UPDATED WITH DATES: Next Gen on Blu-ray - episodes confirmed

While an official announcement is still pending, we've confirmed that CBS is hard at work on a Blu-ray "sampler" disc of Star Trek - The Next Generation Remastered episodes, for release sometime in the fourth quarter.

The four episodes on this disc will be Encounter at Farpoint, Parts 1 & 2 (the pilot), The Inner Light  and Sins of the Father. This represents episodes from seasons 1, 3 and 5.

The Inner Light is incredibly deft and moving science fiction, beautifully written. Sins of the Father is a cracking good episode that begins the long road to redemption for Lieutenant Worf and stands as the first episode of the outstanding Klingon Civil War story arc.

Encounter at Farpoint has always been a bit stilted - everyone was definitely still finding their sea legs - but it's bizarrely fascinating, after watching some of the later, more polished episodes. It's also one of the episodes most in need of an effects face-lift, so it could be very revealing to see what kind of remastering work has been done here. Stay tuned for an official release date, which should be coming any day now.

UPDATE: CBS will make their official announcement on 9/28, the 24th Anniversary of Next Gen's first broadcast back in (gulp!) 1987. Likely U.S. street date is 12/06.