First season of Star Trek: The Next Generation wins three Primetime Emmys 1988

The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation generated seven Primetime Emmy nominations and won three at the 40th annual ceremony August 28, 1988.  The Creative Arts awards ceremony was held the previous evening.

Television during the 1987-1988 season had some pretty great series, and a couple of pretty lame ones as well.  I highlighted the wins from my favorites.  I liked Cheers, but never connected with it.

Star Trek: The Next Generation faced intense scrutiny won during its first season, since the original series from the 60's had been elevated to cut status, with four blockbuster movies.  Yet, the newest installment in the Star Trek franchise stepped up to the challenge.  It won Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for the episode Conspiracy.  This was well-deserved achievement if you have seen the episode.  It also won Outstanding Costume Design for The Big Goodbye, in which the officers of the USS Enterprise become trapped in the holo-suite running a 1940s noir program.  The episode 11001001 won for Outstanding Sound Editing.

The series was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling, Outstanding Achievement in Makeup, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.

The Golden Girls was nominated for eleven Primetime Emmys and won three.  Bea Arthur won Outstanding Lead Actress and Estelle Getty won  Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.  The Golden Girls won Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control of the episode Old Friends.

Rue McClanahan and Betty White were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress.  Herb Edelman and Geraldine Fitzgerald were nominated for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. The Golden Girls was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production, and Outstanding Sound Mixing.

The series was nominated for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series but lost to The Charmings.  Seriously? 

The Vietnam War series China Beach won Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series for the pilot episode.  It received three more nominations: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, Outstanding Editing for a Series-Single Camera Production, and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

Designing Women won Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for the episode I'll Be Seeing You. The show was nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.

I watched the TV movie The Secret Garden, which won for Outstanding Children's Program. Well-deserved.

Angela Lansbury was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series her work on Murder, She Wrote, but lost to Sharon Gless for Cagney and Lacey. Oh, well.  The show was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.

Newhart was nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production.  Peter Scolari and Julia Duffy were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress.

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Genesis" 1994

The nineteenth episode of the seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Genesis, aired March 19, 1994.  I enjoyed this episode, even though it seems not many other people did.  Gates McFadden, who plays Dr. Beverly Crusher, directed the episode. 

Capt. Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner) go chasing after a malfunctioning torpedo in an asteroid field.  Upon their return to the Enterprise, they discover that the crew has inexplicably mutated into strange creatures.

The episode won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.  It was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series. 

Star Trek: Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" airs 1990

Considered one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Yesterday's Enterprise, the fifteenth episode of the third season, aired February 17, 1990.  The Enterprise D encounters a rip in the space-time continuum.  The Enterprise C, which had been lost years before, appears, and the present is changed.  The Enterprise D becomes a war ship.  Lt. Tasha Yar appears and Lt. Worf disappears.  Guinan knows something is wrong and demands that Picard send the Enterprise C back, even though it means its imminent destruction. 

The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. It is the only episode in which Guinan and Tasha Yar have a scene together.  Yar was killed in the first season, and Guinan appeared in the second season.

Earlier drafts of the episode had Worf being the Klingon commander who demands the Enterprise to surrender.  Also, the writers decided to kill Tasha Yar off a second time to give her a more heroic send-off, since her first death was deemed a disappointment. It was the last time Tasha Yar and Wesley Crusher appeared in the same episode. 

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" wins 3 Saturn Awards 1990

Steven Spielberg's Who Framed Roger Rabbit was nominated for eight Saturn Awards and won three of them from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Film at the annual ceremony January 21, 1990.

It won Best Fantasy Film, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis, and Best Special Effects for George Gibbs, Ken Ralston, and Richard Williams at Industrial Light & Magic.

Roger Rabbit was nominated for Best Actor for Bob Hoskins, Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Lloyd, Best Supporting Actress for Joanna Cassidy, Best Writing, and Best Music.

Beetlejuice was also nominated for eight awards and won three.  Willow won for Best Costumes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation won Best Genre Television Series.

Carrie Fisher was given the President's Award.

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Q Who" wins 2 Primetime Emmys

Star Trek: The Next Generation was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy awards, with the episode Q Who receiving three of the nominations.  Q Who won two of the awards at the 41st annual ceremony held September 17, 1989.  Q Who was the first appearance of the Borg.

It won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. The episode was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects.

Episode Elementary Dear Data was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Art Direction for a Series.  

Unnatural Selection was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.

Episode For the Child was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore).

Episode For a Matter of Honor was nominated for Outstanding Achievement for Makeup for a Series.

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Brian Tochi, Star Trek actor

Brian Tochi, born in Los Angeles to Japanese parents who survived the WWII internment camps, has appeared on Star Trek (original series) as a child, and Star Trek: The Next Generation as an adult, the only actor to do so.

He played Ray in the episode And the Children Shall Lead in 1968.  He then appeared in the TNG episode Night Terrors as Ensign Kenny Lin. 

Tochi is best known for his appearances in three popular film franchises of all time: Revenge of the Nerds (as Takashi), Police Academy (as Nogata), and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, starring as Leonardo. He also appeared for the entire run of Space Academy, with fellow And the Children Shall Lead actress Pamelyn Ferdin.  Wow!

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Cost of Living" wins two Primetime Emmys 1992

The twentieth episode of the fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Cost of Living, won two Primetime Emmys at the 44th annual ceremony held August 30, 1992.  Only four other episodes of TNG have achieved this.  Cost of Living won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series. It received a nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.

Episodes Conundrum and A Matter of Time tied with a show The Last Halloween for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects.

Episode Unification II was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction along with an episode of Murder, She Wrote, but they lost to Northern Exposure.  Bummer.

Unification I was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore).

Power Play was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series.

The Next Phase was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement for a Drama Series.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" wins three Primetime Emmys 1988

Star Trek: The Next Generation won three Primetime Emmys at the 40th awards ceremony, August 28, 1988.  It had been nominated for seven awards total.

Episode The Big Goodbye had two nominations.  It won for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series and nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series.  

The other two wins were for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series for Conspiracy, and Best Sound Editing for a Series for 11001001.

The other nominations were for: Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a series for Haven; Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series for Coming of Age; and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series for Where No One Has Gone Before.

Star Trek: TNG "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2" wins 2 Primetime Emmys

The conclusion of Star Trek: The Next Generation's cliffhanger from the previous season The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2 won two Primetime Emmys at the 43rd ceremony held August 25, 1991, and was nominated for a third. Five more episodes were received nominations as well.

The first episode of the fourth season had the crew of the Enterprise trying to stop the Borg from destroying Earth and rescue Jean-Luc Picard from their clutches.

Part 2 won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.  It was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects along with episode Part 1.

Episodes Brothers and Identity Crisis were nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.  The episode Half A Life was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore). Devil's Due was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.

Happy birthday, Famke Janssen!

Famke Janssen, born November 5, 1964 in the Netherlands, is probably best known for her performance as Jean Grey in the X-Men movies.  She began as a model in New York City and then later became an actress.  She appeared in four of the movies.

She appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Perfect Mate with Patrick Stewart, who plays Professor Xavier in the X-Men movies! 

She won a Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films) in 2007 for her performance in X-Men: The Last Stand.  She wrote and directed Bringing Up Bobby, a comedy set and filmed in Oklahoma. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: René Echevarria, Cuban-American writer for Star Trek

Rene Echevarria, born in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a Cuban-American, who has written and produced episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  He submitted an unsolicited script to The Next Generation, which eventually became the episode The Offspring, where Data creates an android daughter.

He also co-wrote Trials and Tribble-ations for Deep Space Nine and was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. He was the executive producer of Terra Nova, which I enjoyed but it only lasted for one season. 

He has been nominated for two Primetime Emmys for his work on The 4400.

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" wins Primetime Emmy 1990

Season Three, Episode 15 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Yesterday's Enterprise, won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series at the 42nd ceremony, September 16, 1990.  The episode was also nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.  The episode Sins of the Father won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series.

Four other episodes were nominated: 

Deja Q for Outstanding Editing for a Series

Hollow Pursuits for Outstanding Hairstyling for a series

Allegiance for Outstanding Makeup for a Series

Tin Man, Deja Q for Outstanding Special Visual Effects

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode 'All Good Things..." wins Primetime Emmy 1994

The final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, All Good Things..., won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Visual Effects at the 46th ceremony, held September 11, 1994.  It also won the Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.

It had been nominated for another eight: Outstanding Drama Series (Picket Fences?  Seriously? Oh,  well.  Angela Lansbury and Helen Mirren got ripped off, too), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing for a Single Camera Production, Best Makeup, Best Music Composition, Best Sound Editing, and Best Hairstyling.

A fitting end for one of the best television series ever!

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Patti Yasutake, Star Trek actress

Patti Yasutake, born September 6, 1953 in Los Angeles, California, is best known for her performance as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on Star Trek: The Next Generation.  She also appeared in Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Ellison Onizuka, first Asian-American astronaut

Ellison Onizuka, born June 24, 1946 in Kealakekua, Hawaii (which was not even part of the US then), is the first Asian-American in space and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.  He went into space twice, first on Discovery (STS-51-C) in January 1985 and then Challenger (STS-51-L) in January 1986.  He perished when Challenger blew up shortly after launch.

Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, California is dedicated to him.  He has an asteroid and a crater on the moon named after him.  The airport in Kona, Hawaii has been renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and he even has a shuttlecraft, which has appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, named after him. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Rosalind Chao, beautiful and talented Chinese-American actress

Rosalind Chao, born September 23, 1957 in Anaheim, California, is everyone's favorite Chinese-American actress.  She is probably best known for her role as Keiko O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, for which she was nominated twice for Online Film & Television Association awards.

She appeared as Soon-Lee, Klinger's wife on M*A*S*H.  She also appeared in The Joy Luck Club, Murder, She Wrote, What Dreams May Come, Hawaii Five-O, and Mulan.

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Arsenal of Freedom" airs 1988

Another one of my favorites, The Arsenal of Freedom, the 21st episode of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation aired April 9, 1988.  In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise encounters a long-dead planet, destroyed by its own creations.  Now one of those creations tries to destroy the Enterprise. 

It was the second time the saucer separation process was used.  It was the third appearance of a new Chief Engineer.  Geordi LaForge (LeVar Burton) became head of engineering in Season 2.  It also the final episode to show LaForge in command.

Julia Nickson, a favorite actress of mine, was several months pregnant during filming.  She would go on to star in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Babylon 5.  

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Time Squared" airs 1989

The thirteenth episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Time Squared (one of my favorites), aired April 1, 1989.  The crew of the Enterprise encounters a shuttlecraft, drifting in space with a duplicate of Captain Picard inside.  They soon find out that he is from a few hours in the future, when the USS Enterprise is destroyed.  

Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Contagion" airs 1994

Contagion, the 11th episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation and one of my favorites, aired March 18, 1989.  The crew of the USS Enterprise-D encounters an ancient device with superior technology, which is responsible for the destruction of the USS Yamato.  The probe almost causes the destruction of the Enterprise and a Romulan warbird.  

Spoiler alert!

(They reboot the Enterprise.)

Celebrating Black History Month: Kim Hamilton, actress, only African-American to appear in "Leave it to Beaver"

Kim Hamilton, born September 12, 1932 in Los Angeles, was an actress that broke down race barriers in television.  She is the only African-American to appear in that bastion of whiteness, Leave it to Beaver.  She also starred in the Twilight Zone and Star Trek: The Next Generation.  

She also appeared in the B-movie The Leech Woman.

She was married to Werner Klemperer (Hogan's Heroes) from 1998 to 2000, when he passed away.  Hamilton passed away in September 2013 of natural causes at 81.