Star Trek Picard – Everything you need to know about the new series!

Ever since Sir. Patrick Stewart and Alex Kurtzman announced the upcoming Star Trek Picard fans have been following the slow trickle of information hoping to get a better picture of the series, now we’re compiling all the news together in one place.

The last time we saw Jean-Luc Picard (canonically) was in 2002’s Star Trek Nemesis as the Captain of the Enterprise E, having just lost his first officer and most trusted advisor to a promotion and transfer, and his second officer had been killed in action. Add to that his tactical officer had long since moved to Deep Space Nine and later accepted the position of Federation Ambassador to Qo’noS despite his unclear status in Nemesis.

Left without the bulk of his closest friends and co-workers for the first time we have often wondered what would become of the fan favourite Captain, and we can’t wait to see where life has taken him in the years that followed.

To Boldly Go where no storyline has gone before…

So far we know that they will set the series 18 years after Star Trek Nemesis and they will include the events leading up to Star Trek (2009) in which a supernova destroyed Romulus’s while Ambassador Spock and the Federation were attempting to prevent it.

"“He may not be a Captain anymore. He may be someone who has been changed by his experiences,”“It will be something very different but it will come to you with the same passion.”-Sir. Patrick Stewart"

We know that as a result of the supernova and subsequent attack by Nero, Ambassador Spock has been lost to the past, therefore the Federation has lost its top agent who had been working for decades to bring the Romulans closer to the Federation and possibly into reunification with their Vulcan brothers and sisters.  We also know the destruction of Romulus has affected Jean-Luc in a profound way, and given his history with the Romulans and his diplomatic abilities we can assume he might have been tapped by the federation to pick up from where Spock left off.

Image: CBS

Behind the Scenes

The series will be lead by an outstanding creative team which includes executive producers Aaron Baiers, Michael Chabon, James Duff, Akiva Goldsman, Heather Kadin, Alex Kurtzman, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Patrick Stewart.

So far we have two directors confirmed, for the first time in Star Trek history a female director, Star Trek Discovery veteran Hanelle Culpepper, who previously directed the episodes The Red Angel and Vaulting Ambition will direct the pilot episode. Culpepper will serve as the director for the first block of episodes, which includes episode one and two.

Continuing into the second block of episodes is Star Trek The Next Generation’s own Jonathan Frakes, who fans will remember as Commander William T. Riker and also the director of twenty episodes and movies in the franchise.

A whole new crew.

Naturally Sir Patrick Stewart will star as the titular Jean-Luc Picard, reprising the role he played for seven seasons and four movies, as well as a cameo in Star Trek Deep Space Nine and a number of video games.

The series will also co-star Santiago Cabrera, who’s best known for his work on NBC’s Heroes, reports indicate that he will play Lawrence, a skilled pilot and thief with a poor moral compass and questionable loyalties, it seems that he may be assigned to pilot the ship Picard is aboard for the series.

Michelle Hurd will also co-star, Hurd best known for her recent work in Blindspot and Hawaii Five-O, reports indicate that she will play Alana, a brilliant analyst and former intelligence officer with a terrific memory and a history of drug and alcohol problems.

Rounding out the cast will be Alison Pill, Harry Treadaway, Isa Briones, and Evan Evagora all of whom have been cast as series regulars. Character details are as yet unknown.

The course has been set..

The first season will feature ten episodes, one hour each, which Patrick Stewart has referred to as ‘a 10-hour movie’, suggesting that the series will be highly serialized.

Further reports indicate that the series producers have mapped out a three season outline for the show, this doesn’t mean that it will run three seasons, or that it will be limited to three seasons but it’s good to know that they aren’t viewing this as a one-off television event.

More from Star Trek: Picard

• The Borg Queen was spoiled early on Star Trek: Picard
• Todd Stashwick calls Captain Shaw’s death “beautiful poetry”
• Could a Raffi and Worf spinoff work as well as Legacy?
• Why Star Trek ret-conning is both great and terrible storytelling
• Seven of Nine’s story after Voyager is coming from Simon and Schuster

"“I will always be very proud to have been a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but when we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course.  It is, therefore, an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him. Seeking out new life for him, when I thought that life was over.During these past years, it has been humbling to hear stories about how The Next Generation brought people comfort, saw them through difficult periods in their lives or how the example of Jean-Luc inspired so many to follow in his footsteps, pursuing science, exploration and leadership. I feel I’m ready to return to him for the same reason – to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times. I look forward to working with our brilliant creative team as we endeavor to bring a fresh, unexpected and pertinent story to life once more.”-Patrick Stewart"

When and Where

The first sneak peek at the series has just been released, and filming is well underway.

The series is set to premiere this fall, on CBS All-Access in the United States, on Space and Crave in Canada, and on Amazon Prime the following day internationally.

We will continue to update you with more information onStar Trek Picard as details become available.