A BRIGHT NEW (BLU-RAY) FUTURE FOR "THE NEXT GENERATION"?

The colourful crew of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION will soon look even better in Blu-ray. Image: CBS PARAMOUNT.

Worldwide fans of Gene Roddenberry's incredibly successful "second attempt" at STAR TREK with the iconic long running THE NEXT GENERATION, populated with another diverse crew on the Starship Enterprise (led by its then new Captain, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)), must currently be thrilled with the success of the recent re-release of the entire series run on DVD, with all new packaging, from CBS PARAMOUNT.  But now, and even better, exciting rumour-mill news is growing with intensity in regards to the shows possible upcoming premiere appearance on shiny Blu-ray within the next few years. No longer to be seen, as it currently has been for the last twenty-four years on TV, as muddy brown/red videotaped copies, it looks as if behind the scenes plans are in early motion to finally have the series transferred and shown in its original high quality 35mm film format (for reasons of high cost at the time they were originally made, the filmed series was transferred onto lower quality NTSC video so as to make life easier for the special effects/optical teams to incorporate their extensive model work and laser effects). And, just as the original classic TREK DVD/Blu-rays had brand spanking new CGI effects shots to make the series look more up to date and in continuity, with a more uniform look, with its successive series, these too will have similar fresh content. Finally, and much deservedly, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION fans will get to witness the series at its greatest visual quality ever...

There will no doubt be some kind of future press release for the new endeavour from CBS PARAMOUNT, and please note that this will all take time to do, so don't expect the season by season releases to be available any time in the short-term, but we expect they'll start coming out by at least the end of 2012 onwards-just in time to aid the companies apparently profits strapped Blu-ray/DVD department and cash in on the popularity of the next re-imagined classic STAR TREK movie, being either produced or directed (or both) by J.J. Abrams, which will hopefully go under the shooting camera with Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock later this year.

More news as and when...

UPDATE: 9/2011. If it previews successfully in sales, beyond the special preview "taster" Blu-ray release next January (comprising the pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint", and episodes "Sins of the Father" and "The Inner Light") each season of TNG will go on to be released yearly...

The entire NEXT GENERATION series is currently available on DVD.