the massive VHS that took up half the room. My first impressions were not overwhelmingly positive, I liked the pilot but then we straight into a rip-off of my beloved TOS with a hateful child taking the place of Reilly the crazy singing irishman from the Naked Now who later got drain cleaner squirted in his milk by Coridian's daughter. The only glimmer of hope I saw was in Riker who, like Kirk was able to ignore the disease and get on with his job unlike the rest of the crew. Obviously TNG quickly won me over as it matured into it's own thing and the new blu-ray releases really make the show look fantastic. Season 1 now looks like it was made today, not 26 years ago. I recently read Wil Wheaton's memory of making that 1st year on TNG, pick it up on Kindle it's pretty interesting especially his take on the next episode Code of Honour. Jonathan Frakes referred to the episode as a "racist piece of shit" and Wil Wheaton says in his book the first director Russ Mayberry was let go basically for being a racist asshole. The cast were not happy with it but they do a proffessional job, but it felt to me like another miss-step for trek and another mark against TNG. I was intrigued by the tale of Uncle Tod and have envisaged new series, The Littlest Hobo TNG: Uncle Tod does a Runner. I think it has legs. LLAP