Five seasons of a Star Trek series is disappointing not a miracle

Alex Kurtzman and Mike McMahan issued a joint statement [via Trekmovie]announcing the end of Star Trek: Lower Decks after five seasons saying, "five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle." But there are dozens upon dozens of television series that have proven that to not be the case. CBS is especially known for its long-running series with Blue Bloods ending after season fourteen, S.W.A.T. having just been renewed for season eight, and Big Bang Theory having run for twelve. So a longer run isn't impossible.

With shows like Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, and Law and Order: SVU running well into the double digits for seasons, a five-season run is more of a disappointment than a feat of great magnitude, especially when you take into consideration that those "seasons" of Star Trek are little more than ten epsodes each. That almost equates to two full seasons if the series had aired on television rather than streaming.

So what is going on with Star Trek? Why are fewer episodes and smaller seasons the norm now? Money certainly is a factor, and we know Paramount has been struggling to turn a profit. But fans have expressed their disapproval of such short seasons so continuing that trend only serves to disappoint the fan base. Perhaps it's time for Paramount (and its future owner) to consider returning Star Trek to television instead of keeping it locked up on a streaming channel.

If the viewing numbers aren't what Paramount wants for its shows, it could be because many Star Trek fans are vehemently against having to pay to see another series, especially when that series is treated like it's on television by a weekly release. They'd rather wait until the series are released on DVD so they can watch it all at once. That's always been one of the high points of streaming—an ad-free binge session.

If Star Trek intends to continue delivering shorter seasons with shorter runs altogether, it's going to be difficult to get excited about future series. Knowing we only have fifty or so episodes to enjoy these characters and their adventures isn't anywhere near as exciting as looking forward to a full season on television which is where Star Trek found its best success.