Everything You Need to Know About the Newest ‘Star Trek’ Series

Paramount / CBS ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ debuts this Thursday on Paramount+

This Thursday will mark a bunch of firsts for the “Star Trek” franchise. October 28, 2021, will be the first time fans will get to stream “Star Trek: Prodigy,” which is the first show of the franchise to be geared toward children. Below are some of these firsts, along with everything you’ll need to know to watch “Prodigy.”

How to Watch

Fans who want to watch “Prodigy” must be a subscriber to Paramount+, where the series will stream. Eventually, the show will air on cable TV, courtesy of Nickelodeon. These entities — Paramount, Nickelodeon, and “Star Trek” — are owned by media conglomerate Viacom. 

The first episode will stream this Thursday, and the entire first season of the series will be 10 episodes, according to IMDB.

Who Is on the Show?

For most Trek fans, the big draw will be the return of Captain Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew. As the star of “Star Trek: Voyager,” fans are familiar with her no-nonsense style. Still, Janeway will be a hands-off character on “Prodigy” since she will be a hologram. 

The rest of the characters on the show are a group of teenage aliens. Heavy spoke with three of the show’s stars — Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), and Brett Gray (Dal). Rounding out the rest of the team are Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), and Angus Imrie (Zero). 

In addition, Paramount announced recently that actress Jameela Jamil will be on the show as well, as a Trill Ensign. Multi-talented actor/singer Daveed Diggs, best known for his role in “Hamilton,” will also be on the show as an Andorian named Commander Tysess. 

Returning to “Star Trek” will be Jason Alexander as Dr. Noum. Alexander is known the world over as George Costanza from “Seinfeld” and appeared on the “Voyager” episode “Think Tank.”

The most significant announcement from that release was the news that Chakotay (Robert Beltran) would also be reprising his role on “Prodigy.” The bad guys on the show will be John Noble and Jimmi Simpson. 

What is Janeway’s role?

Heavy’s own Robin Zabiegalski asked Mulgrew this question recently. Zabiegalski assumed that Janeway would be more of a mentor “Prodigy” compared to her commander role on “Voyager.” Mulgrew had an interesting response. 

“Captain Janeway was a mentor to get crew… to most of her crew,” said Mulgrew. ”Certainly, to characters like Seven of Nine. So that’s an innate part of her character.”

“I don’t think that Hologram Janeway or Captain Janeway would be very pleased to see the way Dal sprawls himself in the captain’s chair. But I will teach him in short order to sit up straight and fly right.”

Who Are the Show’s Creators?

The creative team that produced “Prodigy” is Dan and Kevin Hageman, and the show’s director is Ben Hibon. Heavy was able to ask them about the show’s tone at the New York Comic-Con, which you can check out here. The show’s writers include Aaron Waltke, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, and a few others. Check out the complete list of “Prodigy” writers and producers available from IMDB.

Without question, the Hagemans and Hibon owe a great debt to the franchise’s creator, Gene Roddenberry. 

How is “Prodigy” different from “The Animated Series” or “Lower Decks?”

The most significant difference between “Prodigy” and the two other Trek animated series is that ST:P was created using 3D-style animation. “The Animated Series,” which aired in the mid-1970s, was hand-drawn, cell animation, while “Lower Decks” uses Adobe Animate and is still considered 2D animation, according to the shows’ director, Barry Kelly.

Is the show Canon?

While this might be up for debate in some circles — as is the case with “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” — director Ben Hibon says that “Prodigy” is canon. That means what happens on “Prodigy” could have real-life effects on what goes on with other Trek shows. It also takes place in the Prime Timeline, and not the Kelvin-verse (or Mirror Timeline). 

When does “Prodigy” take place in the Trek timeline?

While this question might be answered by watching the show, some have speculated that “Prodigy” takes place in the same era as “Star Trek: Discovery.” That would put “Prodigy” in the 31st or 32nd Century. ScreenRant’s Dana Hanson suggests that the group of teens who finds the U.S.S. Protostar could have discovered it after the fall of the Federation. This would align with the story from Season 3 of “Discovery,” where both The Burn and poor communications made the Federation a relic from the past.

What Kind of Ship Is the Protostar?

Fans might see the Protostar and immediately think of the U.S.S. Prometheus, which appeared on “Voyager.” But the Prometheus is a class of its own, as its NX-76884 designation reveals. This new kind of ship might explain how a small and inexperienced crew could operate a starship. 

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