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The sci-fi adventure, Star Trek: The Next Generation, is among the most iconic and also most popular TV series ever. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the show follows the USS Enterprise-D, the iconic starship captained by Jean-Luc Picard, and its crew as they explore distant regions of space in the 24th century.
The series started airing in September 1987, and ran for seven seasons till May 1994. As the journey begins, Captain Picard and his crew delve into the Alpha and Beta quadrants of the Milky Way.
As the crew continued dealing with fresh challenges and complexities, and encountering new civilizations, Star Trek: The Next Generation gained popularity with its blend of space adventure and human drama. Since the mission of the ship was to discover strange new worlds, the show is loaded with alien stories, too.
Throughout its run, the TV series received impressive viewership. However, despite garnering a huge fan base, Paramount strategically wrapped it up after seven seasons. The reasons? Star Trek: The Next Generation ended after its seventh season due to a mix of financial reasons and the studio’s focus on movies, according to Looper, besides an overall gameplan to expand of the Star Trek TV universe.
Although years have passed since The Next Generation ended, its thrilling adventures and exploration of civilizations remain unforgettable for fans.
Keep reading to learn more about the show's cancellation and its impact.
Why was Star Trek: The Next Generation canceled after Season 7?
It was in September 1966 that Star Trek: The Original Series first aired, introducing sci-fi lovers to a futuristic world where humans are eager to explore space and discover new species. At the heart of the original show is Starfleet, an organization dedicated to peace and discovery.
The first TV series on NBC was a big hit, which paved way for more shows and spin-offs. One of the ensuing series was Star Trek: The Next Generation, which also received positive response and viewership from fans, though but the show was unexpectedly discontinued after Season 7.
One of the major reasons for canceling Star Trek: The Next Generation was the financial challenges. Given the popularity of the Star Trek universe and the cast members being associated with the projects for years, their salaries had increased significantly.
Not only this, the show demanded more special effects, resulting in higher production costs. Additionally, Paramount found it difficult to sell new episodes to local TV stations that would rather rerun the older episodes.
In a 1994 interview with EW, executive producer Rick Berman said:
"All I can tell you is that the decision to end Next Generation after a seven-season run was made at least two years and two Paramount regimes ago. This plan has been around a long time, since before the studio asked us to do Voyager..."
Now that the franchise was established, Paramount saw an opportunity to bring the crew to the big screen. In the same EW report, Paramount’s Joel Berman explained:
"It’s always tough to cancel a series that’s doing as well as Next Generation. But the bottom line is that a successful feature-film franchise can be more profitable than a TV series."
To make this happen, the makers had to shift focus from the TV series and shift the characters to a film franchise. However, the studios didn't entirely give up on television, as they had already launched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993 and scheduled Star Trek: Voyager to come out in 1995.
The cancellation of Star Trek: The Next Generation not only upset hardcore fans but also startled a few cast members. Actor Jonathan Frakes, who gained popularity as first officer Commander William T. Riker, expressed frustration over the decision to end Star Trek: The Next Generation as no specific reason was given, though some received extended contacts for the next chapter.
If you wish to rewatch the journey of Captain Picard and his crew, tune in to Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+.
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