Sir Patrick Stewart’s involvement with Picard was of course vital for the series to proceed, but the producers made the wise decision to involve other characters from the 24th Century Star Trek shows’ cast – including Star Trek: Voyager’s Seven of Nine, as played by Jeri Ryan. Stewart and Ryan faced the press together at the European junket a week before the series began on Amazon Prime, with both clearly enjoying each other’s company and in fine form. Paul Simpson was there…

We’ve heard a lot about how Picard is different to previous iterations of Star Trek; can you talk a little about how you think it does set itself apart from previous versions, particularly The Next Generation?

Sir Patrick Stewart: We’re living and working in a different world. Picard’s world is so different; he is no longer part of Starfleet. The Federation has also been undergoing changes; there are conflicting bodies within the Federation, and Starfleet seems to have some subterranean plans as to how its fleet should be used.

Picard has walked away from it all, and is living on his chateau, and growing grapes and living with the two wonderful people who care for him and his dog. But he is discontented, angry, and guilty – he feels that he failed. Not only did he fail Starfleet and the Federation, but he failed his great friend and colleague Data as well – that Data died when he believes it ought to have been him, Picard.

Can you talk a bit about your characters – you have a shared past with the Borg. Do they have an affinity for one another?

Jeri Ryan: I can tell you initially I wouldn’t say there was a huge affinity because Seven has gotten pretty jaded over the last 20 years. She’s seen a lot of bad stuff. She’s very much hardened from when we saw her 20 years ago. The universe has gone to hell in a handbasket, and she holds Starfleet and the Federation in large part responsible for that.

Initially she sees Picard as a representative of that, so she’s not in “we worship and love him” mode when we first meet her, which I think makes it more interesting.

Stewart: I’ve got to ask you a question. I don’t know who it was who said the United States and England were two countries divided by a common language (could have been Mark Twain). ‘Gone to hell in a handbasket?’

Ryan: You’ve never heard that one?

Stewart: We say gone to hell in a handcart.

Ryan: Cart? Cart sounds much better in a British accent.

Could you tell me about your connection with the French language and the vineyards – where was it shot? France or California?

Stewart: It’s extraordinarily convincing. It’s about half an hour’s drive north of Santa Barbara.

Ryan: It’s that close?

Stewart: It’s in the central wine area, yes. But the chateau, the building itself, is authentic. It was brought from France, stone by stone – not for us!

Ryan: We’ve got a really big budget!

Stewart: It wasn’t that generous – “Give us a chateau!” No, it was brought over, and rebuilt and replicates a typical French chateau.

I have made a New Year’s resolution, my wife and I have: she is going to concentrate on Italian, because she is doing a lot of research into medieval and Renaissance paintings and sculpture, and I’m going to do the same with French. So when we meet for the second season…

We can do it in French!

Stewart: Who knows? I was ashamed that I’ve reached this great age without really having command of a second language. It embarrasses me.

But you’ve been playing him for years.

Stewart: It’s true. I should have started doing this long ago.

Ryan: Now you’ve shamed me into it. My husband’s French and my daughter’s native in both languages. I don’t speak any. New Year’s resolution – we’ll do it!

Your original shows were in the Rick Berman era of Star Trek; how different did it feel going onto Star Trek now?

Ryan: It was vastly different, at least for me. These sets are… Epic doesn’t begin to cover it. You walk onto the Borg cube and you’re walking onto a Borg cube! The set is massive, colossal.

Even before the digital enhancements?

Ryan: Before any of it. The actual physical sets, the costumes, the special effects on set… it’s extraordinary, don’t you think? It wasn’t like walking onto a television set, certainly.

Stewart: The entire ship that we are eventually on is on the sound stage.

Ryan: They’ve built the ship. It’s there. You walk up stairs, you walk down; it’s there. It’s really incredible.

These characters you’ve not played for years – how did it feel stepping back into their shoes? Did it happen straightaway, or was there a period of adjustment?

Ryan: I haven’t heard you answer this one yet – I want to hear what your experience was.

Stewart: The very first scene that I played I think I had three words to speak, and that was to a hologram person, and I wasn’t in the uniform. I was wearing… Don’t you love the way that my clothes are designed?

Ryan: Love it – just wait. It gets better. There’s a leather situation happening – oh he’s hot.

Stewart: We have one flashback where I’m in the captain’s uniform and I felt very uncomfortable in this.

The man never left me, never left inside me. We overlapped so strongly in the things that we believed in, and the way we saw leadership. I didn’t find it remotely challenging.

What I did find challenging [was] when Jonathan [Frakes] and Brent [Spiner] were there. They’re both very funny guys. They tease me quite a lot. Other than that, it’s been somewhat exhausting but a very stimulating experience.

Picard has become something of a meme – the proliferating gifs of the facepalm, or saying Engage. Does that play a part in your experience of the character?

Stewart: His appearances on social media and the success he seems to be having is all other people who are doing this. I love the Make It So Christmas song. It’s flattering to have a character you played become so popular. I must have done something right. Do you find that?

Ryan: Absolutely.

Stewart: You are an iconic character in this series. I shall never forget when it was first announced that you were coming back and people heard that, the response was terrific.

Ryan: It’s very flattering. How lucky are we as actors to be given characters that people want to see more of it twenty years later. That’s a very unusual gift. We’re very lucky.

In 2020, it feels like a lot of political messages and subtext feel more relevant than ever; do you feel it’s more important than when you made it the first time?

Stewart: I think from what I’ve already said, I do certainly.

Ryan: For sure. If we were ever in need of a hero it’s now, so it’s the perfect time.

Stewart: It was actually seriously suggested to me that I should take American citizenship and run for Senate.

Ryan: I’m in! I’m on your campaign team – we are doing it!

Stewart: A serious proposal!

I’ve been a member of the Labour Party for many, many years – a somewhat doubting one at present. I committed my first act of civil disobedience in 1945, when a policeman told me to go away because I was parading up and down with my father, who was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the Parachute Regiment. He was in uniform, and I had this placard saying ‘Vote for Mr Palin’ who was our MP after the war.

I was singing, “Vote vote vote for Mr Palin” and this policeman came and said, “Bugger off, go on, get out of here”. Policemen could talk to you like that in the kind of working class neighbourhood I grew up in. I said, “No I won’t” and he said, “You do…” And I said, “That’s my Dad over there!” My father was a very impressive man, especially in his uniform. I remember him saying, “You watch yourself” – and I was five years old.

That’s a potted history of my political affiliations.

Star Trek: Picard begins on Amazon Prime on January 24, 2020