TNG Star Completely Changed The Show

Many Trekkies will be able to tell you that the first two seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” were somewhat rocky. The story goes that, during those first two years, show creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to assert total control over the series, a reaction to his having been booted from the “Star Trek” feature films several years before. Roddenberry, however, butted heads with other producers on “Next Generation.” It seems that he and other producers were re-writing scripts at the last minute, with Gene’s personal lawyer, Leonard Maizlish, sometimes writings drafts in secret. Roddenberry was also hellbent on enforcing a strict narrative rule forbidding interpersonal conflict between the show’s main characters. The show’s other writers hated this rule, as interpersonal conflict, they felt, was the fastest path to drama and story.

Even during these rocky seasons, however, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” started to become a hit. Many Trekkies were eager to see an all-new U.S.S. Enterprise populated by a cast of fascinating characters. Some of the episodes were legitimately great. The second season introduced such vital “Star Trek” elements as the Borg, the episode “The Measure of a Man,” and, perhaps surprising everyone, Guinan, a character played by Whoopi Goldberg.

Guinan served as a bartender on the Enterprise’s lounge, Ten-Forward. She mixed drinks, doled out wisdom, and acted as a freelance psychiatrist for the crew. She was also a confidant for Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), an old friend. For many, the appearance of Guinan — or more importantly, Whoopi Goldberg — on “Star Trek” lent an air of legitimacy to the series.

This was certainly the view of Data actor Brent Spiner, who was interviewed for Pete Homstrom’s book “The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek,” and he said that Godlberg’s involvement on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” changed the trajectory of the show’s popularity. It was an upward swing from then on.

Goldberg, after all, had been nominated for an Academy Award (for “The Color Purple”) just a few years before, and she had risen to fame with a series of notable crime comedies like “The Burglar,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “The Telephone.” She was just a few years away from her Oscar-winning turn in “Ghost,” and she hadn’t done much TV at that point in her career, aside from several stand-up specials. In fact, her only scripted role was a guest spot on an episode of “Moonlighting.” The fact that she was willing to star on “Star Trek” proved that it was special enough to warrant her participation.

Spiner recalls being astonished at Goldberg’s presence and felt that she likely attracted a whole new audience. All of a sudden, “Next Generation” was something to be watched closely. As Spiner put it:

“It may be just my opinion, but I think we became legit when Whoopi came on the show. Whoopi was a major movie star, and she came on in the second season. That was a big deal. Whoopi Goldberg is going to be on your show, and not just doing a guest spot, she’s going to be a semi-regular on the show. I think everybody had to say, ‘Wait, what? Let me watch this now.’ A major movie star decided, at the peak of her acting career, to do this show … I think it made an enormous difference to us being taken seriously.”

Goldberg, it turns out, had been a Trekkie since she was little, having admire Nichelle Nichols on the original series back in the 1960s. When “Next Generation” was rounding its second season, she started to actively pursue a role on the show. She was friends with “NextGen” actor LeVar Burtongiving her an “in,” and she ended up negotiating with Gene Roddenberry as to what kind of role she would be able to play.

They settled on Guinan, named after a famed New York speakeasy owner. Goldberg has been a part of “Star Trek” ever since.