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Q Almost Cut From Star Trek TNG Pilot
5 Apr
Summary
- Q's appearance in the TNG pilot was almost omitted.
- The pilot was initially planned for one hour.
- Studio insisted on a two-hour pilot, adding Q.
The mischievous, god-like character Q, famously portrayed by John de Lancie, was almost absent from the pilot episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Titled "Encounter at Farpoint," the two-hour premiere, which first aired in September 1987, introduced Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise crew to this memorable antagonist.
Veteran writer D.C. Fontana co-penned the pilot script with series creator Gene Roddenberry. Fontana's original draft was an hour-and-a-half long and centered on the mystery of Farpoint. Roddenberry later expanded the script to include the Q material.
The studio, Paramount, insisted on a two-hour pilot, overriding Roddenberry's preference for a shorter debut. To fill the extended runtime, the Q storyline was incorporated, resulting in a character who became a significant presence throughout the series.
