Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Has A New 60th Anniversary Opening – But There's One Major Problem

In the United States, Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi series "Star Trek" debuted on September 8, 1966, which is often considered the show's official birthday. Of course, if you're Canadian, you got to see the series debut two days earlier, so the "official" birthday isn't quite accurate. Regardless, "Star Trek" will celebrate its 60th birthday in 2026, which is a cause célèbre for Trekkies everywhere. Naturally, the makers of "Star Trek" would like to remind you of that fact as often as possible, and one way to do that is by including a 60th anniversary vanity card at the beginning of every new "Star Trek" series on Paramount+. 

Since 2017, all the Paramount+ "Star Trek" shows have begun with a specialized vanity card that depicts a Starfleet vessel tracing out a Starfleet delta, all to the strains of Alexander Courage's original "Star Trek" theme song. The ship would change depending on the series. "Star Trek: Discovery" featured the U.S.S. Discovery, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" featured that show's version of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and so on. The new series, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," will be the first to feature the all-in-one 60th anniversary vanity card, which features every notable ship from every high-profile "Star Trek" series to date, from the original Enterprise, through the Enterprise-D from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and the title ship from "Star Trek: Voyager." 

Fans of the animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks," however, will be miffed to learn that the U.S.S. Cerritos, the central ship from that series, is disappointingly absent. This is a galling omission, given that "Lower Decks" is one of the more successful (and, frankly, better) "Star Trek" shows in recent memory. Also missing is the U.S.S. Protostar, the central high-speed vessel from "Star Trek: Prodigy." 

The omission of the U.S.S. Cerritos from "Star Trek: Lower Decks" is baffling. The animated series, to remind readers, was about a less-important ship in the Starfleet's fleet, typically assigned the less sexy and more boring tasks in the Federation. The main characters on the show weren't the higher-ups on the bridge, but a quartet of ensigns who worked really tedious jobs on the Cerritos. If we're to accept "Star Trek" as a workplace show, then "Lower Decks" served as a perfect counterpoint to shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Sometimes, the work in Starfleet isn't very dignified. Regardless, the four lead characters managed to grow up, if only a little, over the course of the series, all of them rising to the rank of lieutenant, junior grade. The series had a lot of heart, and was lousy with "Star Trek" references. Attentive Trekkies were well-rewarded by "Lower Decks." 

The show was a hit that lasted for 50 episodes over its five seasons. It's just as long-lived as "Star Trek: Discovery." And yet, the Discovery was included in the 60th anniversary vanity card, and the Cerritos was not. Why? 

Of course, the ending of "Lower Decks" came as part of a massive culling of "Star Trek" shows from the franchise. There was a brief period where six "Star Trek" shows were running concurrently, which was clearly not sustainable. "Lower Decks" was allowed to play out for five seasons, which was generous, given the fate of other shows in the franchise.

One might be able to understand why the makers of the 60th anniversary vanity card were asked to omit the U.S.S. Protostar, in light of the way "Star Trek: Prodigy" was treated. 

"Prodigy," as its fans can tell you (with a frustrated tone), was infamously canceled before its second season aired. Then, to rub salt in the wound, Paramount+ bafflingly removed the series from its service altogether. Paramount+ was presenting itself as the "Star Trek" network, and wanted to be the only place where "Star Trek" was available. To remove "Prodigy" from the available lineup of "Star Trek" content seemed counterintuitive to everyone. This whole kerfuffle gave Trekkies the impression that Paramount wanted nothing to do with the series. It was the rejected younger sibling of the family, kicked out of the house for reasons unknown. Of course, the show's cancelation might not have been personal; it came during the great culling as well. (The "Star Trek" franchise had its own metaphorical version of The Burn, a cataclysmic event depicted in "Discovery.")

The second season of "Prodigy" was eventually picked up by Netflix. Despite having a passionate cadre of defenders, however, "Prodigy" was not renewed.

Of course, the new "Starfleet Academy" series isn't above making references to "Prodigy." A Brikar, the species of Rok-Tahk from "Prodigy," makes a cameo in one of the first episodes. The vanity card doesn't acknowledge the series, but will still have "Prodigy" Easter eggs.

As it stands, the 60th anniversary vanity card has the Enterprise, the Enterprise-A, the Enterprise-D, the Defiant, the Voyager, the Enterprise NX-01, the Discovery, the Enterprise again (as it looks in "Strange New Worlds"), and the Athena.