Is New Star Trek Streaming Series Stalled?

So, a new Star Trek series is coming to CBS All Access. That sounds great, but how are they going to film it?

You don’t need me to tell you how the events of today would put shooting a new TV series on hold. We all know what’s going on out there, and we all want it to go away so things can get back to normal. That will happen when it happens, which puts the future of this new Star Trek series in question. I’m planning to talk about it this week because CBS All Access is a streaming service. And since this mentions Star Trek, you can bet your phaser (set to stun) that Stuart Sweet will get a (dis)honorable mention.

Introducing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

That’s the name of CBS All Access’s new Star Trek series. It’s set to star Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike. He’s joined by Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. So, I’m guessing this details Spock’s adventures before Captain James T. Kirk takes the helm of the Enterprise? (I should probably ask Stuart, our resident Trekkie.)

Is There a Disturbance in the Force?

Yes, I know that’s a Star Wars reference. I threw it in there to annoy Stuart. But seriously, there might be a problem with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I’m hoping CBS has already shot the first season before our lives changed. If not, then CBS All Access could have a huge problem on its hands. This would lead to a huge problem for an overly-grumpy Stuart upset that he didn’t get his latest Star Trek fix. He’s already miffed that Star Trek: Discovery’s third season is on hold due to current events.

There might be a way CBS could pull off filming its new Star Trek show. Here’s how it would go down: An outbreak of Rigellian Fever has every member of the Enterprise stuck in their cabins. They can only communicate over video as they frantically work to cure the illness. This would tie in with current events and yes, Rigelian Fever is a thing… at least in the Star Trek universe. (Stuart told me about it, of course.)

Stuart Sweet Still Salty Over Star Trek?

“Captain Sweet” of the “Starship Solid Signal Blog” has complained about CBS All Access. He was disappointed at the high cost of the streaming service compared to the Star Trek content it provided. I told him that’s what he gets for subscribing to a streaming service for just ONE show. I probably rubbed that in a little too much on a blog post of my own. After shooting my big mouth off, the joke is now on me.

CBS is committed to creating a plethora of Star Trek titles for its streaming service. There’s Star Trek: Picard, which CBS made free to all viewers. The network also plans to work on Star Trek: Lower Decks. This is set to be an animated series developed by Mike McMahan of Rick and Morty fame. There’s also talks about a Section 31-based series with Michelle Yeoh, as well a CG-animated series for Nickelodeon. With such a big commitment, CBS will find a way to shoot these shows.

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but here goes: It looks like I was wrong about CBS All Access. It’s probably going to become a good investment for Trekkies looking for new content.

There you go, Stuart. Are you happy now?

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.