Paramount+ Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series "Strange New Worlds."
With five shows currently streaming and at least two more in production, fans of “Star Trek“ have more options than ever and a favorite appears to be emerging.
Since the premiere of “Discovery” in 2017, Paramount has gone on to produce “Picard,” starring Patrick Stewart reprising the role of Captain Jean Luc Picard, and the animated shows “Lower Decks” and “Prodigy.” But it is the show “Strange New Worlds” that fans appear to favor.
IndieWire reported on August 10 that “Strange New Worlds” had the best debut of any “Star Trek” series on the Paramount+ streaming service. The British, in particular, enjoyed the show, as it was the second most watched series in the United Kingdom.
“Strange New Worlds” is a prequel to the original series, set aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at a point when Christopher Pike is still in command. Pike, played originally by Jeffery Hunter, is now portrayed by Anson Mount, who made his first appearance in the role on “Discovery.” Original series favorites Uhura and Spock, along with a cast of new characters, also appear in the series.
Feeling the Love
“Star Trek” fans, and even stars like William Shatner, have not always had kind things to say about newer Trek shows, but “Strange New Worlds” appears to have escaped much of this kind of criticism.
“‘Star Trek’ fans all over the world embraced this incredible new ‘Star Trek’ journey,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of Paramount Streaming, according to IndieWire. “We are thrilled that the ‘Star Trek’ universe continues to be one of the most-watched franchises on the service.”
Kurtzman Recognized for His Work
The premiere episode of “Strange New Worlds” was written and directed by showrunner Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the story along with Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet.
Kurtzman, in particular, is a name with which many Trek fans are familiar. He came to the franchise in 2009 when he co-wrote the script for the “Star Trek” reboot film starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk.
Collider reported that George Cheeks, president and chief executive officer at CBS, offered praise for Kurtzman’s work on the various Nu Trek shows over the years.
“Over the past six years, Alex Kurtzman and his amazing team have brilliantly created and carefully curated a new ‘Star Trek’ universe for Paramount+ with five complementary series – each different in tone, style, story and in some cases target audience,” Cheeks said. “Each series is a success in its own right, and now the franchise’s newest edition, ‘Strange New Worlds,’ is earning critical acclaim and delivering notable performance achievements on the service, both domestically and internationally. We look forward to the franchise’s continuing journey on Paramount+ here in the U.S. and globally, where in the case of ‘Strange New Worlds,’ we’re just getting started.”
More Worlds to Come
The first season of “Strange New Worlds” has come to a close and all episodes are available on Paramount+. ComicBook.com, a part of ViacomCBS, reported that filming on season 2 had wrapped in July 2022. The 10-episode season is expected to air sometime in 2023 and Kurtzman said the future of this and other series looks bright and long.
“Four years ago, we made a promise to grow ‘Star Trek’ into something it had never been before, and thanks to the incredibly hard work done by our many talented showrunners, writers, and directors, along with the extraordinary support of CBS Studios and Paramount+, we’re keeping our word,” he said. “Now, our current shows are set up for the future as we work to build Trek’s next phase of programming for years to come.”