Sept. 28 marks the 30th anniversary of the airing of the first episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” In 1987, the classic science-fiction show made a grand return with the pilot episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” and from there went on to explore faraway lands for 178 more episodes.

Many cast members still attend Star Trek conventions and panels to this day and also maintain thriving acting careers. Patrick Stewart has had a thriving acting career since playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard and works frequently both on the stage and on the big screen, with accolades including playing Dr. Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” film franchise and starring in six Shakespeare productions on Broadway.

Since playing William T. Riker, Jonathan Frakes (nicknamed “Two-Take Frakes” on the set of “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996) for his efficient screen acting style) has lent his voice to several television series, sometimes playing himself. These titles include “Family Guy” (1998), “Futurama” (1999), “Adventure Time” (2010), the Guardians of the Galaxy animated television series (2015) and many others.

Both The Original Series and The Next Generation are available for streaming on Netflix, as well as a handful of spin-off series, including “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1999), “Star Trek: Voyager” (2000), “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2004), and “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1974), so you’ve got over ten seasons of content to binge in order to celebrate. Or, would you rather get your Star Trek fix in a different format? Head to Graham Cracker Comics, 901 Lucinda Ave. to pick up a plethora of Star Trek-themed comic books.

How are you planning on celebrating the anniversary? Do you have a favorite episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation?” Let us know in the comments!