It’s only logical it would come to this. The rejuvenation of Star Trek on the big screen, eventually, had to do the same for the franchise’s native medium, television. And after months of rumors and speculation, it’s actually happening—Star Trek is coming back to TV.
Multiple outlets are reporting that Alex Kurtzman, co-writer of 2009’s Star Trek and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, will executive produce a new Star Trek show through CBS Television Studios.
The show will premiere in January 2017 with a preview episode on CBS and then, in the U.S., move exclusively to the CBS video on-demand and streaming service, CBS All Access. It’ll be the first developed specifically for the CBS streaming service.
Internationally, the show will “be distributed concurrently for television and multiple platforms.”
So what’s this series going to be about? Here’s all the official press release said:
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.
It also added this:
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.
“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 of CBS Digital Media in a press release. “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.”
It’s certainly uncharted territory for a new Star Trek show to be available exclusively on a streaming service. But with the 50th anniversary coming up, Trek embracing technology seems like a pretty fitting celebration.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.