Alex Kurtzman “very excited” about ‘Starfleet Academy’ series

Alex Kurtzman is excited for the upcoming series based at Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek currently has five active shows, two of which have yet to premiere. That has stopped ViacomCBS from preparing, even more, to appear over the coming years. There are two being worked on under the watchful eye of Alex Kurtzman, one of which is Section 31, and the other is a series set in Starfleet Academy, neither of which have official names yet.

The series is part of the next generation of shows, that are expected to be put into production when Discovery and Picard wrap up. ViacomCBS has already filmed season three of Picard, so the announcement it was getting a third season was no surprise, but with Discovery’s fourth season about to premiere, it’s a bit interesting that the series hasn’t had any official renewal announcement.

The upcoming new shows were a big topic of conversation at Star Trek Day 2021. Franchise overseer Kurtzman beamed into the event via a pre-recorded chat with Wi Wheaton, and the topic of the shows and the bountiful nature of the franchise came up. (Via TrekMovie.com)

"As much as we have five shows on the air – which is kind of a miracle – we are not in a hurry, meaning we only want to put things on the air that we feel are worth it."

Alex Kurtzman talks about Starfleet Academy

Kurtzman is overseeing the franchise right now, and while some shows may be winding down, one highly anticipated one that focuses on Starfleet Academy is currently in the works. Kurtzman told Wheaton (via of Trekmovie.com)

"I know there has been a lot of conversations about Starfleet Academy, which we are very excited about. And Wil, when we talked about there’s this new generation that is going to come and it’s going to inherit the problems of the old generation. What are they going to do to make the world better, to solve it. How are we going to avoid the mistakes of our elders? And how are we going to learn from the wisdom of our elders? That’s a really wonderful thing to consider when you think about something like Starfleet Academy."

The show seems interesting, but the focus of it will clearly be character-driven, as Kurtzman subtly reveals.

"When you are a kid on a starship, you are still figuring out who you are. When you are an adult on a Starship it presumes that you have already gone through Starfleet Academy, that you have found your identity more or less. And when you are at the Academy, so much is still on the air. I think that is a very interesting mirror to the moment that we are in right now."

This will be a show, that if done right, will attract plenty of new fans to the franchise. It’s not going to be the easiest thing to do, with the polarity of the country being at an all-time high and people either giving up on or latching onto franchises for the silliest of reasons, the need to navigate this shows launch is imperative.

They can’t afford to biff this show. Not with how polarizing the first three Nu Trek shows have been among the fanbase.