Today in Television History (September 28th, 1987): The First Episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Airs on Television!
On September 28th, 1987, the first episode of the third television series in the "Star Trek" franchise, "The Next Generation", aired on television. The series was created by "Star Trek" created, Gene Roddenberry, and aired for seven seasons with 178 episodes total by the time the final episode aired on May 23rd, 1994. The series had a new cast, with stars such as Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes as main characters Picard and Riker. "The Next Generation" reached nearly 12 million viewers in its 5th season, with the series finale in May 1994 being watched by over 30 million viewers! Due to the success of the series, a fourth "Star Trek" series began airing in 1993, titled "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine".
FUN FACT: The first African-American woman in space, Mae Jemison, appeared as Lieutenant Palmer on a sixth-season episode of "The Next Generation" titled, "Second Chances".
