star trek discovery

1987 saw the launch of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and the brand was back on the small screen.  ‘The Next Generation’ was so successful (it lasted for seven seasons, four more than the original) that it opened the door for ‘Deep Space Nine’, ‘Voyager’ and ‘Enterprise’.

It’s been 12 years since ‘Enterprise’ ended, but ‘Trek’ fandom hasn’t faded.  There have been the big screen reboots, but those have emphasized action and due to their limited time frames, can’t develop the deeper interpersonal connections that the TV shows had, which hooked so many fans.

But at long last, a new series will be available– ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ a prequel to the original series that will be available exclusively through CBS All Access.  But that may not be all there is in terms of new ‘Trek’ series.  Like ‘TNG’, could ‘Discovery’ kick off a new string of ‘Trek’ shows?

“I think that’s totally possible,” replied Alex Kurtzman, the executive producer of ‘Discovery’.  In particular, one idea that may be headed our way is Bryan Fuller‘s original concept for what evolved into ‘Discovery’.  Fuller’s idea was for an anthology series, with each season focusing on a new cast in various aspects of the ‘Trek’ universe in different time periods.  The ‘Discovery’ that is actually airing, was supposed to only last one season, but as Kurtzman says, “It was a really cool idea, but it wasn’t necessarily an idea that everyone immediately agreed with.”

Fuller, who was serving as showrunner, split from the show in order to focus on his Starz series ‘American Gods’.

Even if this version of ‘Discovery’ doesn’t fit Fuller’s original vision, that doesn’t mean that fans won’t eventually get to see something along those lines.  Kurtzman added:

“It’s a cool idea, but at the same time, I’ve now fallen in love with the characters on this ship [Discovery].  I like seeing them. I like being with them. And I wouldn’t necessarily want to throw them away at the end of the season for a new show.

“I would not want to limit our storytelling, especially given the topics that we’re bringing up this season. It’s not just one season’s worth of television.

“I think the idea might be that there are more Star Trek series [further down the line].”

Of course, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Fuller would be interested in returning to develop this version after walking away once.

Would you be interested in seeing a ‘Trek’ anthology series along the lines of ‘American Horror Story’ that changes storylines, settings, and characters each season?  Or would you rather wait and see how ‘Discovery’ turns out before deciding if we need more ‘Trek’?

Source: Digital Spy