Aside from an interesting distribution arrangement, little is known about the series at this point. The press release does specify that "The new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film Star Trek Beyond", although given Kurtzman's involvement, and the obvious marketing advantages of tying the two ventures together, I feel inclined to not take that statement too literally (are we talking "not related" in so much as nuTrek is distant to the prime timeline, or more like TNG's relationship to TOS, or DS9 to TNG...). The press release does offer a general Star Trek premise for the 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.Aside from Star Trek returning to TV after what will by then almost twelve years (!), the most interesting thing is the way CBS is going to distribute it. The first episode will air on the CBS Television Network, but subsequent episodes will be available exclusively via CBS's streaming service, CBS All Access, the first original production for the service. CBS are obviously hoping to give their streaming service a bit of a jump-start, to compete with the likes of Netflix, by matching the model of creating original content, and it seems it is down to us trekkies to make that happen for them! Internationally the series will be distributed for TV and other services.
You can read the full press release after the jump:
The Next Chapter of the Legendary “Star Trek” TV Franchise Will Premiere on the CBS Television Network, Then Move to CBS All Access Digital Subscription Service
Alex Kurtzman, Co-Writer and Producer of the Blockbuster Films
“Star Trek” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” to Executive Produce
CBS Studios International to Distribute the Series Globally
For Television and Multiple Platforms
STUDIO CITY, CALIF. AND NEW YORK, N.Y. – Nov. 2, 2015 – 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.
8 comments:
Well, I already use both Netflix and Amazon Prime but I'm not willing to drop Netflix or add a 3rd sreaming service, so I guess no more Trek for me, legally , maybe.
Alec Kurtzman's involvment all-but guarantees that this new series will be absolute garbage... and its wonky exclusivity all-but guarantees it won't last very long.
And the world being what it is, the inevitable failure of this TV show will all-but guarantee that the studio bigwigs will write off Star Trek as a franchise that "just doesn't have an audience anymore" yet again.
Perhaps because Paramount owns the NuTrek films but CBS owns the prime universe shows it will be prime universe. Also Kurtzman has done good stuff too, Fringe, Alias, Mi3, Trek09.
Have hope, this could be the start of something great, I'm excited Trek is not going to be on a network which would just kill it in a season in a ratings war. Like TNG airing in syndication this could be a format defining renaissance.
...I suppose those prior works are "good" from a certain point of view... but what matters most with Star Trek is the strenght of the scripts, and the writing in Alias and Fringe--and most notoriously of all, ST2009) was pretty awful.
Many Trekkies are very negative in advance. I think positive and believe they are doing a good job.
And it looks like we need an extended or a second Eaglemoss collection for the ships of the new series. :-)
I can't help it. The name Alex Kurtzman sucked the excitement right out of me.
I don't think we should be put off by the name Alex Kurtzman. The failures of Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek were made as a part of a larger team. CBS will undoubtably have the final say in what they want out of this new series and ultimately it all depends on what writer(s) they get onboard to conceive this show.
Like TNG before it, this new show needs to reach out to "the next generation" and invite new fans into this universe... The Prime Universe, the definitive Star Trek Universe.
The thing is, though, JJ's two Star Trek movies were well directed and moderately well-acted...the music and special effects were all fantastic... it was the script that sucked, and Kurtzman was substantially responsible for that.
As executive producer, it's possible he won't be writing any scripts (though this is unlikely--many of the worst Voyager scripts were written by producer Jeri Taylor)... but even then he would have the final word on whether or not a submitted script gets used or not, and it's painfully clear that he's incapable of recognizing quality writing.
And then, of course, there's his (willful) ignorance of the franchise.
So, yeah: Kurtzman's involvement is a pretty major indicator of the new series' likely quality.
But it's not the only one: the reboot universe wasn't even able to maintain a coherent setting for one movie... the setting, simply put, is too full of holes to be expanded upon with any real depth... not to mention the precedent those two movies set for transforming Star Trek into a generic action-movie with magical and fantastic elements in place of the more measured realism that defined much of Star Trek's golden years.
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