Paramount+ Star Trek: Prodigy (Paramount+) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

I’m enjoying this.

I feel like this is more of a “me” issue than a “show” issue but this is the first Trek thing I’ve watched where it’s almost felt like catch-up to me. By that I mean, this show seems very clearly inspired visually and tonally by the work Dave Filoni did on animated Star Wars shows, particularly Rebels. That’s a fantastic show so it’s a good choice to emulate but it’s a little different for me to see Trek following someone else’s footsteps.

I also expected that the show was going to be aimed at a much younger audience than this appears to be. I was thinking it was going to be more for five year olds but it feels very much like a harder PG, particularly the first installments before they find the ship.

But those aren’t really complaints about the show, more observations about my expectations vs realities. I am enjoying what I’ve seen so far and looking forward to next week’s installment.

 

[Greg.K]

Dal is a very annoying character with his know-it-all attitude and stupid rash decision making (that of course is inevitably and obviously going to keep getting them into trouble). I hope the show outgrows that pretty quickly.

 

[TJPC]

I'm sorry, but the worst part of the show is the high pitched child voice on the largest character. It makes me want to fwow up!

 

[Jason_V]

I’m enjoying this.

I feel like this is more of a “me” issue than a “show” issue but this is the first Trek thing I’ve watched where it’s almost felt like catch-up to me. By that I mean, this show seems very clearly inspired visually and tonally by the work Dave Filoni did on animated Star Wars shows, particularly Rebels. That’s a fantastic show so it’s a good choice to emulate but it’s a little different for me to see Trek following someone else’s footsteps.

Well, let's be real about this. Trek has all but abdicated it's reputation as the leader in things like this. Aside from DS9 and S3 of Enterprise, they waited until the mid 2010's for true serialized story telling. Berman Era Trek abdicated talking about a lot of real world social issues. Discovery is trying to play catch up with all of that and they're getting hammered on social media. I'm not shocked they're inspired by something else.

Dal is a very annoying character with his know-it-all attitude and stupid rash decision making (that of course is inevitably and obviously going to keep getting them into trouble). I hope the show outgrows that pretty quickly.

I haven't seen this past episode yet, but that description of Dal fits Mariner over on Lower Decks perfectly. I would imagine the attitude and decision making fits a child (basically) much better than a Starfleet officer, but hey...let me watch the episode and then I'll be able to speak to it much better.

 

[Greg.K]

I haven't seen this past episode yet, but that description of Dal fits Mariner over on Lower Decks perfectly. I would imagine the attitude and decision making fits a child (basically) much better than a Starfleet officer, but hey...let me watch the episode and then I'll be able to speak to it much better.

He's reminiscent of Ezra Bridger in the first couple seasons of Rebels, though somehow even more reckless.

 

[Jason_V]

He's reminiscent of Ezra Bridgers in the first couple seasons of Rebels, though somehow even more reckless.

I have not seen Rebels. Never made it through Clones Wars. Abandoned Bad Batch. Don't remember anything of Droids and Ewoks. I barely made it through the Freemaker shorts and the Lego shows on Disney+.

 

[Nelson Au]

I watched the third episode last night. Josh, I have not seen much of the Star Wars animated shows, I saw some clips at my cousin’s house when he was playing the dvd for the kids. Those were I think the Clone Wars. But I see the influence from that and from the prequel Star Wars films too.

For me it’s more about the influence of the visual style of the aliens and not about the story telling, as I don’t have a frame of reference to compare that anyway.

I liked the design of the interior of the Protostar. It’s very much of the style of the modern Star Trek shows and films.

As far as this recent episode goes, I agree, Dal is an impulsive child on a selfish quest to escape from the life he was trapped in. I figure though his actions were shown to show his character realize he is in very deep and he needed help to get out. And he is likely going to be learning through out future episodes. What I’m not sure about is Gwynn? She’s nicknamed the Prodigy? She seems to be a very important character who will reveal something or change their situation.

 

[Jason_V]

Renewed for S2: https://deadline.com/2021/11/star-trek-prodigy-renewed-season-2-paramount-1234869896/

Mid season finale is November 18. The season picks up again on January 6. Season 2 will premiere at some point next year.

For those keeping score, Discovery Season 4 premieres on the 18th. Prodigy and Discovery should run concurrently for a while in the new year.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Ugh, what is the midseason finale crap? I thought we were past this. A ten episode season should not need time off in between. It’s brutal for momentum and engagement, and disrespectful of a paying audience.

 

[joshEH]

I'm guessing it probably has to do with the upcoming December-interval, which typically results in lower viewership-numbers (due to the holidays and people traveling, etc.) -- if they'd started the season earlier than they did, they'd probably have done it in a straight 10 weeks, there.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That would be easier to accept had Discovery not run uninterrupted in the same period this year, and by all appearances, this year.

That was supposed to be the hook for streaming. Not worrying about linear viewership numbers and network scheduling on a non linear platform. I loved having Discovery running through the holidays last year. It gave me the choice of whether to watch it on its normal night or delay it to a more convenient time. Not everyone celebrates every holiday in the same way at the same time and I thought it was a breath of fresh air last year that they recognized that by airing on 12/24 and 12/31.

 

[Jason_V]

That would be easier to accept had Discovery not run uninterrupted in the same period this year, and by all appearances, this year.

That was supposed to be the hook for streaming. Not worrying about linear viewership numbers and network scheduling on a non linear platform. I loved having Discovery running through the holidays last year. It gave me the choice of whether to watch it on its normal night or delay it to a more convenient time. Not everyone celebrates every holiday in the same way at the same time and I thought it was a breath of fresh air last year that they recognized that by airing on 12/24 and 12/31.

I thought the same thing...why break up a season this short in the first place? You lose all momentum with the story, have to do brand new promotion AND now compete with new Discovery on the same service.

Maybe they learning no one watched those episodes on the holidays last year and everyone "caught up" in January ahead of the finale? I mean, there has to be a reason, no matter how goofy the logic may be. Even Mandalorian aired straight through December last year.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Maybe they learning no one watched those episodes on the holidays last year and everyone "caught up" in January ahead of the finale?

And if so, what’s the problem with that?

I get that a 26 episode season will occasionally need to take a week or two off to manage production realities, but for ten episodes, it just feels like they’re jerking the audience around for no good reason. Long pauses in short seasons is almost always a recipe for audience disengagement.

It doesn’t seem like the reasoning is to prevent two shows from running at once since it’ll come back when Discovery is still on.

Maybe they’re just not ready with the other episodes but I would have rather they held the season until they could start and not have to stop.

 

[Jason_V]

For me, there's nothing at all wrong with people watching on their own schedule. I do it all the time, and like you said, that was one of the great things about streaming.

I would like to understand what's going on. Maybe someone will ask the question at some point and we'll all know.

I personally want things to run uninterrupted for their entire season. When they don't, you're right, audiences tune out. The incredibly long hiatuses for This Is Us made me check out early in 2020 and I haven't been back since. And I was a Day One watcher of that show.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Dal is a very annoying character with his know-it-all attitude and stupid rash decision making (that of course is inevitably and obviously going to keep getting them into trouble). I hope the show outgrows that pretty quickly.

One of the fun things -- for me -- is that the premise precludes Gene Roddenberry's idealized vision of a more evolved society. This is a motley crew of fugitives feeling their way forward. It allows for character arcs that wouldn't be as plausible for decorated Starfleet officers. And part of that is confronting the characters with their flaws so they can hopefully grow and do better.

I'm sorry, but the worst part of the show is the high pitched child voice on the largest character. It makes me want to fwow up!

Rok-Tahk is voiced by Rylee Alazraqui -- daughter of the actor who plays Deputy Garcia on "Reno 911!" -- who is only a couple years older than her character. As she gets older, the character's voice will probably get less childish too.

What I did find interesting was that, before the characters had access to the Protostar's universal translator, Rok-Tahk's "real voice" was much more in keeping with her large physical form. So when the universal translator adapts language for the recipient's understanding, it also apparently builds in vocal clues as to the speaker's age and demeanor.

Renewed for S2: https://deadline.com/2021/11/star-trek-prodigy-renewed-season-2-paramount-1234869896/

Here's the full press release:

11.08.2021

PARAMOUNT+ RENEWS ORIGINAL ANIMATED KIDS’ SERIES “STAR TREK: PRODIGY”
FOR A SECOND SEASON

WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN...
“Star Trek: Prodigy” Mid-Season One Finale Will Be on Thursday, Nov. 18,
Returning with New Episodes on Thursday, Jan. 6
Series Produced by Nickelodeon and CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Productions​

Nov. 8, 2021 – More adventures await the motley crew of the U.S.S. Protostar. Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, today announced that its new animated kids series STAR TREK: PRODIGY has been renewed for a second season. Produced by the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Production, STAR TREK: PRODIGY is already a hit amongst Paramount+ subscribers, and had the top-performing premiere day out of any original animated kids series on the service.

Season one of STAR TREK: PRODIGY premiered on Thursday, Oct. 28 with a one-hour episode, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. New episodes of the first half of season one will continue to roll out weekly on Thursdays through Thursday, Nov. 18. Following a mid-season break, the remaining five episodes of season one’s first half will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays, starting on Thursday, Jan. 6. The 10-episode-long second half of season one will be available on Paramount+ at a later date next year, to be announced.

The STAR TREK: PRODIGY voice cast includes Kate Mulgrew (Hologram Kathryn Janeway), Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok).

Developed by Emmy® Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (“Trollhunters” and “Ninjago”), the CG-animated series STAR TREK: PRODIGY is the first “Star Trek” series aimed at younger audiences, and follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the “Star Trek” franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY is from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ new animation arm; Nickelodeon Animation Studio, led by President of Animation Ramsey Naito; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers, alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman and Ben Hibon, who also directs and serves as executive producer and the creative lead of the animated series.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY is distributed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group and is also available to stream on Paramount+ in international territories, including Latin America, the Nordics and Australia. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

About Paramount+:
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About the “Star Trek” Universe on Paramount+:
The “Star Trek” Universe on Paramount+ includes current and upcoming seasons of the original series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and the upcoming STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS and STAR TREK: PRODIGY, the first “Star Trek” series aimed at younger audiences. The “Star Trek” Universe on Paramount+ also includes all 726 episodes from the six classic “Star Trek” series and a selection of “Star Trek” films, including the documentary WOMAN IN MOTION: NICHELLE NICHOLS, STAR TREK AND THE REMAKING OF NASA.
For additional info on and photography from Paramount+’s STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS and STAR TREK: PRODIGY, please click here.

About CBS Studios:
CBS Studios is one of the world’s leading suppliers of entertainment programming, with more than 70 series currently in production for broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, which includes genre-defining franchises such as “NCIS,” “CSI” and the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, as well as an extensive library of iconic intellectual property. The Studio also develops and produces local language and international content originating outside of the U.S. with series in the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

About Nickelodeon:
Nickelodeon, now in its 42nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

#StarTrekProdigy
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @StarTrekonPPlus, @StarTrek, @ParamountPlus
* * *​

Paramount+ Press Contacts:
Nikki Kozel: [email protected]
Leigh Wolfson: [email protected]

CBS Studios Press Contact:
Jennifer Verti: [email protected]

Nickelodeon Press Contacts:
Katelyn Balach: [email protected]
Molly Neuhauser: [email protected]

I'm guessing it probably has to do with the upcoming December-interval, which typically results in lower viewership-numbers (due to the holidays and people traveling, etc.) -- if they'd started the season earlier than they did, they'd probably have done it in a straight 10 weeks, there.

Those considerations definitely made since in the era of traditionally scheduled programming, when not being home meant setting a VCR or a DVR or missing out entirely. But once an episode is available to stream, it's available to stream.

Paramount+ still has less new original content than a Netflix, so maybe this is a way of stretching it throughout the year and dissuading people from unsubscribing.

That being said, a one month break isn't that bad. Given all of the shows I'm watching at the moment, one less for a few weeks is honestly a relief.

 

[Jason_V]

Alright, “Starstruck.” Really concise and encompassing definition of the Federation from Janeway. Also a number of easter eggs in the projections including, but not limited to, Voyager, Defiant, Spock and a Constitution ship.

After their escape last week, this was a nice contained adventure so we could start to see these kids work together. It was imperfect and they struggled, but that was the idea: they’re not Starfleet and don’t even know which way starboard is. I bet the target audience is in the same boat, meaning this show is speaking right to them.

I have zero issue with the way anyone in the episode acted. These are kids with no training who were basically slaves a day ago in their chronology. Of course they’re going to be rough around the edges and abrasive. Picard was a complete dick early in TNG, lest we all forget. But he evolved over seven seasons, four movies and one season of Picard. Let’s give these characters the same time to evolve and revisit this convo again in 2050.

 

[Doug Wallen]

I thought when the Diviner was speaking to Gwynn, he was addressing her as, "Progeny"!

Maybe my ears aren't working .

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I thought when the Diviner was speaking to Gwynn, he was addressing her as, "Progeny"!

Maybe my ears aren't working .

He did. Loving and affectionate father, he is not.

 

[Nelson Au]

Maybe the winter break is to keep subscribers on longer who would sign up for a month or two and hope to binge the series then end the subscription. But that would make more sense after the season ends.

 

[AlexF]

The break is also so that there's no overlap with Discovery.

It was stated early in the game that the aim was to have a new Star Trek episode every week of the year.