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Trekies who loved Star Trek: The Next Generation celebrated the return of the TNG characters through Star Trek: Picard. Picard Season 2 experienced somewhat of a shake-up when Terry Matalas was announced as the co-showrunner alongside Akiva Goldsman. Matalas built enough goodwill to be named the showrunner for the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard.
On February 19, 2023, showrunner Matalas, along with actors Michael Dorn (Worf), LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge), and Jonathan Frakes (William Riker), appeared for an interview at the IGN Fan Fest event, which lasted 29 minutes.
In that interview, interviewer Scott Collura asked the Star Trek: Picard team whether the series was essentially the eighth season of The Next Generation. To this question, showrunner Terry Matalas responded:
"Not really because I think if it was, you would be telling different kinds of stories, you'd be telling one-off stories, more thoughtful in some ways. This feels more like a continuation of the serialized arcs of Star Trek the Next Generation. Much more deeper character Dives. So, in some ways yes, it is about the Next Generation, the cast but it really is a continuation of maybe where we left off with them cinematically."
What did Star Trek: Picard's showrunner actors talk about?
The 2023 IGN Fan Fest was held over two days, February 17 and February 18. The Star Trek: Picard interview was scheduled for the second day of the fest, i.e., February 18, 2023. In that interview, Scott Collura, the Associate Director of Features at IGN, sat down with actors Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, and LeVar Burton, who were joined by showrunner Terry Matalas.
During the discussion, the cast and crew reflected on their experiences working with Matalas for the then-upcoming season of Star Trek: Picard. The actors reminisced about The Next Generation, discussing their favorite episodes and some challenges they faced on set. The conversation also touched on expectations and whether Picard serves as a continuation of TNG.
The Next Generation ran for seven seasons from 1987 to 1994, with its events unfolding approximately a century after the original Star Trek series featuring Spock and Kirk. The show introduced a new U.S.S. Enterprise, staffed with a new crew under Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart), as they explored the galaxy.
The characters from this series were featured in movies namely, Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). The last one, Nemesis is regarded as one of the franchise's least popular entries. Therefore, the studio rebooted the film series with the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie.
TNG fans believed that Nemesis would be the last time they’d see these beloved characters. However, they were thrilled when the studio brought them back for Star Trek: Picard. The official synopsis for Picard reads:
"Taking place 20 years after we last saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard command the U.S.S. Enterprise, Star Trek: Picard picks up his story and finds him in a very different place in both his personal life and career."
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