Today I received an email from our good buddy Miles, from The SciFi Diner podcast, with a terrific video from youtube (via i09). The video features a good conversation between Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis. For me, the video encompasses the best part of TNG. Past all of the phaser fights and fantastic science fiction, Next Gen feels like home and being with the ones you love.

There are so few shows on TV, past and present, where the entire cast just clicks. The TNG cast simply does that.  You can see the admiration and friendship Marina and Jonathan have for one another as well as the rest to the Next Gen cast. I often imagined that after a long day of shooting the whole cast would gather together at a bar (of course in my mind it looked just like Ten Forward) and just enjoy each others company. Check out the video below and you'll see that apparently I wasn't far off. Having cute little nicknames for one another (like 'Old Baldy" for Patrick & "Dornie" for Micheal Dorn) you can tell they really love and admire each other.

In the beginning of the clip Jonathan and Marina jokingly discuss their idea for a half hour sitcom on board the Titan called "the Rikers". At one point they discuss the other TNG cast members being guest stars and how Patrick Stewart wouldn't be there because he's "too old & Shakespearean". Good stuff!