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[JeffZero]

BREAKING NEWS TRAVELS AT WARP NINE POINT HYPETY-NINE: BRYAN FULLER IS THE SHOWRUNNER!

“Hannibal” creator Bryan Fuller has found his next mission: showrunner and co-creator of CBS’ new “Star Trek” series.

A longtime fan of science fiction, Fuller began his career writing for “Star Trek: Voyager” (1997-2001) and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1997).

“My very first experience of ‘Star Trek’ is my oldest brother turning off all the lights in the house and flying his model of a D7 Class Klingon Battle Cruiser through the darkened halls. Before seeing a frame of the television series, the ‘Star Trek’ universe lit my imagination on fire,” said Fuller. “It is without exaggeration a dream come true to be crafting a brand new iteration of ‘Star Trek’ with fellow franchise alum Alex Kurtzman and boldly going where no ‘Star Trek’ series has gone before.”

The new series is set to bow on CBS in January 2017, then move to CBS’ All Access digital subscription service. It will be the first original series to launch on a broadcast network but air primarily on an SVOD service.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/09/star-trek-bryan-fuller

I'm afraid there just isn't much to this thread right now, because there just isn't much to go on. But the recent trailer leak for Star Trek Beyond got me thinking -- in the coming months, we're going to start hearing the first "real" news for this highly-anticipated new show and it'd be good to have somewhere all official-like for it. Casting, writer choices, that sort of stuff ought to begin popping up soon enough in order to meet that projected premiere date.

So sit back, grab a raktajino, endure my endless DS9 references, and reflect fondly on how much Zefram Cochrane looks and talks like Cid Highwind. You're on NeoGAF, so I can make that joke and you'll actually get it.

The official announcement.

CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new Star Trek television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.

The next chapter of the Star Trek franchise will also be distributed concurrently for television and multiple platforms around the world by CBS Studios International.

The new program will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month. CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous Star Trek television series.

The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new Star Trek TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek (2009) with Roberto Orci, and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams.

The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers. Kurtzman is also an executive producer for the hit CBS television series Scorpion and Limitless, along with Kadin and Orci, and for Hawaii Five-0 with Orci.

Star Trek, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. The original Star Trek spawned a dozen feature films and five successful television series. Almost half a century later, the Star Trek television series are licensed on a variety of different platforms in more than 190 countries, and the franchise still generates more than a billion social media impressions every month.

Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original Star Trek series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966 and aired for three seasons – a short run that belied the influence it would have for generations. The series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics and the environment.

“There is no better time to give Star Trek fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. “Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.”

“This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-run Star Trek series has gone before – directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access,” said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Digital Media. “We’ve experienced terrific growth for CBS All Access, expanding the service across affiliates and devices in a very short time. We now have an incredible opportunity to accelerate this growth with the iconic Star Trek, and its devoted and passionate fan base, as our first original series.”

“Every day, an episode of the Star Trek franchise is seen in almost every country in the world,” said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We can’t wait to introduce Star Trek's next voyage on television to its vast global fan base.”

CBS All Access offers its customers more than 7,500 episodes from the current television season, previous seasons and classic shows on demand nationwide, as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in more than 110 markets. Subscribers can use the service online and across devices via CBS.com, the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, as well as on connected devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku players and Roku TV, with more connected devices to come.

The new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film Star Trek Beyond which is scheduled to be distributed by Paramount Pictures in summer 2016.

io9 being all like "holy crap they're making a new Star Trek series.

The Verge thinks Star Trek is a big but necessary investment in CBS' streaming future.

Questions and Answers:

"What timeline is this in?"

We don't actually know yet if this is in the Primeverse (fandom name for the main universe of the franchise) or the Abramsverse (fandom name for the new movies) or something completely separate from either. There are ample arguments in favor of all possibilities, but it's no secret plenty of fans are hoping it's Prime. That said, to the average TV-goer it's worth noting that all of these debates kind of miss the mark; the average TV-goer just wants a good time. And I think a good time can be had with any of these choices. The Abramsverse makes sense from a marketing perspective. It's what newer fans are familiar with, the marketing synergy has potential, and there is so much unexplored territory. The Primeverse makes sense in terms of roping in the plethora of old-school Trek fans. The fresh reboot makes sense too, but I'd be a little bit surprised if that were the road that was taken, because...

"Is this going to be yet another Kirk/Spock thing?"
...probably not. The press release talks up new characters, so I'm leaning toward a genuinely new crew. Which maybe comes as no surprise to some of you, but personally? In this age of reboot-rehash-recast? I'm not gonna lie. I'm kind of surprised.

"Why is this on CBS All-Access? No one has that stupid streaming service! This will tank!"

Subscription numbers are low because there's nothing but old content on there at the moment. I'm not saying Star Trek is a guarantee to solve their problems, but I'm confident it's only the beginning of multiple project announcements for the fledgling e-channel. We're living in a chaotic new era of hour-long show consumption; Netflix more than proved itself, and now everybody and their mothers are lined up to take a crack at the streaming scene. That's just how this works. In fact I'd argue (and many others have argued far more eloquently) that this is how to ensure Trek doesn't tank straight out of the gate. CBS will patient, at least relative to what would happen if after the pilot screening (which will in fact occur on the CBS mothership TV network) the numbers took too steep a nosedive. With streaming, Live+3 and the myriad other TV land ratings terms you may or may not be aware exist suddenly don't matter anymore. Not in the same sense. What matters is that folks spread the word and subscriptions go up. When they watch it doesn't really matter.

Of course, the common argument right now is that this show is going to surpass the stupendously popular Game of Thrones in all the "most pirated" categories. Yeah, I can see. Trek enthusiasts are tech-savvier than your average bear and there's going to be real resentment toward forking up extra cash for one show. But CBS is, a bit paradoxically, banking on that forward-thinking tech-savvy attribute in high hopes that at least some of us will tune in "legitimately." I know I will; call me a sucker if needbe, but that's how the series is getting funded and Trek's taught me to take the path of eternal optimism, sometimes for the worse but often for the better. So I'll at least subscribe for the first season and see how things pan out. *shrug*

"Wesley Crusher is soooo annoying!"

We know.

This OP is a work in progress.

 

[Kaladin]

Beam me up Scotty.

My body is ready.

 

[mcrommert]

Yessssssss

 

[Escape Goat]

The CBS streaming thing makes me think this is going to disappoint.

 

[wenis]

I have no idea what I want for this show other than for it to be great.

 

[Kaladin]

The CBS streaming thing makes me think this is going to disappoint.

On the contrary, I think they're going to put everything behind it to get their streaming platform off the ground.

 

[Liamario]

I think they need to look toward the original series for inspiration. There's no point imitating what we've seen in similar sci-fi shows. They need to go full star trek. I'd like to see a star trek like 'The Martian'. Intelligent and based on reality.

 

[Kaladin]

I think they need to look toward the original series for inspiration. There's no point imitating what we've seen in similar sci-fi shows. They need to go full star trek. I'd like to see a star trek like 'The Martian'. Intelligent and based on reality.

But Star Trek isn't like The Martian. It is nothing like The Martian.

 

[radios shipping overview]

I'm keeping my hopes right at zero for this until I hear reason to do otherwise. I don't trust Kurtzman one bit.

 

[Father_Brain]

People who think they're going to get "back to basics" Trek in 2017, regardless of whether this is in Abramsverse continuity or not, are going to be disappointed.

 

[SymbiantXenos]

So where in the time line will this fall. TNG DS9?

 

[JeffZero]

So where in the time line will this fall. TNG DS9?

Oh man, when I get home I'm gonna need to add a bit more context to that OP, haha. There are so many things we don't know -- including this.

We don't know, but we also have no reason at this time to believe it will be in the so-called "Primeverse" (the main universe) either. Nor do we necessarily need to assume it'll be in the Abramsverse, although it'd make sense from a marketing standpoint. (And regardless of one's potential animosity toward the Abramsverse movies, their quality or lack thereof would not necessarily dictate the individual quality of this new show, of course.)

 

[Father_Brain]

So where in the time line will this fall. TNG DS9?

It could still be in the Abramsverse. "Not related to Beyond" could just mean that it doesn't spin out of that film's plot or feature any of its characters.

 

[Kaladin]

We don't even know who is starring in this series, and that would go a long way to telling us Abramsverse or Primeverse.

 

[Cheebo]

The mere fact Kurtzman is the main guy behind the show should make it obvious this is going to be Abramsverse I would think.

 

[Liamario]

But Star Trek isn't like The Martian. It is nothing like The Martian.

You think? Wow, really? It's nothing like the martian? I'm stunned by this revelation.

I'm talking about tone, I'm talking about humour, I'm talking about that sense of wonder.
I want it to feel like this could be the future.

 

[butalala]

...reflect fondly on how much Zefram Cochrane looks and talks like Cid Highwind.

I've never thought about this before but...

It's too early for me to feel strongly either way about this new project, but I am certain of two things: I'm glad that they're making Star Trek on TV again and there is little chance that I will ever sign up for a CBS streaming service.

 

[AtomnayaKlubnika]

I have been binge watching everything Star Trek related to fill the wait for TFA. I think there is good chance they will set it in the rebooted universe. Please, put good production value in it CBS.

 

[JeffZero]

Actually, went ahead and added in the first two "Questions and Answers" bits for the OP. Basically an FAQ or whatever. Right now it'll be a whole lot of "we don't know lol" but hey.

 

[Quick]

The CBS streaming thing makes me think this is going to disappoint.

On the contrary, I think they're going to put everything behind it to get their streaming platform off the ground.

Kicking off their streaming service with Star Trek isn't bad, just with the name alone.

Quality is another story, but I'm confident that it'll be managed well.

 

[Ithil]

It's been a long time.

 

[Currygan]

please make it 500 years after the events of TNG. It's all I ask

 

[butalala]

Kicking off their streaming service with Star Trek isn't bad, just with the name alone.

It went great for the Paramount Television Service in the 70s and UPN in the 90s!!

 

[Quick]

It went great for the Paramount Television Service in the 70s and UPN in the 90s!!

Third time's the charm!

 

[Sinatar]

If there is anyone who can bury Star Trek even deeper then Rick Berman it's Alex Kurtzman.

Engines at Hype Factor 0.

 

[Sou Da]

Been a long time..

 

[JeffZero]

It went great for the Paramount Television Service in the 70s and UPN in the 90s!!

It went actually-great when it was recognized that syndication was the way forward and TNG became the king of that field.

Been a long time..

People are going to read this as a paraphrase of the Enterprise opening and curse your name as they lay awake restlessly tonight.

 

[Kaladin]

If there is anyone who can bury Star Trek even deeper then Rick Berman it's Alex Kurtzman.

Engines at Hype Factor 0.

He doesn't have that bad of a track record. I heard good things about the Limitless TV series he's on.

 

[Sou Da]

It went actually-great when it was recognized that syndication was the way forward and TNG became the king of that field.



People are going to read this as a paraphrase of the Enterprise opening and curse your name as they lay awake restlessly tonight.

Good, it was my intention.

Hopefully someone will continue the song.

 

[KidGalactus]

My suspicion is that this new movie will repair continuity in some way.

 

[Sinatar]

He doesn't have that bad of a track record. I heard good things about the Limitless TV series he's on.

He wrote/co-wrote Star Trek Into Darkness, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Cowboys & Aliens, and Amazing Spider-Man 2 just to name a few. I don't know how much lower a track record can go without entering Uwe Boll territory.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Streaming is the new "TV", no reason to assume that quality will suffer.

 

[JeffZero]

Good, it was my intention.

Hopefully someone will continue the song.

...

"Getting from there to here..."

 

[Kaladin]

He wrote/co-wrote Star Trek Into Darkness, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Cowboys & Aliens, and Amazing Spider-Man 2 just to name a few. I don't know how much lower a track record can go without entering Uwe Boll territory.

I was referring more to what I saw in his TV credits, as I would think that would apply more here.

But yeah, he doesn't having a promising feature film track record.

 

[JeffZero]

I was referring more to what I saw in his TV credits, as I would think that would apply more here.

But yeah, he doesn't having a promising feature film track record.

Kurtzman was built for TV. Not that he's the next Ron Moore on that front, either, but relative to his list of screenplays, his television work is a hell of a lot stronger.

In any case, it needs to be pointed out, I think, that Kurtzman isn't the head writer. He may not even write much at all. He's producing. He's helming this, and that will impact it, but he probably won't be doing much for the scripts.

 

[Himynameischris]

Yessssssssss!!!!!!!!! I should be done with all the series by then

 

[Kaladin]

Do we even know if this will be based on the Enterprise, or will it be a new ship or something else entirely?

 

[Archer]

The CBS streaming thing makes me think this is going to disappoint.

The show will give it a solid go on a budget, but the CBS channel will fail.

 

[JeffZero]

Do we even know if this will be based on the Enterprise, or will it be a new ship or something else entirely?

We don't know. But we do know, given CBS' phrasing in the announcement, that it's fairly likely it's at least a brand new crew.

 

[Kaladin]

The show will give it a solid go on a budget, but the CBS channel will fail.

CBS has been doing good things lately, have you seen Person of Interest?

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

The show will give it a solid go on a budget, but the CBS channel will fail.

I imagine cbs will keep the show and drop the channel if the viewing figures show that people are only tuning in for trek and nothing else (and let's be realistic, that's what will happen). Let's not forget the ludicrous amount of money that can be made from selling the show to foreign markets before it even airs. You better believe that sky or some other uk broadcaster has put out feelers to get the uk rights.

 

[TyrantII]

The show will give it a solid go on a budget, but the CBS channel will fail.

Isn't Trek one of the most streamed thing on Netflix? Might have changed recently, but my guess is that is CBS's thinking. It'll undoubtedly be a loss leader, but it brings people into the fold, and if it's good programing it generates buzz and PR centered around the product they are pushing.

Like Netflix they're going to leverage original programing to build their brand platform. Then later there's syndication and streaming right where they make money on the back side when its no longer new.

 

[JeffZero]

The show is already halfway paid-for on early international investments alone, according to Les Moonves. Granted, it's Les Moonves. But given how early-days this is, if there's a kernel of truth to that then it's pretty damned impressive.

I think the perspective that no one will watch anything else on All-Access is a bit flawed, to be honest -- there are going to be more project announcements; there always are. They will cater to different crowds.

Isn't Trek one of the most streamed thing on Netflix? Might have changed recently, but my guess is that is CBS's thinking. It'll undoubtedly be a loss leader, but it brings people into the fold, and if it's good programing it generates buzz and PR centered around the product they are pushing.

Like Netflix they're going to leverage original programing to build their brand platform. Then later there's syndication and streaming right where they make money on the back side when its no longer new.

This is exactly right on all fronts.

Trek continues to blow the roof off of streaming numbers several years after it was added to the catalog. Undoubtedly CBS saw this and everything crystallized.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

I hope this is actually Star Trek and not another take on the Kirk and Spock Action Hour.

 

[Quick]

...

"Getting from there to here..."

It's been a long time, but my time is finally near.
And I will see my dream come alive at last.

I will touch the sky.

Spoiler

I liked Enterprise's intro. Come at me.

 

[Kaladin]

I tried CBS All Access. I found it troubling that you couldn't even stream every episode of the current season of their current running shows.

It was basically only a few episodes of any given show. It was pretty much what CBS had on their streaming site before they went All Access.

I hope this isn't the case with the Trek show.

 

[Super Wario]

I want Enterprise Season 5 and beyond, but it will probably be some crappy series like the two new movies with no Star Trek feeling at all. Just some random sci-fi with Star trek characters.

If they don't bring back Enterprise, at least bring back Dr. Phlox.

 

[BrokenFiction]

They've got to reset the universe or go back in time, following the logical technology curve that grew in universe between TNG, DS9 then Voyager, the technology is practically god-like and can do anything. Not making for real compelling drama there.

 

[JeffZero]

I kind of want to spruce the OP up with some GAF-made pics, but I have the Photoshop skills of a lifelong Buddhist ascetic. Is there someone willing to volunteer (and of course be credited for their genius)?

 

[MisterHero]

Can't be worse than the new movie trailer, and I already watched Voyager and Enterprise when they were new.

I'm up for anything now.

Spoiler

bring back Shatner before he dies plz