Taking Star Trek To The Next Level
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the beloved ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ is being restored on Blu-ray – with selected episodes to screen in cinemas July 26.
Paramount Pictures is continuing its trend of restoring classics onto Blu-ray, undertaking a significant investment in order to restore the ever popular Star Trek: The Next Generation into high definition.
Set in the 24th century, The Next Generation was created by Gene Roddenberry over twenty years after the original Star Trek series. It became the longest-running series of the Star Trek franchise, consisting of 176 episodes over seven seasons.
The series - which premiered in 1987 - was largely created in response to original cast members William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy's demands for sky-high salaries for the 1986 film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Figuring that it would be more profitable to start a new series than pay the films' actors millions to continue, the Paramount executives planned for a new Star Trek television series - and it took off.
The ensemble cast behind The Next Generation went on to become one of television's most endeared and loved. Taking fans on the voyages of the Starship Enterprise were Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).
Originally shot on film, the visual effects created during the eighties and nineties were rendered in standard definition for conversion to tape, meaning that all 176 episodes have had to undergo exhaustive restoration - with the imagery and effects painstakingly recreated from the source material.
NCM Fathom Events and CBS TV are coming together with Sharmill Films to present a special one-night event on July 26 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the television series.
"The Next Generation series is timeless. It's hard to believe 25 years have gone by since this iconic show premiered on television," said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. "This special event celebrates the magic that made this beloved series so memorable."
The special anniversary event will feature two of the most popular episodes from the first season, "Where No One Has Gone Before" and "Datalore", handpicked by well known Star Trek experts and restoration consultants.
"We're thrilled to be able to introduce Star Trek: The Next Generation to a new generation," said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment. "Seeing the episodes in a theatre setting is the perfect way to show off the pristine picture that high definition allows, and launch the first season on Blu-Ray."
Brand new special features include interviews with the team behind the restoration as they discuss the process and countless hours dedicated to the upgrade of The Next Generation.
The first season makes its Blu-ray debut on August 1. The six-disc Blu-ray set also features a wealth of exclusive bonus material, such as archive footage, a gag reel and an inside look at taking The Next Generation to the next level of high-definition.
The Star Trek: Next Generation Anniversary Event will be held around the country on July 26, 7pm. Check your local cinema listings for details.
