Star Trek: The Next Generation Complete Series

Star Trek : TNG is one of my all time favourite TV series. As I have always enjoyed shows with a SF or fantasy bent, this is not surprising. What makes TNG different from the rest of the crop, is its optimistic outlook. Usually, we find that humanity has either self destructed or been destroyed by some other more powerful civilisation in the future. But in the ST series, we find that while we may not yet be perfect, we have at least overcome most of the ills facing us now i.e. poverty, war, pollution and so on. It is this which more than anything makes me enjoy the TNG series.

My favourite episodes in the series would be those featuring my favourite character, Lt. Commander Data. To me, Data best personifies what the show represents. Intelligent, objective and insatiably curious. The episode that tops the list would be The Measure of a Man, where Data as an android has to defend his right to choose. The items that are of value to Data tell us what are important : friendship, duty, honour. And in the end when Data wins his battle, he can forgive the person who has caused him harm and even to consider a possible future collaboration.