How was DS9 different from Next Gen?

We wanted to find a way of exploring a different part of Gene Roddenberry's universe without breaking the rules.

The difference between other Star Trek shows and Deep Space 9 was that I used to compare The Next Generation to cruising Friday nights, where you go to your favourite bar, and then you move on to your next favourite bar the following week. You never have to stay and face the consequences of your actions on Star Trek � The Next Generation.

Deep Space 9, the crew is stuck there, and they are essentially responsible for building a coalition between an extraordinarily different group of people.

I think it was a tough transition, because, Star Trek � The Next Generation, was extremely popular. There's a magic and a chemistry when something happens on a series that's hard to recreate.

Deep Space 9, just because it was something not exactly the same as Star Trek � The Next Generation, immediately people didn't know what to make of it. They said, 'Well, Star Trek is about being in a space ship, going off and exploring, why isn't this about that?' And, that would have been just another repeat of the same themes.

I believe that what we'll find about Deep Space 9 is that, over time, it will be more appreciated for its creative integrity than it was during its own lifetime, in a very similar way to the original series.