Gene Roddenberry died in 1991 halfway through Star Trek: The Next Generation. He'd been sick for a while and, according to Rick Berman, his "hands-on involvement in The Next Generation diminished greatly after the first season".
Did the post-Roddenberry TNG differ from his initial vision? Did Berman violate any of the rules that Roddenberry had laid out for the series? Were there any general themes that became less emphasized after his death? Did Berman make hire or fire decisions contrary to Gene’s known preferences?
Well researched answers with definite changes are preferred, especially if backed up by contemporary sources. Possible changes can either be on or off camera, and specific ("Dr. Crusher came back") or broad ("more personal drama/fewer stories with an 'exploring the unknown' theme").
For example:
Berman didn't like the music direction, and started using subdued orchestral tracks, rather than sticking with Ron Jones.
Gene was convinced by his staff to replace Gates McFadden but Berman opposed the decision. Did Gene’s reduced involvement or death influence the decision to bring her back?
People had trouble working with Gene, and there was a high writer turnover. From Wikipedia:
Tracy Tormé described the first few seasons of The Next Generation under Roddenberry as an "insane asylum" ...Franchise writers Fontana and David Gerrold... left the series under acrimonious circumstances...
Did Gene’s reduced involvement persuade anyone to stay?
Answers should only address his influence on TNG. The influence that he did or didn't have on DS9 and Voyager is addressed by this questionthis question.
