A live-action comedy Star Trek show will only further harm the brand

Star Trek has been having a hard time in recent months. From canceled series to films in development hell, and a general lack of interest from the greater-non-Star-Trek fanbase; it's been quite the year. They've had to survive strikes, important toy brands being canceled, and general uncertainty coming from their parent company.

We're not entirely sure that now is the time to make a divisive series like Star Trek is intending. Despite Lower Decks never being a ratings hit, and oftentimes being one of the least-liked shows, with many critics refusing to cover the series after season one, it appears that more short-sighted comedy is coming our way. It's been announced that a new live-action series is coming and it's going to be a comedy.

Star Trek can do comedy, to a degree, but comedic series are a vastly different beast entirely. It's one thing to have a humorous moment in a more serious episode and instead try and make it entirely unserious. It's what did in Short Treks. Fans thought that the series oftentimes wasn't intended for Star Trek fans. With many fans taking issue with the "comedy" episode, "The Trouble With Edward". The series was panned by some fans for being "cruel" and "unfunny", and any hype about the series died with that episode.

Despite it having a cameo by Anson Mount as Christopher Pike.

Lower Decks had its fans, absolutely, but it wasn't a show that made Star Trek better, and in fact, did more to tear down the once cherished franchise all for the sake of cheap laughs. As the new live-action series will feature former Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome, we're not entirely sure we're going to get a different type of comedy.

After all, Lower Decks was like Cocomelon for adults, filled with nothing but constant stimulation and very little downtime to let major moments breathe. The premise would be fine if it wasn't a Star Trek branded series, with Variety claiming the show will feature;

"Federation outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant."

Star Trek works best when it's earnest. When it's not making fun of itself or others, in an attempt for cheap gags. It's a franchise with a serious tone that should be better respected but instead, we're getting uninspired spinoffs, that no one is asking for. Centered around concepts that aren't strong enough to stand on their own, so instead, we're getting some weak branding on top of shows that have been made better, elsewhere.

Hopefully, the new owners rethink this type of show once they assume power, because many Star Trek fans are tired of the non-Trek, Star Trek that we've been getting.