Star Trek: The Next Generation

That we've been conditioned to hate the optimism and scholarship of TNG shows just how much we will always need this show. Updates the Mad Men leadership style of TOS for a more (Starfleet) Academy approach: I cannot handle the awesome of characters who attend conferences, publish journal papers on their exploits and findings, and give lectures. And it's part of the show's subtext. TNG fanfic could rightly consist of Picard guest-editing the Proceedings of Intergalatcic Archeology, for Q's sake.

The dewy-eyed optimism is sometimes a bit much, but damned if this show isn't comfort food for the soul. DS9 is still better.

I actually like the optimism the show exudes - especially nowadays that people are obsessed with apocalyptic futures. That said, the show is often very heavy on philosophizing and can be pretty boring and dry to watch at times. The first season can especially be boring to watch. Still, the main cast is charming and memorable enough to make the show engaging and there are a number of episodes that really hit home with me.

I fucking love Star Trek.

The amazing thing about it is that it passed the nostalgia test and it was better on the second viewing. Yes, it's cheesy and outdated sometimes, but it does what a great sci-fi should do: ask some questions about humanity and not be afraid to get the most convenient answers. But overall it's optimistic and positive as it can get while being a comfort food for your battered soul.

TV show of my childhood, epic stuff. One of the Sci-fi classics surely when it comes to TV shows in terms of quality and idea execution. There were many fantastic episodes and storylines, but for me the best is easily two parter named "The Best of both worlds". When it comes to characters, of course the best one is the master itself, Cpt. Picard :)

The sheer optimism of it all is enough to leave any reasonable person disgusted, but I have fond memories watching TNG as a kid with my grandfather -- and despite all of the hokeyness -- its special brand of sci-fi humanism is endearing. Several episodes are actually quite good. All criticism is valid.

Talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation is not just talking about a TV series. It’s talking about a way of understanding the world. About a vision of the future that doesn’t rely on force, fear, or the humiliation of others. Everything here follows a different path: thinking before acting, putting yourself in someone else’s place, and accepting that every decision, even the right one, carries moral weight. From the very beginning, TNG... - Full Review

While there are some truly terrible episodes, as a whole I'd rank this as one of the greatest TV shows of all time and in any genre. The best episodes are basically perfect television. I love watching reruns in syndication when they pop up on TV, and I've seen every episode at least twice, with some episodes maybe half a dozen or more times. I will never tire of TNG. Even of the bad episodes.

I've been a fan of TNG since I was literally a toddler, so I obviously love this show, but in all honesty, I think a lot of people focus only on the show's highpoints and forget about how many genuinely terrible episodes there are. For every "Inner Light", "Best of Both Worlds" & "Measure of a Man", there's also a "Sub Rosa", "Shades of Grey" or "Code of Honor". Wildly inconsistent in quality, but at it's very best delivered many of the greatest single episodes of science fiction in TV history.