Twenty years after the last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (STNG) aired, you’d think the cast members, most of whom were assembled on Friday before a sellout crowd at Hammerstein Ballroom, would be plumb out tales, secrets and surprises. But you’d be wrong.

Led by the original Starship Enterprise Captain, William Shatner (he played Captain James T Kirk for three seasons), the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), told stores, cracked jokes and revealed a few little known facts as part of New York Comic Con's first Super Week pop-culture festival.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation cast from left to right: Denise Crosby, John de Lancie, Michael Dorn, Willaim Shatner (from the original series), Sir Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 10, 2014. Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff

Shatner sat center stage, with cast members arrayed on either side of him, including Denise Crosby, John de Lancie, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton and, seated right beside “Captain Kirk,” Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean Luc Picard.

There were notable absences. Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher, was unaccountably absent and so was Picard’s Number One, Jonathan Frakes, who played William Riker.

While the anecdotes and gentle ribbing among the cast mates, most of whom are now into or well-past middle age, was entertaining, there was one surprising comment from the man who played captain for seven seasons and in four Star Trek movies.

Without Roddenberry

William Shatner and Patrick Stewart at the Star Trek: The Next Generation panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on October 10, 2014. Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff

It was, perhaps, the only truly serious question of the night. A particularly perceptive audience member noted how when Star Trek started in 1966 and even in the 1987 reboot, it was an optimistic look at what humanity can be, but in later years, STNG and especially Deep Space Nine became more of an allegorical take on the underbelly of society.

Initially, none of the cast members seemed eager to take this one on. Then Stewart spoke up.

“This is awkward. You’re right, things did change and they did change after Gene Roddenberry had died, because Gene was very specific about certain things he did not want to be themes in the show. For example, politics. I absolutely understand why that should be so. We were a science fiction show. Rick Berman, who took over from Gene as executive producer was more interested in these things, as all of us were. And so it enabled us to deal with current issues, societal issues in ways that interested us and that we could put our own selves behind in a strong way. With all respect to Gene, whom we all love and adore -– we wouldn’t be here without (even you Bill). But I think the show became, perhaps, more interesting.”

50th Opportunities

Marina Sirtis, second from left, stirs things up at The Star Trek: The Next Generation panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Also pictured, from left to right, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie and Michael Dorn. Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff

In two years the Star Trek franchise will celebrate its 50th anniversary. That celebration will coincide with the release of a third film in the rebooted film series. Skirting the question of whether or not William Shatner will reprise his role as Captain Kirk in some kind of cameo, an audience member asked if any of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast would consider appearing in the film as a character different than their original ones on STNG.

“As someone other than Geordi La Forge?” asked LeVar Burton. “That would be a no.”

“It would smack of cute casting to have any of us playing another role in a Star Trek movie,” remarked Patrick Stewart.

Brent Spiner, though, joked, “I certainly would be honored to be in the third Star Trek film that they’re making now, playing all of the characters and all of their families.”

He’s French

Captain Jean Luc Picard is about as French a name as you can have, but anyone who’s watched STNG knows that Picard is an Englishman through and through. In response to a question on Picard’s nationality, Sirtis, who played Betazoid Deana Troi, recalled that the producers wanted her to find an accent suited to her “Betazoid” origins. “Excuse me,” she told the producers, “why the hell am I doing an accent? [Picard] is supposed to be French.”

Stewart then revealed that there was some indecision about his character’s background.

“Somewhere in the vaults of Paramount [which produced the series] there is a piece of film or video, which has me on camera reading a scene in a French accent. They weren’t sure if he should be French or American or English,” said Stewart. He then proceeded to give us a little taste of him reading the series’ most famous line, which sounded a bit like Inspector Clouseau, with a French accent, “Space ... Ze Final Frontier.”

The Next Generation was the ‘Fun’ Cast

Left to right, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton at the Star Trek: The Next Generation panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on October 10, 2014.

Of all the cast members, only one, Michael Dorn playing Worf, made the full-time transition from one Star Trek series, The Next Generation, to another, Deep Space Nine, but he revealed that the environments were quite a bit different.

“We were fun, laughing, having a great time for seven years. It was great work. When they said action, we were like, ‘Sir!’ [very serious] and when they said ‘cut’ we were doing show tunes and hanging around the set. It was just great. You go over to Deep Space Nine [1993-1999] and it was a very serious show. They would call Avery ‘Mr. Brooks.’ It was like a monastery over there.”

Dorn noted that the cast eventually loosened up and “in a short time, they were wild and crazy, too.”

Shatner, who was intrigued by the idea of the cast singing, dancing and, in LeVar Burton’s case being “asleep behind [Giordi’s] visor,” got the entire cast to sing a single line of “Volare.”

Would You Fly?

Michael Dorn. left, makes a point at the Star Trek: The Next Generation Panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 10, 2014. Also pictured, William Shatner (center) and Patrick Stewart.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is set in the 24th century, roughly 200 years from now, a time when humans have ostensibly worked out interstellar spaceflight. If such space flight happens within the cast mates' lifetimes, would they go into space?

“I wouldn’t go on the first flight. I’d go on like the hundredth flight, just when I’d think they got it worked out,” quipped Dorn.

Stewart, though, sounded ready to go: “I would like to ride the fire,” said Stewart, “I would like to experience the launch, because some of their accounts from those going out to the space station, are remarkable.”

A Shaky Story

From left to right, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie, Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn at the Star Trek: The Next Generation panel in the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 10, 2014 Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff

The cast also recounted a few funny, behind-the-scenes moments from the show, including the time they survived the 1987 Whittier Earthquake.

Denise Cosby, who played Tashar Yar recalled both Jonathan Frakes' calm and Stewart’s confused ire.

“It was an early morning, six o' clock. I was in the makeup chair in the makeup trailer. Isn’t exactly the most steady trailer. [Frakes is] at the other end of the trailer shaving. That’s when he had no beard. He’s wearing a bathrobe. It was woman’s pink chenille bathrobe, two sized too small and he wearing it over his uniform.”

When the ground started shaking violently, they both ran out of the trailer.

“Suddenly Entertainment Tonight is there. Hello, I’m ‘Suzy Chapstick, or something like that, from Entertainment Tonight, I’m here with Denise Crosby.” Crosby, was too stunned to speak and sent the reporter to Frakes. “Jonathan, without missing a beat, in this hot pink bathrobe, with half a face of shaving cream says, ‘Well, Suzy, we’re really fortunate to be here today. We’ve survived and we’re better for it.”

Stewart then picked up the story. He was driving. “I was indicating to turn right from Larchmont to Melrose when this new car that I’d only just bought [began to shake wildly], I thought, ‘shit.’ “

Crosby added, “I just remembered you coming into the trailer and saying, “Bloody hell, I’m taking this car back. It’s brand new, and the thing is rattling. The goddamn thing rattles.”