Originally Posted by : The Next Chapter of the Legendary “Star Trek” TV Franchise Will Premiere on the CBS Television Network, Then Move to CBS All Access Digital Subscription Service
Alex Kurtzman, Co-Writer and Producer of the Blockbuster Films
“Star Trek” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” to Executive Produce
CBS Studios International to Distribute the Series Globally
For Television and Multiple Platforms
STUDIO CITY, CALIF. AND NEW YORK, N.Y. – Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.
The next chapter of the “Star Trek” franchise will also be distributed concurrently for television and multiple platforms around the world by CBS Studios International.
The new program will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month. CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous “Star Trek” television series.
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.
Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new “Star Trek” TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films “Star Trek” (2009) with Roberto Orci, and “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams.
The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers. Kurtzman is also an executive producer for the hit CBS television series SCORPION and LIMITLESS, along with Kadin and Orci, and for HAWAII FIVE-0 with Orci.
“Star Trek,” which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. The original “Star Trek” spawned a dozen feature films and five successful television series. Almost half a century later, the “Star Trek” television series are licensed on a variety of different platforms in more than 190 countries, and the franchise still generates more than a billion social media impressions every month.
Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original “Star Trek” series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966 and aired for three seasons – a short run that belied the influence it would have for generations. The series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics and the environment.
“There is no better time to give ‘Star Trek’ fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. “Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.”
“This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-run ‘Star Trek’ series has gone before – directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access,” said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Digital Media. “We’ve experienced terrific growth for CBS All Access, expanding the service across affiliates and devices in a very short time. We now have an incredible opportunity to accelerate this growth with the iconic ‘Star Trek,’ and its devoted and passionate fan base, as our first original series.”
“Every day, an episode of the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is seen in almost every country in the world,” said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We can’t wait to introduce ‘Star Trek’s’ next voyage on television to its vast global fan base.”
CBS All Access offers its customers more than 7,500 episodes from the current television season, previous seasons and classic shows on demand nationwide, as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in more than 110 markets. Subscribers can use the service online and across devices via CBS.com, the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, as well as on connected devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku players and Roku TV, with more connected devices to come.
The new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film “Star Trek Beyond,” which is scheduled to be distributed by Paramount Pictures in summer 2016
Fuck CBS. This isn't 1999. I'm not buying a subscription to your new service just to watch Star Trek sight unseen. You are not the NFL. Even the NFL ran into wall trying to worm their way into the basic channels. This reeks of arrogance and dipshittery. [Reply]
They think that the name "Star Trek" has so much value that people will drop their pants and bend over for $5.99 a month when Into Darkness sucked, Enterprise wasn't good until the final season and they've had far, far more misses than hits with the franchise.
They need someone who's a huge Star Trek fan to produce the program, not another guy with no vision, whose TV shows quickly fall out of favor with fans.
I started to write something about how this is a dumb idea, but it occurs to me that it's also a step toward what TV is going to be in the future.
Eventually all the CBS content you can watch on other platforms (like Star Trek reruns) will only be available on this CBS service. And Fox will have one, and ABC will have one, and so on, and we're going to have to subscribe to all these mini-Netflixes to get access. It's why Netflix is investing so heavily in original programming, because they know someday their original programming is all they'll have. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Jamie:
I started to write something about how this is a dumb idea, but it occurs to me that it's also a step toward what TV is going to be in the future.
Eventually all the CBS content you can watch on other platforms (like Star Trek reruns) will only be available on this CBS service. And Fox will have one, and ABC will have one, and so on, and we're going to have to subscribe to all these mini-Netflixes to get access. It's why Netflix is investing so heavily in original programming, because they know someday their original programming is all they'll have.
Well yes. Its becoming more "ala carte" which is what people have been asking years for. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!:
No. They blatantly ripped of Wrath of Khan, but did it poorly and insulted ST fans everywhere. Into Darkness is an abomination; Wrath of Khan is the best ST movie ever made.
I thought 'Into Darkness' had moments approaching greatness.
But yes, it was the stupid script/Khan reboot idea that was its undoing.
They would have been better off coming up with an original idea than attempting a Khan ripoff. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
CBS, Paramount and Les Moonves don't get it.
They think that the name "Star Trek" has so much value that people will drop their pants and bend over for $5.99 a month when Into Darkness sucked, Enterprise wasn't good until the final season and they've had far, far more misses than hits with the franchise.
They need someone who's a huge Star Trek fan to produce the program, not another guy with no vision, whose TV shows quickly fall out of favor with fans.
This has disaster written all over it.
Ron Moore needs to be that guy. He's got experience of producing quality sci-fi shows, knows how to write, and most importantly, knows Star Trek. Hell, he practically created half of the universe himself. He knows how to create intrigue and curiosity about new alien species, and how to refresh and give a facelift to the old ones. You give him the power to make ALL the calls, and Star Trek will succeed.
Unfortunately... yeah... Paramount.
I have a feeling we're going to regret these Star Trek reboot movies for a long, long, time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Jamie:
I started to write something about how this is a dumb idea, but it occurs to me that it's also a step toward what TV is going to be in the future.
Eventually all the CBS content you can watch on other platforms (like Star Trek reruns) will only be available on this CBS service. And Fox will have one, and ABC will have one, and so on, and we're going to have to subscribe to all these mini-Netflixes to get access. It's why Netflix is investing so heavily in original programming, because they know someday their original programming is all they'll have.
Public TV stations operate on licenses. If they went to an all pay format, I'd suspect there would be pushback. But, the big boy networks all own major cable stations also. They could just put their worse shit on free TV and sell their best stuff [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
Public TV stations operate on licenses. If they went to an all pay format, I'd suspect there would be pushback. But, the big boy networks all own major cable stations also. They could just put their worse shit on free TV and sell their best stuff
Two problems remain, however:
1. No one knows what's "good" until it connects with an audience. If network execs knew what was going to connect, they wouldn't spend $250 million a year doing pilots. No one every knows beforehand.
2. While subscription services are great and give businesses like Netflix, Amazon and now Hulu (not to mention HBO Go! and Showtime's new app) opportunities to create original programming, the overwhelming majority of revenues come from Over The Air advertising on the Big Four networks. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
Two problems remain, however:
1. No one knows what's "good" until it connects with an audience. If network execs knew what was going to connect, they wouldn't spend $250 million a year doing pilots. No one every knows beforehand.
2. While subscription services are great and give businesses like Netflix, Amazon and now Hulu (not to mention HBO Go! and Showtime's new app) opportunities to create original programming, the overwhelming majority of revenues come from Over The Air advertising on the Big Four networks.
They can put it on free TV and if its a hit, move it to pay TV. [Reply]
Looks like this show will have to be a downloaded show off a torrent site if I want to watch it. I pay too fucking much to TWC a month to ship off more money for a service where I receive just one show of interest. They can blow it out their ass. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
They can put it on free TV and if its a hit, move it to pay TV.
There's far more money with OTA networks than the subscription model.
When shows like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men draw 20 million viewers per week, the network is earning hundreds of millions per season and even more when it goes to syndication (if it's produced by the network). They'd lose that money moving to a $5.99 per month subscription model.
For example, HBO complains about the $60 million dollar budget for 13 episodes of Game of Thrones, yet NBC had no problem paying the six "Friends" one million per episode for a 24 episode season, or $144 million per season, just for the actors. They did it for ER, too.
Streaming just can't compete with that at this time. [Reply]