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Back in October, we reported that Bryan Fuller had stepped down from his role as showrunner on the upcoming CBS streaming series ‘Star Trek Discovery’. Since then, both Fuller and CBS have confirmed that this was so that Fuller could focus on other projects, particularly his long-gestating Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’.

In a statement released at the time, CBS noted that while Fuller “is no longer able to oversee the day-to-day of ‘Star Trek'”, he would nonetheless remain involved as an executive producer, helping to chart the course of the season. Of course, as anyone who has been to film school will tell you, “executive producer” is the sort of credit that can encompass anything from being on set all day, every day to having an office on the lot that you occasionally visit. Given that, the nature of Fuller’s continuing involvement with the series – if any – was something of an open question.

But no more. Fuller himself, speaking with Newsweek, has now clarified both the circumstances of his departure and the current nature of his involvement with the show.

Regarding his departure, Fuller described the situation as bittersweet, but noted that “it was a situation that couldn’t be resolved otherwise:

Photo credit: CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com
Photo credit: CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com

“Ultimately, with my responsibilities [elsewhere], I could not do what CBS needed to have done in the time they needed it done for ‘Star Trek’. It felt like it was best for me to focus on landing the plane with ‘American Gods’ and making sure that was delivered in as elegant and sophisticated a fashion as I could possibly do.”

This effectively confirms what many had already suspected regarding Fuller’s departure. But just how much of a departure was it? The writer/producer continues:

“I’m not involved in production or postproduction, so I can only give them the material I’ve given them and hope that it is helpful for them. I’m curious to see what they do with it.”

So there you have it. Bryan Fuller no longer has any active involvement with ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. It’s disappointing, but not exactly surprising, all things considered. And of course, his role as showrunner has since been assumed by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who will be working alongside co-creator Alex Kurtzman. Both Berg and Harberts have worked with Fuller in the past, so their presence should ensure that his influence continues to be felt on the series. But what about the future? Fuller left open the possibility of returning to ‘Discovery’, perhaps for the show’s second season, and was quick to note while that was ultimately up to CBS, he would gladly answer the call.

The pilot episode of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ will premiere on CBS on an unspecified date in May 2017. After that, the series will move to the CBS All Access streaming service for all subsequent episodes, which will also be available in certain territories. Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more news on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ as

Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more news on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ as it becomes available.