The Battle (Star Trek: The Next Generation) The Battle (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "The Battle" is the eigth episode of the of the American science fiction television series "" and was originally aired on November 16, 1987, in broadcast syndication. The episode was written by Herbert Wright, based on a story by Larry Forrester, and directed by Rob Bowman. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship "Enterprise"-D. In this episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is given his former vessel, the "Stargazer", as a gift by the Ferengi DaiMon Bok (Frank Corsentino) who intends to use
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