The biggest surprise coming out of the San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Star Trek Universe panel was the announcement that a live-action Star Trek comedy was in development. The project is being spearheaded by Lower Decks star and Starfleet Academy writer Tawny Newsome working with Dear White People producer/director Justin Simien. There are some new comments from Simien offering insights into their approach for what would be a totally new kind of show for Trek.
Live-action comedy inspired by DS9 (and TNG)
In a just released SDCC video, Simien tells TVLine he and Newsome are still in a “very early stage” of development on the show which doesn’t even have a title, but he is “feeling really good” about the project. He talked about how he and Newsome first connected when he was a guest on the official Star Trek podcast (the Pod Directive in 2021), which Newsome hosts. And these discussions developed into a pitch they made to Alex Kurtzman. Simien talked up how Star Trek was his first fandom and he explained what inspired him and Newsome:
“[The] comedy pitch for Star Trek really kind of grew out of our organic love for those bottle episodes, particularly on DS9, where no adventure would happen, it was mostly like a character drama/comedy.”
Simien added:
“I think DS9 is a big, big inspiration. But also… those episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation where it wasn’t plot heavy. Where it was more like you were with a character for a day, and you got to see their perspective on a bigger thing. Those were always my favorite episodes and so we just decided to make a show that was made out of our favorite parts.”
Justin Simien and Tawny Newsome (Sarah Coulter/Paramount+)
Simien agreed with the interviewer how he and Newsome are looking back to Trek’s tradition of standalone episodes in contrast to the modern more serialized era:
“Yes, because [on modern shows] you’ve got 13 episodes and you you have to keep that scripted arc going. But yeah, we kind of longed for those episodes that kind of exist inside of a 39-episode season, where you had time to sort of just hang out with Quark for a second. So we sort of came up with a pitch out of that space.”
The new show is in development by CBS Studios for Paramount+. At SDCC CBS provided us with this official logline for the project:
Federation outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant.
During the SDCC panel Simien and Newsome indicated it would be set in the 25th century, last seen in Star Trek: Picard. It has also been suggested the “gleaming resort” is Risa, the tropical vacation planet featured on several Star Trek shows. The show has been described as a workplace comedy in the style of The Office and Parks and Recreation. It makes sense that the potential series draws from DS9 as that is Tawny Newsome’s avowed favorite series. Perhaps we could see some legacy DS9 characters and actors on the new show, if it ever gets a greenlight.
Picard relaxes on Risa in the TNG episode “Captain’s Holiday”
Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
Wow, take the worst episode of DS9 (“Let He Who Is Without Sin”) as inspiration, stir in a dash of Wacky Ferengi Episodes (TM), and presto, instant success. No underpants gnomes needed.
Tawny Awesome will do for NuTrek what Fred Freiberger did for old!
Except that if you’ve listened to any of her podcasts, you can plainly see that Tawny knows Trek better than just about anyone. If you only like dour episodes, that’s on you.
“Knowing Trek better than anyone” does not inherently mean that you can produce great Star Trek. At best, it means that you’re good at winning pub quizzes. Nick Meyer was no Trekspert when he directed TWOK; indeed, he made some changes that Roddenberry disapproved of.
Moreover, I judge the quality of Star Trek — or anything, really — on the product itself, not whether the artiste produces a podcast.
You -just- judged what she hasn’t even made yet.
LOL it’s funny right, when you can turn their own ‘arguments’ back on them.
lol, exactly, Ian!
River, of course it doesn’t guarantee the show will be good. But you’re not characterizing her accurately—was Fred Freiberger’s problem that he was too much of a fan?
You’re both making up a guy to be mad at and making up a show to be mad at.
She’s made four seasons of ZanyTrek (TM), including one live-action appearance. She’s also been gushing about how much trivia the Academy writers’ room gets, which bodes very ill.
I get that the kind of fans obsessed with the combination to Kirk’s safe may like this. Problem is, there aren’t enough of them, and live-action is more expensive than animation.
At any rate, this argument is silly. Hollywood produces thousands of hours of product every year — far more than anyone, even professional critics, can watch. That’s why audiences ultimately rely on reviews, previous work/track record, and other “thin slicing” techniques (to borrow Malcolm Gladwell’s phrase) to decide what to actually watch. That’s precisely what I’m doing.
Or perhaps you think we need to experience a nuclear war to say that nuclear war is a Bad Thing?
She at best gave suggestions to writers but she doesnt write for or produce Lower Decks, she’s just a voice. You cant really judge until you see her Starfleet Academy episodes. Also, old episodic comedies are the most watched things on streaming, there is probably more of a market for this than there is every other Trek show
Then maybe P+ should make a comedy show based on one of those old episodic comedies (Frasier 2.0 is a thing) instead of trying to force Star Trek, a science fiction show, into the comedy category. Star Trek was my viewing choice for smart (much of the time) sci-fi. Certainly not for cheap comedy.
It’s one thing to have lighthearted and comedic moments in an episode, but now I’m really beginning to feel like the people currently in charge think Star Trek is just a joke. Enough with the comedy already. I want to return to space exploration and moral dilemmas. There is currently no Star Trek in production now that is delivering that.
Nice try, but your hypocritical argument does not fly.
not the best DS9 ep but a nice snapshot of worf and dax’s relationship at that time as well as revealing some of his personal issues. that had inhibited him for so long.
also not really a comedy if you dig past a couple of scenes. Their understanding of that episode seems to go no further than an opportunity to dedicate an entire series to sex jokes and unclothed people. …. yippeee (sarcasm) – nudity and crudity – the crutch of the weak writer (and yes, I include GRRM in that group)
Wait… who mentioned “Let He Who Is Without Sin”?. I watched the interview on TV line, and I didn’t hear anything about that episode.
Exactly. This site made that direct connection via the thumbnail…
Funny; I like the DS9 episode in question A LOT. And I actually like Freiberger’s work on both TOS and Space 1999… I know I’m probably alone on that… But I still dare to speak my mind…
And the Children Shall Lead
I’d be okay with this if it meant they were going to dial back the comedy with everything else. SNW is beginning to look like a parody.
Beginning? I’d say it’s been well along…
I was being generous, I guess. The season 3 clip they chose to show at SDCC was a complete parody of TOS right down to the Shatner style overacting when they received the serum. Will the rest of that episode be more of the same or is Spock having a fever dream?
There’s only 10 episodes in the season.
But isn’t Galaxy Quest the best Star Trek movie? What’s wrong with a parody? You are so uptight.
OK, this sounds like it could be either very funny OR completely terrible! But in either case, Paramount needs to green light Legacy way before this!
As I stated in my OP I completely support this idea but I can’t for the life of me see this show being a better idea than Legacy either.
It would jist seem smarter to do Legacy first since that’s clearly the show most fans are begging for and this comes after that.
TBH I think they need the next Picard or SNW announcement, ie, that show or movie that can really excite the base and get most people on board. SFA, Section 31 and this comedy show may all be amazing in the end but none of it seems to be exciting a huge part of the fanbsse, it just isn’t.
But if they announced the Legacy show tomorrow, the reaction would be overwhelmingly positive.
This is comparing apples to oranges. You can’t compare and expensive show like Legacy with a bottle-show sitcom like this is going to be.
I am into this idea. It kind of sounds like how LDS was pitched and that show focused on the B stories Trek did a lot.
This one sounds more like the slice of life type stories like Data’s Day, Fascination or Explorers which are TNG and DS9 episodes.
And I think it would be a good idea to have a DS9 character aa part of the cast. VOY, TOS AND TNG are getting a lot of appearances these days. It’s time for a DS9 lead if a Legacy character is involved.
But does seem very divided in the fanbsse so far though but what isn’tthese days lol. And I’ll be very honest I just don’t know how they think something like this would be more appealing or popular than Legacy? To me it sounds too niche and will only appeal to old fans.
But I personally have said while I want Legacy I will support ANY idea that at least continues in the 25th century. Certainly not my first choice lol but willing to see where it goes!
It probably won’t get to air until 2027 though if it even gets a greenlight.
I don’t mind Star Trek’s first-ever live-action sitcom, to be honest. Yet, I’m down for Legacy.
Same man, same!
I actually kind of like the idea. It’s a novelty and it’s funny how we all have our favorite aspects of Star Trek – Data’s Day for example is not one of my favorites. Personally, this sounds better suited as a short form web series to me. But if this gets greenlit and no Legacy series — that will be hard to stomach.
I think this would work best if produced like the Short Treks and released each week after a new episode of an actual Star Trek show like Legacy. Each short could have the Federation outsiders finding themselves in a new wacky and zany situation at the resort.
Hated that episode in the thumbnail.
Please just… stop. No. No to all of this.
I hope they get Dorn to guest star. It would be hilarious to see Worf return to Risa.
lol. Word should have been in the brig for that ep!!!
There are plenty of episodes Worf should have been in the brig for….
True enough. Both Worf and Data got away with too much at times.
He would be perfect for this. The whole premiss is perfect to have anyone pop in. There are a lot of talented Trek actors who are great comedians.
Please please please do not try to kidnap an ambassador and try and force her to marry you!!! DS9 did these great. TNG… meh….
I don’t have high hopes for this. That’s all we need is more cross-dressing ferengi’s(lets be honest, those are the types of things they would be doing). After the Skydance merger gets cleared I truly hope this project is one of the casualties. And don’t forget Simien brought us the God awful Haunted Mansion last year. Yikes.
Hopefully the post-merger management will filter out some of these ideas.
Let He Who Is Without Sin is one of DS9’s worst episodes, but that’s mostly down to the painfully artificial drama the story felt it needed to inject for Worf and the bland villains. What remains after that’s gone isn’t amazing, but if the writers had gone into the story with the idea that it would be a 100% comedy, then we’d probably have been better off.
“Captain’s Holiday” is still a treat. I am totally up for a holiday planet comedy. “Profit and Lace” aside, DS9 did some stellar comedy episodes.
Little Green Men and The Magnificent Ferengi are the only truly good Ferengi episodes in DS9 for me. There are good ideas in the Moogie arc episodes, but the characterizations of both Zek (as good as Wallace Shawn is at what he is being asked to do) and the Andrea Martin impersonator later on – they are just rough overall.
I enjoyed almost every Ferengi episode. Business as Usual is stellar, Bar Association is also fantastic. Body Parts, Who Mourns for Mourn, also really fun episodes.
I rather enjoyed Quark and Grilka’s episodes as well. But honestly I have a soft spot for Moogie and the Nagus.
But there are other comedy episodes. His Way, Take Me Out to the Holosuite, In the Cards, Badda Bing Badda Bang, You Are Cordially Invited etc. When they needed to let off steam the writers really did have some great inspirations at times, and this cast was so game.
I loved those but also House of Quark, Who Morns for Mourn and Body Parts. I always get a bit choked up at the end of Body Parts.
Star Trek meets Club Las Piranjas.
“Tu ma de Omma nen Kardashian Milchreis”
“Do you mean Cardassian sunrise?!?”
“Sach ich doch!!!”
Star Trek LOLegacy
I would like a live-action regular Star Trek inspired by standalone character episodes, especially from DS9
For a “live action Star Trek comedy,” I really think Mr. Simien is saying all of the right things. I think our interpretations of Star Trek gel with each other.
So down for this. I’m on a DS9 rewatch right now and its a part of Star Trek that Nu Trek is missing. The Friengi episodes are some of the best at really exploring the cultures of Trek. House of Quark and par’Mach are really good at showing the comical Klingon/Friengi interactions.
For all those demanding a ST: Legacy series first, I am curious what has been confirmed? Has anyone indicated they are actively working on a script for such a series or suggested any firm ideas about which characters it would include? So far it seems like what most people have in mind is something like a Picard season 4, just without Picard himself. As much as I like the concept of Legacy I think this show will see the light of day first because it has an actual plan and because it won’t cost as much.
There is no script. In fact, it has been repeated over and over by both Matalas and the powers at the studio that nothing is being worked on. Terry probably has an idea for a show. How detailed that idea actually is is anybody’s guess.
Fans also seem to have very different expectations for the show. Some expect a revolving door of guest appearances by Berman-era legacy actors while others say it would just be the junior bridge crew we saw in season 3 under the command of Seven of Nine.
To me Matalas himself has made it pretty clear if it ever happens it would be the latter. And most people seem to understand and want that. It’s mostly people who don’t want it who keeps saying it’s going to be a TNG redux.
To me Legacy ironically will probably be like the first two seasons of Picard where Seven will be the main legacy character but everyone else around her will be mostly new. They may add another legacy character to the cast as a main or supporting character as she became herself on Picard but it will moserly be about the new and younger characters.
It would be hilarious if the Doctor joined Seven though on the Enterprise. He’s now popping up quite a bit these days. ;)
I am surprisingly into this idea. I hope it turns out great.
Sounds like Star Trek: White Lotus/Truman Show
Like DS9, I like the idea of a show set in a stationary location, with the problems and conflicts coming to them.
Of course, if i’m honest, i’d have centered a Trek workplace comedy on the Department of Temporal Investigations. Would give the show access to literally any time and place in the franchise while also being set in an office, giving us some insight — and the chance to poke fun at — the banal bureaucracy of Starfleet.