Les Landau

Many Season One stories flounder through familiar-feeling alien-encounter and spatial-phenomena plots, but just as many episodes stand out for their creative energy.

Trek became famous in large part for its (often corny) science-fiction morality plays...Few episodes of either series achieve this goal more elegantly than Melinda Snodgrass' 'The Measure of a Man.'

Not only did the third season mark a quantum leap in non-niche popularity for the series, but a greater consistency in the show's writing and execution that meant a precipitous drop in fan complaints.

Under the leadership of head writer Michael Piller...the series broke the mold with the outstanding character piece 'Family.' That episode title would also serve as a pithy summation of the fourth season's primary theme.

Considerably ahead of the curve in taking on the character and meaning and consequences of torture as a fruitless and brutal human rights abuse...shows The Next Generation operating at the top of its game.

By its sixth season, Star Trek: The Next Generation had figured out how to maximize its cast and characters.