CBS All Access Announces Series Order For Animated Comedy 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'

by Outsiders
October 25, 2018

CBS All Access today announced a two-season order for STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, a new half-hour animated comedy series developed by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (�Rick and Morty�). The series will focus on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet�s least important ships and will be produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios� new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout�s Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin and Roddenberry Entertainment�s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth and Katie Krentz will serve as executive producers alongside McMahan. Aaron Baiers, who brought McMahan to the project, will serve as a co-executive producer.

�Mike won our hearts with his first sentence: �I want to do a show about the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end.� His cat�s name is Riker. His son�s name is Sagan. The man is committed,� said executive producer Alex Kurtzman. �He�s brilliantly funny and knows every inch of every �Trek� episode, and that�s his secret sauce: he writes with the pure, joyful heart of a true fan. As we broaden the world of �Trek� to fans of all ages, we�re so excited to include Mike�s extraordinary voice.�

�As a life-long Trekkie, it�s a surreal and wonderful dream come true to be a part of this new era of �Star Trek,�� said executive producer Mike McMahan. �While STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is a half-hour, animated show at its core, it�s undeniably �Trek� � and I promise not to add an episode at the very end that reveals the whole thing took place in a training program.�

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is not McMahan�s first �Star Trek� project. As a long-time fan of the series, in 2011 McMahan started a Twitter account where he posted episode plots to a fake season of �Star Trek: The Next Generation.� They were such a hit that Simon & Schuster hired him to write a readers� guide to a fictitious eighth season of �TNG� titled �Star Trek: The Next Generation: Warped: An Engaging Guide to the Never-Aired 8th Season.� For television, McMahan recently served as head writer and executive producer on Adult Swim�s hit animated series �Rick and Morty� and co-created Hulu�s animated alien family show �Solar Opposites.�

�We couldn�t have imagined a better creative team to work with on CBS All Access� first original animated series than Mike McMahan, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment,� said Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President, Original Content, CBS All Access. �STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is a fantastic complement to our growing lineup of original series and our ongoing expansion of the �Star Trek� universe on CBS All Access.�

In addition to being CBS All Access� first animated series, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is the latest expansion of the �Star Trek� franchise on CBS All Access. CBS All Access is currently home to the hit original series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY in the U.S., returning with season two on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of four short stories tied to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and the overall �Star Trek� universe. CBS All Access also announced plans for a new untitled �Star Trek� series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is the first project from CBS Eye Animation Productions and 219 Productions, run by Katie Krentz who signed an overall deal with CBS Television Studios in early 2018 following five years at Cartoon Network. This is CBS Television Studios� second animated series, following OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT for SHOWTIME.

Comments...

Last 10 comments - ( Read All Posts )

36347_1529445529 - 2018-11-26 @ 2:36 pm

sXeblues - 2018-10-27 @ 12:41 am

13 hours ago, mako said:
Edit: Oh God it just hit me! Patrick Stewart has been known in the last couple of years for doing a lot of comedy, as well as voice-work on shows like the Simpsons and American Dad. CBSAA recently announced a Stewart led Star Trek series. Now CBSAA announces a Star Trek Animated Comedy. They wouldn't do that to us. . . . would they?

Oh dear... Yknow, its funny that you say that. Because, not only I, myself, but Ive heard a couple of folks asking that same question; Could thenew Picard series and this proposed animated one at the time of this speculation, it was only rumored that an animated series might be coming be one and the same project. And, frankly, I would not be too happy with that. Im really hoping that theyre indeed two separate things. One, a dramatic, if unexpected turn for Picards return, and an animated series, singularly contained and with no real outstanding effects on the greater Stat Trek franchise.

mako - 2018-10-26 @ 10:48 am

3 hours ago, sXeblues said:
Well,thisis interesting... I think Ill just reserve judgment for the time being, until we actually see something from it. Im not entirely against a Star Trek themed comedy series what the hell is The Orville, if not a version of that? (Even if I do not very much care for the comedy bits in that show).
I guess well have to wait and see how good or bad this turns out. However, my hopes are not set very high.

I'm certainly no Seth MacFarlane fan/supporter, but I will sing the praises of his work on Orville every day of the week and twice on Fridays. Never once does thehumor over-power the story he's trying to tell each episode. Sure, there may be more of it than on Trek, but once again, its a seasoning, not the main course.

Edit: Oh God it just hit me! Patrick Stewart has been known in the last couple of years for doing a lot of comedy, as well as voice-work on shows like the Simpsons and American Dad. CBSAA recently announced a Stewart led Star Trek series. Now CBSAA announces a Star Trek Animated Comedy. They wouldn't do that to us. . . . would they?

sXeblues - 2018-10-26 @ 7:52 am

Well,thisis interesting... I think Ill just reserve judgment for the time being, until we actually see something from it. Im not entirely against a Star Trek themed comedy series what the hell is The Orville, if not a version of that? (Even if I do not very much care for the comedy bits in that show).

I guess well have to wait and see how good or bad this turns out. However, my hopes are not set very high.

mako - 2018-10-26 @ 12:45 am

BAD IDEA. My Mom was a Trekkie, I know her people. Humor produced organically from within Trek is perfect. Spock vs. McCoy, Data, Odo vs. Quark, they eat that stuff up.

But if you thought purple Klingons pushed people's buttons, wait till you turn Star Trek into a sitcom.

Satam - 2018-10-25 @ 11:53 pm

I realize he's making a comedy, but that's not how a replicator works.

FASVB - 2018-10-25 @ 9:19 pm

I don't really know what to say about this. To me Trek must be more serious. I see Lower Decks I remember that TNG episode towards the end of the show that talked about he lives of crewmen that are trying to get promoted. That was a much more serious tone. I remember also the sacrificethat ensign Sito made in the end.

Post Your Comment Now! (membership required)