Star Trek The Next Generation
Season 1 DVD
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
In 1987, Paramount embarked on a bold and ambitious project
that had many in Hollywood wondering if they could pull off
what they aspired to. The goal was the creation of a new Star
Trek series, yet one that would use an entirely new cast,
be set 85 years from the most recent Trek adventures, and
would air via syndication. Fans and insiders alike pondered
the casting choices amongst which only Lavar Burton was a
recognizable face and asked if Gene Rodenberry was attempting
the impossible.
The show
debuted in September 1987 to mixed reviews but solid ratings,
fans grew to enjoy the new characters as they realized they
were not replacing the classic cast they had grown to love,
but rather branching off in a bold new direction. As the seasons
passed, the show became more and more popular and ended its
run after seven seasons as one of the highest rated and most
praised shows on television. Having spawned a third series,
"Deep Space 9", the future of Trek was alive and well for
a new generation.
Paramount
is releasing all seven seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation
over the coming year, and they are off to a rousing start
with the season one DVD set. Packaged in an attractive collectors
box, the seven-disc sets has every one of the first season
episodes uncut and in the order in which they aired. The seventh
disc also has a fantastic making of, behind the scenes, and
other great information on the origin of the show and its
secrets and is a must for any collector. While I would have
liked to see the episodes in wide screen format, the transfer
to DVD is solid. The sound quality is first rate and the only
complaints that I had was that some scenes looked a bit dark
and there were a few rare instances of brief pixelation but
they were so minor one would scarcely notice.
The first
set is a great start to the series and I look forward to the
future sets and hope that Paramount adds even more extras
to the sets. One feature I would have liked to have seen was
a behind the scenes feature on each episode as to how the
idea came about and other interesting tales from the episodes
journey from concept to creation. This is a fine set and is
a must for all Star Trek fans and worth a serious look for
any collector.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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