The new Star Trek Universe is branching into a new realm, the world of audio dramas, with a new Star Trek: Picard adventure voiced by two of the series’ stars.
Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land
Today, Simon & Schuster announced the new original audio drama Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land, which is being voiced by series stars Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker. The new audio adventure is written by Picard co-creator and writer Kirsten Beyer along with Star Trek comics veteran writer Mike Johnson.
According to the announcement, the adventure is set between season one and season two. Here is the synopsis:
While Seven of Nine and Raffi are enjoying some much needed R&R in Raffi’s remote hideaway, their downtime is interrupted by an urgent cry for help: A distant, beleaguered planet has enlisted the Fenris Rangers to save an embattled evacuation effort. As Seven and Raffi team up to rescue a mysteriously ageless professor whose infinity-shaped talisman has placed him in the deadly sights of a vicious Romulan warlord, they take tentative steps to explore the attraction depicted in the final moments of Picard season one.
No Man’s Land is being made exclusively for audio, something not seen in Star Trek since the 1990s. In addition to Raffi and Seven, the audio drama includes a full cast playing all-new characters including a Romulan warlord, a Fenris Ranger, various exotic alien species, and more. The voice cast includes Fred Tatasciore (Shaxs on Star Trek: Lower Decks), John Kassir (Cryptkeeper on HBO’s Tales from the Crypt), and John Cutmore-Scott (a featured character on the ABC series Deception). In addition, it will feature actual Star Trek: Picard sound effects such as transporters, weapons, explosions, and more.
Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land will be released on February 22nd. You can pre-order on Audible.
The second season of Star Trek: Picard was originally announced for February; however, with Discovery taking a hiatus and returning with more episodes on February 10, it’s reasonable to assume season two of Picard may be pushed back a few weeks.
Find more news and analysis for Star Trek: Picard.
It’s one hour and forty minutes long written by an established Trek author. Sounds promising.
This is awesome. More Trek… We all know what most people are thinking: “Is it canon?!”
My opinion – it is canon if the events in this story are reinforced/cited in any way onscreen next season
It’s not canon, but it’s still awesome.
It’s canon if:
1. It’s referenced in the show
2. It’s not referenced in the show and nothing in the series contradicts anything here.
The way I see it, if it is sanctioned by the producers of the series, written by one of the actual show’s writers, and performed by the actual cast of the show, then yeah, it’s canon. It’s an episode (or two) of the show that just happens to be produced for “radio” rather than “television,” as far as I’m concerned. If it only checked one of those boxes, then not so much; all three, to me that’s a no-brainer.
Countdown was written by Bob Orci and referenced by the movies but you couldn’t call it canon anymore. Likewise Jeri Taylor wrote two Star Trek books that had elements confirmed in episodes of VOY but again the majority of those stories are not actually considered canon and there are several other examples ranging from the DSC novels to TAS (although so much of that has now been referenced onscreen that it might as well be considered canon now). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve preordered this drama, I’m looking forward to listening to it and I’m certain it will have elements that are referenced onscreen. It’s just that I’ve been sucked into the notion that tie in media is really ‘canon’ one too many times to really believe it.
For me, if it’s a real writer + real cast members, that equals canon if it’s sanctioned by official sources. This satisfies all three.
As for the comics, you *could* call them canon still; they just don’t work in the current continuity. (I think, I don’t remember them very well.) There’s a difference between continuity and canon, though; canon need not work with continuity, it need only be officially official.
I’m looking forward to this!
The release date and the fact this takes place before season 2, seems to indicate Picard season 2 will not arrive in early tp Mid Feb. Likely March or later
What would be even more cool if we had comic style animated art that can supplement the audio. Some talented trekker can probably do that. But that’s probably a no go for copyright reasons.
This is amazing news. I am addicted to Doctor Who’s audio dramas. I’m glad that Star Trek will be giving me something to listen to in the car too.
Did you see that the latest Dr Who audio release (Martha Jones’ year) has Marina Sirtis playing one of the supporting characters?
Very cool. I remember back in the 90s when Simon & Schuster released an audio exclusive Captain Sulu read by George Takei. If I recall, it wasn’t the best written story, but I liked the format and wished they did more. Glad to see them exploring this again. I hope it’s successful.
I too have the same audio dramas and that’s a perfect way to create new adventures with cast members voicing them at reasonable costs. I wish they would do more.
Is this an audible exclusive? Or will we be able to get it where ever audio books are sold?
Very cool! As someone who enjoyed the Captain Sulu audio books back in the ’90s this will be a treat! For an old Trekker like me, will this be available on physical media to add to my collection, or only available digitally or to stream?
Oooh this could be good indeed! Will be interesting to see how this compares with the excellent work that Big Finish has been publishing for various franchises.
$13 or 1 credit for 1 hour and 40 minutes is a bit steep. Sometimes you can get a 25 hour book for 1 credit.
It’s an audio drama, not an audio book. So not just a single person reading, but a full cast playing the different parts, sound effects, music. All but the visuals basically.
I wonder if the name “No Man’s Land” references Rafi and Seven’s relationship shown in the final scene of season 1? Or if it’s just a funny coinkydink. If it’s intentional, the publishers are cunning linguists. ;)
Of course its intentional…
As a VO whose worked on some Dr Who stuff this is great, should be more of this, although can imagine the expense of hiring these actors is a big factor.
Does it explain when seven suddenly became attracted to women??
It’s been twenty+ years in-universe since we last saw her, so it could very well not have been suddenly. And Voyager had a rather limited pool of people available for dating, so she simply could have realized it when confronted with billions of potential partners once back in the AQ.
Wow so she turned gay when their was more choice? Erm ok
Nice Bi-erasure mate
What makes you think its either sudden or any different than its always been? I don’t recall the scene in Voyager where Seven said with her actual mouth, “I am entirely straight as dictated by the Kinsey scale!” Folks over-codify so many things that the absence of mention is seen as some form of proof. Imo that’s kind of a bonkers and unrealistic assertion.
Even though in Someone to watch over me she carefully selected a group of Men to date never once even considering any women despite being bisexual?
So can Kirk or Pike now be gay as they never stated they we’re not in any episode either?
because the showrunners, network lacked the guts to have her do that.
Beyond already did that with Sulu.
I don’t much mind that Seven suddenly became attracted to women; I can make that work in my head. (Heh.) But they handled the specific apparent attraction to Raffi very poorly, I thought. Wouldn’t it be better to show the process of that happening, rather than just skip to after it having happened?
I agree, it was so forced! I hated that scene of them touching hands in the last episode
(heh)
It seemed rather implied she was more than just friends with Bjayzl in Stardust City Rag. And that relationship would have taken place years prior. People realize and come out at all points of their life.
But it’s not true or consistent with what we know from sevens character it’s lazy writing
its the 24th century so no really a surprise.
and the chakotay thing was so contrived.
I don’t know, that played better for me the second time I watched the series.
I thought it was absolutely forced and no better a second time!
I heartily approve of a Star Trek story that has two gay lesbians as the main characters; it’s long overdue.
Star Trek is all about celebrating diversity and differences in colour, race and sexuality and this is a very positive move indeed.
But not about terrible forced character arcs
I hope we get more trek audio drama dr who has lots why not trek
I hope we don’t, that’ll get real expensive real quick.
big finish has done a good deal with its performers and get big names from the ‘who’ franchise as well as some like derek jacobi and john hurt
I’ve heard some of those; they really are fantastic.