Patrick Stewart Was Told Star Trek: The Next Generation Wouldn't Even Last A Full Season
It's hard for many of us to imagine a world without "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but once upon a time, it was a risky sequel series potentially doomed to fail. Sir Patrick Stewart, who plays the steadfast Captain Jean-Luc Picard, didn't know much about "Star Trek" when he took the role in the late 1980s, and apparently he was told that the show would never make it past the first season. (Yikes!) Thankfully, those prognosticators were dead wrong, and "The Next Generation" ran for seven seasons and four films, ending with "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002. "The Next Generation" helped usher in the next era of "Star Trek," followed by shows like "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager," which explored different parts of Starfleet and some very different kinds of missions. It wound up becoming the beginning of the greater "Star Trek" universe, but it was nevertheless a pretty risky proposition when the show first aired in 1987.
Some people didn't think that "Star Trek" could work without Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and the rest of the original Enterprise crew. What they didn't realize, however, is that "Trek" is a wonderfully wide universe to explore, with all kinds of stories to tell. As for Stewart, he didn't even really know much about the sci-fi series, as he was much more focused on his stage and film career. (He had, at least, starred in the wild sci-fi vampire film "Lifeforce" in 1985, so he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with sci-fi.) As such, when he got the call to try out for "Trek," he truly had no idea what was in store.
'I once or twice caught these guys in colored t-shirts'
On an interview with CBS Mornings, the veteran of stage and screen was asked about his feelings back when he was going through the casting process for "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Patrick Stewart explained that while his children were apparently fans of the original series, watching it in syndication, he was told by other people that there was just no way another "Star Trek" could work:
"I called my children because I knew they watched something called 'Star'-something on Saturday afternoons, and I once or twice caught these guys in colored t-shirts. So I called them and said, 'Tell me, tell me! Because I've got a meeting today and I don't know what the meeting is about.' And I talked to a handful of people whom I knew and they all said, 'Look. You can't revive an iconic show like 'Star Trek.' You're probably not making it through the first season. So, you know, make a little bit of money for the first time in your life, maybe you meet some nice girls, you can get a suntan, go home.'"
Instead of just making a bit of primetime TV money and going about his merry way, Stewart would become one of the most famous faces of the franchise and would be forever entwined with Starfleet officer Jean-Luc Picard. "Star Trek" itself would also become a major part of his life going forward, as Stewart came to learn a whole lot about those "guys in colored t-shirts" — far more than he ever possibly could have imagined.
The future of the franchise
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" helped usher in the second wave of "Star Trek" shows and movies, leading to the series and films we have now. It's incredibly unlikely that any other "Trek" shows would have been created if "Next Gen" hadn't been successful, and that's kind of a sad world to imagine. "Star Trek" has become a huge part of pop culture and will continue long into the future with shows like "Star Trek: Lower Decks" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." There's also a whole new Starfleet Academy series in the works, looking to the future of the Federation in a brand new way.
The full arc of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is finally coming to a close with the finale of "Star Trek: Picard," which will wrap up Jean-Luc's life and legacy and hopefully provide closure for the rest of the crew of the Enterprise-D. Stewart may not have imagined that he would still be playing the Starfleet officer after 36 years, but it's impossible to imagine anyone else doing it better.
The series finale of "Star Trek: Picard" premieres Thursday, April 20, 2023, on Paramount+.