What look were you trying to achieve in Next Generation?

When I entered the arena on Next Generation there was a different climate in the studio about Star Trek at that time. Gene Roddenberry had literally blackmailed the studio heads, and I can say that freely, because they�re not the same studio heads that are now running the studio.

They knew they had a winner in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. This was going to be a topical story about whales and Earth. Of all the stories, whenever we go back to Earth those are always the most watched episodes, the most enjoyed episodes, because we relate to ourselves in a major way. Gene said, �I would like you to do the picture, if you will do another television series pilot for me.�

The studio thought, well, we�ll spend the money on the pilot, but we�ll probably produce it, otherwise no network will buy it. As the studio started looking at the rushes they said, this is too good to even try to sell to a network, we�re going to syndicate this ourselves.

I think that that was the beginning of the best idea that the best studio has had regarding the Star Trek franchise. It�s gone on and on and several other series have been created. I don�t see any end in sight.