Many fans of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy remain blue about the show's cancellation, leaving us with only 2 seasons and dreams of what might have been. However, Tawny Newsome, who co-wrote the season 5 episode "Series Acclimation Mil," and also played Illa Dax, has no regrets about her time working on the show.
During this year's Trek Talks, Newsome paired with Gates McFadden to discuss her time as a season 1 writer. Newsome said via TrekMovie.com: “Season 1 was such an immersive experience, I sort of feel like I got to hit the jackpot writing with Kirsten [Beyer], honor legacy characters … I sort of ticked off all my Trek jackpots in season 1."
Newsome, who also served as a producer on Starfleet Academy, continued by saying:
"And so by the time season 2 came around, I was like, How can I contribute to this, but not necessarily in a full-time way, just because I had other things I wanted to do creatively… and they were so supportive. [Showrunners] Alex Kurtzman and Noga [Landau], they built a way for me to do that and still participate, which is really lovely of them. So I would have loved to keep finding ways to participate had the show gone on.”
Any writer can tell you that there's a certain sadness that occurs when a project ends, especially when it's unexpected. Yet, Newsome's words can offer fans of Starfleet Academy some comfort and remind us all that Star Trek isn't over and that projects, pitches, and new ideas are always waiting in the wings.
Obviously, Starfleet Academy wasn't every franchise fan's cup of Earl Grey tea (hot).
However, Newsome's eagerness to continue with creative ideas for the show, if Paramount and CBS Studios hadn't pulled the plug much too soon, reminds fans that writers are always waiting in the wings to work on other series, write book tie-ins, and even work on Star Trek online games.
If history shows us anything, it's that the franchise is filled with creative people who will make sure these unique characters live on. Now, share your thoughts and comments about Tawny Newsome's contributions to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
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