YouTube Logo for Star Trek Day 2021
The first episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “The Man Trap” aired on September 8, 1966. So, each year on September 8, “Star Trek” fans celebrate the birth of the franchise. For the past few years, the day has been celebrated with online panels featuring Trek stars, visionaries, and creators, a tradition that’s continuing for Star Trek Day 2021.
Starting at 5:30 pm Pacific Time/8:30 pm Eastern Time, Trek icons from modern-day “Star Trek” and classic “Star Trek” will drop in to share insider details on the Trekverse. Here are all the details about the panels and how to watch them.
Panel Schedule
This year’s Star Trek Day panels offer something for every type of Trekker. There are panels about the Trek shows currently on the air as well as panels featuring Trek stars from fans’ favorite classic shows. Actors from each of the legacy “Star Trek” series will make appearances throughout the evening, and each of the new shows has a dedicated panel as well.
Here’s the full schedule for the evening:
5:30 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek” composer Jeff Russo and the Star Trek Day Orchestra open the celebration with a special performance.
5:37 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: The Next Generation” alum Wil Wheaton kicks off the festivities with his co-host, Mica Burton.
5:45 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Prodigy” panel with co-creators Dan and Kevin Hageman, animator Ben Hibon, and actors Dee Bradley Baker and Brett Gray.
6:03 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” actor Cirroc Lofton shares about his time on DS9 and the lasting impact of the show.
6:08 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Discovery” panel with showrunner Michelle Paradise and actors Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, and Ian Alexander.
6:25 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Enterprise” actor Anthony Montgomery shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show.
6:30 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” panel with showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and lead actors Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck.
6:50 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Voyager” actor Garrett Wang talks about his time on the show and why it’s still so relevant today.
6:55 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Lower Decks” panel with creator Mike McMahan and actors Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero.
7:25 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: The Original Series” icon George Takei talks about “Star Trek’s” beginnings and how it launched a dynasty,
7:30 pm Pacific Time: A celebration of “Star Trek’s” creator, Gene Roddenberry in honor of his 100th birthday. His son, Rod Roddenberry, joins Takei and TNG stars LeVar Burton and Gates McFadden to remember the man whose vision became a worldwide phenomenon.
7:50 pm Pacific Time: TNG actor LeVar Burton reminisces about “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
7:55 pm Pacific Time: “Star Trek: Picard” panel with showrunners Akiva Goldsman and actors Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, and Isa Briones. This panel will include a special performance of “Blue Skies” by Briones.
How to Watch
All the panels will be live-streamed on StarTrek.com. Head over to the website to catch your favorite stars. The entire program can also be streamed on the Paramount+ app for subscribers and will be broadcast live on the Paramount+ Twitch stream.
So, there are plenty of ways to watch! Make sure to sign on a little early in case there are issues connecting to the stream.
Fans who can’t catch the panels live will be able to watch them all in the Paramount+ app or on the Paramount+ YouTube channel after they air.
Big Announcements?
Trek “holidays” are often when big announcements about the Trekverse are made. At the First Contact Day 2021 celebration, the first trailer for “Picard” dropped, the release date for “Lower Decks” seasons was announced, and the first images of Captain Kathryn Janeway in “Prodigy” were released. On Captain Picard Day 2021, Paramount+ released a new teaser trailer for “Picard” and announced that the show will premiere in 2022.
So, it’s safe to assume that some big announcements about contemporary Trek will happen at the Star Trek Day 2021 celebration. Fans can only guess what information might be revealed.
Given what’s coming up in the Trekverse, some good guesses are: a release date for “Prodigy,” the first official trailer for “Strange New Worlds,” and new reveals about the plot of “Picard” season two.
No matter what, it’s going to be an awesome evening for Trekkers. Check Heavy for all the breaking news and big reveals.
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