Star Trek: TNG’s Emmys Loss Became A Dr. Bashir DS9 Story

Star Trek: The Next Generation's loss at the 1994 Emmy Awards inspired a storyline for Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Across seven seasons, Star Trek: TNG racked up an impressive 58 nominations and 17 awards at the Emmys between 1988 and 1994. TNG performed well in the technical categories at the Emmy Awards, but it was only in contention for the Outstanding Drama Series prize once. The lack of Emmy recognition for TNG actors is, rightly, a bone of contention for those that worked on the show between 1988 and 1994.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in 1994, writers like Ronald D. Moore and Rene Echevarria transferred over to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Moore and Echevarria played a big role in reshaping Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in line with Ira Steven Behr's vision for the show. Behr was keen for DS9 to escape TNG's shadow, even blowing up an Enterprise to make his point. However, the influence of TNG was inescapable, to the point that behind the scenes stories like its 1994 Emmy campaign, became a story for Dr. Bashir in DS9 season 3.

Bashir’s Carrington Award Story In DS9 Was A Star Trek: TNG In-Joke

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 16, "Prophet Motive", Dr. Bashir is nominated for the prestigious Carrington Award by Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell). Immediately, Bashir becomes anxious because the medical prize is generally given to doctors at the end of their careers. Outwardly, Bashir doesn't believe he'll win, but begins to harbor hopes to lift the award. This was a nod to Star Trek: The Next Generation finally being nominated for an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in its final season. Discussing the episode in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, co-writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe said:

"Everybody thought that NYPD Blue was going to get it. Everyone on staff was certain Star Trek would not get it. And then at some point they began to convince themselves that maybe it actually would."

In "Prophet Motive", Dr. April Wade is the NYPD Blue to Dr. Bashir's TNG, as everyone expects her to win the Carrington. However, everyone is surprised when Dr. Henri Roget wins the Carrington Award instead. Roget's surprise win was Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's reference to NYPD Blue and TNG both losing the Emmy to the surprise winner, Picket Fences. Despite never truly believing he'd win, Bashir, like the TNG team, is visibly disappointed to lose out on the Carrington.

Starfleet’s Most Notable Carrington Award Winners

The Carrington Award is given out by the Federation Medical Council every year, to honor outstanding achievements in medicine. Doctor Bashir may not have won the Carrington in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but some Starfleet luminaries have recieved the honor, despite Julian's assertion that it's a lifetime achievement award. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 1, "The Next Generation", a Carrington Award is one of the items on display in the quarters of Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) aboard the SS Eleos XII. As Dr. Crusher's promotion in Picard season 3 proved, she still has a full career ahead of her.

Interestingly, both members of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' command duo, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) have won the Carrington. Among the accolades listed on Pike's file in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 1, "Brother", is a Carrington Award, won at some point before 2257. And then in Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra Per Aspera", Una Chin-Riley's personnel file also lists a Carrington Award. If Pike and Number One can win it, surely Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dr. Bashir can secure a Carrington Award in the near future.