[Elizadolots]

Patrick Stewart, yes! Also, they realized up front (possibly a Roddenberry thing) that the show needed that "outer view" the "logical being" who would highlight who humanity was illogical and also why logic was not enough. Data is a wonderful character who embraces the "role" Spock had filled but in a different and interesting way (no one ever took Spock's arm off at a trial, Spock never popped open an arm to rewire a ship's circuit).