Rumor: The Next 'Star Trek' TV Series Will Be Set Before 'The Next Generation,' Will Be An Anthology Series
CBS is using their new Star Trek series as the chief selling point of their new All Access streaming service and they're making a pretty compelling case as for why it will be worth plunking down a few bucks every month. After all, the new series will be run by the great Bryan Fuller of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies fame. Nicholas Meyer, the director Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is on board as a writer and producer. It even has the Roddenberry family seal of approval. This was more than enough to get me, a fairly dedicated Trek fan, on board.
Now, new details about the series have made their way to the internet and while you should keep a grain of salt or two on hand, they make this new show sound like one of the most promising and intriguing Trek series since...well, ever. In short: the first season will be set after the end of the original cast movies and it will be an anthology series.
The news comes to us via Birth Movies Death and hasn't been confirmed by any official sources. So be as hesitant about embracing this news as you see fit. The most surprising reveal here is that the series will have nothing to do with any incarnation of the Enterprise and will not be connected to J.J. Abrams' rebooted cinematic universe. In fact, the first season will journey into the unexplored time period between The Undiscovered Country and the the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Here are a few details:
I've also heard the show, which will be heavily serialized, will not be set on an Enterprise, although that feels like a no-brainer. One last rumble I heard, which I could not get second sourced at this time, so consider this a wild rumor: while the Khitomer Conference will have paved the way for Klingons and humans to find peace, Fuller has a plan as to how he can still feature villainous Klingons, something we haven't seen in decades!
And I say first season because the report goes on to add that this will be an anthology series, which means each season may not be directly connected to the others. So while the first season will take place in this particular era (and will hopefully feature those snazzy red uniforms), future seasons will be free to leap all around the Star Trek timeline. I'm personally crossing my fingers for a look at the Trek universe post-Deep Space Nine, only because that particular series opened up so many intriguing possibilities.
Taking place in a different timeframe/timeline than that Abrams reboot will allow the show to develop its own aesthetic and appeal directly to old school fans while creating a style that is all its own. Plus, anthology series are all the rage right now, with the likes of Fargo and American Crime Story receiving all kinds of accolades. This kind of set-up will allow Fuller and his team to pursue big name actors and tell take-no-prisoners stories. After all, everyone on camera only has to worry about a single season of episodes and characters won't have a narrative safety net. The latest Star Trek movies gave the greatest science fiction franchise of all time a well needed shake-up, so it's vital that the new television incarnation follow suit and try something new. This certainly sounds like a good start.
The currently untitled Star Trek series is expected to premiere in early 2017. The first episode will play on regular ol' CBS before it becomes an All Access exclusive.