Kate Mulgrew has creative control with Star Trek: Prodigy
The fine folks at Star Trek: Prodigy have truly done a great job cultivating a show for younger fans and whole families. Their crop of great young talent and exciting young characters have truly made the show something worth watching on its own. Yet, their ability to get Star Trek mainstays like Kate Mulgrew to star in the series as a holographic version of her iconic Kathryn Janeway role really helps the show appeal to older fans as well.
Mulgrew’s return to Star Trek was a bit shocking, as she hadn’t been seen in the franchise since the 2002 film, Star Trek: Nemesis, in which she had a minor cameo. It seemed like she was done with the franchise, not just because there was seemingly no way to bring her back with where the franchise was going.
Yet, Prodigy arrived and with it so did Mulgrew, and now we’re finding out just why she agreed to do the project. Namely, she had the final say over her and her character. Speaking to fans during the 56-Year Mission Star Trek convention in Las Vegas (via Daily Star Trek) Mulgrew revealed that when she came onboard the series, she got creative control;
"I was offered [creative control] before I even went into negotiations. That is exactly what Alex Kurtzman said. ‘This will be deeply collaborative from the first moment, you could teach us.’ And that’s exactly the way it’s been. But let me say right here, Kevin and Dan Hageman are geniuses, the creators and the writers of Star Trek: Prodigy. So, it’s nothing but a joy. Every time I am in the booth—which feels like once every two or three weeks—that is what it feels like. It’s so liberating creatively. It’s so much fun. I often walk out and I just feel great. It’s very, very different. And it’s so wonderful to be with them. So yes, it’s collaborative."
Star Trek: Prodigy has benefited from Kate Mulgrew’s insight
I would be lying if I told you exact details on how Star Trek: Prodigy has benefited from Kate Mulgrew but you can feel that this show is different. It and Strange New Worlds are the two most recent Treks’ that truly feel like Star Trek series.
Sure, the difference in tone and concepts make the other four shows their own thing, but I hate to break it to you, but the best Trek is just Trek. Not things that make light of, or forget about what’s important. Star Trek is a brand, and getting away from that brand is never a good idea.
Mulgrew has helped make Prodigy feel like classic Star Trek, I can’t say how, but you can feel it. It feels like a show that was born and built by the hands of those who came before. It’s a great show and if you haven’t given it a look yet, you really should.