School’s out, and classes will no longer be in session…for good. Shortly after wrapping filming for its upcoming second season, Paramount+ has dropped Star Trek: Starfleet Academy from its slate, which is now set to end with the second instalment.
As Variety reports, it failed to break into the Top 10 of Nielsen’s streaming viewership charts, despite an 87 percent critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The spin-off series debuted in January, but was renewed for a second season before the first aired, with co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau expressing their appreciation to everyone who has been part of the project.
“Whether you’re working on Star Trek or part of the marvel that is Star Trek fandom — its very heart, soul, and conscience — the joy comes from adventuring across boundaries of time, space, and the humanly possible in service to Roddenberry’s transformative vision of the future,” reads the letter written by the pair. “That incomparable vision was fueled by an inexhaustible optimism. Star Trek places its bet on the best in human nature. It dares to imagine a society of ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations,’ free of war, hate, poverty, disease, and repression, and dedicated to the spirit of scientific inquiry and respect for all life, whether carbon or silicon-based, green-skinned or blue.”
Set in the 32nd century after the events of Star Trek: Discovery, Starfleet Academy follows the first class of students and teachers at the newly reestablished titular academy. It stars Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, and Zoë Steiner, as well as Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, Gina Yashere, Star Trek: Voyager alum Robert Picardo, and Discovery actor Tig Notaro.
The second season currently has no release date, and it won’t be the only entry in the beloved long-running franchise coming to an end — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will conclude with a shortened fifth season, comprising six episodes instead of the usual 10. No new shows have been announced at the time of writing, so it’s unclear how Paramount intends to expand the greater universe on the small screen, but a new Star Trek movie from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directing duo, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, will keep the spirit alive in theatres.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
