I've seen it said that TNG was centered around Picard, Riker, and Data like TOS was centered around Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. But I've always thought of TNG as an ensemble cast. Thoughts?
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All the post-TOS shows expanded and deepened main cast, leading to episodes being able to be centered on various characters. TOS had a smaller and more focused cast. It was a rarity to even have a Spock or McCoy centered episode, and I can’t think of an episode where at least one of the main trio wasn’t the most prominent character.
I think it’s just a difference in writing styles of the different times between the 1960s and the 1980s. Even look at something like STIV: The Voyage Home. Same characters as TOS, but written in the 1980s and a lot more comfortable giving various non-trio characters their own individual adventures.
Another important factor is TNG’s reliance (sometimes over-reliance) on A/B plots. The B plots were often an outlet for the ensemble characters to come out and play.