One of the big surprises emerging from big Star Trek panel at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer was the revelation that Lower Decks star and Starfleet Academy writer Tawny Newsome was developing a live-action Trek comedy, which would be a franchise first. We haven’t heard much since, but Newsome has revealed that she is still working on it.
Keep writing
Newsome is developing the live-action Star Trek comedy with Justin Simien (Dear White People). She gave an update to Collider on their status:
“All I can share with you is that we keep writing it, and we keep turning things in, and they keep saying, ‘Please keep writing.’ So as long as they allow us to do that and they don’t say, ‘Stop. Close your computers and go home,’ we’ll continue making it. And yeah, as long as they don’t tell me, ‘Please shut your laptop and throw it in the sea,’ I will keep working on it. It’s been such a joy. I love Justin Simien with all my heart. I can’t wait to hopefully keep doing it.”
At Comic-Con, CBS Studios confirmed a live-action Star Trek comedy was being developed by Newsome and Simien for Paramount+. They even provided a brief logline for the series:
“Federation outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant.”
Justin Simien and Tawny Newsome (Sarah Coulter/Paramount+)
During the SDCC panel, Simien and Newsome indicated the show 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.
Newsome has also previously said that part of the inspiration for the show comes from the lighter episodes from her favorite series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
“[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.”
While Newsome awaits a decision from Paramount+ on whether to move forward with the live-action comedy, she continues to work as a writer on the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series. Earlier this month, she revealed she just had been on the Academy set in Toronto to see an episode she wrote being produced.
Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com.
I’m glad to hear they’re actually writing it, and being encouraged to do so. There was some speculation that they jumped the gun by announcing it, but this is encouraging news that the show might actually happen.
For YEARS, I’ve wanted a Trek show focused on civilians, such as a show about a profession completely different from Starfleet. I’ve also wanted a planet-based show. And this would fill both of those preferences of mine.
Not only that, but both Justin Simien and Tawny Newsome are exactly the people I’d love to helm ANY Star Trek project.
I’d be open to even more Trek shows that explore the universe of the franchise outside of Starfleet. I’m completely agnostic on the format for any Trek show. It could center on one character or dozens of characters. It could be heavily serialized or be completely an anthology, with zero returning characters from week to week. It could be a sitcom, a political thriller, a mystery series, a musical, a legal drama, a show about a suburban family, a variety show, a talkshow, a sketch comedy show, public access, a vlog, or be made up entirely Federation Council C-SPAN. The more different each Trek show is from previous Trek shows, the better. As far as I’m concerned, Trek is a philosophy, not a genre or format. As long as it’s about a diverse group of seemingly implacable foes learning to communicate in order to solve problems in a post-artificial economy in which everyone’s needs for survival are met without means testing, then I’m happy.
Here are shows I’d like to see:
* following people traveling in space in a profession other than Starfleet: artists, actors, musicians, journalists, politicians, doctors, etc.
* a show similar to TNG’s “First Contact,” in which a planet learns about the existence of aliens and that the UFP exists.
* a show that takes place in the 2160s, as the UFP is just being formed, the people forming the government hire historian(s) to consult on the project, which allows that story to parallel with the unification of Earth after First Contact, in both timelines, we see the effects of the decisions made by the new government on the general public. ENT or First Contact characters could be in it.
* an Earth-based series at any point in Trek history.
* a show set on a colony.
* West Wing: Rom
I’d also be interested in spinoffs such as:
* Wesley and Kore as Travelers
* Rios, Teresa, Ricardo, and Guinan fighting for medical equality in the 2020s.
* Jurati’s adventures over the course of the 400 years where she crafts her own version of the Borg collective while staying out of history’s way, waiting to emerge and reintegrate with the rest of the galaxy.
* Literally anyone on La Sirena, working for the Fenris Rangers, similar to the fanfilm series Star Trek: Aurora. I suppose Worf and Elnor are free agents and have familiarity with the ship. If it’s the two of them, it could be a way for Worf to come to terms with his previous hate for Romulans, through training Elnor. I would have originally preferred Seven and Raffi, but they appear to be occupied with the Enterprise.
Some of these sound fun, though I’d definitely not want this:
* Rios, Teresa, Ricardo, and Guinan fighting for medical equality in the 2020s.
West Wing: Rom would be hilarious.
The only reason Trek was science-fiction in the first place was because Roddenberry needed a sheath for political stories, largely due to censorship. As censorship has become less and less of a problem, Trek has gradually shed itself of that sheath, for the better, starting with DS9 episodes like “Past Tense,” “Bar Association,” “Far Beyond the Stars,” etc.
Some interesting suggestions there. I’d love see a Trek anthology show or a Medical show. Maybe even something like NCIS or CSI Trek. Also they could do a +18 Trek after dark show. There has always been an element of sexiness in Trek, why not go full out on it. Honestly, I think people are making a big deal out of nudity, nothing wrong with it and we really shouldn’t be afraid of it.
Meh.
There’s been so much about the society Starfleet is tasked with protecting. It makes sense to see more of that society than we usually get with the occasional colony visit or visit to Earth.
That would be incredibly boring. I watch Star Trek to see the best and brightest encounter the unknown. Not a bunch of nobody civilians.
What you like is still happening in other shows. I see no reason why the tenets of IDIC can’t apply to what Trek chooses to shine a light on. Just because you choose to limit your own scope doesn’t mean the rest of us need to as well.
Wow, really? In a society of multiple billions, only those in Starfleet are of any interest, and everyone else is a waste of oxygen? The thing that made DS9 the best of Trek was the involvement of those nobody civilians in the storytelling.
I don’t care about this show. Hope it never gets made.
Agreed.
I wouldn’t pay for a subscription to see that.
The most painful part about it is that this is what Paramount choses to spend good money on instead of something like Legacy.
People will argue that Legacy would cost more and that is an entirely different discussion.
While producing comedy tends to be cheaper than producing dramatic content, that is really no excuse to make this instead of that.
Legacy would have been nice, but I think that ship has sailed.
The fact that they keep telling her to just keep writing tells me they aren’t convinced there is a workable show to throw money at right now.
Those lighter episodes of DS9, albeit lovely, where designed to be a moment of relief from tense episodes filled with bleakness and death of the Dominion war. Making a series inspired by something that was a brief diversion sounds like a bad idea. Perhaps I’m wrong.
We may all need a relief from the bleakness of the next four-plus years.
I dunno. Not even reading between the lines of what she’s saying tells me it’s not happening.
It’s not happening. Anyone remember around 4-5 years ago when Twitter went ablaze stating that the Section31 TV Show was in production and had an air date?
but then- all that chatter magically vanished?
This Sitcom show will too vanish.
And good riddance.
Writing off a show before it’s even been commissioned. That’s a new low, even for this fandom. Go outside and touch some grass.
eyeroll – of course, it’s Risa because the comedians involved with Trek these days don’t seem to know how to craft a joke – just referencing sex makes it funny, I guess – like Cards Against Humanity is hilarious “comedy” for people that aren’t actually funny.
And yes – I am fun at parties. And can do so without four letter words or body part/body fluid jokes.
Um…. huh?
Yep. This.
“And yes – I am fun at Partys”
Must be true, If you say so…
This sounds like it’d be a great “Lower Decks” episode, but seasons upon seasons of this could get old quickly.
Don’t worry. It’s not actually happening.
It is.
You have nothing else to contribute since you have said the same thing three times on this page.
So basically Star Trek Meets Fantasy Island
The question should be, “what comedy are they going to rip off?”
“The show has been described as a workplace comedy in the style of The Office and Parks and Recreation.”
I’m not against this idea, but how they choose this over Legacy is really really baffling to me lol. But LDS is great so this may not turn out bad if it happens. It could be tons of fun!
Reading this board, I can’t remotely blame anyone for feeling skeptical about this idea. I’m a bit skeptical as well. But I have always said I just want another show that’s based in the 25th century and I do trust Newsome.
But that doesn’t mean it will be great. But I want to be open minded and I always like when Star Trek takes risks like it did with Lower Decks. But same time, I don’t see how this would be for anyone except the same people who’s been watching Trek from the `1960-90s. It feels like something that is strictly made for old fans in mind only. Maybe I’m thinking too narrowed minded about it, but it does sound like a niche idea only long time Trek fans can really appreciate; at least on paper (but judging by this board, I’m not sure how many would appreciate it lol).
But then again, maybe that’s the point? For people who keep saying they don’t think Legacy is a good idea because it will attract mostly old fans, I don’t buy the idea Paramount is really trying to bring in new fans as much as we think they do at least. I think they are still trying to make shows that are very much for old fans in mind first like SNW and Picard basically are and this sounds like another one IMO.
Oh just make it the live action season 6 of LDS and be done with it. No need for a long drawn out development phase!
I don’t think this is something people asked for.
I am glad it is.
People Always ask for what they know… Booring
Combining Star Trek and comedy can be tricky but let’s give them a chance. I didn’t “ask” for this but if they can pull it off, I’ll ask for it retroactively, how about that?