9 Years Ago Today, Star Trek Returned From a Long Hiatus (& Brought a First to the Franchise)

Star Trek went through a long period of inactivity after Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled. In 2005, UPN cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise, ending the series after four seasons, the first time that any Star Trek show was cancelled by a network since Star Trek: The Original Series. Producer Rick Berman said Paramount believed that it was a good thing because the franchise needed to rest for a while, but this led to a period of 12 years during which there were no Star Trek shows airing new episodes on television. Star Trek wasn’t dead, as the J.J. Abrams movies bridged the gap for fans, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the franchise returned to television, and it brought in a new look that took many fans by surprise.

On September 24, 2017, Star Trek: Discovery premiered, and it not only brought the franchise back to prominence, but also did things that the franchise had never attempted before. More than anything, Star Trek: Discovery remains synonymous with its lead character. Sonequa Martin-Green starred in the series as Commander Michael Burnham, an incredibly intelligent character. In Season 3, she was promoted to captain, the first African-American woman to lead a live-action Star Trek series.

Star Trek: Discovery Took Some Big Chances and Succeeded at Most of Them

Star Trek was dead on television before Star Trek: Discovery brought the franchise back to life on the small screen. While Abrams’ movies were going strong, they were set in a different timeline, which means the timeline of the original Star Trek TV show was dormant for well over a decade. Not only did Star Trek: Discovery bring the franchise back to TV, but it also ushered it into the world of streaming television, and it was the most modern version of the franchise any fan had ever seen. It was violent, and it was morally compromised, which was a huge change and more in line with television shows of the 2010s.

This turned away some Star Trek fans, but that was going to happen no matter what. Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled because it was not everything to every fan of the series. Fans complained that Star Trek: Discovery was too dark, and those same fans complained that Star Wars: Starfleet Academy isn’t dark enough. Star Trek: Discovery faced the same challenges as Star Trek: Enterprise, but the new series was a more nuanced and intelligent Star Trek series, with great acting and a story that sucked people in when they gave it a chance. The series also took some big swings, such as when the story jumped 930 years into the future in the third season, a timeline no other Star Trek series had visited. Star Trek: Discovery was simply good television.

Star Trek: Discovery Rekindled Fans’ Love of the Franchise

After 12 years off the air, many Star Trek fans wanted to see the franchise back on TV, even though there would always be those fans who would complain about what arrived no matter how good it was. However, what Star Trek: Discovery did that helped it succeed was update itself for a 21st-century audience and what fans expect from television shows today. Even in the era of the best Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, television was still mostly disposable entertainment, which is what made that series so great, as it stood above the rest. Star Trek: Discovery had to do more because the competition at that time included Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, both in their prime.

Star Trek: Discovery looked incredible, matching up with what Abrams was doing on the big screen. It no longer had cheap-looking effects, and the stories were deep and meant something. It was also serialized rather than a series full of stand-alone episodes of the week. This helped it reach levels higher than anyone could have expected. If it weren’t for the success of Star Trek: Discovery, shows like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wouldn’t have had a chance to carry on the new format. It also allowed Paramount to dare to attempt different things, including animated shows like Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy.

Star Trek is about to take another hiatus, with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finishing up its run and Star Wars: Starfleet Academy cancelled, its final season still to air. There has to be hope that it won’t be another 12-year hiatus from television, although it seems similar since there are rumored new movies coming, with one officially in development, just like in the last hiatus. However, when the hiatus ends, Star Trek: Discovery is a perfect example of what the franchise needs to do when it decides to return to the small screen.