Star Trek fanatics the world over are no doubt looking forward to watching more big screen adventures when Star Trek Beyond hits theaters this summer, but I know I’m not alone in thinking that CBS’ in-development Trek series is starting to sound like it could be as exciting as anything the franchise has ever delivered. The most recent addition to the show is Nicholas Meyer, well known within the fanbase for bringing Star Trek to true glory as the director and one of the writers behind Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This thing seems tailor-made to prosper, assuming it lives long.
The Star Trek series, which currently doesn’t have a subtitle yet, is being headed by Bryan Fuller, the visionary genius behind shows like Hannibal, Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me. We know his storytelling talents are up there with the best that TV has to offer, and he’s also got Star Trek history, having written for the Deep Space Nine and Voyager series. So getting Nicholas Meyer as a creative partner on this project is literally the best thing that could have happened to this series, beyond possibly raising Gene Roddenberry from the dead and getting his input.
Not only can Meyer boast Wrath of Khan as a signature work, but he also wrote and directed the stellar Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. And his was one of the minds behind the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. You know how people are always saying the even-numbered movies in the franchise are the good ones, while the odd-numbered ones are garbage? Nicholas Meyer was a huge part of why that pop culture belief exists – Fuller called him “one of Star Trek’s greatest storytellers,” according to Deadline – so his expertise on the writing team (or however this thing gets put together) should help to win over even the most skeptical Trekkies.
Why would anyone be skeptical? Well, this will be the first original series developed by CBS for their standalone streaming service, and its exclusivity there got a lot of fans hot under their black collars. But while some may have thought this was going to be a haphazardly thrown together cash grab, it looks like quality is the order of the day where the small screen Star Trek is concerned. Good TV should be worth shelling out a few bucks for.
No news has come out about a potential release date for the new series, only that it will hit the streaming service in 2017. Casting news has also been light, though actor Tony Todd recently said that he’s on a short list of actors for the show. If the show continues building its impressive crew behind the scenes, though, then I don’t care who ends up starring in it. Are you more excited now, Star Trek fans?
