Was Star Trek: Lower Decks cancelled because it's an adult-themed cartoon?

Star Trek have ventured into animation three times in the past fifty-one years with Star Trek: The Animated Series debuting in 1973, Star Trek: Lower Decks debuting in 2020, and Star Trek: Prodigy making its first appearance in 2021. The Animated Series was cancelled after two seasons with Prodigy being cancelled after one before Netflix picked it up. The recent cancellation of Lower Decks after season five, though, has caused some speculation about the reasons behind it and if it had anything to do with the style of the series.

TV Fanatic speculates that Lower Decks may be ending because of its adult-themed humor and slapstick comedy with the writer, Jason Collins, adding that the cancellation "may follow the trend of networks and streaming services canceling adult-themed cartoons for various reasons. "

It's true that Lower Decks offered humor that the other Trek series didn't, but the newer series have started using language that the older shows didn't as well. That's just a sign of the times, so to speak. Way back when, strong language couldn't be used on network television, but streaming opens up more possibilities. It's not usual to hear four letter words and jokes that you might not say in a crowded room.

But Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan and executive producer Alex Kurtzman both called five seasons a miracle in the current landscape of shows. Star Trek: Discovery was cancelled after five seasons as well, and so it stands to reason that the ending of Lower Decks is more due to current Star Trek practices.

Yes, there are fans who don't like Lower Decks' brand of humor or its focus on comedy rather than drama . There are also fans that do not like to hear some of Star Trek's greats like Patrick Stewart dropping the F-bomb. But unwanted curse words and questionable jokes haven't dissuaded all the viewers. If that was the case, many current shows on streaming networks wouldn't last more than a season.

While it's true that things are different with the Star Trek franchise, there are plenty of Trek fans that enjoy the Rick and Morty type of cartoons and embraced Lower Decks for what it was. Was it for everyone? Of course not, but neither was Star Trek: Picard or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Lower Decks simply filled a niche that had not yet been filled by another Trek series. And many fans are sad to see it go.