▁made - for - TV ▁mov ies . ▁He ▁played ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁character ▁on ▁Night ▁Court , ▁Bob ▁Whe eler , ▁patri arch ▁of ▁a ▁rural ▁family . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁he ▁played ▁a ▁condem ned ▁soul ▁in ▁" D ead ▁Run ", ▁an ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁Rod ▁Ser ling ' s ▁series ▁The ▁Tw il ight ▁Zone ▁on ▁CBS . ▁He ▁made ▁two ▁appearances ▁in ▁season ▁three ▁( 1 9 8 6 ) ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁comedy ▁M ama ' s ▁Family , ▁playing ▁two ▁different ▁characters . ▁Sp iner ' s ▁first ▁and ▁only ▁st arring ▁film ▁role ▁was ▁in ▁R ent ▁Control ▁( 1 9 8 4 ). ▁In ▁the ▁Cheers ▁episode ▁" N ever ▁Love ▁a ▁Go al ie , ▁Part ▁II ", ▁he ▁played ▁acqu itted ▁murder ▁suspect ▁Bill ▁Grand . ▁Sp iner ▁also ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁T ales ▁from ▁the ▁Dark side ▁episode , ▁" A ▁Case ▁of ▁the ▁St ub born s ", ▁as ▁a ▁pre acher . ▁He ▁port rayed ▁Jim ▁Stevens ▁in ▁the ▁made - for - TV ▁movie ▁Manh unt ▁for ▁Claude ▁Dallas . ▁ ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Sp iner ▁started ▁his ▁ 1 5 - year ▁run ▁port ray ing ▁Lieutenant ▁Commander ▁Data ▁on ▁Star ▁Tre k : ▁The ▁Next ▁Generation , ▁which ▁sp anned ▁seven ▁seasons ▁and ▁four ▁feature ▁films . ▁As ▁a ▁main ▁character , ▁he ▁appeared ▁in ▁all ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁series