Robert Picardo has been a pivotal part of Star Trek history for over 30 years. The Doctor, who first appeared in Star Trek: Voyager and later the animated Prodigy, is now a beloved legacy character, and its a role Picardo recently reprised for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
While Picardo's disappointment over the news of Starfleet Academy's cancellation is obvious, he also praised Star Trek in an interview with ScreenRant by saying, "I’ve been proud to be a part of the franchise for more than 30 years now. That’s more [than half] of its 60 year life that we are celebrating this year. This September will be the 60th anniversary of the first broadcast of Star Trek."
That's not bad for a sci-fi show that had its initial pilot rejected, got a second chance thanks to Lucille Ball and Desilu Studios, struggled for three seasons, and then exploded with popularity in syndication.
While fine actors and rich characters like Picardo's The Doctor allow the franchise to keep expanding, I believe it is Star Trek's message of hope and the idea that we as a species can achieve a great deal if we would only accept diversity and address the many problems (bigotry, misogyny, homophobia) that hold us back.
From Captain Kirk telling Lieutenant Stiles to leave any bigotry in his quarters in 1966's "Balance of Terror," to the revelation of Jay-Den Kraag's sexuality in 2026's Starfleet Academy, Star Trek's 60-year history has always had much to say about humanity.
One hopes that in 30 years from now, no matter what direction the franchise takes, it won't be too late for everyone to listen. And for more Star Trek content, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.