How much do you know about "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? | Quiz

Answer: Jean-Luc Picard

Starring British actor, Patrick Stewart, as the indomitable, wily-at-times Jean-Luc Picard, this fine man in the captain's chair of the Enterprise-D, was named after two real life scientists, twin brothers, Auguste and Jean Felix Piccard. Gene Roddenberry actually resisted hiring Stewart because he envisioned someone who was "masculine, virile and had a lot of hair". He only agreed to put Stewart on after first auditioning every other candidate for the role. Stewart, however, hair or no hair, went on to more than prove himself capable as a Starship captain, with his character's masculinity and virility discreetly but very much in evidence - and topped up by a very impressive set of brain cells.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" ran from 1987 until 1994 in 20th century earth time, but the series itself commences in the Alpha quadrant in the year 2364. Here's one in your eye, Gene Roddenberry: Patrick Stewart has twice won an award since those heady days on the Enterprise-D as the sexiest actor alive. He is immensely embarrassed about same, as would be his character, Jean-Luc Picard.

Answer: William Riker

Commander William Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes) seemed initially to be a James Kirk pretty boy look alike, but, after growing a beard, he went on in this series to more than prove himself as a capable second in charge of the Enterprise-D. It must be said however, that like the earlier Captain Kirk, Riker is a bit of a ladies man.

This is mitigated somewhat by his long term, somewhat peculiar, on again off again love affair with another member of the Enterprise crew. You can be sure that most viewers of this excellent series wanted the pair to finally marry and put us all out of our romantic misery, but the writers still kept that carrot dangling right up to the conclusion of the series.

Answer: Deanna Troi

Played by Marina Sirtis, Deanna Troi is a half Betazoid, half human fully qualified Star Fleet officer who has the ability to sense the emotions and feelings of most individuals. Not only does she prove herself to be invaluable when sorting out the personal problems of the crew of the Enterprise, she is of great assistance to Captain Picard in his dealings with dastardly enemies determined to bring the Enterprise down. And Deanna is the soul mate of the elusive Riker to boot.

Not that this stunningly lovely character is the most faithful of sweethearts herself, but this is perfectly justified, as Riker and Deanna have nothing set in concrete at this stage of their relationship.

Answer: Chief engineer

Played by Levar Burton, Geordi is helmsman on the Enterprise-D when the show first begins, but has been promoted to an extremely capable ship's engineer from its second season. Geordi, who has been blind since he was born, can see with the aid of a special VISOR. Those initials stand for Visual Instrument and Sight Organ Replacement.

This device scans the electromagnetic spectrum of everything around him and then converts that incoming data onto images in his brain. Whenever Geordi removes his VISOR, he experiences a great deal of pain, so we seldom see him without it. It's disconcerting to see him with it on initially, and Geordi seems to be just a mouth until we adjust to it - but then, on the odd occasion he appears without wearing it, he looks quite peculiar. Levar Burton hated wearing this device during the shooting of the show and said he was always bumping into things during scenes.

Answer: Tasha Yar

Played by Denise Crosby (granddaughter of the famous Bing Crosby), Tasha Yar is chief of security on the Enterprise-D - but only for the first season. Tasha is a more than competent security officer, and very skilled at unarmed combat, but her character never really seemed to gain the sympathy of the viewers, and she is killed off in the creepy episode "Skin of Evil" at the end of the first season. Periodically reappearing in other episodes in either alternate time lines or other dimensions, it's a shame Tasha's character wasn't allowed to develop further into the series.

There was the hint of romance, for example, between her and Lieutenant Commander Data, and future plans had included her taking ensign Wesley Crusher under her wing because he represented the childhood friend she had never had.

Answer: He is an android

Data, played by Brent Spiner, is a synthetic life form with an artificial intelligence I'd give my back teeth to possess. He was created by Doctor Noonien Soong an an improved version of his evil android brother, Lore. The main difference between the two is that while Data was manufactured without an emotion chip, Lore (also played by Spiner) has one that has gone radically wrong. With his periodic appearances on the show as foil to Data's goodness, this is like watching a 24th century ongoing struggle between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. During the series run of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Data gradually develops and expands strands of his humanity, but never quite manages to capture an elusive sense of humour.

He's pretty perfect though, even with that omission.

Answer: Beverly Crusher

Beverly Crusher is chief medical officer aboard the Enterprise-D. She also has the authority to take command of that mighty ship if needed, and is the only person who can, under certain circumstances, override Captain Picard. On the show, Doctor Crusher is the ongoing tantalising love interest of the Captain, and the mother of Ensign Wesley Crusher. (We get to watch Wesley developing into a competent and brilliant young man as the show develops - even though it's a shame about those high waisted pants he has to wear).

The head writer of the show (Maurice Hurley) did not like Gates McFadden or her character, and demanded she be fired after season one. She was consequently written out of the series, but, partly at the instigation of Patrick Stewart, was rehired from the third season to the show's conclusion. Doctor Crusher's calm and stress free style of treating patients is a galaxy away from the brusque and confrontational style of Bones in the original "Star Trek" series.

It's a little like comparing cream with crushed up chalk in fact. I bet you didn't know Gates McFadden was pregnant in real life through most of the fourth season of the show - or did you? That was very cleverly concealed under the laboratory coat she wore.

Answer: Worf

Worf, son of Mogh, is my favourite character on this show. This handsome Klingon, played by Michael Dorn, was not meant to be a regular on the series, but became fully entrenched following the first season when he took over as security officer in the role left vacant by the death of Tasha Yar.

However, Worf had already started to weave his spell on viewers by then. "I don't understand their sense of humour either", one of his very first lines on the show, basically sums up Worf's hilarious character. Strong, good-looking in a Klingon kind of way, brave, resourceful, always vaguely hoping in battle that "today would be a good day to die", Worf is frequently being offended by the Enterprise crew's unintended insults.

When he retreats into outraged silence, you just can't help but burst out laughing at him. Worf's son Alexander is introduced later in the series, and this proves to be the means by which a hint of a romance begins to blossom between his lovable father and Deanna Troi.

This, however, leads to mild, but ongoing antagonism between Worf and Will Riker as the show unfolds.

Answer: John de Lancie

Q is an omnipotent being from an extremely powerful race whose members are also all known as Q. And Q is mighty troublesome. He likes nothing more than to stir up trouble with members of the Enterprise-D crew - but you simply have to love him. Played to perfection by the twinkling eyed John de Lancie, Q has awesome powers over almost every being he encounters in every universe, and he toys with them as a cat does with a mouse, usually leaving them uneaten however by the time he tires of the game that currently keeps him amused. We meet him in the very first episode of the series when he decides to put humanity on trial - and he pops in every so often from then on to annoy the life out of everyone. One of the funniest annoyances occurs when, on one of his visits, he turns the Enterprise crew into Robin Hood and his not so merry men. You should endeavour to see that one if you haven't already done so.

The scowling Worf in tights is a sight to behold.

Answer: Her mother

Played by Majel Barrett (second wife of Gene Roddenberry), Lwaxana Tory also pops up in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as the same character, and had appeared in the original "Star Trek" series as Nurse Chapel, a character suffering a unrequited passion for Bones, aka chief medical officer Leonard McCoy.

It is her role as the Betazoid ambassador whose telepathic abilities have gone rather awry, and who is going through a stage in her life where she lusts hilariously after the most unlikely of men, that endears us to her and keeps us laughing whenever she appears in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". That includes her ongoing passion for Captain Picard, who is absolutely horrified by her attentions and does anything he can to avoid her. To the ever lasting amusement of the Enterprise crew, and the deep embarrassment of her mortified daughter, Deanna, Lwaxana constantly insists that Jean-Luc is having naughty thoughts about her.