Netflix is getting back into the “Star Trek” business. Wait, you didn’t know the prized Paramount/CBS/Viacom property has a recent history on the global streamer? Yes, before it jumped completely to Paramount+ in 2021, “Star Trek: Discovery” was a staple on Netflix for everyone outside the United States. Now, the service is giving new life to the animated “Trek” series “Star Trek: Prodigy,” which was canceled by Paramount in June after one season.
READ MORE: Chris Pine calls “Star Trek” franchise “cursed”
Paramount dumped “Prodigy” while a second season was still in production. The first season will now debut on Netflix in the U.S. and a number of international territories before the end of the year. The second season is expected to debut in 2024.
Despite this move, “Star Trek’s” home is essentially still Paramount+. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which landed in the top 10 of Nielsen Streaming Originals for almost its entire second season, the animated “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” and the upcoming “Section 31” and “Starfleet Academy” will all be exclusive to the service. But it does open the door for the “Star Trek” film library and, potentially, completed series such as “Picard” to be licensed to either Netflix or Prime Video, where Paramount+ has a subscription partnership.
Intended as a gateway into the “Star Trek” universe for kids, “Prodigy” follows a group of teenagers as they travel the galaxy in a stolen, run-down Federation vessel. The series finds Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Captain Janeway (in a hologram form) and gave hardcore fans some hope that the character might earn a “Picard”-esque live-action return.
Over the past few months, Warner Bros Discovery and Disney have both dropped the exclusive walls on their respective streaming services. WBD has licensed a number of seminal HBO series, including “True Blood,” “Six Feet Under,” and “Band of Brothers” to Netflix. Disney has opened its “Star Wars” library to its linear networks and renewed a deal with WBD’s Turner Cable Networks for its films.
Netflix has had great success picking up canceled series and giving them new life on their service. Some of Netlix’s biggest hits included saved programs such as “You,” “Manifest,” and “Lucifer.”