- Star Trek: The Next Generation <a href="https://comicvibe.com/dc-premier-action-figures-are-out-now-2/” title=”DC Premier action figures are out now!”>premiered on September 28, 1987, with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, despite creator Gene Roddenberry initially rejecting him.
- Paramount bypassed major networks to sell the series directly to local TV stations, as no network offered the full season and support the studio wanted.
- The show’s uncertain start led to its eventual success, with The Next Generation running for seven seasons and being ranked No. 4 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 best sci-fi TV shows.
Star Trek: The Next Generation began airing on September 28, 1987, with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Getting the show to television took two unusual choices: Paramount went around the major networks, and creator Gene Roddenberry agreed to cast an actor he had first rejected.
Several networks showed interest, but none offered Paramount the full season and support it wanted. The studio chose to sell the series directly to local TV stations instead. Viewers could watch it without one national network carrying it.
Stewart’s casting faced its own fight. Producer Robert Justman had seen him perform Shakespeare and thought he had found the new captain. After meeting Stewart, Roddenberry told Justman, “I won’t have him.”
Why Gene Roddenberry Resisted Patrick Stewart as Star Trek’s New Captain
Justman said Roddenberry pictured Picard as a Frenchman with a different look. Stewart was a bald English actor in his late 40s. Justman, producer Rick Berman, and a casting director kept pressing Roddenberry to reconsider. He finally agreed.
The show introduced a new crew aboard the USS Enterprise, set decades after the original Star Trek series. Alongside Stewart, its cast included Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, and Michael Dorn. The first episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” sent the crew to investigate a mystery involving a space station.
Paramount’s plan worked. The company later said the first-run launch reached 27 million viewers. The series ran for seven seasons, ending in 1994.
Stewart also changed Roddenberry’s mind about who could lead the Enterprise. Justman recalled that after other candidates failed to win the part, Roddenberry sighed and said, “All right, I’ll go with Patrick.”
Years later, Rotten Tomatoes placedThe Next Generationat No. 4 on its list of the 100 best sci-fi TV shows. That ranking marks how far the series traveled from its uncertain start, when Paramount had no network deal and its creator had doubts about its captain.
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Sep 28, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
