Star Trek: Prodigy getting canceled will never be a good thing.
Star Trek: Prodigy was a hit show, and did very well. So well that it re-launched the Star Trek toy line with Playmates. The interest was high for the animated brand and it really brought the iconic Star Trek brand to kids. It was a show that Gene Roddenberry may have loved, as it captured the essence of the series, and did so in a way that allowed kids to enjoy it.
But due to Paramount+’s financial issues, which is a broader, industry issue, Prodigy was canceled alongside a bunch of other shows. While most of the shows were axed early, Prodigy was canceled during mid-production of season two. A rare move within the industry.
The cancelation hurt the Star Trek brand. Now we know that shows with a big fanbase aren’t safe. We also know now that just getting a green light for a new season doesn’t mean anything. Beginning production doesn’t mean you’re safe. We now know that if you’re in the middle of filming, you’re still not safe.
That’s some serious damage to the brand. So when Prodigy co-creator Dan Hageman said the cancellation could be a good thing, we’re not sure what he meant.
Speaking to Trekcore.com, Hageman brought up the brighter side of not having a home to broadcast on;
"DAN: Hope, right. And not just hope, but a thought that “This could be good! This could help the show!” You know, finding a new home could open up new opportunities to get people who aren’t usually watching Star Trek to see Prodigy. We want our show to find a wider audience —"
Star Trek: Prodigy may find a bigger audience but the brand has been damaged due to Paramount+’s cancelation of the show
There’s no way around it, the cancelation has damaged the security fans have about Trek. When you now know that your favorite show can be canceled mid-production on a new season, there’s no way you can really feel safe about the franchise’s future.
The security the fandom once had is gone, and it’s because of Prodigy’s cancellation. Any show could be cut down, especially after the writer and actors strike. More shows are likely to be axed due to those strikes, and coupled with the fact that no show, not even a popular Star Trek show is safe anymore after getting new episodes ordered, the future for the brand is relatively bleak.
Trek isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (we hope) but you’ll be lucky to see more than two or three shows active at once anymore. The time when you had Trek on nearly every week for 52 weeks is dead.