# Star Treck-TNG and the list of credits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234 "2016-03-17T04:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/1 "2016-03-17T04:12:31Z")
Why is Brent Spiner’s name so far down the list of credits? He seems to always have a larger part than most listed before his name. Bad agent? Or, he is just a robot? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/2 "2016-03-17T04:16:47Z")
The two prime spots in credits are at the beginning and at the end. I don’t remember if his name is last but I wouldn’t be surprised. Especially after the first season when he was the other breakout character after Picard. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/3 "2016-03-17T04:17:44Z")
Aside from Stewart, wasn’t everyone listed alphabetically? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/4 "2016-03-17T04:30:29Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Aside from Stewart, wasn’t everyone listed alphabetically? Aside from Stewart **and** Frakes, yes. Wil Wheaton was last until he left the show. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/5 "2016-03-17T08:13:43Z")
more anti-androidism in the entertainment industry ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/6 "2016-03-17T12:43:33Z")
Spiner wasn’t particularly well-known before TNG, despite his hilarious turn as Bob Wheeler. No reason he should be higher up in the credits until later in the show’s run. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/7 "2016-03-17T13:42:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Aside from Stewart **and** Frakes, yes. Wil Wheaton was last until he left the show. This has been true of all _Star Trek_ TV series, hasn’t it? That is, apart from the nominal leads, credits for the regulars have been alphabetical. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/8 "2016-03-17T17:06:02Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > This has been true of all _Star Trek_ TV series, hasn’t it? That is, apart from the nominal leads, credits for the regulars have been alphabetical. Then the order of credits does not relate to the compensation of actors? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/9 "2016-03-17T17:15:35Z")
The credits went like this. I’m leaving out character names to save typing, but they were also shown: Starring Patrick Stewart (whoosh) Jonathan Frakes (whoosh) Also Starring Levar Burton (no whoosh) Michael Dorn (no whoosh) Gates McFadden (no whoosh) Marina Sirtis (no whoosh) Brent Spiner (slowly rising hum followed by crack!) Created by Gene Roddenberry So yes, Stewart and Frakes as Stars, everyone else alphabetically as Also Stars. And Gene Roddenberry as the Supreme Being. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/10 "2016-03-17T17:31:06Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Then the order of credits does not relate to the compensation of actors? For some shows it might. But not for this one. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/11 "2016-03-17T17:31:12Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The credits went like this. I’m leaving out character names to save typing, but they were also shown: > > Starring > Patrick Stewart > (whoosh) > Jonathan Frakes > (whoosh) > Also Starring > Levar Burton > (no whoosh) > Michael Dorn > (no whoosh) > Gates McFadden > (no whoosh) > Marina Sirtis > (no whoosh) > Brent Spiner > (slowly rising hum followed by crack!) > Created by > Gene Roddenberry > > So yes, Stewart and Frakes as Stars, everyone else alphabetically as Also Stars. And Gene Roddenberry as the Supreme Being. You mean Great Bird of the Galaxy, don’t you? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/12 "2016-03-17T17:54:41Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > (slowly rising hum followed by crack!) …is how the drug-addicted prostitute lives day by day. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/13 "2016-03-17T18:10:45Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > This has been true of all _Star Trek_ TV series, hasn’t it? That is, apart from the nominal leads, credits for the regulars have been alphabetical. True for DS9. Not true for TOS, which listed only Shattner and Nimoy for the first season and added Kelley the second and third. The other regular actors who would have gotten title credits in later seasons only got end credits. They probably saved a bundle by having such long opening sequences. Wouldn’t work today. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/14 "2016-03-17T18:12:59Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Then the order of credits does not relate to the compensation of actors? Nope. It is all negotiable by one’s agent. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/15 "2016-03-17T21:03:50Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Then the order of credits does not relate to the compensation of actors? No but Agents will negotiate credit placement and additions such as listing their credit with the character name (e.g. “John Smith as Captain Underpants”) and the more “juice” you have, the more you can ask for. ETA: I see the same point was much more succinctly made and without any mention of underpants right above mine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/16 "2016-03-17T22:39:38Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Nope. It is all negotiable by one’s agent. Or on demand by someone with clout; cf. “The Professor and Mary Ann.” ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/17 "2016-03-17T23:46:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Or on demand by someone with clout; cf. “The Professor and Mary Ann.” Yep, Bob Denver had the clout on that show. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/18 "2016-03-18T02:34:03Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The credits went like this. I’m leaving out character names to save typing, but they were also shown: > > Starring > Patrick Stewart > (whoosh) > Jonathan Frakes > (whoosh) > Also Starring > Levar Burton > (no whoosh) > Michael Dorn > (no whoosh) > Gates McFadden > (no whoosh) > Marina Sirtis > (no whoosh) > Brent Spiner > (slowly rising hum followed by crack!) > Created by > Gene Roddenberry > > So yes, Stewart and Frakes as Stars, everyone else alphabetically as Also Stars. And Gene Roddenberry as the Supreme Being. So whether it was alphabetical or not, Spiner did wind up with the coveted last spot, even if he didn’t get the extra “And” at the beginning, and everyone got the “as [character]” credit that is often reserved only for the last spot. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/19 "2016-03-18T05:25:01Z")
Since the Trek spaceship spends so much time at very high speeds relative to light, for each year the crew sees themselves as aging, won’t the people of Earth have aged, say, 5 years? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234/20 "2016-03-18T06:59:48Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > Since the Trek spaceship spends so much time at very high speeds relative to light, for each year the crew sees themselves as aging, won’t the people of Earth have aged, say, 5 years? Warp drive does not work that way. I’d post a cite, but I seem to have misplaced my warp theory textbook. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-treck-tng-and-the-list-of-credits/749234.md?page=2)