10 TV Spin-Offs Better Than The Original
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation
Original Show: Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek blazed a trail when it debuted in 1966, completely changing the game for what a sci-fi TV show could be (and a few for TV in general). It had great characters and strong storylines, although it was cut short after just three seasons. While movies fleshed things out further, it was The Next Generation that most fully realised the potential of Star Trek as a TV show.
Starting in 1987 and running for seven seasons, it was afforded much more time to grow, and used it wisely: the characters were better developed, the aliens more imaginative, and the stories were much richer. TNG essentially took all of what made The Original Series great, expanded upon it, and was able to toss out anything that didn't work or was outdated.
It was able to lean harder into its sci-fi trappings than TOS ever was, which in turn helped turn it into a smarter, more nuanced series. And at the heart of it all was Patrick Stewart's Picard, the finest Captain to ever grace a Trek series.