‘Star Trek: Discovery’: What We Know So Far

Superfan

For the first time in a decade, there’s gonna be new Star Trek on TV. News about Star Trek: Discovery has been trickling out all year, but not without some turbulence along the way.

Discovery is set just before the original series and won’t take place in the alternate-reality timeline of the recent films. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, think less Chris Pine and more William Shatner.

Related: Ranking 50 Years of ‘Star Trek’ Series Premieres

The Walking Dead‘s Sasha, Sonequa Martin-Green, has been cast in the lead role. For the first time in any Star Trek, the show won’t center on a captain; instead, Martin-Green will play Lieutenant Commander Rainsford, a rank held by fan favorites like Data and Jadzia Dax. This could give the show a chance to explore the drama of working inside a complex bureaucracy, instead of simply saying, “Make it so” every episode. (We’re looking at you, Picard.)

Speaking of bureaucracy, Star Trek: Discovery has had a lot of trouble getting out of spacedock. CBS made a big splash in February, announcing that cult favorite Bryan Fuller, of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies, would be showrunner.

But in October, Fuller left, citing “scheduling conflicts” with his work on Starz’s upcoming American Gods adaptation. The shakeup came as Discovery was pushed back from January to May 2017.

CBS is pinning its digital hopes to the series. The network won’t be carrying Discovery on broadcast in the U.S. Instead, it’ll be the headline attraction for CBS All Access, the network’s attempt to compete with streaming giants Netflix and Amazon. A lot of Trekkers have been pretty vocal about being charged $5.99 a month after getting their Trek for free for 50 years.

Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on CBS and CBS All-Access in May 2017.

Check out these surprising facts about Star Trek:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram — or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.