Which Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes got banned and why? Reason explored

When Star Trek: The Next Generation came out, the sci-fi TV series soon became one of the most successful shows of the franchise. It centered around Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew's journey using the titular starship. The TV show is also lauded for its thought-provoking storytelling.

However, not every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation was welcomed with open arms as two of the episodes “Conspiracy” and “The High Ground" faced bans for different reasons. BBC found "Conspiracy" (Season 1, Episode 25) violent and initially rejected it. While "The High Ground" (Season 3, Episode 12) was banned in the UK for having politically sensitive content.

The Season 1 ban was instated owing to controversy over a particular scene where Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick’s head explodes after being shot by Captain Picard and Commander Riker with their phasers. Not only this, but a grotesque parasite also bursts out of Remmick’s stomach before the destruction.

While Star Trek usually doesn't feature gruesome scenes, Episode 25 was an exception. As a result, edits were made to reduce the intensity of the death scene and BBC then agreed to broadcast the episode.

Continue reading to explore the reason behind the ban on another episode.

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Why Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes got banned?

Star Trek is counted among the highly acclaimed sci-fi franchises. It focuses on humans exploring space and encountering species like aliens. One of the biggest reasons why it's loved by many is because Star Trek: The Next Generation highlighted that conflicts aren't always solved by force but logic, diplomacy, and teamwork.

However, no fan might have expected that two of the episodes from the series would be banned for violence and politically sensitive content.

As mentioned above, Season 1 Episode 25 initially got banned for the violence during Remmick’s, which led to major edits. Unlike, "Conspiracy", Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 Episode 12 "The High Ground" was banned in the UK for political reasons.

It was due to a controversial line from Lt. Commander Data in which he referred to "the Irish Unification of 2024.” The topic was considered highly sensitive due to a decades-long conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that led to deep political and nationalistic tensions.

So, BBC refused to air the episode in the UK, as it could have taken a political stance or promoted a controversial viewpoint. However, an uncut version was then released in 2007, when Star Trek: The Next Generation had already ended after Season 7.

However, BBC’s censorship of Star Trek wasn’t limited to The Next Generation as it has previously banned other episodes from the original series for various reasons. When fans demanded the release of the censored episodes, BBC released letters to fans in 1976, stating:

"After very careful consideration a top-level decision was made not to screen the episodes entitled "Empath", "Whom Gods Destroy", "Plato's Stepchildren" and "Miri", because they all dealt most unpleasantly with the already unpleasant subjects of madness, torture, sadism, and disease."

They censored "Empath" due to its depiction of suffering, while "Whom Gods Destroy" was banned for its portrayal of madness and torture. The other two episodes were also banned for unsettling depictions.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation writer's reaction to the ban of "The High Ground"

During an interview, sci-fi writer Melinda M. Snodgrass opened up about writing "The High Ground" in 1990. The writer never imagined that a single line would lead to an episode getting censored and become one of the controversial topics in the history of Star Trek.

Per BBC, Snodgrass said:

"We became aware of it later... and there isn't much you can do about it. Writing for television is like laying track for a train that's about 300 feet behind you. You really don't have time to stop."

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