Beam me up, Scotty! We’re out of cash! Facing a financial black hole, Star Trek: The Next Generation cobbled together a bizarre solution: a clip show starring Commander Riker himself, Jonathan Frakes. To everyone’s surprise, the clip became a fan-derided montage of recycled footage, a desperate attempt to save on costs that resulted in a jarring, budget-conscious blooper reel masquerading as a space adventure.
This infamous episode may be a punchline, but it’s a quirky reminder of the lengths a show will go to navigate the final frontier, even when the dilithium crystals are running low.
TNG’s Brush with Cancellation: The Clip Show that Almost Destroyed a Franchise
Even the Starship Enterprise runs out of dilithium crystals sometimes, and that’s exactly what happened on Star Trek: The Next Generation. We all know Trek isn’t perfect (remember “Spock’s Brain”? ), but one episode almost boldly went where no show had gone before: cancellation (via Redshirts Always Die).
WatchMojo, the internet’s favorite curators of all things pop culture, recently crowned TNG’s Shades of Gray the near-franchise-killer. Ouch. So why is this episode cloaked in shame? Because it wasn’t even supposed to exist.
Here’s the deal. The TNG crew spent all their space credits on an earlier episode, Q Who, leaving them dead in the water for the season finale. Enter the dreaded clip show. For those unfamiliar, clip shows are basically TV’s version of reheating leftovers – producers string together footage from past episodes to create a new (questionable) story. Think of it as a time travel vacation to clips you’ve already seen.
Normally, clip shows are a snoozefest used to give writers a break. But for TNG, it was a financial necessity. Shades of Gray throws Commander Riker into a coma (talk about a snooze!), then uses flashbacks to other episodes to ‘treat’ him. Technically, it’s a highlight reel masquerading as plot.
Now, die-hard Trekkies might point to the original series’ The Menagerie as a clip show, but that’s a different story. They used unseen footage from the pilot to craft a new narrative. Shades of Gray just replays familiar scenes. Double yawn.
While some clip shows are mildly tolerable, Shades of Gray suffers from terrible timing. Being the season finale, it could have left a bad taste in viewers’ mouths, potentially dooming the show’s future. Imagine waiting four whole months for a new episode, only to be served reruns! No wonder Trekkies were phaser-set to rage.
Thankfully, TNG boldly ventured on for many glorious seasons. But Shades of Gray serves as a reminder: even the most beloved sci-fi shows can have budget woes. Just be thankful they didn’t resort to selling phaser keychains to keep the lights on, lol.
Beams Up Boring? How Star Trek: Lower Decks Saved the Clip Show (Almost)
While Star Trek: The Next Generation went broke and the clip show Shades of Gray didn’t impress, Star Trek: Lower Decks saved the day!
In the episode Caves, our favorite Cerritos B-team gets promoted and promptly trapped in, you guessed it, a cave. Stuck with only memories (and creepy carnivorous moss), they reminisce about past cave escapades with other Cerritos crewmates.
Here’s the twist: these are all new stories! Unlike Shades of Gray, which just recycled yawn-worthy clips, Caves gives us fresh adventures and proves that clip shows don’t have to suck. By focusing on character growth and sharing past experiences, which strengthens their bond, it’s a classic!
TNG’s Shades of Gray could’ve learned a thing or two from Lower Decks. Instead of boring reruns, show us the crew at their best, building that camaraderie that would become iconic. Thankfully, TNG had many more adventures ahead, but even in its early days, there were stories worth remembering. Maybe not The Child, though… that one’s best left forgotten.
Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix.
