The Roddenberry Archive: All the Enterprises - A to Z

The Roddenberry Archive explores every iteration of the Starship Enterprise (to date).
John de Lancie, who has portrayed Gene Roddenberry’s beloved character ‘Q’ since 1987’s Star Trek: The Next Generation premiere, narrates a deep dive exploring the evolution and legacy of the Starship Enterprise bridge - from its inception in Pato Guzman’s 1964 sketches, through its portrayal across decades of TV shows and feature films, to its latest incarnation on the Enterprise-G - as revealed in the final episode of Star Trek: Picard.
UPDATE: The interactive portal is being revamped for a future update, and will be offline for maintenance as we work on the next iteration!

[@jp9403]

We want this in VR. It doesn't have to be a game, I just want to be able to walk around the bridges of every ship and perhaps sit in the captains chair.

[@Kchi_official]

Star trek Bridge crew

[@Kchi_official]

You can command the ship as the captain, tactical officer, science officer and helmsman, it is pretty fun, plus it is online so you could play with friends or random people.

[@Korgano]

A full model of the Enterprise-D was made in VR as a fan project, but CBS shut it down.

[@RoballTV]

@@Korgano But I think they switched to making The Orville model instead and Seth Macfarlane gave them the green light ^^.

[@Victor-bl2ge]

​@@RoballTV Really hope they include funny Easter eggs. I wana drop by my boys yafets

[@AVERAGEWHISKEYDRINKER]

Only John de Lancie could make me tear up as he spoke of the Enterprises' interiors....thank you

[@raven4k998]

wait we didn't get to se the Enterprise Z what a ripoff

[@darania1]

I became emotional too. As I feel it highlights John's evident affection & respect for the Trek which created his iconic Q character...

[@Justin-ee3im]

Spoiler - John de Lancie is actually Q pretending to be an actor on Earth before the final collapse.

[@adiuntesserande6893]

@@Justin-ee3im Would explain why the roles of Q and Discord come so easily to him!

[@MattJohno2]

Don't you mean, Thank Q?

[@daniflamaropol]

Wow this was just amazing. And the voice of John de Lancie no less. Perfection!

[@DennisMoore664]

2:47 gave me the same thing Q gave Data when he got his Q-ness back. Thank you, Mr de Lancie.

[@davidsharp9166]

I was surprised to hear that voice. Instantly recognisable

[@charyk2646]

That Enterprise-J at 5:42 is absolutely incredible. Hats off to that rendition!

[@1978rharris]

Best rendition of the most hideous version of an Enterprise. Worse even than the Akira class knock off, the NX-01. I’m glad that future probably won’t pan out and the J might actually look good.

[@knytrydr73]

I had no idea it was transparent.

[@charyk2646]

@@knytrydr73 It wasn't in the original concepts for Enterprise. But I'm totally sold on it here. I absolutely love the idea of a flying city, complete with rivers, bays, districts...

[@ChrissonatorOFL]

​@@1978rharris The NX-01 looks amazing, tf you mean 😲

[@dannyhewson5687]

I've disliked every version of the Enterprise-J I've ever seen...until that one. They've made it even more enormous but I don't care, its just cool.

[@Towelie1994]

Well wasn’t expecting Q to narrate! I love it!

[@akjackhd5804]

John de Lancie is just wonderful, his voice is a delight !

[@augurseer]

This is amazing. The script. The matched visuals. The voiceover. The fact checking. Imam damned impressed

[@JGG1701]

Couldn't have said it better myself.🖖🙂

[@nukeum9535]

DeLance is a FANTASTIC narrator.

[@matthiasbrand5578]

Grossartig. In German, Translation Please.

[@RDR911]

There's an Elite Dangerous voice assist pack that he did, it was a phenomenal bolt-on addition to the game.

[@Kiyosuki]

That render of the Enterprise J really recontextualizes the concept. Rather than having this weird flat disk, the transparent "domed" saucer make its huge size and weird shape with the tiny nacelles actually make sense, as it's meant to compliment what's essentially a giant windowed city ship. (kind of reminds me of the Macross city ships.). The flowing energy lines also really bring about an aesthetic never really seen in ST yet. It's basically a portable, moving starbase. It's like a generation ship, the literal "city in space" that the Galaxy class was initially dreamed to be but was maybe limited by the technology of its time. That's really interesting. It's still not the prettiest Enterprise, but those flourishes make it far more interesting conceptually and at least add a reason for the crazy shape.

[@Windrave]

I'm thinking they're pushing on the idea of the armor from the future that showed up with Voyager. That it's so advanced by the 26th Century the Universe Class can have two modes. Transparent for regular travel and then when needed it can armor up (to the version we saw in Enterprise).

[@Kiyosuki]

@@Windrave that would be really sick.

[@Brakiros]

@@Windrave also it's the in between part, they briefly talked about the Enterprise model from the Discovery timeline that the ship itself is essentially layered holograms and can increase and reduce its density at will

[@LIA-52]

That bit about the Galaxy clas.....don't forget that Drexler called the class of the J the Universe class.

[@AdamBrown1980]

When the TNG crew walked onto the Enterprise D bridge again for the first time in 30 years, I was so filled with emotion. To have the bridge so faithfully reconstructed was incredible!

[@les4767]

It was also the first and only time a set on "Star Trek Picard" was fully lit! It's amazing how much brighter the Enterprise D is than any other ship shown in the show!

[@darthquigley]

@@les4767 Lost technology. Even before TNG the federation forgot about seatbelts and surge protectors. Now they've even lost the ability to make light bulbs.

[@les4767]

@@darthquigley True, but they had figured out seat belts by the end of "Nemesis".....

[@Hans-gb4mv]

@@les4767 It's one of the things I really don't like about modern trek, how dark the sets have become. But then again, it was already a thing back in the '90s. Compare the brightness of TOS to TNG and it's already a bit darker. Then we moved on to VOY and DS9 and those sets were already a lot more grey and darker than what we had in TNG. ENT went slightly brighter. I'm going to ignore the Kelvin movies for a second and take a look at modern trek for TV and it's as if they need to save considerably on power consumption since DSC.

[@les4767]

@@Hans-gb4mv Strange New Worlds has a dark bridge on the Enterprise....but all the corridors and cabins are quite bright...it's weird...

[@Filmaker001]

As a child of the 60's, the bridge of the original USS Enterprise will probably always be my favorite. My most memorable moment came in STAR TREK TNG when Montgomery Scott told the computer to recreate the bridge of the Enterprise, "No bloody A,B,C, or D!" When the doors opened to show that familiar bridge, I cried. This was the future I looked forward to all those years ago. It is good to see the dream still exists.

[@allangibson8494]

And the original set still exists…

[@jameshernandez5707]

The Enterprise-D will always have a place in my heart. So awesome to have seen it go on one last adventure. :)

[@James-rn7dx]

They did a fantastic job with the CGI bridges; they look real to my eyes.

[@fuzzywzhe]

Not difficult to do now. There's a lot of things you think are real that are CGI. Most car chase scenes in film are CGI.

[@SlayerSantiago]

I am loving this new Roddenberry Archive. Thank you for preserving the legacy of Star Trek!

[@CaritasGothKaraoke]

Except they didn’t. The site is just gone.

[@DennisMoore664]

"I miss my old chair" will always be one of my favorite lines.

[@SJReid82]

I could listen to John de Lancie read off the ingredients to cake mix. Got a great voice for narration.

[@MrBca009]

Please bring back this archive site back

[@Albert23456]

RIP Gene...Star Trek moves on giving us more adventure The fans appreciate your visions

[@Hexagonal_Goblin]

Oh man, the J looks great here. So many renditions of the J are super faithful to the concept art, but what we actually saw in the show was pretty blurry - I love when people use that vagueness to create new details that improve the design. There are some other great concepts that add a secondary hull, taking advantage of the fact that the J is only shown from above.

[@ThomasFisher-jr6bn]

5:42 I LOVE the idea of the Enterprise J being a flying city. This is better than the original version and it feels like an evolution of the Galaxy class. I used to think calling this ship the Universe class was a lame attempt to one up the Galaxy class, but with this version the name now feels like an evolution instead of an attempted one up. I'm going to say it, this version is the Axiom of Star Trek.

[@Azzameen99AZ]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the universe class was meant to fly to Andromeda, and was therefore designed as a generational ship. So a flying city with big parks and everything makes sense.

[@MattJohno2]

It also kind of sets up the idea of Discovery's flying rainforest ship.

[@williamgunn6415]

Thank you John de Lancie to beloved character Q.

[@jeffgaboury3157]

KZbin needs a "Love, Love, LOVE" button, for this video alone!

[@pierrevillemaire-brooks4247]

The voice of John de Lancie is very well chosen for this presentation 🙂

[@Calatriste54]

Long live the original series.. Images etched in my memory..

[@johncattley5919]

I love the model of the J in this video. I hope we see it on screen somehow, someday!

[@johnsledge3942]

So many amazing things here, WOW!! The gorgeous enterprise J render, the recreation of the animated series bridge, recreations of concept art bridges, attention to detail in the small changes, just all-around incredible. The ONLY thing I was a bit disappointed about is them not using the Enterprise F bridge from Star Trek Online. The STO Enterprise F bridge is so pretty and I would LOVE to see it get the same treatment as some of the concept art bridges. It’s honestly one of my favorite bridge designs of all time, (maybe just a bit big…)

[@thegoose1005]

the STO design for the F bridge is nice, but damn would it be a HUGE set to make. It might also be somewhat impractical given how far away some people on the bridge would be from the captain.

[@BNuts]

Too expensive, it would've taken the entire budget for season 3. That's why they only used a chair in front of a set of Ten Forward doors for poor Shelby.

[@mrmurdock6994]

crazy to think they done all these virtual cockpits to display in a 10 mins video. Imagine all the work.

[@Daddymouse-ny9cz]

Thank you John, for narrating this video!

[@williammitchell4417]

Absolutely, who better than to narrate this than the one and only Q!!

[@stevenjames1138]

Love these ships. They are as much a part of Star Trek as any human characters. I like them best when they are well lit, so we can see and appreciate them in their full glory!

[@SSGTStryker]

I could watch or listen to John De Lancie for hours. I’d love a Q anthology series.

[@Stefan_Hpunkt]

"Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise." 😊

[@williammitchell4417]

Aye🖖

[@TheKnightsShield]

Or the name Roddenberry.

[@StarTrekMonkey]

And this video just became one of my most favourite in all of the internet. 💖 Thank you to everyone helping with The Roddenberry Archive and whom have helped make Star Trek what it is. 🖖

[@JGG1701]

Thank you Mr. John DeLancie, you done a great job with the narration 😊

[@matthewst537]

Thank you John and Roddenberry archive for this amazing archive

[@LightOfReason7]

JD narrating is very cool, and love that they included the Mego playset too

[@ForceMaximus84]

This is fantastic. Makes me wonder why the producers of SNW couldn’t bother to recreate the bridge from The Cage to keep with continuity.

[@lenakarmann8117]

@@alanoldham1700 And unfortunately they get away with it

[@ForceMaximus84]

@@lenakarmann8117 Because people keep watching it and say nothing.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

Because technology and budgets have advanced in 60 years. You build a set like that today, and your ratings are going down the drain. Yes, it'll please some die hard fans, but that's about it. SNW is set in the spirit of the original but targeting a modern audience as well as fans of the original.

[@ForceMaximus84]

@@Hans-gb4mv Modern audiences want flashy crap without subtext. They should concentrate on the fans who have been there from the beginning and are dropping out because they can’t bother to keep with continuity.

[@Rabbithole8]

@@Hans-gb4mv There is a comprised postion: The one we see in "Enterprise." The argument that apologists put forward in defense of Nu-Trek is an all or nothing one. That is, that what Nu-Trek has done is the only thing that could have been done. As far as the exterior of ships being faithful to the TOS designs, obviously no one would be objecting to it as long as the special effects are well done. If the interiors respect the general gestalt of the the original but include additions that deepen the verisimilitude and also organically fit, then no "modern" audience member would tune out and the vast majority of traditional fans would not object. If anything, Otoy has demonstrated how special effects and designs made decades ago can be presented in a fashion that are beautiful, compelling, believable, and "modern," and also are true to the originals. Also, the designs of most of Nu-Trek, especially "Discovery" and "Strange New Worlds" are garish and ungrounded. There is much in Nu-Trek that is unnecessary such as the redesign of the Klingons. If they kept the design introduced in the "Star Trek" The Motion Picture" maintained more or less throughout Roddenberry -Berman Star Trek, absolutely no one would would have uttered statements such as, "Why didn't they redesign the Klingons?" Again, going back to "Enterprise," the redesign of aliens such as the Tellarites to improve believability were far better and they were also true to TOS. Another thing anyone in a modern audience would not have uttered is, "Where are the holograms? Why don't they communicate with holograms?" If the show is grounded and consistent, then it maintains poetic faith ("willing suspension of disbelief"), and the audience goes along. SNW may have intended to target the fans of the original, but for many of us it have missed by a long shot. Not only has it missed on these elements, but it also fails to understand fundamental and core aspects of Star Trek as revealed in the terrible "A Quality of Mercy" episode and more.

[@aarondyer.pianist]

Outstanding graphics. Especially the TOS bridge.

[@OTOY]

The portal is being revamped now for a future update, and will be offline for maintenance as we work on the next iteration. It has been an honor and and a pleasure seeing the positive response to last month’s release. Can’t wait to share more soon!

[@jasonparis5635]

I like how Q narrated the enterprise linage lol 😆😆😆

[@LIA-52]

NCC-1701-Q

[@chrisflattcvy93]

This is simply stunning. Star trek kept me alive as a teenager while i struggled through those growing years. This is beyond a testament to the creativity of GR. I cant get enough of this style of material.

[@rays7437]

Kept me alive too

[@action028]

What about the bridge of the D in generations? It was slightly different with added counsels & steps to the captain’s chair area.

[@LonSeidman]

Hope a VR version can come along at some point too. I know the team behind this also had done the Stage 9 project which was amazing. I have retained the executable but a refresh with some of the other bridges would be something I'd pay for! Either way I can't imagine how much effort it took to produce these amazing bridge models. Thank you on behalf of us fans!

[@Mike-Urilorib]

I've uploaded a couple of crude VR demos using what's already available at the portal. They're simple but fun, and show how much VR potential this project has. Can't wait for a proper VR release!

[@matthewmillaisgray]

Good day OTOY. Thank you for another fine exhibit. It was wonderful to hear John de Lancie narrating happily and enthusiastically this documentary. I have also been intrigued at the imaginative teasers with the Syd Mead San Fransisco of STTMP theme also with the very authentic Spock and Colt duo. It's has been quite a wild ride to see the interest rise to over a million views! Wishing you further success on present and future developments. Warm regards from the Cape of Good Hope peninsula South Africa

[@graysonpeddie]

Being far too ahead of my time is part of my optimism trait and I love seeing so many different bridges, corridors of starships, quarters, and even the engineering rooms. I just cannot get enough of them.

[@slaneville]

John de Lancie!... You earned a like as soon as I heard his voice! Q is one of the coolest, most Awesome characters in Star Trek. He did such a great portrayal of that entity. it was Awesome that they included him in the Picard series and I really enjoyed the season 3 final!

[@johne453]

Yes.. I was one of those with a tear when the Enterprise D made her appearance.

[@KamepinUA]

GOD DAMN THESE MODELS ARE AMAZING

[@LeXx_LeCryce]

Thanks Q for this great journey through space and time

[@Optimistprime.]

The love that star trek is getting the last little while makes my heart sing! Thank you so so much for honoring what has come before! ❤

[@chuckintexas]

EXCELLENT presentation !! _VERY_ well written ! Is it _possible_ that DeLancie _appreciates_ what Star Trek MEANS to _us_ ?

[@sjinzaar]

This little video is like having a perfect dessert after a perfect dinner... Just hits the spot in just the right way... So satisfying...

[@james-ud9lp]

I would like to take a moment to say thank you John de Lancie for narrating this. Also you're right it did shed a nostalgic tear at the ejdbof picard season3.

[@Blonde._.Idiot.]

only Q could narrate the universe to us and boy did he deliver

[@jaeluatl]

I love giving your character a shout out. It was a great golden nugget.. surprise

[@originaluddite]

Love the quick in-story chronology of bridge sets at the end. Inclusion of The Cage set even improves the transition from ENT to TOS.

[@JaimeWulf]

Amazing, especially loved the voice over by John de Lancie...

[@dannybaxter4710]

I just LOVE that John De Lance voiced this little feature. Thank you for your role in a crucial part of Star Trek Canon.

[@Mr_Kenneth]

Simply fantastic treat guys. Star Trek is so much more than TV or film. It embraces incredible design and engineering concepts that excite and inspire us all. As weve all seen in Picard season 3, the Enterprise is a powerful character of modern culture

[@Ostermond]

This is such an unfettered treat. Well done to you all.

[@scottjarnagin348]

I love the transparent hull of the Enterprise J!!

[@warrenallen2738]

Beautiful, and thank you for sharing of the all ship Enterprises bridges have never gone before.

[@kenrankin5814]

Absolutely amazing and I have been a proud Star Trek fan my entire life and the video captures that evolution from tv to animation(!) to film and then the cycle begins again! Well done!

[@WHR17]

This was an awesome recap, esp the narration!!! Loving these videos by the Roddenberry archive!!!

[@AngryCanadian1971]

It IS amazing that, people have, in the past connected with books, then television, THEN Star Trek. Star Trek is not just a television show. Sure it used to be, but now, it IS a phenomenon. Sure, there are people today that have never watched it, and focus on other things but THIS is almost otherworldly. Continuing shows, movies, books, comics, FAN fiction films and popular jargon in our language sets a testimony beyond even the most fervent of religions. ONE regret I will die with is that I will never see the Star Trek that comes after my passing. And it WILL come.

[@MrJTPEPPER]

Thank you John de Lancie for this great tribute to my favorite legacy.

[@DrBagPhD]

Echoing the calls for VR support, absolutely incredible work and being able to see it in (digital) person would be frankly mind blowing.

[@Mike-Urilorib]

I've made some VR very basic demos using what's in the portal now. Simple but fun, and they show how much VR potential this project has. Looking forward for a proper VR release!

[@gracemosier8401]

Just hearing John de Lansie's voice right off the bat put me in the Star Trek mood!

[@jefetters7182]

Incredible! I could watch this ten times in a row!

[@thorpower6032]

AMAZING... wonderful to watch that incredible re creation of our PASSION

[@chrisddawson]

Well done. Looking forward to more. Thanks for making these.

[@jimkirk2582]

Thank you guys for what you do! Amazing attention to detail, you can tell when someone is passionate about their work.

[@winterbas8927]

Just came here after watching Regenerations. Where have you been all my life. Oh, and thank you ☺️.

[@dennycranium]

Amazing! Thanks to all!

[@Chanselor_Gowron]

(5:42) i never thought of the ´j's interior to consist of an actual city, but then again i'm only used to the STO model. it takes the galaxy class's "floating city" concept and fills it with enough steroids to kill a humpback whale. i guess it's called the Universe Class for a reason. i love this and would hope to see this rendition of it in star trek discovery s5.

[@mastere6115]

Oh yes, that thing is absurd in size, coming it at over 2 miles long, or around 3000 meters long. And well I think the width is actually bigger than length soo... Yeah, that ship is incredibly massive. But as you said, it fits the classification, but also it did have the job of exploring other galaxies, so it is a pretty understandable size.

[@brantleyrobbins7188]

Love the NX-01

[@Greybush]

I can't believe this video was only 8 and a half mins long. So much in one video. Love it.

[@mindbender3379]

Enterprise J... a graceful design. Thank you for the video; inspiring!!

[@maybetoby]

I loved the bridge of the Enterprise-A in Star Trek VI. The Enterprise-E is my favorite of the line.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

The VI bridge is indeed magnificent and one I wouldn't mind serving on. They did a great job on that one.

[@maybetoby]

@@Hans-gb4mv Star Trek VI is honestly my favorite of the TOS films. It's so visually pleasing to the eye, and I loved the political intrigue of the story. I thought it was a spectacular send-off.

[@dompiumelli3675]

This was done really well. Good job!

[@joshuagayouauthor8401]

I could listen to de Lancie all damned day.

[@DouglasCarrington-dc4vw]

When the original series aired I was in Vietnam. I first saw it in reruns in the 70's. I have been hooked ever since.

[@johnsimmons6298]

Thank you Mr. de Lancie for the superb presentation. Please continue.

[@FRITZI999]

just watched the final Episode of Picard yesterday and now found THIS ! JUST AWESOME work / art and gave me Goosebumps! You touched my heart!

[@Darkhiway2]

This is an awesome video and the fact that Mr. De Lancie narrates it makes it even better :)

[@mrtrek2117]

A great video, and John de Lancie's voice is perfect for the narration.

[@TheToonThing]

Absolutely OUTSTANDING!

[@paulbateman858]

Love this, great work - thanks for mentioning Ralph (McQuarrie) there a few times, always nice to hear him get a little credit ;)

[@dominodoggy1]

This is the first time I have seen the Enterprise-J presented in a manner that appears as advanced and impressive as it should be.

[@larrytolson4135]

Very, VERY nicely done! BRAVO!

[@MrKennymart]

Didn't give any time to one of my favorites: the Enterprise A bridge in ST5 -- beautiful! Even if the doors didn't work right.

[@jaymedina3142]

Absolutely FANTASTIC!

[@NyeGuy-yv2dv]

This is a gift. Thank you.

[@WShawn]

Very cool. I was wondering where the depiction of April's bridge came from on the interactive site. I'd forgotten the Guzman illustration that started it all.

[@StarfleetSohail]

Loved this, thank you so much!

[@richardkoon5544]

Love this.Thank You for making this. As Dr. Winchester on MASH used to say...."Q..."

[@dougcrawford6967]

This is cool AF. I remember when ST hit the small screen in the fall of "66. I was 7 and I was instantly hooked.

[@johnz8210]

That was cool. We know what Scotty would say to the computer, as he did in "Relics", about which Enterprise he wants to see.

[@michaelfiber4324]

Wow, this was insanely good.

[@larryaldrich4351]

First time I saw the spaceship in 1966, I could barely wrap my mind around the configuration. It was so much bigger, imaginative, and believable than anything that came before.

[@MatthewHall]

Great video and just loved the final summary pan around the evolving bridge imagery from 00:07:09

[@1garysan]

ThankQ

[@williammitchell4417]

Great play on words 🖖