The Measure of a Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation) The Measure of a Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "The Measure of a Man" is the ninth episode of the of the American science fiction television series "", the 35th episode overall. It was originally released on February 13, 1989, in broadcast syndication. It was written as a spec script by former attorney and "" novelist Melinda M. Snodgrass. It was directed by Robert Scheerer. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship "Enterprise". In this episode, the rights of the android officer Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) are threatened
Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation) of the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", which included an opportunity by Hawking to sit in the captain's chair. Freedman told the show's executive producer, Rick Berman, that Hawking would appear on the show if asked. Hawking accepted the ensuing offer, marking the first time a guest star played himself on an episode of any "Star Trek" series. After he was sent the script, he made some modifications to it, including improving a humorous line of dialogue to make it funnier, which Berman called "delightful". Later, when actor Brent Spiner, who appeared in the scene with Hawking, first