‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Creator on How the Series Stays Within Star Trek Canon

Star Trek: Discovery will engage with established Star Trek canon head on in its second season, when the USS Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike, and, maybe, Spock become a part of the show’s story. Now one of the show’s creators is discussing how show’s writers go about balancing Star Trek’s past with its present.

Kurtzman was one panelist that took part in a Star Trek: Discovery Emmy Awards “For Your Consideration” panel and he discussed the balancing act that goes into creating Discovery within the confines of established Star Trek canon (via Trek Movie).

“There is a whole police squad of people who are really on top of making sure that the colors are consistent with canon and the design is consistent with canon,” he says. “We are always asking ourselves ‘We know what a phaser looks like, but we want to make it new, but we can’t make it too new because it is actually pre-TOS, so what can we do to give you something fresh, but also stay consistent with what you know?’ And that is a daily conversation on every front. That doesn’t just apply to the props and to the look of the show.”

Kurtzman says his experience co-writing and executive producing the Star Trek reboot films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness gave him some helpful experience when it comes to these matters.

“I think the films taught me a lot about how to attempt to walk that line,” he said, but also noted that they are “Trying to please fans but also bringing in new audiences because that is how Star Trek has remained what it is for over 50 years. For me personally, the line between television and film is completely blurred now. We endeavor every week to make it a movie. Certainly, that has been our goal this year. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.”

CBS is asking for Star Trek: Discovery to be considering for the Emmy Awards categories for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Production Design For a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup, Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Costumes, Oustanding Music Composition, and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. It has also pushed several actors for individual nominations, including Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Jason Isaacs, Anthony Rapp, Shazad Latif, Wilson Cruz, Michelle Yeoh, Mary Wiseman, and Mary Chieffo.

Emmy Awards voting is now officially underway. The nominees will be announced on July 12th.

Do you think Star Trek: Discovery deserves an Emmy nomination? How do you think it has done in walking the line of canon? Let us know in the comments!

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the United States, through CraveTV in Canada, and through Netflix in other international markets. Star Trek: Discovery Season Two is now filming in Toronto.