Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994 in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over seven seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation proved that the Star Trek brand could thrive without the original cast but the fights and the firings almost derailed it before it got going... Star Trek: The Next Generation was a landmark in TV history not just for the quality of the show but for how it reshaped the landscape.