The third season of the American science fiction television series
Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast
syndication in the United States on September 25, 1989 and concluded
on June 18, 1990 after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century,
the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet
starship Enterprise-D. Season three featured the return of Gates
McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher after she was replaced by Diana
Muldaur for the second season. The season also saw the debut of
several actors who would reappear in the same roles and others
throughout the franchise, such as Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald
Barclay, and Tony Todd as Kurn.Further changes occurred to the writing
staff, with Michael Piller brought on board as executive producer
after Michael I. Wagner held the position for three weeks. Ronald D.
Moore also joined the staff following the submission of a script for
"The Bonding". Hans Beimler, Richard Manning, Melinda M. Snodgrass and
Ira Steven Behr all left the staff at the end of the season. Actor Wil
Wheaton also asked to leave following the way his character, Wesley
Crusher, was written during the season, a decision he later regretted.
Other changes included a modification to the opening sequence, and
changes to the Starfleet uniforms on the show.The season opened with
Nielsen ratings of 10.8 for "Evolution" with the highest rated episode
being "Yesterday's Enterprise" which scored 11.9. This was the highest
rating received since the sixth episode of the first season. The
lowest rating of the season was received by the 23rd episode, "Ménage
à Troi", which was given a score of 9.1. After a couple of initial
ranking decreases, the episodes in the second half of the season rose
back to third place in its timeslot. The season was well received by
critics, who called it one of the best of the series. Particular
praise was given to several episodes including "Yesterday's
Enterprise", "Sins of the Father" and the first part of "The Best of
Both Worlds". Box sets of the season have been released both on DVD
and Blu-ray, and "The Best of Both Worlds" was given a limited
theatrical release. Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 3) Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter