"Star Trek: The Next Generation" is going back to its roots.

Eight years after it left as part of an exclusive deal to air on Spike TV, Capt. Picard and crew will return to syndication just in time to help promote the upcoming "Star Trek XI."

"'Star Trek: The Next Generation' was a groundbreaking show when it first premiered in syndication, and was the highest-rated series in the Star Trek franchise," said Joe DiSalvo, sales president for CBS Television Distribution, in a release. "It also has an extremely successful track record in cable, so stations are excited to add this proven brand to their lineups."

Reruns of the show, which aired between 1987 and 1994, has already cleared in 83 percent of the country, including 29 of the top 30 markets, CBS said. It carries a tradition for the franchise as the original "Star Trek" used syndication to jumpstart interest in the 1970s that led to an 11-movie franchise and a number of spinoffs.

When "Next Generation" premiered in 1987, first-run syndication was a new concept reserved mostly for talk shows and game shows. Paramount Television, however was one of the early pioneers, and used the new Star Trek series as its flagship.

It led to other first-run syndicated popular shows such as "War of the Worlds" and "Baywatch," which was canceled on NBC after one season, but became a hit as a syndicated property, lasting a decade.

Only one other Star Trek series would hit first-run syndication. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" would share its first two seasons on the air with TNG, and then went solo for its final five years despite another Trek series, "Star Trek: Voyager" being in production. However, both "Voyager" and its successor, "Star Trek: Enterprise" would be network programs, airing on UPN.

TNG won 18 Emmy awards during its run, and in 1994, became the first ever first-run syndicated series to be nominated for Best Dramatic Series at the Emmy awards. It would lead the way for Star Trek to be on television until 2005 when "Enterprise" was canceled after four seasons.

It also lead to four feature films including "Star Trek Generation" in 1994, "Star Trek: First Contact" in 1996, "Star Trek: Insurrection" in 1998, and "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002.

TNG also was the place where many of today's well-known writers and producers hailed from including Ronald D. Moore ("Battlestar Galactica"), Jane Espenson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Dollhouse," "Caprica"), Brannon Braga ("24"), Rene Echevarria ("The 4400," "Medium"), Ira Steven Behr ("The 4400") and the late Michael Piller ("The Dead Zone"). It also was the last series to have direct involvement from original "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry.

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