CBS and Viacom have now merged after more than a decade since their initial corporate split, which is good news for Star Trek fans as it means both the movie and TV rights to the franchise are back under the same roof. You can be sure that ViacomCBS will now be keen to do everything in their power to increase the brand awareness for Trek going forward, and it seems the studio has settled on the best way to do this: ensure it appeals to young people.
Speaking at a conference in Los Angeles on Thursday (via Deadline), CBS CEO David Nevins described Star Trek as a key brand within their library that can be nurtured by both parties. In particular, he wants the sci-fi franchise to become more “relevant” to a younger demographic.
“What we’re trying to do right now with Star Trek is build that brand. We want it to get younger and more relevant to people.”
It’s unclear if Nevins is referring to aims to attract children and teens to Trek or young adults, but it’s likely to be both. From the many TV shows in the works at present, it looks like CBS wants to make a version of Star Trek for everyone. Picard obviously appeals to older fans who grew up with The Next Generation, Discovery appeals to veterans as well as trying to bring in new viewers and there’s also an adult-oriented animated comedy series called Lower Decks in the works.
As for children, there’s another animated project coming to Nickelodeon in the near future. The currently untitled CG show will follow a group of rebellious teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and take off on thrilling adventures, maturing and learning lessons along the way.
Tell us, though, are you excited for the future of Star Trek? And which upcoming series can you not wait to see? Beam on over to the comments section and share your thoughts.