Did you know that Star Trek would never survive on network TV?
Odds are that, if you've gotten into a discussion about the new Star Trek: Discovery series with anyone, then the subject of its home on CBS' digital platform has come up. Though the series' premiere will air on CBS proper, the rest of the show will "air" on CBS All-Access, a streaming pay service that costs $6 a month (The Good Wife spinoff will also launch on CBS All-Access.)
CBS Interactive CEO Jim Lazone chatted with Recode to explain the logic behind the decision, saying:
Sci-fi is not something that has traditionally done really well on broadcast. It’s not impossible, for the future, if somebody figures it out. But historically, a show like Star Trek wouldn’t necessarily be a broadcast show, at this point.
Um, agree to disagree on this one, Jim. As we all know, Star Trek launched on broadcast TV and has enjoyed many incarnations within the broadcast model. Furthermore, it's not like genre TV is hurting right now when it comes to network TV. The CW has pretty much gone all genre, and it's basically open season on time travel drama right now.
As for Star Trek specifically, one could argue that network TV is exactly the place it does belong. I've written before about what we lose when we lose the 22-episode season and the Star Trek universe is the perfect example. Whatever J.J. Abrams might want us to believe, Star Trek is a philosophically-minded workplace drama set in space that benefits from the extended rigmarole of an extended season that can really get into the nitty gritty of the ship's dynamics and mission. You need to earn the blowing it all to hell part.
As Kirk put it in Star Trek Beyond right before the movie lost patience and focused on the exact opposite:
The more time we spend out here, the harder it is to tell where one day ends and the next one begins. It can be a challenge to feel grounded, when even the gravity is artificial. But while we do what we can to make it feel like home. The crew, is always, continues to act admirably despite the rigors of our extended stay here in outer space. The personal sacrifices they made.
We continue to search for new lifeforms in order to establish firm diplomatic ties. Our extended time in uncharted territory has stretched the ship's mechanical capacities but fortunately our engineering department, led by Mr. Scott, is more than up to the job. The ship aside, prolong cohabitation has definitely had effects on the interpersonal dynamics. Some experiences for the better and some for the worse. As for me, things have started to feel a little episodic.
Yeah, CBS' comments are forcing me to reference a movie that arguably misses the point when it comes to the bread and butter of the Star Trek universe, but at least knows what the point is well enough to describe it. Listen, unlike many fans, I'm not against Star Trek launching on a streaming platform. I think there are probably some good arguments for it. This isn't one of them.
For more information on Star Trek: Discovery, here's everything we know so far about the upcoming TV series.