User:Brian Kurtz/Sandbox

Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series that aired in syndication for seven seasons from September of 1987 to May of 1994. Created by the late Gene Roddenberry, it is the second spin-off series of the original 1966 Star Trek following the Star Trek animated series. The show was produced by Paramount Television, a division of Paramount Pictures, and developed by Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Michael I. Wagner and Maurice "Mo" Hurley.

The series takes place some seventy years after the adventures of the crew of the original USS Enterprise and introduces a brand new cast of characters as well as a new flagship, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. Commanding the Enterprise is seasoned captain Jean-Luc Picard. His support staff consists of his first officer William T. Riker, the android helmsman Data, tactical officer Tasha Yar, chief engineer Geordi LaForge, medical officer Beverly Crusher, ship's counselor Deanna Troi and Starfleet's first Klingon officer, Lieutenant Worf. Tasha Yar only appeared in season one and the character was killed off in the episode "Skin of Evil". Wil Wheatons' character, Wesley Crusher, was a regular cast member in seasons 1-4, but left the series, though he did return for several follow-up episodes as well as playing a parallel universe counterpart to himself. The rest of the cast remained on the series for all seven seasons.

Notes & Trivia

 * All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation have been made available on VHS and DVD.


 * The series has also been referred to as TNG and NextGen by the fan community.


 * Actors DeForest Kelley, James Doohan and Leonard Nimoy, who played the roles of Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott and Spock in the original Star Trek, have all made cameo appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Kelley appeared in the series pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint". James Doohan appeared in "Relics" and Leonard Nimoy appeared in "Unification" (Part 1) and part 2.

Collections

 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete First Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Second Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Third Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Fourth Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Fifth Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season
 * Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Seventh Season

4400 Episode: Pilot
"I'm in Heaven"; Maia; March 13th, 1946, Crescent City, California. rain; off in woods; disappears; richard tyler; May 11th, 1951, South Korea; beat up; photo; light; disappears; orson bailey; june 11th, 1979; Tacoma, Washington; married to elizabeth for 35 years; kyle and shawn, april 22nd, 2001, highland beach, washington. bright light; shawn disappears; kyle falls; present day; kyle in coma; MNCN News; linda visits; private detective looking for shawn to find anwers about kyle; people begin taking note of the comet; skouris gets call from dennis ryland

Synopsis
At different points in the past, people find themselves being abducted by a mysterious, inexplicable white light. In Crescent City, California on March 13th, 1946, young Maia Rutledge is taken while wandering in the woods. On May 11th, 1951, an African American US Army soldier stationed in South Korea named Richard Tyler finds himself the victim of violence by his own peers after they discover that he has been romantically involved with a white woman. He too disappears. In Tacoma, Washington, a middle-aged businessman named Orson Bailey leaves the office and disappears on June 11th, 1979. On April 22nd, 2001 two cousins named Shawn Farrell and Kyle Baldwin sit out at Highland Beach drinking beer. They see a bright light overhead and Shawn disappears. Kyle falls to the ground and slips into a coma.

Three years later, in the present, Kyle's father Tom Baldwin sits and watches over him in his hospital room. While keeping his nightly vigil over Kyle, he watches a news broadcast, which talks about a strange comet traveling close towards the Earth. Tom's estranged wife, Linda enters the room to visit Kyle. Tom and she bicker over Kyle's wellbeing and Linda tells him that she cannot live by his bedside every moment of every day the way Tom does.