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(written from a Production point of view)

Michael Bill Wagner (30 September 194723 April 1992; age 44) wrote three episodes of the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was also Co-Executive Producer for the first four episodes in 1989 until he left the production.

On Wagner's brief tenure on The Next Generation, Cliff Bole remarked, "I just don't think it was his cup of tea as far as the way the show worked, and the way Rick and everybody knows the show so well that they all rely on each other. Input even comes in from the technical guys, who have almost been in space. I just don't think it was the way he'd been operating in other places." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)

Wagner was born in Ohio, USA and wrote stories for the television series The Blue Knight (1975), Jigsaw John (1976), The Six Million Dollar Man (1977), Kojak (1977), Switch (1977-1978), Man from Atlantis (1977-1978), Starsky and Hutch (1978, starring David Soul), The Rockford Files (1979), Probe (1988), Hooperman (1988-1989), and Mann & Machine (1992).

Between 1982 and 1987 he worked as story editor, executive story editor and writer of 36 episodes on the drama series Hill Street Blues, starring James B. Sikking and Barbara Bosson. His work on Hill Street Blues earned him five Emmy Award nominations and one win for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series between 1982 and 1985. In 1982 he also received a Humanitas Prize nomination in the 60 Minute Category for the episode "The World According To Freedom".

Together with Nat Mauldin and Steven Bochco, Wagner received credit as creator of the animated television series Capitol Critters (1992-1995).

Wagner passed away from a brain tumor in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles County, California, in 1992.

Star Trek credits[]

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