Starfleet Academy’ Greenlit By Paramount+

Paramount+ has announced a series order for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the latest live action dramatic entry in the now 57-year old sci-fi franchise. The series will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy.

The official logline: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Said co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau in a joint statement:

“Admission is now open to Starfleet Academy! Explore the galaxy! Captain your destiny! For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years (or species equivalent) who dream of exceeding their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who value friendship, camaraderie, honor and devotion to a cause greater than themselves. The coursework will be rigorous, the instructors among the brightest lights in their respective fields, and those accepted will live and study side-by-side with the most diverse population of students ever admitted. Today we encourage all who share our dreams, goals and values to join a new generation of visionary cadets as they take their first steps toward creating a bright future for us all. Apply today! Ex Astris, Scientia!”

Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will serve as co-showrunners and will executive produce Star Trek: Starfleet Academy alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber. The series, which begins production on an undisclosed date in 2024, will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.

Star Trek: Over the Years

Initially described as a combination of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, Star Trek made statements, then unprecedented, about topics like sex, religion, the Vietnam War and politics. And it has been cited as an inspiration for several technological inventions (including the cell phone when Captain Kirk used his communicator).

In 1987, 21 years after the original Star Trek concluded its three season run, came the first live action spin-off, Star Trek: The Next Generation. That entry aired for seven seasons. In between the two was Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1973-74.

Following Star Trek: The Next Generation came Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise (initially just called Enterprise), Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. There have also, to-date, been 13 feature films, the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy; the anthology series Star Trek: Short Treks, museum exhibits, books, comic books, magazines, games, toys, DVDs, websites and jam-packed conventions.

While the initial journey for Star Trek on NBC was two years short of that five-year mission (the network canceled the original Star Trek in 1969), the impact Star Trek has had in pop culture is unprecedented. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is now the latest entry in the timeless franchise. And it certainly won’t be the last.