What was it that the fans really took to, having resisted The Next Generation for the first few seasons?

I think people started to realise that The Next Generation was doing not just good science fiction, they were doing good television. It was a fun show to watch and it was comparable to any of the best shows on TV in its time.

People started to respect the fact that they didn�t feel like they were watching some geek science fiction show, they felt like they were watching something that they could talk about at the office the next day. The audience became mainstream, and in part that was due to the production values of the show. It was well done.