As we reported some time ago, Paramount - the rights' holders for Star Trek - are actively looking to reboot the series on TV and are accepting pitches.
However, while all this may be very cool and exciting news, there's a lot more going on behind the scenes that may temper your enthusiasm.
Here's a quick rundown of everything we know.
NOT A WHOLE LOT, ACTUALLY
It's been talked about quite a bit, but there's very little concrete we've seen from Paramount or any of the major TV channels in the US that want to take it on. For one, there's a legal element between CBS, who own the TV rights, and Paramount, who own the film rights to it. According to reports, CBS has an option to turn into a TV series in the next couple of years, but haven't realistically looked at doing it. Simply put, they don't need the headache and they're doing just fine. Apparently, NCIS - one of their flagship shows - is the most watched TV show ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. Yes, really. And we're just as shocked as you.
SO WHO WANTS IT TO BE A THING?
Just about everyone. The original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation have said they're up for it. In particular, Michael Dorn, who played Worf the Klingon, has had a pitch for a spin-off show about his character in the works for quite some time. Likewise, David Ellison and Dana Goldberg, the guys who run Skydance and produced the last two JJ Abrams Star Trek movies, have said they want a TV series and are actively looking at taking it on. Fan support, as you can imagine, is a huge part of it and the show has some very high-profile fans. Stephen Fry, Conan O'Brien, Barack Obama - even Eddie Murphy is a fan. No, really.
WHAT'S THE STORY GOING TO BE ABOUT, IF THERE IS ONE?
Again, this is where it all gets tricky. As we reported, one Michael Gummelt - a superfan who's been lobbying for a new series for quite some time - was invited to Paramount to share his thoughts and pitch his idea to the studio chiefs. There's been no outcome on that, but it tells us a lot about what Paramount are planning. As we mentioned earlier, some spin-off ideas have been kicked around. Others suggested something set parallel to the JJ Abrams' Star Trek series, following another ship in that universe and with all the costumes and sets from that. The long and short of it is that we don't know.
It could very well be set many years after Voyager, Deep Space Nine and so on - just completely wipe the board clean and start over. It obviously can't go back to the very start because that's where (gulp) Enterprise went to. The most logical explanation we can think of is either set it in the JJ Abrams-iverse, which makes the most sense to us - OR set it years away from everyone else.
WOULD IT NOT BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO MAKE A TV SERIES LIKE THIS NOWADAYS?
Yes and no. Yes, it might be comparatively expensive - like with CGI and so forth. But the truth is is that once they've got over the initial cost, i.e. building all the sets and costumes, casting everyone, there's not a whole to pay for. Look at Game of Thrones as a decent example. A lot of the sets are reused and the CGI budget is held back for the season finale. Star Trek: The Next Generation followed a similar approach, holding back the budget for two-part episodes or season finales.
BUT WOULD ANYONE ACTUALLY WATCH IT?
You're reading this, aren't you? That's one. We'd watch it. That's two. So, yeah, people would watch it. Whether or not they'd like it is another story. It all depends on the scripts. Keep in mind that Ronald D. Moore, who started off on Star Trek, is now running one of US television's biggest shows - Outlander. He also worked on the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, which won a silly amount of awards and is hailed as one of the best TV shows of the last twenty years.
WHAT ABOUT NETFLIX? DIDN'T THEY WANT TO MAKE A STAR TREK SERIES?
Yeah, that got reported a few times. Truth is, nobody knows. The legal situation with Star Trek is so murky, it's quite difficult to make out. As best as we can understand, CBS owns the TV rights and Paramount owns the movie rights. Throwing VOD into the mix is anyone's guess. It could fall under TV rights, which belongs to CBS. If that's the case, good luck with that. CBS have been pretty clear that they're not actively pursuing another series. If it falls under movie rights, we're good. Paramount are actively trying to get a show up and running again, so Netflix could be an option for them.
IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY CONFIRMATION ON ANY OF IT ANY TIME SOON?
Eventually, yes. It's well reported that CBS' option to make another TV series for Star Trek has a time limit. What it is, we don't know. It could be a year, could be two - could be even longer. Nobody knows.
