But I erased it. I'm tired of negativity--in myself and in others and in the world. So this week I'm going to try an experiment--to focus on the positives. A list of my "favorite things" for the week if you will.
First on deck:
Star Trek: The Next Generation
This show, which was the "sequel" to the original series of the 1960s, ran from 1987-1994. It started off sort've shaky but quickly developed story lines and characters that were compelling and interesting and thought provoking.
Much has been written about the original series in terms of its progresive stances--that the first televised "inter-racial kiss" occurred between Kirk & Uhura. And that the original crew was comprised of people who "represented" a variety of races (and species if you count Nimoy's Spock)--a truly diverse cast. Well, certainly progressive and diverse for the mid-1960s.
And while the cast of The Next Generation was not as diverse as the original (I mean, you'd think that over 20 years later they'd manage to find a Latino or Asian crew member for the regular cast and not just a minor recurring role), it certainly was more diverse than many other casts on network tv (and that remains true TODAY--which proves that in over a decade we're STILL not at a place where we see real diversity on television).
Still, the show made a stab at diversity. But really, it was the writing. The writing for the show was good. And so was some of the acting (I mean, Patrick Stewart is a classically trained Shakespearean actor). And lucky for me, the Sci-Fi channel shows re-runs of the show, and right now they are showing the two-part finale.
So in honor of Star Trek: The Next Generation, let me say that I hope we will boldly go where no one has gone before (you can interpret that however you like, but of course, think politically...)
