10 Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From Star Trek: The Next Generation
5. Data Was Written With Several Series In Mind
If there's one character in The Next Generation who had an all-encompassing arc, it's Data. From the very first episode, his personal journey was one of exploring his own humanity, in an effort to better understand both the man who created him and mankind itself. Playing the Pinocchio comparisons with as straight a bat as possible by directly referencing them in the pilot.
However, the version of Data that fans know and love only really emerged around Seasons 2 and 3, when the writers had had sufficient time to flesh him out in a three-dimensional way. However, according to Brent Spiner himself, this wasn't a happy accident that emerged from the writer's room and was actually the plan from the beginning.
Initially, Data is something of a comedy character, frequently misinterpreting human meaning and reflecting back a lot of the series morality with a childlike inquisitive nature. His evolution from there, to the show's most critical thinker and the ship's most valuable asset, was written out before filming had even begun. Gene Roddenberry basing him on an android character he'd written for another show, with the premise being that his portrayal would change as he learned more about himself.