Star Trek: Prodigy was developed with the intention of both entertaining and educating young minds.
There has never been another Star Trek series like Star Trek: Prodigy. Created for a young audience, with teens and children taking the bridge of the Protostar, the series was met with an enthusiastic response straight out of the starting gate. And with the help of hologram Janeway, the juveniles aboard the ship aren’t the only ones learning something new each week.
ScreenRant spoke with Kate Mulgrew (Admiral Janeway and Hologram Janeway) about her part in the series and whether she’d had a “mission accomplished” moment since the premiere. Mulgrew said she felt that almost from the beginning. New fans have been passionate about the series as much as lifelong Star Trek fans have been.
"Oh, almost from the get-go. I think that it enjoyed a kind of, almost organic response in terms of passion, acceptance, and understanding. And of course, that would be true of this demographic. These are young kids watching Star Trek for the first time through these other characters and through the guidance of Hologram Janeway. And it’s absolutely been thrilling and extremely satisfying."
Star Trek: Prodigy isn’t showing young watchers Utopia, which is the right thing to do.
While trying to impart the importance of acceptance and understanding, the series is doing an excellent job of not portraying the future as Utopia as that isn’t what Star Trek is. They’ve overcome many problems in the future, but there are many age-old ones still lingering, Prodigy is going to touch on one of those when Dal’s backstory is revealed.
As the series progresses, viewers can look forward to learning even more about what Star Trek has been about since it premiered in 1966. Bravery. Leadership. Humor. Equality. Justice and curiosity. That’s what Prodigy has already begun to teach, and so far, it’s doing a great job at exploring the many ways Star Trek can help instill core values in the young.