<P> They pitched the story to story editor David Gerrold, who brought them to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry . Gene favored the story idea, suggesting changes which Reaves and Duane incorporated into a second draft . The episode was now entitled "Where None Have Gone Before", differing significantly from the final version: Kosinski roomed with Picard at Starfleet Academy, fathering a son at that time . The ship's travel differed; the Traveller was replaced by a "warpdrive booster" with a miniature black hole . In this version, the situation was resolved with a second miniature Enterprise imagined and pushed into the black hole on the full - sized ship . The interaction of the two black holes (and an even - smaller black hole on the miniature Enterprise) returns the full - sized ship near the location where it began to travel . After Duane and Reaves turned in the first version of the script based on that premise, nothing was heard from the TNG staff for two weeks . </P> <P> The script was given to Maurice Hurley to rewrite . He took six weeks for the rewrite, and his initial version was received poorly by TNG executives . Hurley later said, "they absolutely hated it, I think they wanted to fire me, and they would have if I didn't have a guaranteed contract". He rewrote the script, and this version was filmed . Hurley was pleased with the result, saying that "everything about that episode worked". The final version differed significantly from the original Reaves - Duane script; Duane later said that only two scenes remained: where Picard sees his mother, and where he nearly falls out of the turbolift into space . Reaves later said that the episode "came together much better on the screen than we thought it would when we read the script . We were lucky, because it was out of our hands". </P> <P> Donald Petrie was originally signed to direct the episode, but dropped out to direct the film Mystic Pizza . Executive producer Robert Justman brought in Rob Bowman to direct his first Star Trek episode . Justman later said that this was one of his most - significant achievements on The Next Generation . Bowman worked on storyboards and set blocking for twenty days before shooting the episode . He was initially nervous about working on the show, and felt he had to prove himself because of his relative inexperience as a director . Bowman said that after the second day of filming it became easier, and credited the crew with making him feel welcome . He went on to direct twelve more episodes of The Next Generation . </P> <P> Eric Menyuk was cast as the Traveler . The actor had previously been runner - up for the role of Data several weeks earlier (the role went to Brent Spiner). He was a Star Trek fan since age six, and would later return as the Traveler twice more: in "Remember Me" and "Journey's End". Menyuk's return in "Journey's End" would also mark the last on - screen appearance of Wesley Crusher . Biff Yeager made his Next Generation debut in "Where No One Has Gone Before" as Chief Engineer Argyle, who would become the most - frequently - appearing chief engineer of the first season (appearing twice). Geordi La Forge took over that role in the first episode of season two, "The Child". Stuntman "Dangerous" Dennis Madalone also made his series debut as the ensign threatened by his own (imagined) fire . From season three onwards he was stunt coordinator for The Next Generation, and continued to portray a number of crew members . Viewers learned Picard's mother's first name in "Chain of Command"; she was played in "Where No One Has Gone Before" by Herta Ware, who appeared in the 1985 science - fiction film Cocoon . </P>

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