A Matter Of Time 

Reaching Penthara IV after an asteroid wreaks havoc of catastrophic proportions, the Enterprise crew deals with trying to save the planet as well as deal with someone who claims to be a historian from the future.

Director:

Paul Lynch

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), Rick Berman

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Cmdr. Data
Stefan Gierasch	...	Dr. Hal Moseley
Matt Frewer	...	Berlinghoff Rasmussen
Sheila Franklin	...	Ensign Felton
Shay Garner	...	Scientist

Storyline

The Enterprise sets out to help the colonized planet Penthara IV, where an asteroid impacts with an apocalyptic effect, first scorching then lasting clouding comparable to nuclear winter. En route to it, an unknown vessel appears after a temporal distortion and beams aboard history professor Berlingoff Rasmussen from Earth three centuries later (the 26th), who is obsessed by Picard, who expects the whole crew to be questioned, despite the possibilities of fraud or altering reality. Once at Penthara IV, Geordi on the planet and Data aboard devise a method to create a greenhouse-effect, at the risk of making it far worse, so Picard wrestles with using Rasmussen's hindsight, but his own history proves significantly problematic.

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Plot Keywords:

time traveller | master systems display table | painting of a starship | reference to abraham lincoln | handshake | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This takes place in 2368.

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Goofs

The Professor claims to be an historian from the future, and Picard seems to accept this, saying in the crew briefing that the Professor's credentials seem to be in order. How can you verify credentials which don't exist yet?

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Quotes

[Worf has hailed a small vessel drifting in space]
Lieutenant Worf: That's odd...
Commander William T. Riker: What's odd?
Lieutenant Worf: We've received a response, but...
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Yes, Mr. Worf?
Lieutenant Worf: They want you to move over, sir.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Reply that the Enterprise isn't going anywhere, Lieutenant.
Lieutenant Worf: Not the Enterprise, Captain. *You*.

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Connections

References Star Trek: The Next Generation: Datalore (1988)

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Soundtracks

Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

A Sillier, Filler Episode That Stays With You

Max Headroom comes aboard the Enterprise as a time traveler from 200-300 years in the future to watch as they attempt to save a colony world from destruction. Matt Frewer chews the scenery around the Enterprise, not as a mustache twirling villain, but as an unbelievably annoying cad. Without spoiling anything, you know something's got to be wrong with this guy within seconds. That unsubtle approach makes this episode clearly marked out as a light-hearted one, even though a planet faces total destruction, you're not supposed to take things too seriously here.

Still it's an episode I remember watching the first time, way back when it aired on an actual broadcast, likely thanks to Frewer's ridiculous professor and the somewhat interesting twist at the end.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1991 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1