The young crew (formerly) of the USS Protostar have hit a bump on their journey towards Starfleet and the rescue of the time-displaced Captain Chakotay.
Early this morning, Paramount+ announced they were cancelling Star Trek: Prodigy, along with three other shows, Rise of the Pink Ladies, Queen of the Universe and The Game. Not only are these shows being cancelled, but they are to be pulled from streaming in the upcoming weeks Star Trek: Prodigy was a joint venture with Nickelodeon, however, Nickelodeon will not continue to air the series on its channel.
Ella Purnell as Gwyn and Brett Gray as Dal. Photo: Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©2022 VIACOM INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved.
When reached for comment on the decision, a representative from Paramount said:
“Star Trek: Prodigy will not be returning for the previously announced second season. On behalf of everyone at Paramount+, Nickelodeon and CBS Studios, we want to thank Kevin and Dan Hageman, Ben Hibon, Alex Kurtzman and the Secret Hideout team, along with the fantastic cast and crew for all their hard work and dedication bringing the series to life.”
The representative stated that while Star Trek: Prodigy will be pulled from Paramount+ shortly, production will be completed on its second season, and they are looking for a new home for it. Paramount also “continue to be invested in growing the Star Trek franchise,” and this cancellation does not affect the future of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, which have been renewed for a third and fifth season, respectively. It also does not affect the announced Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series or the Star Trek: Section 31 movie.
This decision comes after a series of cost-cutting measures at Paramount. It was announced in January that Paramount+ will be merging with Showtime. This integration will be completed by the end of June. In early May, Paramount laid off 25% of its domestic TV staff and shuttered MTV News.
The removal of shows from streams has become popular of late with the downturn in their profits. Paramount+ recently removed titles such as Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone reboot, Harper House and Coyote. Max (while still known as HBOMax) was under fire for its swift removal of series such as Westworld and The Time Traveler’s Wife. Disney+ removed over a dozen original titles, such as the Willow sequel series and one of its inaugural shows, The World According to Jeff Goldblum. While Paramount’s savings are unknown, Disney is set to take a 1.5 billion dollar write-off due to the removal of their programs. It is estimated that Warner Bros. Discovery took a 1 billion dollar write-off for the removal of its shows.
This decision is devastating to those here at Strange New Pod. We have been such fans of the series. Star Trek: Prodigy kept the high standards of Trek, combining beautiful visuals, excellent music, and fantastic acting with tightly-written scripts. The animated format allowed for a diverse cast of aliens that would be unfeasible in live-action.
Jason Mantzoukas as Jankom Pog, Brett Gray as Dal, Rylee Alazraqui as Rok-Tahk, Ella Purnell as Gwyn and Angus Imrie as Zero. Photo: Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©2022 VIACOM INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved.
But most important of all is the role it served within the franchise. It was a gateway to bring in new fans: children. Let’s face it: With The Original Series inching towards its 60th anniversary, Trek fandom is aging. A new generation of fans needs to be brought into the fandom, and Star Trek: Prodigy was written with them in mind. But it wasn’t just a kid’s show that adults just tolerated. The deft writing of the series made it appealing to both kids and their Trekkie parents. Both Julian and Erik have stated multiple times how the series has given them an entrance point for their children, allowing them to share their passion.
I wish I could be surprised by this decision on Paramount’s part, but I’m not. The fact is that every streaming service is doing the same right now. Profits are down across the board. But the truth is this decision is not reached because of the lack of quality in the show, but for purely financial, money-saving reasons. The immediate outrage from both the Trek fandom and beyond proves how much viewers hate such decisions being made.
This is frustrating, as both a viewer and a creative. For viewers, a brilliant show is potentially ending with only two seasons… If Prodigy can find a home for its second season. I shudder to think what will happen if they cannot find a home. I’d hate to end up in a Batgirl situation, with it mouldering on a hard drive somewhere unwatched. But removing the show from Paramount+ feels like a punch to the gut. Consumers have been told for years that the advantage of streamers is the ability to watch what we want when we want it. Now, we’re losing scads of programming to the almighty write-off. Even if Star Trek: Prodigy can find another home, it will be the redheaded stepchild of the Trek franchise, being the only one unavailable on Paramount+ with its sister shows.
As a creative, my heart breaks for everyone involved with the show. They have poured their hearts and souls into it. Strange New Pod has interviewed many people involved with the production, and we count many of them among our friends, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt how much they adore this show. I cannot even imagine the heartbreak they must all be going through to have to jump through these hoops just to get their show seen by people who are already fans. The idea that such passion and hard work could be so easily cast aside hits me deep inside.
This decision has already taken the Trek fandom by storm, with many expressing their heartbreak and anger. We must hold onto the hope that Prodigy will find a new home. To quote Executive Producers the Hageman Brothers’ Tweet on the cancellation: “Janeway would never give up, so why would we? Let’s follow her orders and ‘Go Boldly.’”
