Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Explains How Patrick Stewart Helped Shape the Show's Story

Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access brings back Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard. But Stewart isn't only returning to his role from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He's also a creative force on the new series, helping to shape the show's story as an executive producer. In a video on StarTrek.com, Star Trek: Picard showrunner Michael Chabon discussed how Stewart's "priceless advice" helped inform the new series. "Not just our memory of his presence and our thoughts about his presence both as Patrick Stewart and as Jean-Luc Picard, but the things he told us, the things he said he was interested in doing and was not interested in doing," Chabon says. "The acting challenges he was looking for, and the things that he felt were old challenges that he had already risen to and he was not interested in doing again.

"We took all that so seriously, like gospel, the word of God, really. And we obeyed. And we really, truly tried to tailor the story to suit the actor, to suit the thinker, the man who had given a lot of thought over the long years that he had not played Jean-Luc Picard to what it was that made Picard interesting to him, what he thought was going to be interesting about Jean-Luc Picard at this fairly late stage of his life. What was important to Patrick Stewart looking around at the world that we're living in now. He very much let us know he wanted the story to resonate to our times."

The first season of Star Trek: Picard wrapped production in late August. Stewart suggested in a previous interview that filming on the second season of Star Trek: Picard may begin as soon as March. "I am not giving up my stage work, though it may have to wait for now because there are three projects that I have finished, two films and the TV series, which all need promotion," Stewart said. "So I am clearing the decks for that and then there is also the possibility of a second Picard series filming in March next year."

Alongside Stewart, Star Trek: Picard also stars Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, Alison Pill, Harry Treadaway, and Evan Evagora. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, James Duff, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers and Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout) serves as co-executive producer and Kirsten Beyer as supervising producer. Hanelle Culpepper directed the first two episodes of the series. Stewart's Next Generation co-star Jonathan Frakes directed the third and fourth episodes of the season.

The first trailer for Star Trek: Picard released at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 and revealed that some familiar faces, both friend and foe, will return in the new series. Brent Spiner reprises his role as Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek: Voyager's Jeri Ryan returns as Seven of Nine. The Borg will also play a role in the series, including Jonathan Del Arco as Hugh. Comic-Con also confirmed the returns of Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi.

Are you excited about Star Trek: Picard? Let us know what you think in the comments. Star Trek: Picard comes to CBS All Access in on January 23, 2020.