Fans are hopeful that a “Star Trek: Year One” series can happen, but there’s a time clock for it.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has always had a time limit in-story. We’re getting closer and closer to when Pike suffers his devastating accident, paving the way for Jim Kirk to become captain of the Enterprise. The show is building toward it by introducing Kirk (Paul Wesley) and characters like Scotty.
The apparent plan from showrunner Akiva Goldsman was that the series would end with Kirk’s first day as captain. At the same time, he’s been pushing a possibility of a sequel series, tentatively titled “Star Trek: Year One,” focusing on Kirk’s first year as captain.
First, the show has to go through the rest of Strange New Worlds, which had to fight to get a six-episode fifth and final season. Goldsman has acknowledged having to negotiate with Paramount to get that much. However, it also shows a major problem if the show wants to survive.
Strange New Worlds will begin production soon and is planned to wrap up the final year in December 2025. This means that the sets won’t be needed, and Goldsman admitted to Trek Movie that’s a major concern.
“I don’t know, but these are all the right questions… These decisions are more immediate than they would seem to be, exactly for that reason, for physical assets. So who knows? I wish I did.”
It’s not just the sets but all the props and costumes for the show that are owned and stored by CBS Studios. The sets alone take up several large stages, spaces that the studio may need for other projects. Meaning that reusing those sets would be far easier than building new ones, which can be too pricey for a studio.
Likewise, holding onto so many costumes and props for a canceled series doesn’t make sense. The studio would likely make a good profit auctioning off scores of SNW outfits and props, perhaps more than continuing the show would bring in. With studios tightening their belts more, such costs are more important and may harm a show's chances.
There is precedence for this as Terry Matalas had hoped Star Trek: Picard could lead into a new series dubbed “Legacy” to continue the adventures of the Enterprise-G. However, Matalas couldn’t sell Paramount and CBS Studios on the idea in time to prevent the Enterprise sets from being demolished, ending the hopes for the show.
This means CBS Studios and Paramount have until January 2026 to make a final decision on a “Year One” series. While some purists would enjoy a new set resembling the classic TOS Enterprise, that would be costly for a show that the studio may balk at.
Hopefully, this can come together for a continuation of this hit show, yet the cost factors may sadly be a reason this “Year One” continuation never leaves Drydock.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+.