Report: CBS ‘Star Trek’ Series Returning to Original Franchise Continuity
Among the many questions raised by CBS’ announcement of a new All-Access streaming Star Trek for 2017 under Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller, fans had to wonder if a TV return would follow the J.J. Abrams reboot films, return to the original timeline, or perhaps exist independent of both. Now, reports suggest that not only is the original continuity back in play, we know which Star Trek properties the new CBS iteration will fall between.
According to Birth.Movies.Death, the new as-yet-untitled Star Trek series will first return to the timeline previously rebooted by J.J. Abrams’ film series, but still take place after the original Enterprise crew have made their mark on the galaxy. Set sometime between Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country and The Next Generation TV series (thereby making original cast cameos unlikely), the new series will be “heavily serialized” with a new, non-Enterprise ship.
Additionally, less confirmed is that Klingons may again feature as major villains of the series, despite the “Khitomer Conference” of Undiscovered Country brokering peace between the two races. It’s also possible that the series overall could operate as an anthology, changing time, setting and focus from season to season.
Hannibal and American Gods showrunner Fuller will headline the new streaming iteration of Star Trek as co-creator and executive producer, while Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer has also joined alongside Gene Roddenberry’s son Rod. So reads the initial synopsis for the series, which debuts on CBS in January 2017 before moving to All-Access:
The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.
Fellow producer Alex Kurtzman wrote both the 2009 Star Trek reboot and its 2013 sequel with frequent partner Roberto Orci, though Orci has no involvement in the new TV series.
Fans will be pleased to return to the past continuity, but what might it mean for the film series, after this summer’s Beyond?
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