The first season of the next series in the Star Trek franchise, Starfleet Academy, is now filming in Toronto, but we shouldn't expect to see it until at least 2026. That hasn't stopped Paramount+ from making a surprising decision regarding the series. It has renewed the brand-new series for a second season already. The announcement came at the Star Trek Universe Panel at New York Comic Con. [via Trekmovie].
This is much earlier than the timeline for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds which didn't get a second season renewal until almost four months before the release of its first season and even for Star Trek: Discovery which didn't get renewed for a second season until the first season had already begun airing. While Paramount+ does have a track record for early renewals, this one is more surprising as the entire premise of the show is different from anything that's ever been done in Star Trek.
Though Lower Decks was a different type of show as well, it was ordered for two seasons in October 2018 which seems to suggest that Paramount+ is leaning toward giving newer kinds of Trek bigger chances. Of course, it did unceremoniously cancel Star Trek: Prodigy after renewing it for a second season so a renewal doesn't mean as much as it used to.
But the streaming channel is really taking a chance with a series that is going to be set primarily on Earth and out of space. While many fans are looking forward to something unique, others are feeling much the way viewers felt regarding Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when it was first announced. Deep Space Nine did go on to be a successful series so perhaps Paramount+ is hoping lightning will strike twice, especially considering the line-up of stars that are attached to the series, including Academy Award-winning actress, Holly Hunter.
As mentioned, we won't know how well this series will go over with fans until it debuts, which will probably be some time in 2026.