Star Trek will finally be returning to the medium it belongs on for the first time since 2005. A new television series is in development.
CBS Television Studios has just formally announced the project. It will debut in January 2017 and will only be available through CBS' streaming service CBS All Access. Sadly, this means it will miss the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series' 1966 debut.
No specific plot details were made available, but the announcement said that it will focus on original characters. "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," the statement reads.
Alex Kurtzman worked on the scripts for J.J. Abrams’ 2009 and 2013 Trek films with Roberto Orci. Their K/O Paper Products banner will co-produce the series, notes The Hollywood Reporter. While Orci and Kurtzman no longer work together on films, the duo are still working on TV projects together and have an overall deal at CBS TV Studios.
Kurtzman, who will executive produce, has yet to find a writer for the project.
While Star Trek was born on television, there hasn’t been a series in the franchise since 2005, when Enterprise, a prequel series that starred Scott Bakula, ended following four seasons. When that show ended, it officially ended 18 consecutive years with a Trek TV series, starting in 1987, when The Next Generation debuted.
Paramount is set to release Star Trek Beyond on July 22, 2016.