Star Trek: The Next Generation first aired in 1987. Its series premiere, “Encounter at Farpoint,” began airing in broadcast syndication on September 28, 1987, introducing Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the new crew of the Enterprise-D.
The series was created by Gene Roddenberry as a successor to the original Star Trek, but it was set roughly a century later and featured a new ensemble. Patrick Stewart played Picard, with Jonathan Frakes as Riker, Brent Spiner as Data, LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, and other familiar members of the seven-season cast.
Because the show aired in first-run syndication rather than on one national broadcast network, local schedules could vary, which sometimes causes confusion about its premiere date. The series ran from 1987 to 1994, producing 178 episodes. The years 1984, 1990, and 1993 refer to neither the show’s original premiere nor its first season.