Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Scoop on the Original Cast Reunion on Family Guy

FOX�s animated Family Guy is about to enter the final frontier � or rather, the final frontier is about to crash land on Family Guy! The original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) � Patrick Stewart, Levar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Wil Wheaton, Denise Crosby, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Jonathan Frakes � are reuniting (albeit in animated form) on tonight�s episode, titled �Not All Dogs Go To Heaven.�

In the episode, the Griffin family heads to the annual Quahog Star Trek convention and young Stewie (Seth MacFarlane) is incensed when he is unable to ask the castmembers a question. As a result, the evil genius builds a transporter and beams the entire cast straight into his bedroom for a day of fun around town. What could possibly go wrong?

The cast apparently enjoyed taking part in the episode. Last month, Frakes told us that he had a great time but unfortunately the TNG actors didn�t actually reunite � they recorded their parts separately. Stewart even recorded his part in London.

Family Guy executive producer David Goldman admitted this was done for practical reasons. He said, �Just given people�s schedules and given how animation works, you almost never have people in at the same time. I think people were in on the same day. A few of them were in on the same day, but their schedules were scattered, and so we were amenable to working around their schedules. Most of them came in separately, but I think Gates McFadden and Denise Crosby came in around the same time, and I got some pictures taken with them.�

In an interview with TrekMovie, Wheaton admitted that that didn�t diminish his experience too much. He said, �I didn’t work with anyone except [executive producer] Seth MacFarlane, which was still awesome.�

The feelings are apparently mutual on the other side of the recoding booth glass. Goldman said of the cast, �They were all very game. We had fun playing with who they are. It’s easy to mock things that take themselves too seriously. Star Trek is both wonderful and pompous at the same time. I really am a die-hard Trekkie, but there are moments in Star Trek where it takes itself very seriously.�

When asked about his favorite part of the episode, Goldman admitted, �I�m a huge Star Trek fan, so the artists drew a version of me, and then I voiced the character dressed as a Star Trek� some might say fan, some might say geek, asking a question at the convention. And then I have a little bit of a run-in later with Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes. So that�s probably my favorite scene.�

So does this mean we�ll be seeing the casts of other Trek series? Goldman says, �You never know. Seth is a huge Star Trek fan, he�s watched all the series. He was on Enterprise when I was there. I wouldn�t necessarily count on it, but you never know.�

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b105869_family_guy_lives_long_prospers_on_sunday.html

I didn't actually see this joke in the episode, so it must have been cut.

Indeed, superserious Trekkies will love the inside joke on this episode that revolves around a real argument die-hard fans often have. David [Goodman] explains: "In the episode [laughs] 'Relics' in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the character Scotty is pulled out of suspended animation, and he says, 'Oh, did Captain Kirk come to pick me up?' And then we find out after The Next Generation ended that Captain Kirk died and Scotty was there. So why in that episode did he think that Captain Kirk was going to pick him up if he saw him die later? And, of course, the answer is they hadn't made the movie yet and made that decision. But there is a possible explanation, which I offer in the guise of a cartoon character, so I was very pleased [laughs] to do that."

In article , Ubiquitous wrote:

Separately from the actual actors.

and thus Ubiquitous inscribed ...

What does that mean? "He was on Enterprise when I was there."?

In article , ~consul wrote:

Seth MacFarlane did 2 guest spots on Enterprise, but no "David Goldman" is listed as working on either show. There are Davids, and Goldmans, but no David Goldmans.

In article , [email] wrote:

It sounded like Seth is claiming to have appeared on Enterprise once, but this is the first time I have heard this. As an aside, Hildi, a friend of mine from college, was on an ep.

Ubiquitous wrote in news:L6ydnXfoJaFnI0 [email]:

Does she have nice boobs?

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:03:46 -0400, Ubiquitous wrote:

Seth did make an appearance on Enterprise as one of the crew in Engineering.

In article , [email] wrote:

Do you recall which ep, and where?

"Ubiquitous" wrote in message news:[email]...

According to IMDB he was in

"Enterprise" .... Engineer / ... (2 episodes, 2004-2005)
... aka "Star Trek: Enterprise" (USA: new title)
    - Affliction (2005) TV episode .... Ensign Rivers
    - The Forgotten (2004) TV episode .... Engineer

Ubiquitous wrote in news:[email]:

How humiliating for them all.

How so? It was a paid gig.

Whil Whwheaton was happy about it. Twittered incessantly in fact.

In article , ravenlynne wrote:

they went to McDonalds

and Will Wheaton says "I want a hamburger... no, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake... "

and Patrick Stewart says "You'll get nothing, and like it."

I'm thinking to myself, self, I'm thinking, wow, how many people are gonna get THAT?

I mean, I was laughing, but I was all alone

There's also a great moment. The first time Denise Crosby opens her mouth, Stewie shoots her dead, mid line.

Once Upon A Time, Anim8rFSK wrote:

I'll bite. Why is that funny?

** Captain Infinity

"Captain Infinity" wrote in message news:[email]...

The first thing that popped into my head was his coming back to cameo in Trek Nemesis then his scene gets cut.

In article , "Arthur Lipscomb" wrote:

It's an exchange from CADDYSHACK.

<raises hand>?

In article , Tony Harding wrote:

Hey, you're something, Tony. How'd you like to make $14 the hard way?

Hey, whatever pays the rent. Most of them haven't had much national-level work lately. There are no small roles, only small actors. A few thousand for an afternoon sitting around a table in a sound studio sounds like found money. Beats doing yet another personal appearance at a TrekCon. Hopefully, they all invested well, and just did it for a giggle, and to see old friends.

In article , Rich wrote:

Funny stuff

Hey they did Star Wars too and George Lucas loved it.

I'd love to see FG do DS9. Stewie and some of the DS9 baddies would be a heck of a team.

"David E. Powell" wrote in message news:[email]...

Remember when the cast of Star Trek TOS did an episode of Futurama? Great episode.

David E. Powell wrote:

George Lucas also loves Jackass and Jar Jar Binks.