During their 50th Anniversary Celebration Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con, Star Trek showrunners announced the title of the newest TV series in the franchise and introduced us to the new ship as well. Behold, Star Trek: Discovery:
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The new series will be the sixth in a long tradition of Star Trek television series. The show has been a consistent pioneer not only in the sci-fi genre but in regards to social issues as well. This point was well-illustrated by producer Bryan Fuller, who stressed the franchises appreciation of social challenges and its ability to meet those head-on. Star Trek has often been credited as being a trailblazer when it comes to racism, in particular, a notion that has become so relevant today it rivals its prominence in the 60s, when the original series premiered.
Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) remarked:
“I think Star Trek, in general, has been about about individual rights and about respecting everyone, no matter who or what they are. A lot of our politicians and our fellow citizens could take a page from Star Trek and have a bit more respect for each other and for all of us.”
Scott Bakula’s (Star Trek: Enterprise) thoughts resonated with Spiner’s:
“We’re all one unified species. I am and continue to be hopeful and positive that somehow, even when it’s dark and seems impossible, that we, as a species will figure it out.”
Fuller remarked:
“We have to celebrate a progression of our species because it seems right now we, as a species, need a little help. There’s nothing like the guiding light that Gene Roddenberry hung in the sky.”
Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on CBS All Access in January 2017. The new platform will make the show far less restricted where content and plot are concerned than network broadcasting would have. And while there are no plot details as of yet, Fuller did share with Entertainment Weekly that the show will take place in the Prime timeline, not the alternate one established in J.J. Abrams’ film series.
Images via CBS
