‘Star Trek: Discovery’ TCA Presentation Covers War, Canon, Theme Music, After Show And More

Star Trek: Discovery’s cast and producers appeared at the Summer 2017 Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour to promote the show the show. This included previewing Discovery’s them (scored by Jeff Russo) for the first time. On hand were executive Producers Alex Kurtzman, Aaron Harberts, Gretchen Berg, Heather Kadin, Akiva Goldsman, along with cast members Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham), Jason Isaacs (Captain Gabriel Lorca), James Frain (Ambassador Sarek), and Mary Chieffo (L’Rell). CBS also announced some details on DSC’s aftershow,

Discovery set in a dark time of war – fighting for utopian ideals

Executive producer Akiva Goldsman gave some more detail on the war story backdrop of Star Trek: Discovery (via TV Guide):summary of the event, Discovery executive producer was quoted telling the assembled critics

“Part of what we’ve tried to do is speak to how those philosophical precepts came to be,” Goldsman continued. “We’re in a period of time that’s pre-[The Original Series]. We’re in a time of war. We’re trying to figure out who we are as a federation and who we are as a peoples in a set of adversity. It is a goal of the show to arrive at the [central] principles that are endemic to Star Trek.”

And executive producer and showrunner Aaron Harberts added saying (via THR):

We’re at a dark place in the history of the federation

But Sonequa Martin-Green pointed out how the show strives to present Star Trek’s optimistic tone (via CBS):

“It’s one thing to speak of a utopia,” said Sonequa Martin-Green (First Officer Michael Burnham) while explaining how those ideals have influenced the franchise and the new series. “To be able to see it in action, to see us aspiring to it, we haven’t reached this perfection yet, but we’re trying—and I think it’s going to be really compelling because you’re seeing us try and fail and try again.”

And Alex Kurtman also picked up on that thread saying:

“I think the defining characteristic of Mr. Roddenberry’s universe is optimism,” Kurtzman explained. “We talk about that all the time. We are working with [Roddenberry’s] son to make sure that legacy—it’s not a small thing we’ve inherited; it’s a huge thing.”

More serialized than DS9

Akiva Goldsman got more specific on how serialized Discovery is (via CBS):

“It’s the most serialized Star Trek,” Executive Producer Akiva Goldsman said of Discovery. “You will find this to be far more serialized than Deep Space Nine, even in its [last few] seasons … It’s long-form character storytelling.”

A ‘massive’ show

Alex Kurtzman spoke on the scale of the show when talking about why it was delayed (via CBS):

“This show is massive. It’s massive, massive, massive….We just wanted to do it right,” Kurtzman continued. “We took our time, and hopefully now you’re seeing the results of the work everyone has done here.”

Sonequa Martin-Green added on this note (via CBS):

“Everybody is so passionate, the craftsmanship here [in front of and behind the camera] is nothing short of stellar. This is an epically grand yet microscopically tuned, deeply emotional story. We don’t take it for granted. We don’t take it lightly; I certainly don’t.”

Fitting with canon – including Burnham as Sarek’s ‘ward’

And the producers talking about how Discovery will fit with Trek canon (via IGN):

“We’re mostly pretty much an object that takes its reference from the other shows,” executive producer Akiva Goldsman said at the 2017 TV Critics’ Association summer press tour. “Mostly what we’re doing is we’re trying to look at all the shows, including Enterprise, as canon, and trying to be very sensitive to all the interesting boundaries that exist. The number of things that are seen for the first time in Enterprise will blow your brain. … That’s sort of a great game to be able to navigate.”

The talk also turned to the much discussed revelation from SDCC that Michael Burnham was raised by Sarek: 

We don’t necessarily call her the half sister, we tend to refer to her as Sarek’s ward or Sarek’s almost foster adopted daughter,” said executive producer Akiva Goldsman. “The relationship between Michael and Sarek plays a huge part in [where she was raised and what she brings to the ships she is on].” Additionally, being raised on Vulcan causes her to make decisions that have ripple effects on rest of show, and Discovery also explores how a Vulcan raising a human child affects their dynamic.

Keeping Bryan Fuller’s vision

The discussion with the critics also covered a lot about the departure of co-creator Bryan Fuller. The producers went out of their way to assure critics that Fuller may be gone but his vision remains (via Deadline):

Alex Kurtzman: Bryan [Fuller] and I were looking to bring something new, and to justify being on a premium cable service, we knew it had to be huge in emotion and character.

And new showrunner Aaron Harberts added detail on Fuller’s direction on the Klingon story:

Aaron Harberts: One of things that he wanted to do was shake up the design of the Klingons … that they wouldn’t be the thugs of the universe, that they’d be sexy and vital and different. There were discussions that got deep into their biology and sculpture.”

Theme Music previewed – picks up on original Courage score

CBS chose this event to preview a recording of the Star Trek: Discovery theme music scored by Jeff Russo and performed by a 60-piece orchestra. According to reports from the event the them picks up on the original Star Trek theme.  More details (via Slashfilm):

The theme song runs a full minute and a half, and they intend it to play on every episode of the CBS All Access streaming service. The opening notes are familiar to the original series before it goes off in a new direction. It then ends with the traditional original series melody again. The clip showed Russo conducting the 60 piece orchestra, and we think you can hear all 60 instruments in it.

Talking Dead production company to make after show

CBS also announced they have picked Embassy Row to produce the Star Trek: Discovery after show. This is the same company that produces the Talking Dead and Taking Saul after shows for AMC. The after show will run approximately 30-40 minutes and have have social elements built in. There will be a new episode of the after show each night that CBS All Access has a new Star Trek: Discovery episode. No word yet on who will be the host.

CBS All Access adds 3 new shows

CBS also added three new original shows. The first is a drama called Strange Angel, created by Mark Heyman (Black Swan) with Ridley Scott as one of the executive producers “explores the dramatic intersection between genius and madness, science and science fiction.”

The second show is a comedy called No Activity from Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Funny Or Die which is “set against the world of a major drug cartel bust, the series follows two low-level cops who have spent far too much time in a car together; two criminals who are largely kept in the dark; two dispatch workers who haven’t really clicked; and two Mexican tunnelers who are in way too small a space considering they’ve only just met.” 

And the third show is a mystery/thriller called $1 “set in a small rust belt town in post-recession America, where a one-dollar bill changing hands connects a group of characters involved in a shocking multiple murder.”

These shows along with The Good Fight and Star Trek: Discovery expands the original programming for CBS All Access to five series. CBS also announced their CBSN 24-hour news network will be available on CBS All Access starting this week.

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.com.

 

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All of that means nothing. Fan support (outside of this and other dedicated hard core fan sites) is all but gone. Even the impartial guys at trekyards are now showing their dissapointment, even with their close connections and loyalty to those working on the show.

Unfounded speculation. But thanks for playing.

Trekyards guys are far from impartial

Ummmm plenty of fan support here. Stop trolling.

Uh huh

What on earth are you talking about? I’m a lifelong Trek fan and I’m going to watch this show. And not even a single episode has aired.

The Trekyards guys are not impartial – they are friends with Alec Peters. Jon Schnepp from Collider is friends and co-host with Robert Meyer-Burnett, and he ( Schnepp ) has been poo-pooing Discovery venomously, for months.
Io9 has also being covering DSC with constantly snarky headlines ( getting quite tiresome now ), and the guys at Midnight’s Edge have been putting out fake doomsaying stories about DSC ( the laatest being “Discovery to be cancelled in favour of Nick Meyer Trek project” ).

As someone who wanted a Star Trek anthology show ever since the 90s, I wouldn’t complain if ME speculations were true. And as someone who looked forward to Axanar, I sense a hint of probability behind the speculation that Axanar got the axe because CBS wanted to cannibalize it’s story. And yet, I’m still looking forward to Discovery, feeling mildly enthusiastic, even supportive.

(And really, it can’t be worse than Nemesis.)

I was a major donor (seriously) and volunteer on Axanar, but reports on the script’s quality, so touted by Robert Burnett (who I also met, and liked) have not been very encouraging. Well, we’re never going to get the Axanar feature, and DSC will be whatever it’s going to be. I intend to judge it on its own merits, and not against the yardstick of what the Axanar producers claimed they could accomplish.

Exactly @SpockJenkins……..RMB had his soul crushed when Axanar was derailed, TrekYards just really complains about everything and takes 15-20 minutes to do so. The Khan story has no legs………

Nonsense, Kylo. I’ve just listened to several episodes on Trekyards and have yet to hear a single complaint about *anything,* just in-depth discussion from a couple of guys who obviously care about the world of Trek.

Why are you smearing people you probably haven’t even met, just to score an anonymous and cheap point on the ‘net? Shame on you.

That’s some wild extrapolation. What I’ve gathered from all the random chatter among online fan communities (like the venerable TrekBBS) is that a majority appears to be cautiously optimistic with some rather pointed criticism directed towards individual aspects (for example, it’s sorta hard to find anyone who really LIKED the new Klingon look from the get-go).
Nevertheless there’s a very VERY vocal minority who will just discredit everything associated with that show.

Well, I guess it’s fair to say that overall reception seems to be more on the “lukewarm” side, rather than “glowing”.

TrekYards are not even close to impartial, they’ve been slamming the show for months.

Who are you to speak for the majority. I have been a Star Trek fan since I was a kid and ow in my very early 30s I am very excited for the new look, progressive ideas. Biggoted small minded people is what can’t be open to new ideas

When and where was the Census? Did I miss it? Nobody asked me… so yeah, stop speaking for me :)

“impartial guys at trekyards” HA! I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard so far this year. They are FAR from impartial. For as fun as that show can be, sometimes I have to stop mid-way if they’re not talking about a ship that’s not in the prime universe or isn’t anything new or in the JJ films. It just gets downright cringe-worthy.

Wrong. Also rather presumptuous and arrogant of you to think you speak for “the fans.” Stop embarrassing yourself.

I’m a fan and I definitely support it. Why don’t you stop speaking for other people and speak for yourself.

I am longlife Star Trek fan and i have hopes for this show…

Just so. The enthusiasm for Orville is substantial. For STDiscovery? All but nonexistent.

If it wasn’t trying to connect to ST, the latest trailer would be intriguing except for a couple of obvious blunders. It doesn’t look or sound of feel like Trek in any sense, however, and that Alex Kurtzman (Amazing Spider-man 2, STiD) is involved is probably the kiss of death.

Kurtzman doesn’t just wreck existing franchises, he sets them on fire.

Wow this is exciting!!!! I can’t wait to hear the theme. I completely forgot about that and the opening. I loved all the openings for Trek, yes including the dreadful song from Enterprise. So Discovery has big shoes to fill. As usual they are saying the right things.

And it sounds like CBS is going the right direction with AA. As I been saying forever, of course they will add more shows and more features as we get closer although its obvious Star Trek is the big cheese. And I’m curious about this 24 hour news channel. Thats a first for a streaming site.

Anyway so far so good. I’m still skeptical of some things and I know a lot of it will be a problem for a lot of fans but I hope everyone at least gives it a fair chance.

Of course. The goofs who thought AA would be a one trick pony were nuts. Not all shows will appeal to all people but they clearly want AA to succeed.

Hopefully the theme “leaks”!

CBSN has been around for a while but it was a separate service that wasn’t part of CAA. It makes sense for them to include it.

I’m also looking forward to the theme. One of the nice things about streaming shows is that they’ve reversed the recent trend of tv shows have very short intros/themes.

Hiring Jeff Russo to write the theme is actually some of the worst news I’ve heard so far. I really hope he hired a good ghost writer to craft it, as his scores as of late tend to be quite disappointing.

Sounds great and it’s all looking good! (Let’s all ignore the negative “fan” comments from people who say they won’t watch it – but yet take the time to comment on every minute detail reported on a blog???) I’m counting the days until September 24th!

Hear hear, Luke!

Every single whiner who claims they wont watch, will be watching. Except maybe the guy who wont spring for All Access because streaming hasnt been invented in his world yet. lol

Why do the Klingons look like the xindi from “Enterprise”?

Because your TV sucks.

Bill’s got a top of the line Starfleet viewscreen. Be cordial and laugh like a Vulcan.

Well, I will admit that I definitely guffawed when I read Karidian’s response. :D

“We don’t necessarily call her the half sister, we tend to refer to her as Sarek’s ward or Sarek’s almost foster adopted daughter,”

I hope this will allay some fans’ fears. As the excellent article from the other day on Trek Movie also pointed out it’s no big deal with Burnham being taken under Sarek’s wing ( whether fostered, adopted, or whatever ).

I’ve heard some people say it’s a retcon, but it ISN’T. A retcon is something that has already clearly been established, and then altered in hindsight. Details surrounding Spock’s childhood relationships have barely been touched upon onscreen ( save for the TAS ), so Sarek’s relationship to Burnham is a “reveal”.

I expect a comic miniseries may be the best place to see a young Sybok, Spock and Burnham altogether in some sort of story about their childhood dynamics.

I am not sure this article will change people’s mind. It doesn’t change my mind and neither did the other article you are referring to. After all I question why Burnham couldn’t just be Sarek’s protege? Why make her an adopted daughter. It feels forced IMO. Its also a matter that is so debated it feels like we haven’t discussed anything else in regards to Burnham. It’s not an issue so great though that it makes me not want to not watch the show…..the opposite in fact. A good storyline could fix all of this. It’s a wait and see approach for me.

What does the word “adopted” here mean for you? To me personally Burnham DOES seem to Sarek’s protege. I don’t think Sarek has filed offical papers at a Vulcan court to officially become Burnham’s father – more likely he is fostering her.
My friend’s mother fosters multiple kids, none of whom would be considered as “adopted”.

That she is Sarek and Amanda’s child whom they appeared to have raised from the time she was young. As for the paperwork neither you nor I know what they filed on Vulcan. The producers have said though that she is their adopted daughter not foster, protege or etc. A protege implies she has parents who raised her but that he inspired her in some way. If you want to view her as adopted AND protege fine. I however feel at this particular time that a protege, who grew up on Vulcan with human parents who raised her, would have been enough.

yeah, I am thinking they might be conflating “adoption” and “foster” or “ward”. Does she call him father? Does Spock consider her a sister?

They might have meant adopted in a general sense not the way think of it here. That might also explain why they have used different terms to describe her (originally saying step sister, then adopted sister)

Yep, that’s what I’m thing TUP. I guess we’ll know when the series comes out, but somehow I just envision Burnham referring to Sarek as just “Sarek” and not “Father”.

It’s still entirely possible that Sarek adopted her *after* the events of Yesteryear, which would solve any possible canon problems.

I feel sorry for five decades worth of fanfic writers and novel authors, though. ;)

That is absolutely true too, and I’d have no problem with it either way, unlike Steph.

There is no need to be RUDE! You made your point and I made mine! Just because somebody doesn’t agree with you doesn’t give you the right to attempt to call people out in somebody else’s post! Also if I want to talk to Paul about their relationship I can. I don’t need you to do it for me. Make your own arguments without throwing out my name! You did it just a bit ago.

I have usually had a good time commentating on this website with people I both agree and more importantly disagree with. Too bad you want to try to ruin it for someone.

I apologize if I caused offense Steph, you may have inferred negativity in my reply, but if you read it again with a friendly tone ( which I always try to convey in MOST of my comments ) it should not read as venomous.
Once again, apologies – sincerely – if my words were construed that way.

Apology accepted.

Novels were never treated as canon. The great thing about the novels is, really good ideas can lead to things being made canon on screen. But nothing in a novel is ever considered canon.

Look at Star Wars…lol

I love the Star Trek novels, and also appreciate the fact that we don’t have to be pummeled over the head with whether it’s canon or not.

(I enjoy reading the further adventures of my Trek heroes in novel and comic form, but am well aware that the written stories may or not be contradicted onscreen – it really doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s a terrific and engaging read ).

The STAR WARS situation now with what’s canon and what’s not, is ridiculous. It only really matters to the onscreen filmmakers and how their stories may inter-relate to one another, but for the fans desperate to understand what’s canon or not, means little ( imho ) as it’s all fiction at the end of the day – either enjoy it or don’t – “knowing” something is regarded as “canon” doesn’t make it a better story.

Thats very true. The way I looked at it was, what I read in the novels was canon unless and until it was over-written by something shown on-screen. Otherwise whats the point of reading a novel that has no basis in the “reality” of the franchise.

But canon is what they show us on TV or film.

They’ve added a bit more confusion. I said from the beginning that her being a “foster daughter” made a lot more sense then an adopted daughter. Its possible the writers conflated the two in the sense that they meant adopted as in took her in and raised her. And not necessarily like went to the Vulcan Adoption Agency and signed papers, did back ground checks etc.

A foster child would create more drama. If Sarek raised her, strictly as we’d expect, but she was still not officially his child, she’d be seen more of an outsider. if her desire was to look at Sarek as a father and he looked at her more as a ward then a child, it would create an interesting dynamic.

And it would add to Sarek/Spock in the sense Sarek might have not cared on iota about Michael going to Star Fleet but his REAL child was going to follow in his foot steps, especially after the failure of Sybok.

I am still not sure why they keep saying they are going to make the Klignons not be the “thugs” of Star Trek when we have seen them evolve over multiple shows. Therefore IMO they haven’t been “thugs” for a very long time. None the less I look forward to seeing where they take Klignon culture.

The old Klingon style (long hair and cut-off style uniforms) was highly reminiscent of outlaw MC culture. I always compared Klingons to bikers visually. So yes, there is a slight resemble they might have wanted to avoid by reinenting this vampiresque/ Egyptian Klingoth style. While I get the idea behind it, I think it’s a far too high price to pay canon-wise, especially because it leaves Worf hanging in canonical oblivion.

resemblence / reinventing… Sorry for the typos!

Good point! I wasn’t thinking they meant visually. I was thinking more about their morals and character. I can see where you are going. There is certainly a lot of debate in the fandom about their new look and that could be one of the reasons they chose to change it. As for making Worf’s looks relevant: the best suggestion I have read came from a commentator, whose name I sadly forgot, that maybe they could make it work by showing Klignons look a a bunch of different ways on screen. Even if it’s background characters it could go a long way to explaining things. Heck, they could even have one with no ridges.

Phase II’s “Kitumba” episode did that and I loved it. Showing the 3-4 different types of Klingons alongside would be awesome but I doubt it’ll ever happen. If anything, they’ll give us Worf’s grandfather Colonel Worf with the new make-up to officially retcon his house / family for good. Even if they go back to the future (25th century), I highly doubt we would be getting traditional Klingons there…

I haven’t seen anything in regards to Phase II. I will have to look that up. Thanks for the info. Maybe that’s where some of the ideas came from. As for the retcon… I hope that’s not the case. Diversity for the Klignons would be great as well.

@Steph — I really hope they don’t show us a Klingon with no ridges. It’s sadly canon now, and based on the fact all Klingon’s we saw during TOS had no ridges, there’s a reasonable chance that some of the Klingon’s seen will not have ridges. Or they could just ignore that whole sad chapter of the Berman/Braga era, and only show us the ridge variety for no other reason than that’s the kind that populate this part of the galaxy where Discovery takes place …

They should have the crew meet a Klingon we saw in TOS and he looks the same, no ridges. Then he pulls off his fake rubber mask to reveal the ridged look underneath. Just to aggravate people.

Can they ignore it though if they are talking about canon in regards to the show Enterprise? After all it did give a medical explanation for the lack of ridges on some Klignons. I am interested to see how they handle this storyline wise.

In this era, they were. And while some series’ (TNG a bit and DS9 for sure) explored them deeper, they were largely portrayed as beer swilling, uncouth, loud mouthed jerks.

From TNG on, they always made me think of space pirates. Like if you took the pirates from Pirates of the Carribean and gave them forehead ridges, you’d pretty much have the neutered Klingons we saw in later tv Trek. If I could combine everything from the Trek 6 Klingons with those of the ones from Into Darkness and the cut footage from 2009 Trek, those would my ideal Klingons. Regal but terrifying. That would be an empire of enlightened warriors.

Trying to stay positive, but I didn’t want War Trek. Where’s the optimism?

Why does it have to be optimistic? Isnt overcoming an adversary and bringing peace to the galaxy an optimistic thing to do?

The myth that Star Trek has traditionally been optimistic is silly. Its simply not true in the creative sense. Yes, OUR future was depicted as one where the nations of Earth put aside their differences and that is still the case in Discovery.

“The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.”
Gene Roddenberry

TUP, I just didn’t want the show to be about war. I didn’t want the show to be dark and gritty. Star Trek for me anyway, depicts a future where we’ve overcome some of our weaknesses. I’d prefer the show to be about discovering new life forms…new civilisations…boldy going where no one has gone before.

That said, I enjoyed DS9 a lot, and it was heavily focused on war in it’s 7 seasons. I’m looking forward to Discovery. I hope it ushers in a new wave of interest in Star Trek.

We can assume there will be more going on then the war with Klingons. Afterall, they probably arent engaging in space battles constantly. And this is only the first season.

But they DO have to present an idea they think will appeal to the masses. We shall see…

See, what you’re saying is pure nonsense. That’s why internet discussion is pointless, because normal people don’t have the time to sit here all day and counter all of the utterly bizarre personal opinions of those who devote themselves to dominating an internet message board. But here’s a shot. To claim that Star Trek has not been traditionally optimistic is beyond obtuse. If you truly don’t see that, well, that just means you don’t understand it. Not everything is open to interpretation to any degree. Some opinions are demonstrably wrong. A franchise defined by a humanistic society making moral choices in a complicated universe? Yes, that’s optimistic, whether you personally comprehend that or not.

@Michael so you provide an excuse as to why you cant refute my point while also insulting me and acting like you’re superior without providing a single sensible counter point.

Talk about obtuse! And anal. And ridiculous.

You know damn well what I mean.

The whiners and clowns are ripping Discovery, a show they have not seen, for not being the traditional optimistic view of the future as seen in Star Trek.

I CLEARLY stated that the optimism was NOT the every day dealings in the galaxy but the fact humans put aside their petty differences to explore the stars.

In EVERY iteration of Star Trek, there was conflict and open hostilities. And most of the movies too.

If you dont understand that, you’re the obtuse one, pal. Whether you comprehend it or not. lol

James, I agree with you. There are two kinds of optimism (at least). One is the idea that things will always suck but we will always persevere. The other is the idea that things won’t always suck, that we will overcome the things that suck about humanity, and that we will strive to be better beyond that.

Both kinds are worthwhile, but I turn to Star Trek for the latter. It’s why DS9 is my least favorite Trek despite being the best Trek series. DS9 says humans will always suck (or some humans will), but we will endure no matter how dark it gets. Section 31 is the biggest reason I say this about DS9.

Discovery is openly that kind, the “things suck but we can endure” kind. But that isn’t what made TOS successful in the 60s. In a similar time of chaos, political turmoil, warfare, and division, TOS said “We will outgrow this and become something better.” TOS didn’t echo the horrors of the time; it showed us a future where we had overcome those horrors, which inspired generations to try to overcome those horrors in real life.

I am hopeful for DSC, and I could end up loving it, but the war-torn life’s-hard-get-a-helmet grit-and-gloom stuff leaves me cold 99% of the time. I hope DSC is much, much more than that.

*Discovery SEEMS to be openly that kind…*

I’ve still got some minor issues with the Klingon redesign but I’m starting to get it (somewhat).

It seems they want to avoid the long hair and the old cut-off uniforms vests because it somewhat reflects the outlaw motorcyclist subculture. They don’t want to portray them as “thugs of the universe”, hence the hair and cut-offs had to go in order not to look like outlaw MC members.

If that was the reason behind the redesign, I get the idea but it’s still not really a great idea, especially since WORF was a major character on two Star Trek shows and has been an icon for decades. You wouldn’t give Vulcans green skin because of Spock (and T’Pol) either, would you?

If they wanted to use the Klingons, I totally understand wanting to freshen them up. I still hope we get an in-universe explanation. They arent as far away from traditional Klingons as some have tried to portray and the Klingons have been redesigned numerous times over the years.

No big deal.

I did love how so many were whining about Fuller being fired the last few days and how he would have made it all better and now we know for sure the Klingon redesign was HIS idea…hahaha

“absolutely interpolates the original series’ theme” — Meh…
Come on, even the JJverse films had a completely original opening theme in the form of ‘Enterprising Young Men’.

Why do I feel like this show is trying to be “original” in all the wrong places while taking no chances in places where you could, just for a change, do something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

Couldn’t get worse than “Where My Heart Will Take Me” a.k.a. “Faith of the Heart” anyway!

Note to self: Oh hush now. It’s gonna be a fine sci-fi show. In the end you’ll want to go back to university and enrol in biology with a focus on mycology.

Haha! Don’t worry…At least one person here understands your feelings.

Whereas TNG shamelessly lifted the TMP score and ran with it for seven years – and it worked great. ;)

I totally understand why STD wants to build upon the original theme. It is to reassure the fans, to make them feel “at home”. We shall see if it works.

You’ve got a point there. Fair enough. I (as everyone) will need to hear it before passing any actual judgement anyway.

I wonder if they will release a small part ahead of time? I don’t remember if they did that in the past? Does anyone else?

“Enterprising Young Men” sucked anyhow.

I beg to differ. I think it was a fine piece – tense and airy at the same time, very recognisable and memorable – its main flaw being that it was overused in the films.

If this was set in the TNG era, I’d be okay with some sort of musical cue to that effect as well.

“Whereas TNG shamelessly lifted the TMP score and ran with it for seven years – and it worked great. ;)”

There was nothing “shameless” about reusing the TMP theme for NextGen. Actually, NextGen was a variation on the planned Phase II series that became TMP… Picard = Older Kirk, Riker = Decker, Troy = Ilia, Data = Reverse-Spock/Xon… they even kept the Trojan reference for Troy / Ilia and the telepathically loaded ex-relationship between that character and Riker / Decker.

Basically, TNG is Phase II, just with a different setting and some additional characters to replace Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov and Bones.

Reusing the TMP theme is completely faithful to that spirit and I’m glad it was done that way!

The JJ movies extensively used the TOS theme during their end credits! But I wouldn’t mind DSC using “Enterprising Young Men” at some point. I love that Giacchino film more than any other Trek theme there is.

No.. Just no.

Enterprising Young Men (a horrible name, by the way) grew on me but I think more so because I wanted to be positive about the films and that was the theme. But when I first heard it, I thought it was so out of place and weird.

If people actually complain because of a tease that the main theme is homage to the original, then they need to get a life. What’s next, complain because it’s called “Star Trek” and thats been done to death?

“But when I first heard it, I thought it was so out of place and weird.”

I had the exact opposite feeling about this theme. I was instantly in love and it is still my number one earworm I can’t get (and don’t want to get) out of my head. Never had that sort of feeling for any other Trek theme.

@JAGT — Abrams, like Roddenberry who wrote lyrics (!) for the TOS theme, knows the value of a Main Title. He writes and OWNS all of his own Main Titles on many of his TV productions, licensing them back to the studio who paid for them. He also went out of his way to rework Trek in his own vision, which meant changing the main title, despite the heavy nostalgia elsewhere (and embracing the Mission Impossible TV theme in those movies). Moreover, let’s face it, the Main Title is kind of dated sounding, with the exception of the opening fanfare. The opening fanfare is iconic. And it’s iconic for two generations, bit TOS and TNG fans … It unites them. And it’s a strong aural connection with Trek. This is the best news I’ve heard since I learned Jeff Russo would be writing it. Hopefully he’s hired a decent ghost writer this time …

Roddenberry only wrote lyrics so he could cheat Courage out of half of the money he would have gotten :)

I kind of expect that he will only use the famous opening fanfare and then transition into something different.

I think one of the best things about JJ Trek was Giacchino’s theme, had me hooked from the second Trek 09′ started.

The DSC after-show sounds interesting. I watch ‘Talking Dead’ after The Walking Dead, and it’s fun to get some behind-the-scenes factoids and see the actors in regular dress being interviewed and having a good time.

I thought the JJ theme was awful, out of place, overly bombastic and a distraction. But after hearing it a bunch of times, I stopped hating it.

Does anybody know whether the aftershow will only run on CBS All Access or whether it will also be available internationally on Netflix? If the aftershow is supposed to include some interactive (social media) parts that won’t work when Netflix runs Discovery a day later.

I’ve been keeping a loose eye on non-Trek entertainment sites and what they have to say about Discovery, and from what I’m reading, the ‘general public’s’ biggest criticisms about the show revolve around it being behind a paywall, the look of the Klingons, and the time period it’s set in. But honestly, some of the comments (even compared to here) are so vitriolic, I don’t know what to think (except that the internet in general brings out the worst in people, or just brings the worst people out). We’ll see pretty soon one way or another. Looking forward to 9/24.

So nobody bothered to record the theme song preview and post it online?
Were there any real Trekkies in attendance?

It wasn’t a fan event. It was the Television Critics Association.

Even interns at the White House recorded Kushner’s speech, after explicitly being told not to …

My thoughts exactly!

I’d rather have my first impression of the theme be a good quality copy, not something somebody recorded on his phone in secret.

So, while I like the cast (especially Michelle Yeoh, Sonequa Martin, and Jason Isaacs) and the idea, I have several big problems with this entire show:

First, the look of the uniforms look straight out of the JJverse rather than prime timeline. This is either sloppy or for copyright reasons. I don’t need the look of the show to be 1960’s (that’d be silly), but at least have it bear some relation in style so we can say, yes, that makes sense. You can update and make something look modern without going a completely different way.

Second, Spock’s “adopted” sister? Any explanation as to why that is canon is rationalization. While I like the idea of connecting the character to the original series in theory, I’d much rather see a show in a Post-Next Gen era headed by an offspring of Spock…much easier to make that believable canon.

Third, I have no desire (nor will I) sign up for CBS All Access just to watch this. If it were on CBS itself, maybe I’d give it a few viewings, but I’ll say “no thank you”.

Four, I’ve had enough attempts to go back to the past. My favorites were Shatner/Nimoy and Kelley as Kirk/Spock and McCoy. You can’t go home again. Move into the future with a show that’s in the Prime timeline both actually, stylistically, and thematically, and ditch the past.

None of this is meant as a threat or a sour grapes rant. I honestly don’t wish the show ill. I hope it does well. I applaud its diversity and the attempt. I just see too many things that are problematical for me. So, personally, I’m out. But, good luck. Too bad, especially since I think the above three cast members are amazing.

I’m with you on pay-to-watch. I pay enough already; I don’t want to encourage them any further. I will love the reruns though. I’m only wanting to see one more trip to the past: some sort of homage to a posited “heroic era” of exploration, a Star Trek Daedalus Class show spanning the first 30 something years of Federation exploration, when holodecks weren’t around, nor transporters (yeah, scratch Enterprise. It was too far ahead of itself.) It would track along with all the hot desire for a Mars Mission right now, getting into the difficulties of planetary exploration/colonization/Terra-forming/admission to the Federation as a new World for growing population.

@kitbash canon — thank you for reminding me about the holodeck — that is the NUMBER ONE REASON I don’t want another series set after the destruction of Romulus. For all of the failings of ENTERPRISE, how refreshing it was not to leave the real world and spend hours exploring the fake …

As for paying for All Access, I cu the cord a long time ago. I pay less than $30/month for my entertainment. CBS is showing us the future, and in doing so, allowing us all to eventually escape the shackles of the evil cable monopolies, and only pay for what we want to see.

These Uniforms have nothing to do with JJ films. You can say they dont look like TOS era uniforms but they also dont look like JJ film uniforms.

They do, however, seem a somewhat reasonable extrapolation on designs from Enterprise & kelvin. Although even that doesnt matter because Star Fleet made drastic changes at times, TOS to TMP to WoK for example. It doesnt really matter.

If Burnham is Spock’s sister then it is canon. There ya go, explained as canon. Nothing was ever shown on screen that prevents him from having a sister.

Why bother writing anything when you clearly dont care and wont watch. Dont watch. Come here and keep complaining through. Ill add your name to my mental list of people who claimed they wont watch so when you’re whining about the show we can all ignore you.

As for pint 4, nah, they chose this idea. When you run a network you can produce any idea you want.

I still don’t understand why they call the female protagonist “Michael” isn’t supposed to be “Michaela” – the feminine form? or is that i missed soething?

Maybe to appease that miniscule yet highly vocal percentage of the population who just can’t seem to figure out what they are. Can’t think of any other reason, honestly. (May draw some heat for that comment, but ah well…)

It’s something Fuller does in all his shows. I enjoy it because it annoys people like you.

Be cordial. And laugh like a Vulcan.

Yes, Michael Learned parents werent sure what they had so they just went with michael. Years later they were shocked to find out she was female.

Well after a little research, come to find out Michael Learned was never told by her parents why she was named Michael, and actually didn’t believe it when she was young. Later on she found it very awkward when trying to find work, to the point where the producers of The Waltons billed her as “Miss Michael Learned” to avoid confusion about her gender. So of the ONE example we’re citing, she found it awkward.

Parents can call their kids anything they want, no skin off my nose. But personally I’m glad we didn’t name my daughter Philip or Raymond or something.

Billing her “Miss Michael Learned” is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard and obviously a sign of the times.

But if the biggest complaint is the main character’s name confuses some people who cant reconcile a girl with a traditionally boy’s name then there isnt much to complain about.

If you’re name is Marika, can people call you Mark? Michael is her name and thats why she’s called Michael. Im sure the actress Michael Learned is not called Michaela.

Because writers overthink things like this and want to be clever. Same with a lot of new parents these days, and their aversion to spelling or pronouncing any traditional name conventionally.

Also from the panel: Set 10 years before The Original Series, Discovery deals with the Federation-Klingon War. “So we are in a section of canon that has been referred to a lot,” Goldsman said. “There is a lot of speculation about it. We are considering the novels not to be canon, but we are aware of them. And, we are going to cross paths with components that Trek fans are familiar with, but it is its own standalone story with its own characters and its own unique vision of Trek.”

I had a post deleted which is fine. I hope the entire discussion will be reviewed on this site since they mentioned source material not being canon, such as the novels.

Source material is whats seen on screen. Some TV/Film writers might use novels for ideas. But the novels have never been canon.

“Mostly what we’re doing is we’re trying to look at all the shows, including Enterprise, as canon, and trying to be very sensitive to all the interesting boundaries that exist.”

That should go without saying, Mr. Goldsman, but I’m gratified that you called out Enterprise in particular, since it is DSC’s immediate predecessor in terms of prime timeline canon.

“The number of things that are seen for the first time in Enterprise will blow your brain.”

True, I guess. Not really sure of the context of this statement. I like Enterprise, but nothing in it ever blew my brain. However, Goldsman’s second mention of the prequel series makes me think I should review it again before Sept. 24.

Probably means that they felt they could trailblaze some things seen in TOS only to find Enterprise touched on them first

It would be much more interesting if a young Saavik was the main character. Problem solved.

I wouldnt mind that but you’d still have people complain that there is no drama in a character whos fate (to an extent) we know.

Is there a charge to watch
CBS streaming?
I rather wish this was on
Regular tv,

Well, if you already subscribe to CBS All Access, then its absolutely free!

A 90 second opening credits sequence? That will be shown before every episode?

As a fan and aficionado of this dying artform, I am positively STOKED.

The theme song? We’re getting a song again? Hopefully this will be more favourable than the last time they tried that.

‘mostly’ and ‘trying’ does not fill me with confidence regarding canon