Fans of the fledgling Star Trek series Starfleet Academy got some disappointing news when Paramount and CBS Studios announced the cancellation of the show. While Paramount+ will air season 2 in the future, likely 2027, the show will officially end there.
Starfleet Academy, Voyager, and Prodigy alum Robert Picardo has his own thoughts about the sudden cancellation and the ultimate reasons behind it. He recently said to ScreenRant, "The show [Starfleet Academy], the work of the show is extraordinary."
Picardo continued by saying:
"And even though, as I said, it didn’t quite fit in with this current political, cultural moment we’re having in America, I think the show will be viewed and valued as a real gem in the future. Eventually, the pendulum always swings back towards Star Trek’s original core values. I’m just sorry we didn’t make more episodes, as we could and, I believe, we should have.”
Picardo makes a valid point about most Star Trek series never being appreciated in their time. After all, a vigorous letter-writing campaign is what gave The Original Series a third season, and plenty of fans gave The Next Generation a thumbs down when it premiered in 1987. And in this case, I agree with The Doctor's viewpoint because I hated Next Gen when it first came out.
In a timeline where the Nus Brakas of the world seem to run wild, perhaps Picardo is right when he says that the current climate isn't exactly tolerant or accepting of the "young minds, fresh ideas," as Admiral Kirk once put it, mindset or Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC). I hope Robert Picardo is right about Starfleet Academy and the show will catch viewers' eyes 30 years from now, long after these strange times pass.
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