The past few years have been ones of bounty for Trekkies like us. After DS9 and Enterprise's denouement, we hadn't had much to look forward to beyond the JJverse reboot, which was itself an extremely divisive return.
Luckily for the fandom at large, we were just about to enter into a new, prosperous era of Trek on TV. Ushered in on the wings of Star Trek: Discovery, we found new places to boldly go and new crew to love and explore with. In fact, these past few years have seen the most new Trek on TV of any era of the beloved sci-fi series.
It seemed there was something for everyone, from the shiny newness and badass mirrorverse adventures of the USS Discovery to the perfect balance of laughs, lore and heartfelt Trek that is Lower Decks and the high-gloss, mid-mod spectacle that is Strange New Worlds, we had it made. There was even a brand-new animated series geared at the little ones, Star Trek: Prodigy, that would help bring the next generation up to love Trek, too.
Star Trek: Prodigy was the little show on the lineup that could. Backed up by the massive talent and charisma of Kate Mulgrew's Janeway herself, this loveable bunch managed a none too small feat -- get the interest of younger generations who didn't know much about Trek, and give longtime fans, especially those who loved Voyager and her crew, brand new tales worthy of any live-action Trek. So it's an equally massive shame that Paramount+ announced Prodigy's cancellation today, even with an almost fully completed Season 2 previously promised to air later this year.
Prodigy's characters were vibrant, well-rounded, age appropriate and still had the mass appeal of a mainline Trek show. And while originally geared at children, Prodigy featured some of the darkest, most existential horrors to plague a crew, alongside some substantially scary and evil villains.
This cast was a gang that could've come straight out of the island of misfit toys, and were thrown into a situation no kids should have to handle. Star Trek: Prodigy rightly taught kids about chosen family, belonging, and being true to who you are while also taking deep dives into Voyager lore and creating very real, very extensive threats for Starfleet as a whole. To put it mildly: it was better than it had any right to be, and we absolutely loved it.
The cancellation is shocking, and a gut-punch for Trek fans, not just because of how unexpected it was, given the new season's trailers and news of renewal for later this year, but because Paramount+ also revealed that Season 1 would be pulled from its streaming service, and Season 2, which was almost through production, would not be aired. It feels like insult to injury for a show we were just as invested in as Picard Season 3, that felt almost as epic at times.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, there is a final hope for fans of the show: Star Trek: Prodigy will finish its production and producers CBS Studios plan on shopping both seasons to a new buyer.
Reactions to the news came quickly, with fans and the show's creators expressing a natural amount of shock, disappointment, and heartbreak:
Julie Benson, a writer on Prodigy, said she was 'absolutely gutted' and hoped that "this beautiful show finds its way across the universe to another platform"
Meanwhile, actress Bonnie Gordon, who voiced the USS Protostar's computer, shared her heartbreak with fans and other crew from the show, mentioning how much love everyone poured into the series.
Aaron Waltke, the show's executive producer, took to Twitter to combat misleading headlines and remind fans that they will be completing production on the series on time and are actively looking for a new home.
And even though we Trekkies can recognize that we're still in a pretty stellar era for Trek, fans are understandably outraged and saddened by the news.
Here's just a few fan reactions to the news today:
What are your thoughts on the cancellation and Paramount+' s decision to remove Season 1 from the streaming platform? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping someone will help #SaveProdigy.
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