Our First Blu Ray Review: Star Trek TNG: Season One

I will admit it: I was a Trekker.  When I was about 12 or so, I discovered Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sure, I had seen a few of the original series episodes (I thought they were too slow and cheesy) and a couple of the original cast movies (which were better.) For whatever reason, I really got into TNG. I wasn't even a huge sci-fi fan; but I responded to the characters and the ideas behind the series. The special effects looked pretty cool, too.

Over the years, I had amassed tons of VHS tapes of TNG episodes recorded from television. The quality was generally pretty poor and the episodes scattered across tapes in no particular order. By the time I was in my twenties, I had stowed the tapes away and practically forgotten about the show. Then, one day, it was announced that they would be coming to DVD. Still skeptical, I tuned into a marathon of episodes on cable. I was instantly hooked again. I had forgotten just how much fun this show was.



The DVDs, released over a period of a couple of years (if memory serves) were huge, bulky boxes containing six or seven discs. They had a number of special features, and each episode was presented in the highest quality of the day. Being released during the early days of TV on DVD, the box sets usually ran around $200 a piece. Back then, I had roommates and few bills, so I collected them all. After a while, I lost interest in the series again and the box sets collected dust. I loaned a few of them out and never got them back. I wasn't that heartbroken, as there were plenty of other shows to keep my interest.

Rumors about the Blu Ray release began about a year before the first sampler disc was released. Not wanting to spend the money for 3 episodes, I declined to buy the sampler. However, I kept watching the online videos on the restoration of the series and my interest was eventually piqued. I clicked on Amazon just before the Blu Ray's release, and saw the first season was on sale for the preorder price of $59.99. I decided to take a leap of faith.

So, how is it?

Video Quality

To be fair, I don't have my first season DVDs anymore to directly compare the video quality of the two. However, the video appears to be simply fantastic. Colors are rich and vibrant, detail is sharp. Having been recorded on film, and then transferred to video for special effects work, the first two seasons of TNG have a strange VHS quality to them. Or, I suppose I should say "had." These discs present the original film for the first time. Each episode has been rescanned from the original film elements and the special effects rebuilt from the ground up. That weird video tone to this season is completely gone. That's not to say that the images are perfect. The first two seasons also featured unusually dark lighting in some scenes, and the video occasionally suffers during these. All of the standard lit scenes look brilliant.

The special effects work here must also be commended. Instead of upconverting the video images, the team at CBS has completely rescanned and re edited the material. (The episodes are edited exactly as they were initially, so nothing has been "changed" ala Lucas.) The ships have simply never looked more beautiful. They are not digitally rendered; each element has been recomposited from the original film at HD quality. These effects shots look as good as anything in the films that followed the series.

Sound Quality


For this release, the sound has been remixed in DTS 7.1. The original stereo mix is also included. Once again, the series has never sounded so good. Each ship rumbles by; each warp will make you jump. Occasionally, the dialogue is slightly weak in the mix but that is due to the way it was recorded at the time. There are also reports of dialogue being mixed into additional channels (instead of just the center) on certain episodes. Honestly, I didn't notice it at all.

Extras


This set includes all the original DVD extras plus more. The promos for each episode are included and can be viewed separately or before the episode. They are presented in SD, and don't look that great, but are fun to have. The two most anticipated features are new documentaries filmed for this release. The first is a demonstration on the remastering effort that was undertaken for the Blu Rays. If you are a bit of a film nerd, like me, you will be especially happy by this feature. The other documentary is a 90 minuted look at the origins of the series. Interviews with living cast and crew members, as well as archival footage, presents the story of the birth of TNG. There is a lot of fascinating stuff here. Things were not always as rosy as you would think on the set or behind the scenes. Overall, the documentary is interesting, though I still feel that it glosses over certain aspects. It seems to me, that there are more stories to unearth and other details to discover.

Actual Show Content

I placed this one last, because those that are interested in the Blu Rays have seen the show. You know what you are getting into when you buy the discs. The first season of TNG is undoubtedly its weakest. (Though season two gives it a run for its money.) It is the season that I watch the least of; I haven't seen most of these episodes in nearly 10 years. Being presented in HD, there are many flaws that struck me for the first time. The higher quality of this video clearly reveals the stunt doubles and edges of the aliens' make up. The contrast between the new CGI planet exteriors and the pitiful soundstages of the interiors is striking. I know that the producers were staying true to the original feel and vision of the show, but I would have liked some enhancements here and there. I don't think anyone would mind if an actual sky or horizon was added to the planet sets. (Didn't they do this for the The Original Series Blu Ray release?)

The storylines of the first season are also pretty bland. Most of the episodes feature the crew getting in to some sort of high brow pickle that only Wesley Crusher can solve. Never being a favorite of mine, I was particularly annoyed by Crusher during this viewing. These are the most highly trained officers in Starfleet and they are constantly outwitted by a 12 year old? I can't wait for him to leave during the third season.

Much of the acting here is grandiose and over the top. There are so many cringe worthy moments that they are hard to pin down. The reactions of Picard and Riker, in particular, are truly bizarre many times. They seem annoyed and alarmed over simple questions and situations. The actors eventually find their groove, and become less dramatic over time. (The amount of one liners also decreases. If I hear one more character repeat slang in a question, I'll put a phaser to my head. "Yankee trader?")

Bottom Line


Despite the flaws of TNG's first season, it is still enjoyable and the presentation here is nothing short of breathtaking. As a fan, I am simply blown away by the care CBS has taken with the series. No one in their right mind could have anticipated such a massive undertaking on a 25 year old series. I feel like this set is more a taste of what is to come. Initially disinterested, I am now eagerly awaiting future releases. I can't wait to see Best of Both Worlds in HD. I hope the discs are successful enough to continue through TNG's run, and hopefully into DS9 as well. Those Dominion battles would look pretty cool on Blu Ray!

Posted in: blu-ray,next generation,review,star trek