First teaser for the new Star Trek TV series

CBS have released the first teaser for the new Star Trek television series. It doesn't reveal a lot (the series wont start filming for months still), but does give us a first logo, and a some little teases, with the promise of "New crews, new villains, new heroes, new worlds".

Check it out, complete with everyone's favourite music cue.

Early DS9 logo, via TrekCore.

Interesting pluralisation of crews hmm? I rather hope the series gains a sub-title too, lest it join TOS, TAS, and the first nuTrek movie as yet another thing titled just "Star Trek". This is of course strictly a teaser, and I'd not be surprised if the look of things changed as the creative team get a better idea of what they're going for with the series. Just look how different the first DS9 logo was!

CBS All Access, the streaming service which will be the US home of the series, has also launched a new teaser site/landing page. At the moment it's just an animated version of the logo plus the teaser trailer, and a news sign-up form. But one to keep an eye on. There is also a Twitter account representing the writers room of the series, which hopefully should get interesting as they get more to say.

In other news from the series, CBS also recently announced that episodes will be released on a weekly basis (rather than Netflix' binge watch enabling season dumps). With CBS having an eye on international distribution via possibly more traditional TV airing in other markets, it makes sense for the US audience not to be able to spoil (and provide pirate copies of) episodes too far ahead of episodes airing on stations around the world. And of course it means US viewers keen to watch will actually have to maintain a subscription to CBS All Access, rather than dipping in and out to watch the series in one go.

CBS also announced there the series will be made, in Toronto, Canada. Pop Goes the News had more details in that, revealing CBS have booked out Stage 4 of Pinewood Toronto Studios, ready for them to use from September.

"Course heading, Captain?"

Finally there have been some rumours giving a lot more detail about the series. Birth Movies Death have suggested the series will take place in the prime timeline, and specifically in the period after The Undiscovered Country. Perhaps even more interestingly, they also suggest it will be an anthology series, with each season moving on to explore a new facet of the Star Trek universe.

There has previously been mention of show-runner Bryan Fuller seeing inspiration in The Undiscovered Country. And Eaglemoss' Ben Robinson, who seemed to be pretty well informed and connected with behind the scenes Trek people, appears to at least partially corroborate these rumours, in a tweet:

I'm not 100% sure it's true. I know someone would like that but not that it's agreed. Most of the rest of the report sounds right

While I certainly find what Star Trek novels refer to as The Lost Era an appealing period to explore, I'm kind of hoping the setting part of this rumour doesn't turn out to be true. I think it's a bit of a mine field of continuity (story and production design wise) to set a new TV series in the prime timeline at all, let along sandwiched in between TOS and TNG (remember all the nitpicking when Enterprise first aired, and that was a century distant from anything we'd ever seen before!). Then again, it would be awesome to see the Excelsior in action with today's effects... Whatever shape the new show takes, perhaps one of Kirk's lines from the end of The Undiscovered Country is something we should embrace:

Some people think the future means the end of history. ...But we haven't run out of history just yet. ...Your father called the future ...'the undiscovered country'. ...People can be very frightened of change.

UDPATE: With hilarious commitment to taking any opportunity to create Star Trek merchandise, the Star Trek Shop are now offering the first every products based on the new series! Available now, are an assortment of T-shirts and hoodies, plus a mug, all sporting the new logo!

The new Star Trek series is due to start in January next year. The first episode will air in the US on the CBS Television Network, but subsequent episodes will be available exclusively on the the CBS All Access on demand streaming service. International distribution has yet to be detailed.