New Star Trek TV series to launch in Jan. 2017 on CBS All Access streaming service

By John Callaham
last updated

It's the news that fans have been waiting to hear for a long time, sort of. Star Trek is coming back as a full live-action TV series via CBS. However, while the first episode will premiere in the US on the CBS broadcast network, all the other episodes will be shown exclusively on the CBS All Access streaming service, which currently costs $5.99 a month.

Yes, that means you will have to pay to watch the new series on your smartphone, tablet or smart TV, instead of watching it for free on the CBS network. CBS says:

"This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-run Star Trek series has gone before – directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access," said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Digital Media. "We've experienced terrific growth for CBS All Access, expanding the service across affiliates and devices in a very short time. We now have an incredible opportunity to accelerate this growth with the iconic Star Trek, and its devoted and passionate fan base, as our first original series."

Details about the new series are scarce at the moment, with CBS saying only that it "will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations." Alex Kurtzman will be the executive producer for the new Star Trek TV series. He co-wrote the Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness feature films that were directed by J.J. Abrams. All of the five older Star Trek TV series are already available to watch on CBS All Access.

What do you think of the new Star Trek TV series as a streaming exclusive on CBS All Access? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: Star Trek

John Callaham
John Callaham
54 Comments
  • Cool!!! Hope to see it also in Europe
  • Bleh... JJ Abrams
  • Since JJ isn't attached to Star Trek anymore it might actually be good! That alone is reason enough to give it a shot.
  • 'tis foolish to dismiss the latest films as bad. They were actually quite good. Save the hate for the CBS app.
  • Actually, Into Darkness was poorly written drivel. 2009 Trek was a good start, but it rapidly squandered what it had because Abrams is too dumb to understand that Star Trek isn't shallow pap like Star Wars. At least, it wasn't before he raped it.
  • I think you're poorly written drivel.
  • Star Trek is drivel. The JJ films were the only thing close to exciting I've seen from Trek
  • There's a (Windows) app for that?
  • Ewwwww....... Streaming.
  • Sounds like my mom. Lol!
  • {Insert image of Darth Vader Screaming NOOOOOOOO!!!}
  • I do believe they mean "devoted and hostage fanbase...".
  • Agreed. I think they're overplaying it here. Obit a small portion of the US audience pays to stream video without some other service (Amazon Prime) and paying CBS $70/year to watch only one show that I don't Sunday pay for on cable? That's nuts. Cheaper to buy the Blu Rays next year. Or there is always Tor... Digestive at CBS is going to lose their job over this.
  • Did you send that message from a phone?
  • This is crap, I don't want to pay for another streaming service. Amazon Video, Netflix, Hulu, what's next. 
    There was a time when you could turn on a channel and watch a show and if some other network had your show you would simply change the channel. It seems we are moving towards paying for every channel you want to watch. 
     
    Here are the channels of the future you will have to pay for in order to watch your programs:  Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Videos, YouTube Red, AT&T dish offering, CBS offering, HBO offering, and on and on.   PirateBay, Live long and prosper
  • And then there are small countries, with no access to any of the services you mentioned. And then Americans wonder why is piracy so high in countries that don't have a single video service available legally. Personally,I would pay for some of the services, but instead I'm forced to either don't watch the shows I want (not really an option) or use torrent.
  • Why is it not an option to not watch the content. I'd rather not watch it than pirate it. Anything else sounds pretty self-entitled.
  • Terrible idea. They will be limiting their audience. It may sell some subscriptions, but alot will not be willing to pay. Older people won't even know how to watch it.
  • It'll end up on Xbox Video, itunes, etc about the same time. I'll pay for individual episodes before I pay for yet another streaming service.
  • Wish Orci was working with Kurtzman on this, as it just doesn't feel the same with them not teamed up.  As a viewer of their four other current shows, I hold this one holds up with Kurtzman flying solo.
  • They are the luckiest hacks in Hollywood. Everything they do is middle-brow shit designed for idiots. Not that you are one, but that is their target demographic, and clearly they succeed. Their Star Trek movies sucked, their Transformers sucked.
  • They don't pretend to do prestige films and shows, so you wouldn't expect The King's Speech or Downton from them.  They specialize in fun, popcorn shows (Sleepy Hollow, Hawaii Five-O, Limitless) and movies (the aforementioned,) of which I personally they think succeed greatly.  Different horses for different courses.
  • Ok, I'll bite. Orci & Kurtzman co-created my fave ever TV show, Fringe, with Abrams. Their involvement wasn't particularly heavy after the first season, but nothing about that show was middle-brow.
    Now, as regards a new Star Trek on a streaming only service.... I'm with most of the people here in not being desperate to pay yet another fee.
  • Great just don't crap this up CBS!
  • Cool. As much as I have been wanting this, I'd rather have another Battlestar Galactica or Stargate series. Or a long overdue Space 1999 reboot!!
  • Stargate Universe Season 3 please! Was by far the best of the 3 shows and yet it died so early, they left it in a perfect position to pick up a few years later though so I'm still crossing my fingers.
  • Written by the same guy who wrote the new ones? No thanks. I'll keep my positive view of the future in place of his over-sexed, violent, and lens-flared reimagining. There's nothing inspiring about JJ Trek. I highly doubt generations of younger viewers will seek careers at NASA as a result. It'll probably be another Enterprise lacking the soul of those that came before (save for a very few of the episodes).
  • Does there streaming service serve up ads in addition to the monthly cost? Either way I will pass. I'm downsizing my monthly payouts. To many companies are going this route.
  • I really want to cancel Netflix and Amazon Prime, especially since both are too slow in adding new or even old movies, sometimes I can waste 2 hours just searching for something I haven't seen before or at least not seen in a long time and then I end up getting fed up and doing something else, it's like I'm paying monthly to browse a catalogue lol. I've started very slowly buying things on Xbox video (Microsoft Films & TV for Windows 10 Professional Edition, yeah it's a shit name guys, sort it out), but it quickly gets very expensive. My wife was watching a show the last few months on amazon prime and today they removed it to purchase only, if we just got the season on Xbox video in the first place there would be no problem but now we have to pay for half the episodes she's already watched just to get the boxset discount. Pretty frustrating.
  • I feel your pain. I've got Netflix. Don't do Prime though. Some may argue that two day free shipping makes it worth it. But I have patience for the 4-7 day shipping thats free since I always spend more than 35 anyways when I order. I also feel theres no difference between Netflix and Prime. So why pay for both? My main reason though for no cable is way to many ads for what they want people to pay. That and most shows are crap reality and sports. Which aren't my cup of tea. The one service I do like is Vudu. Shared between my family. When one buys a movie the rest can watch it too.
  • This sucks!I hope its not initially successful because I don't want all the networks releasing their best content on a streaming only platform, but with dvr's cutting advertisement revenue and the growing popularity of content on demand; its only a matter of time before this is widespread. Boo for now. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android because I am unfortunately with Sprint
  • Hoping this doesn't give me flashbacks to Stargate Universe...
  • 1, 2, dead you mean?
  • How about the Stargate trilogy reboot? I've out grown trek.... although Ill still watch it.
  • I just want them to pick up SGU again, they are in such a perfect position for that, any cast that don't want to come back for it can just be killed by stasis pod malfunctions and everyone can be older because they drifted a few years to the next galaxy (come on Eli you should have fixed it by now!)
  • As long as this is set in the original timeline and NOT the alternate timeline I'll be cautiously optimistic about it. Then again, Kurtzman is attached to this, so setting it in the original timeline might not be enough for me. Guess we will see.........
  •   I want the contect to stay a surprise. Knowing things upfront is kind of ruining the experience already. I think I'm a kind of nostalgic just wanting to wait and see what comes next. I don't really want a reboot or completely new spin off. It would be nice if they would kind of continue older series. I would love to see new voyager series.  
  • I think its total, complete, & utter BULLCRAP! CBS is run by Ferenghi...
  • CBS just wants money. If they were doing this for fans then they wouldn't be forcing fans to pay to see it. I hate people who lie and CBS just let that dude lie to everybody trying to say they want star trek to lead the growth of their pay service. If the all access service was free, I bet they would air the show on normal television like everyone else. It's obvious they are only doing it for more money in CEO's pockets, the little people don't benefit at all and it makes me sick. Don't feed me a line of bs just to try and hide greed. I guarantee they make enough money to feed ten families a day already.
  • Executive Producer of Scorpion. I cant wait for the "hacking" scene where they have to stretch an Ethernet cable from one ship to another
  • Boldly wait till it reaches Netflix
  • Never. Its confirmed to be a CBS streaming service exclusive
  • After having seen that laat star trek movie, I'd rather have a new starGATE series...
  • As it will be on CBS's streaming service I worry that we will have to wait for a long time to see it on some high quality streaming service in Europe. :(
  • Wow, that's great. My son and I just finished watching The Next Generation, and on to Voyager now. He is 11 now and is thrilled with the series. I'll break the news to him!
  • I wouldn't worry about CBS exclusivity. Everybody with no possibility of legal access will be downloading the fresh episodes the next day...
  • We cut the cable 2 years ago and pay for Hulu plus and Netflix, if CBS does this, then NBC and FOX might follow, and at $6 a pop, next thing you know it'll cost as much as cable did. Well I say the line must be drawn here! This far and no farther! Don't make me set my TV for auto destruct!
  • Please have Scott Bakula.
  • if its streaming only it wont be worth watching
  • Thanks but no thanks!
  • That sucks
  • I don't get it, how is it a good thing that CBS, a channel free for nearly 75 years, is now considered a premium service worthy of a fee.
  • Good news: New Star Trek series. Bad news: Exclusive to CBS All Access streaming service. Unknown: Is it going to be more like the original, Next Generation and Deep Space Nine or is it going to be like Voyager and Enterprise? Unfortunately, while I am happy about the news, I won't be paying for another streaming service. I already pay too much for cable and Netflix.  
  • I'm nerd, but not that nerd.. not at the point of liking Star Wars of Star Trek... maybe a little Star Wars but not Star Trek no way xD Posted via the Windows Central App for Android