Star Trek Universe panels share details on three new shows

Today’s Star Trek Universe series of panel discussions at the San Diego ComicCon@Home event was just amazing. We learned the name of the new Trek show on Nickelodeon, found out that the creative team behind “Strange New Worlds” already has ten shows written episodes, and so much more.

If the 1990s era of Trek — with “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager,” and “Enterprise” is considered the Golden Age of Star Trek — then what we’re experiencing might have to be categorized as the Platinum Age.

STRANGE NEW WORLDS UPDATE

First, Deadline writer Dominic Patten interviewed Trek executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. Kurtzman said that he and the bosses at CBS All Access had “heard the fans” who wanted a Star Trek Universe show featuring Anson Mount as Pike.

“I really wanted to say something at the last ComicCon,” said Kurtzman. “We were already having really active conversations at that point. The [writing] room has started, and there are ten stories broken, which is very exciting.

“They are just at the beginning, but it’s one of those shows that everybody came in with such enthusiasm and love,” said Kurtzman.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY

Heather Kadin spoke a bit on the still-in-development Trek show which will air on Viacom-owned Nickelodeon. Kadin said this new show was a way for kids to have “a way into the Star Trek brand.” She then announced the name of the show, which is “Star Trek: Prodigy.”

Star Trek: Prodigy logo. Courtesy of CBS / Nickelodeon
Star Trek: Prodigy logo. Courtesy of CBS / Nickelodeon

NOTE: Trek Report noted that the name of this new show might be called “Prodigy” back in June, when we reported on the massive search for talent for the upcoming show.

Kadin shared that she is also proud to work on franchise that “really matters and really resonates.” She said that people who work on both sides of the camera want to produce shows and films that “say something.”

“I think in the case of Star Trek, thematically, it’s just been baked into what Star Trek is,” she said. “About a better hope, about equality, gender equality, racial equality, sexual equality. I mean… it’s what [Star Trek] is.”

“Prodigy” is expected to debut in 2021.

DISCOVERY PANEL

Michelle Paradise, co-executive producer of “Discovery,” hosted a table read of the Season 2 finale, “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2,” featuring most of the cast of actors who appeared on that episode. Afterward, Paradise asked various questions to the actors.

Mary Wiseman (Tilly) had some interesting comments on how their brand of Trek is not the finished product that is portrayed in the other shows.

“Our version of Star Trek… is that we don’t make assumptions that we’ve already reached perfection,” she said. “We allow that there’s more to do with ourselves and within the Utopia of the Federation and beyond. I think that’s a really important message right now because there are a lot of people who assume some of these issues are resolved, and they’re not.”

“I love that about our show,” said Wiseman.

Sonequa Martin-Green aka Michael Burnham
Sonequa Martin-Green aka Michael Burnham

Paradise asked Sonequa Martin-Green what is Michael Burnham’s hopes for her and for Starfleet’s future, since Season 3 will begin some 930 years after the end of Season 2.

“A salvation of sorts,” said Martin-Green. “We, the crew of [the Starship] Discovery, in the finale, are deciding to sacrifice everything that we have for the future. And so there’s the obvious hope that the plan works… even logistically, that we land where we are supposed to; defeat control and save the universe.”

Martin-Green said that she though Michael Burnham would continue to discover herself to find balance “between all the forces that wage within me.”

Doug Jones hinted that Saru suffered the greatest decision of his life, which was to leave Kanimar and his sister. He said that he hoped that somehow that Saru would reunite with his people as well, and felt that Saru’s people would eventually join the Federation.

LOWER DECKS

Next, the floor gave way to Mike McMahan, the creator and showrunner of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” He told the audience that Lower Decks took place in the year 2380 in the “TNG era,” and it takes place after the events of “Star Trek: Nemesis,” but prior to “Picard.” He then shared this video:

McMahan then hosted a discussion with the voice talent from the show — Eugene Cordero, Noël Wells, Dawnn Lewis, Tawny Newsome, Jerry O’Connell, Jack Quaid, Fred Tatasciore, and Gillian Vigman. They each shared a bit on their characters, but as soon as they got close to giving details about the show, which begins airing on CBS All Access on August 6, the hilarious censoring “beeps” made sure the audience could not hear a thing.

Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom) trying to share something he should not have.
Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom) trying to share something he should not have.

Jerry O’Connell, who plays Commander Jack Ransom, is married to Rebecca Romijn, who also plays a first officer on “Strange New Worlds,” mentioned that the couple enjoys spending time with Jonathan Frakes. On TNG, Frakes famously played Riker, or Picard’s second in command. O’Connell teased that he might livestream the three “Number Ones” the next time they get together.

Jack Quaid did leak that the Holodeck does in fact work on the U.S.S. Cerritos, and there are quite a few stories that involve the Holodeck.

PICARD

Finally, Patten returned to visit with the cast from “Star Trek: Picard.” Sir Patrick Stewart spoke first, and admitted that he struggled at first with all the new faces on this cast.

“For me, a lot of the first half of the first season was literally getting to know the people that I was working with,” said Stewart. “I learned their first names but I still haven’t learned their second names.”

“We allow for that because you’re very old,” said Marina Sirtis, as everyone laughed. She and Frakes both shared that after Nemesis, they never thought they’d appear in the Star Trek Universe again.

The cast answered various questions from Patten, and revealed that they called Stewart by the nickname “SPS,” while Stewart revealed that others called him “P-Stew.”

The Queen calls him Sir Patrick, but his friends call him P-Stew.
The Queen calls him Sir Patrick, but his friends call him P-Stew.

Echoing many of the other voices throughout the various panels, was Michelle Hurd, who said that she was proud to be part of something that “gets it.”

“We always talk about Star Trek holding a mirror up to society. Perhaps society needs to look at us and start replicating what we’re doing, because we’re trying to tell stories to heal.”

Frakes added: “Gene Roddenberry said that in the 23rd Century there would be no sexism and no racism and no hunger and no greed.”

“Let’s make it happen!” said Hurd.

The show ended with an ask by several of the stars to support the charity, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.