Star Trek: The Next Generation faced an uphill battle before it even began in 1987. Debuting twenty-eight years after the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series, it didn't have a built-in fanbase as most Star Trek fans weren't eager to see new characters taking over the Enterprise. Though the first couple of seasons weren't the show's best, it found its footing in the third season and rapidly became a fan favorite. Now, thirty-eight years later, not only has the cast remained friends and family, they are being awarded for their influence in genre television.
Reported by Trekmovie, the entire cast of The Next Generation is being awarded the Saturn Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at the L.A. Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The ceremony will be hosted by Joel McHale, and all but two of the main cast members, including Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Wil Wheaton, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, and Gates McFadden, will be present. Due to prior committments, Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton will be unable to attend.
Star Trek has picked up fifteen Saturn Award nominations this year, including two for best science fiction television—Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Lower Decks has been nominated for Best Animated Television Series or Special, and several of the actors in various series have picked up nominations. Those include Anson Mount and Patrick Stewart for Best Actor in a Television Series and Jonathan Frakes, Ethan Peck, Ed Speleers, and Todd Stashwick for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series, Jeri Ryan, Celia Rose Gooding, and Jess Bush have all been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series while Amanda Plummer and Paul Wesley are in the running for Best Guest Star in a Television Series. Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition 4K (Paramount Home Entertainment) rounds out the nominations with one for Best 4K Home Media Release.
To tune in to see the cast of The Next Generation accept their Lifetime Achievement Award, you can catch the Saturn Awards on livestream on ElectricNow.