Star Trek: History Channel Orders 8-Part Docuseries Chronicling the Franchise

While the Star Trek: Voyager documentary sets crowdfunding records, another Star Trek documentary is heading into production through a more traditional route. The History Channel has ordered the 8-part docuseries The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek from The Nacelle Company. Brian Volk-Weiss — creator of Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us — directs the series. He previously helmed 50 Years of Star Trek, History Channel’s 85-minute documentary special that aired in 2016. According to Deadline, the new docuseries will offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of the franchise’s most pivotal moments, dating back to its creation and Lucille Ball’s involvement with the series through her studio Desilu.

“Star Trek, from before I was 10 years old, gave me the closest thing I have to a code to follow in my life,” Volk-Weiss said. “If it wasn’t for the words ‘I don’t believe in the no-win scenario,’ I’d be very alone, broke, and miserable in this world. So to say this is a passion project would be a tremendous understatement.”

The series includes interviews with cast members, crew, and Star Trek experts, offering stories from behind-the-scenes and new insights into the franchise’s history. The documentary promises to touch on Star Trek history’s lesser-known corners, including Star Trek: The Animated Series and the abandoned Star Trek: Phase II television series.

Ian Roumain will be The Center Seat‘s showrunner as well as an executive producer. Other executive producers include Star Trek: The Next Generation star Gates McFadden and Mark Altman, who hosts the Inglorious Treksperts podcast and is co-author of the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: Volume One: The First 25 Years and its sequel, The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek.

Are you excited about The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek? Let us know how you feel about the project in the comments section. Fans can watch every episode from Star Trek’s entire 55-year history on Paramount+.

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