The Next Level presents three classic TNG episodes in stunning 1920 x 1080 resolution, although only 1440 x 1080 of the frame contains the pillarboxed picture – the remainder is made up of black bars running down either side of the screen. Whilst I’m sure that most would have welcomed TNG in 16:9 widescreen, unfortunately the programme was shot in 4:3 and at present the technology to convincingly ‘invent’ material to fill in the empty spaces doesn’t exist. Dependent on the specifications of your Blu-ray player or media centre, you may be able to zoom in on the 1080p image, should you so choose, though I’d advise against this as not only does it soften the image, but you lose part of the image altogether. Even were such losses acceptable, what you’d be watching wouldn’t be what the episodes’ directors agonised over framing.
The picture quality is nonetheless stunning. To their credit, rather than cheaply upscale standard definition video, CBS have instead retrieved and cleaned-up around twenty-five thousand reels of 35mm film negatives; digitised them in high definition; and then meticulously reconstructed each and every episode from the ground up, adhering strictly to the original in every case. The only changes that have been made have been to fix relatively minor visual gaffes that would probably escape notice; otherwise the much-loved episodes remain inviolate.
I found the most striking aspects of these episodes to be their deep colour. TNG’s standard definition episodes (and, indeed, Deep Space Nine and Voyager’s too) are decidedly dull in comparison, the signature hues of the crew’s Starfleet uniforms devoid of any vibrancy. Their HD counterparts, however, are loud and resplendently vital. The HD model shots are an even greater improvement, particularly those that feature the incredibly-detailed Enterprise-D - it says a lot about a programme when its opening shots can take your breath away. Each episode’s once-analogue soundtrack has also been deconstructed and reassembled in 7.1 DTS audio, to my ears putting them on a level pegging with most motion pictures’ dynamic soundscapes.
However, as with any HD media drawn from film, these episodes don’t look exactly like they’ve been shot with HD digital cameras. Every episodic television show that I watch at the moment looks incredibly sharp on my television, as they’re all shot in digital HD, whereas Blu-rays drawn from film prints always look a little grainier. I understand that this is because 35mm analogue film retains even more information than even something shot in UHDTV2 (7680 x 4320, or “8K”), but not all of the film’s information crystallises in a 1080p picture. These 1080p Next Generation episodes thus look distinctly ‘filmic’, though whether that’s a boon or a curse is very much in the eye of the beholder.
The episodes on offer here are an emblematic selection, each significant in its own way. The feature-length pilot episode, “Encounter at Farpoint”, is littered with contrived character moments and its narrative is plainly comprised of two discrete plots hopefully cobbled together. However, if you can give credence to the incredible naiveté of Riker (who serves as the audience’s anchor, and thus has to appear implausibly ignorant of just about every aspect of modern starship design, amongst other slightly more credible things) there are some stunning and powerful performances to enjoy – particularly John de Lancie’s first memorable turn as Q, and of course Patrick Stewart’s nascent Captain Jean-Luc Picard, whose unsurpassable dominance is evident right from his very first monologue. “Sins of the Father”, meanwhile, begins one of my favourite story arcs built around one of my favourite characters, while thoughtful fan favourite “The Inner Light” counterpoints that episode’s ubiquitous shadows with scorching sunlight and an even more blazing performance from the series’ Shakespearian star.
This alluring disc offers us a taste of what awaits once all seven seasons have been released on Blu-ray, collecting together three disparate episodes that, whilst not representing the very best of TNG, certainly offer an alluring taste of it. The Blu-ray season box sets might come with hefty price tags, but unlike the straight-transfer DVD box sets (which were even more expensive than the Blu-rays when they were first released), I can’t say that I begrudge them. This project looks to have been a real labour of love – one that I hope will revive interest in one of television’s greatest ever shows.
