Paramount Canceling Even More Star Trek Shows?
Star Trek fans have been eating very well the past few years, but now it looks like Paramount may be about to shut down the replicator. Recently, Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan sat down with CinemaBlend and discussed the strong likelihood of the network canceling even more Trek shows in the very near future. “I would say nothing is safe,” he said, emphasizing that his own show’s upcoming season might be its last: “Lower Decks could very well be a five-season show.”
“I think you shouldn’t assume that this stuff is gonna stick around unless you…watch it early on.”
Mike McMahan, showrunner for Lower Decks
While that might sound surprisingly doomy and gloomy coming from the architect of Star Trek’s funniest show, McMahan seemed to be confirming something that fans have long been speculating about. In the recent past, Star Trek: Picard ended after its pre-planned three seasons, but Paramount made the more surprising decision to cancel Prodigy ahead of its second season and to prematurely end Discovery after its upcoming season.
Considering that Paramount was once enthusiastic about cranking out a nonstop stream (so to speak) of content for Paramount Plus, it now looks like they are aggressively turning the hose back off.
That doesn’t mean all is lost for Lower Decks and, potentially, other favorite Star Trek shows. Mike McMahan laid out blunt advice for fans to follow: “I think you shouldn’t assume that this stuff is gonna stick around unless you…watch it early on.” He specifically contrasted this with other fan initiatives, including the letter-writing campaigns and other campaigns that fans have already begun to save Star Trek: Prodigy.
“I would say nothing is safe, Lower Decks could very well be a five-season show.”
Mike McMahan, Lower Decks showrunner on its possible fate
“A letter writing campaign after a show gets canceled, it’s helpful,” McMahan said, “but what’s more helpful is campaigning to get more eyes on the show when it’s airing because it gives me the ability to push for more seasons.” He noted in the interview that he has a plan for how he’d like to wrap Star Trek: Lower Decks up, but that plan is contingent on fans making “sure to watch it and get people to watch it now.”
He mentioned Star Trek: Discovery “wrapping,” and the implication seems clear: that was a show that Paramount prematurely canceled because it didn’t have enough people watching it, despite once being the streamer’s flagship show.
That show was forced to go back and shoot additional scenes because the actors, writers, and producers didn’t know this would be the last season until it was too late. McMahan understandably wants Lower Decks to avoid the same fate, but he was quite clear that the best way for fans to keep the show going is to continue watching it and, ideally, get as many friends to watch it as you possibly can.
“A letter writing campaign after a show gets canceled, it’s helpful, but what’s more helpful is campaigning to get more eyes on the show when it’s airing because it gives me the ability to push for more seasons.”
Mike McMahan explaining how fans can help
Fortunately, it’s not that hard to get new people to check out Star Trek: Lower Decks because it has broad comic appeal, stellar writing, and the best voice actors this side of the Alpha Quadrant. There are countless Easter Eggs for longtime fans of the franchise, but this show is also accessible to those who have never watched a single Star Trek episode or movie. And at this point, we’re joining McMahan and begging you to help keep the show on the air…it’s the only way we’ll get to see more Moopsy or ever figure out what that cosmic koala’s whole deal is.
