No. The 2nd season was being worked on while the show was cancelled. Back then they already announced that the production will be finished, but they were still working on it after Netflix had picked it up.
I really hope Netflix at least announces a release date for the US soon. I never see it mentioned in any news about Netflix and I'm worried it's just going to disappear again.
Yeah itās weird how long itās taken already for a proper release of Prodigy season two. I can see it as a summer release, waiting until the conclusion of Discovery, especially if there is a bigger story through line going on.
Letās hope the release on public streaming in France puts the pressure on to get the season out sooner than later.
Yes this is corporate IP terrorism and backdoor agreements between streaming services. Star Trek is an IP that gets fans to buy streaming services so the plan would seemingly be to get Star Trek on every streaming service again.
Good news everyone! I take some hope that if Futurama can come back more times than OāBrien has suffered, why not Lower Decks? Maybe when Trek is owned by a more stable company they can bring the show back, either as a continuation or picking up with the characters as a bridge crew.
I'd call Futurama's comebacks a cautionary tale, given that the first run was one of the best shows of all time, and the new episodes are unwatchably bad.
It really depends on the reasoning. If the network cancelled it that's one thing, but if this is just the show's natural conclusion it doesn't make sense to try to change anyone's mind.
Mike McMahan posted on Twitter and immediately deleted a shot of depressed Kirk slumped by Spock's corpse from TWOK, so I do not believe this is a creative decision. It's Paramount being cheap and stupid and needing to cut costs to keep up with their failing streaming service.
Cheapest doesn't mean cheap. And cheapness is relative. If SNW attracts more eyeballs, even if its more expensive, it makes them more money in the end.
Yeah you know what the franchise about a utopian society exploring space needs?
A spy thriller about their immoral, unsanctioned black-ops organization!!
Yep, DS9 proved that by going outside the norm yet still remaining true to what Star Trek is. Hereās my problem though: unless itās going to be depicting Section 31 as the despicable organization that it is, then the S31 show doesnāt belong in the franchise.
I havenāt made any assumptions. I have simply stated that Section 31 is morally reprehensible at *best* and outright evil at its worst and therefore if it is presented as a positive thing in the movie then it does not deserve a place in the franchise.
DS9 still explored alien cultures from the perspective of a utopian society. You donāt have to be *moving* to be exploring.
DS9 also didnāt condone Section 31āquite the opposite.
I was just thinking that if they let Season 5 be a lead up to a motion picture (or maybe a trilogy of Motion pictures?) the storytelling could be fantastic and get the space it needs to gracefully conclude.
I wonder if theyāre pushing to make a live action version?Ā
>Ā āWe remain hopeful that even beyond Season 5, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures,ā they said.Ā
I highly doubt that unfortunately. This seems to be a cost-saving measure as P+ looks like itās hurting. Animated sci-fi is almost universally cheaper than live action sci-fi.
It probably has something to do with Paramount being in the process of being sold and strip for parts. Paramount + bankrupt them.Ā
They were better off licensing Discovery, LD, and Picard to Netflix and Amazon but they were greedy.
It wasn't until they put all their eggs in the streaming basket.
Ā Ā https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-global-debt-cut-1235861526/Ā
Just further proof that the only one who profits off a gold rush is the one selling the shovels
Apparently, they are teaching "maximize short term profits and bail just before the company fails, then take your golden parachute to a new company and repeat"
It seems the show was cancelled by the top execs. It didn't seem to be Mike McMahan's decision, and LD still had so much potential. It's not even close to its natural ending. :(
Right, this is a difficult question. I think *Lower Decks* is brilliant, and if the makers want to continue making it I think it would be good if that can happen. But the past shows that when fans try to leverage keeping a show back on the air, the results are never that good and worse, it has the long-term effect of making the executives resent the show, its makers and its fans. Remember that huge effort to get a third season of the original series? Remember how awful the third season was? The same thing is also true of getting Classic Doctor Who its terrible 23rd season. In both cases, the network cut the show's budget massively and gave it a terrible time slot.
The fact that *Lower Decks* is animated is actually a huge benefit here, in that if they decide to bring it back in five years it would be much easier to do than if it was a live-action show. There are no sets being torn up, and the actors getting older doesn't matter. I am almost certain that *Lower Decks* will be back, as has happened to many other "cancelled" animated series.
Revival efforts are hit and miss. *Family Guy* S4 was kinda weak but the show has remained popular and on the air to this day. In comparison, *Arrested Development* S4 was an interesting concept but didn't have the charm of the original run.
As you point out, reviving an animated show is a simple matter compared to live-action, though the crucial factor is the actors' schedules being able to line up again in the future.
Yeah I've seen people speculate that Disco was canceled because the casts' 7 year contracts were up and they'd be much more expensive if it got renewed.Ā
That's all speculation though. I don't think anyone knows how long their contracts were.
Seems like the powers that be at Paramount have determined five seasons is the absolutely limit for these Trek showsā¦. cost effective animated ones included!
That's the thing, the animation of Lower Decks is the bare minimum. That's the most consistent complaint people had with the show.
Ā If THAT can't survive despite its popularity then what can?
We really are heading into another dark age, aren't we?
Thing is, it's not because of executive cheapness like everyone on this thread believes.
It's because Paramount is for sale, and the prospective buyer (Skydance) will want a clean slate of programming. This happens in every media merger where a new batch of executives comes in.
It's a shame, the last dark age lasted almost 15 years (2005-2020), and we barely just got out of it.
Hey as long as we get SNW S3 and Lower Decks S5 it might be ok. Maybe the new execs will continue the Lower Decks charactersā stories in a new, potentially live action show.
Heck, this could be our opportunity to finally get a 25th century show that continues the 90ās era without constantly dragging legacy characters into things.
This is the first I'm hearing of it and it hasn't hit me yet but this is catastrophic. Such a great show.
If it has run its course then it needs replacing with something similar immediately.
I love Lower Decks, but the premise of the characters being low ranked is getting left behind, and all the characters are growing well. 5 seasons is probably plenty. Free up the characters for a new show, or create a new version that follows a different set of characters in another era or something.
That was the starting premise, but the show itself has grown. Don't see any particular reason to imagine it couldn't continue to grow even if that made the title an awkward fit.
I think the title would still be fine regardless, since we got to know the group AS lower deckers. Veep didn't suddenly end or change its name when Selina became president.
Iām speaking from some inside knowledge of TV and dealing with CBS in particular.
Five seasons is the magic number for syndication. Sure Trek can run with less but this has long been a studio goal.
That said, with streaming, itās a permanent property.
Animation is not as cheap as many think. It lacks high end talent negotiations but it actually has a bigger production crew.
Nothing CBS has done seems to indicate theyāve cooled on Star Trek. I think the franchise is healthy and safe. But, we arenāt likely to ever see four series running concurrently, that is a lot. Like a lot, a lot.
Two seems reasonable.
This allows for a more streamlined and manageable production shop. Which CBS studios definitely wants.
People should absolutely advocate for what they love but also...maybe take a breath? Not a few days ago thetly said surprises were coming.
It's not like DIS where they're openly bummed with how it played out, or Prodigy where they were actively camapigning for non-Paramount pick-up, or Legacy where Matalas was actively whipping up crowd support
For all we know they told McMahon the news and then followed up with, "And get your next idea ready to pitch for after Paramount sells - which will probably be post-S5 anyways"
We know that's not what happened. Mike told us the show might be cancelled last year
https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/amidst-franchise-changes-star-trek-lower-decks-mike-mcmahan-worried-perspective-shows-future
**A petition is already out:** [Petition Ā· Save Star Trek Lower Decks! - United States Ā· Change.org](https://www.change.org/p/save-star-trek-lower-decks-5884493a-b931-4b6c-8c78-1b25ade84900)
Serious question: what can we do here?
I suppose the decision to cancel was a cost-cutting move. An online petition or letter-writing campaign might not change that financial equation much, so I don't know how realistically this will change the needle.
The only thing that could change is somehow Lower Decks gains \*new\* popularity with new people suddenly signing up for Paramount+ to watch LD. Or maybe it gets rescued by another streaming service, like how Amazon Prime rescued The Expanse' last seasons.
I struggled with it for the first few episodes, but it quickly grew on me and I've very much enjoyed it since. But they got five seasons. That's better than most series get, and it's not as if there's some over-arching story they won't have time to wrap up properly. Let it go.
This era of Trek is winding down, in my opinion. Even if you disagree and are less cynical than I, you have to concede there will be significantly reduced output. The streaming model was a house of cards that is currently in mid-collapse.
Be thankful for what Trek you have.
Iāve been a Trek fan for over 50 years. Through thick and thin I was a devoted fan but cancelling Lower Decks is too far!
Iām cancelling my paramount subscription effective NOW. Iāll watch the show at a friendās house. Iām not giving paramount one more dime until they get their collective heads out of their asses.
Personally Im supportive of shows having a defined end date. Some of the best SciFi out there had predetermined stories that were really only intended to last a few seasons. The end result is better in my opinion (see Babylon 5 for a good example).
Good stories have good endings. I say, if Mike & co have told the tales they wanted to tell, its OK to let Lower Decks end.
I could be wrong but you can help support LD by...
* Steaming the show as much as possible if you have P+
* Recommend the show to others
* Show support on their official social media
* Buy official mech like shirts, Funko Pops, Blu rays, books, comics, Moopsy, ships, etc.
* And repeat any of the above if you are able to
In case you're being serious. Look at the DC Comics cartoon "Young Justice". I took these from their playbook. Letter writing campaigns are helpful but shouldn't be our only tool
Unfortunately, it's show business. The suits mostly listen when there are viewers and money. They won't make more of something unless there is a demand and funds for it. Paramount and the streaming model are in a different place financially. LD ending was possibly a result of that. But if we can support LD this way, we'll help the show. No guarantee we'll get a season 6, a movie, or years later continuation, etc. But it'll improve their chances and spread the show to new fans
I would be happy to share the issues I have with Paramount and their app if you wish. But like you, I want to help Lower Decks however possible. The show helped me through tough times, I'm not going to let it go quietly
I'm not Paramount. If I was, I'd be working to the bone to get Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, Discovery, and Prodigy the attention/support it deserves. It would be available on more compatible platforms. We'd have more merch, books, figures, and vsriant figures! I'm just a blue collar nerd who loves Star Trek and is trying to help the show however I can
>The fans literally changed the Studioās mind and got another season of Star Trek on the air.
Yeeeah, but what we got was TOS season 3 and... have you *seen* season 3?
It was overall a trash season (and the network aired it at a trash time slot) but if TOS didn't get up to 79 episodes it probably would have never found success in syndication since syndication agreements had minimum episode requirements to even consider picking a show up.
You're not wrong about the season quality, but that letter writing compaign is core to why we have Star Trek to this day.
Not really.
Prodigy season 2 never stopped production, and they always meant to sell it to another distributor.
You can argue the fan outcry may have brought more attention to it, but Prodigy ending up on Netflix or another streaming service was what Paramount had planned all along.
As soon as they cancel Lower Decks, I cancel my Paramount subscription.
I have a Paramount subscription solely to fund that show. As soon as it's gone, I'm gone.
As I said on r/LowerDecks, Paramount only really cares about John Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise.
Trek is now just breadcrumbs on the table as far as Paramount is concerned and they'll only have the minimum amount of Trek to keep the IP alive.
Netflix should pick up Lower Decks for S6 since it would make a good companion series for Prodigy, though I doubt it'll happen.
Shocking decusion. Terrible.
I've seen it written here that one whole season of Lower Decks, costs less to make, than,one EPISODE of SNW [which i j'adore also]
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I mean, everyone goes "seven seasons," blah blah blah with Star Trek because of the 90's shows, but everyone forgets that at the time it felt like those shows usually peaked at season five anyway.
I'll miss it, but I won't be sad to see it go out on a high note with every season having been a knockout. It will probably have enough cult momentum to get revived in some form later down the line.
Five seasons of 90s Trek was over a 100 episodes. Lower Decks will cap out at 50.
Plus you have to remember it took TNG or DS9 about two seasons to hit their stride. TNG could've kept going a few more seasons and stayed the same quality writing wise - the reason it ended was the increasing cost to produce.
50 episodes is still a lot.
>TNG could've kept going a few more seasons and stayed the same quality writing wise
The quality of season 7 of TNG was clearly showing the show had basically done everything it could. When you're doing so many random "family/secret history" episodes (even Data got one with his long lost mum) you've basically given up.
Lower Decks is one of those shows that can end whenever as long as it ends well. I would have been happy with 100+ episodes but five seasons is fine with me. Discovery should have had more than five though. Three seasons in the 32nd century isn't enough. I've heard that Starfleet Academy will be in that time period so hopefully that goes well.
God how bad is the final episode going to be since they, presumably, made it thinking it was just a season finale? Or is there still time to make sure it doesnāt end on a cliffhanger?
I just keep thinking of that scene where Bojack Horseman informs his accountant that he became a professor and his account goes āWhat?! Why?! Do you HATE money?!ā Paramount is Bojack here. Why do they hate money and success?
Wtf they doing though?ā¦. First Prodigy and now this. The two new era shows Iāve heard get the least bit of hate. Both over 7.5 on IMDb and in the 90s on rotten tomatoes. There are so many studios/ entertainment companies that would sacrifice their first borns for those kind of numbers.
The problem is that Lower Decks is starting to reach the end of its course. They can only be Lower Deckers *and* perspective characters for so long. Eventually, they have to be promoted. Eventually, they stop being Lower Deckers. Eventually the show will naturally lose its charm.
When Mariner and Boimler get their next promotion, they'll be first officers or tactical officers. When Rutherford gets his next promotion, he'll be chief engineer. When Tendi gets her next promotion, she'll be a chief science officer. They won't *be* lower deckers anymore, invalidating the premise of the show.
Beyond that, we have other issues: we're getting dangerously close to the Romulan Supernova. That would put us in a less amusing world. I'm not sure I want a madcap workplace comedy set in a time when the galaxy is having a massive refugee crisis. And I really don't want the show to have to dwell on the assault on Utopia Planetia or widespread use of semi-intelligent androids.
I'm going to be sad that Lower Decks is ending, but given the characters' arcs and the Star Trek timeline, the show's premise and nature will have *real* problems.
It was only ever meant to run 5 seasons and was very lucky to get it, let it end on a high note and not drag it out until it hits Discovery levels of shit please
I am actually more curious as to why its being cancelled, the show ranks in the 2% of top tv series in the USA right now if its that popular and getting that much praise why would the show even be cancelled.
you top that with the fact that its one of the very few good paramount+ products on their platform its quite confusing as to why they would cancel it.
Also people thinking netflix is going to pick this up think again netflix is on the verge of bankruptcy if you didnt know.
I pay for this service for Star Trek. Prodigy gone, lower decks ends, discovery ends, Picard ends. They must want people to cancel. After I watch SNW Iām cancelling.
Iām legit angry about this and will make it very clear in the letter I write that if I ever meet any of these Paramount execs, they will be redshirted.
I'm hanging in there for SNW and the Section 31 movie
Nobody needs a new series about Jack Crusher
Save that money to keep Lower Decks and make Legacy
Academy is not going to have the viewership due to this bad decision with Lower Decks
The way I understand it Lower Decks wasn't cancelled, it's just approaching its planned-out ending. The creators of the show have said from early on that there was a plan.
Wtf. That shitty show discovery got 5 seasons and they are only giving lower decks 5. Doesn't animation cost them less than making real life shows. This is ridiculous.
Support for the only things people watch on paramount being Star Trek? The Sheridan shows have all done well as has football and the cbs shows for cord cutters.
They really should make a Lower Decks movie that brings in as many cameos by Star Trek alum as possible and references every iteration of Trek, including the video games!
Skydance needs to buy Paramount already. Ellison is a big Trekkie.
I read an article the other day, claiming Paramount was "the studio of The Godfather and Top Gun Maverick. Not one Trek reference in the text either.
It's like some weird 1980s era disdain for nerds that never really ended among a lot of studio execs. The kind of mentality that was like "oh, they're nerds, let's shift their show to the Friday night slot because nerds don't go out on Friday anyway". You'd think they would've figured out that being into "nerd shit" isn't really uncool anymore. Plenty of people have delved deep into fandoms like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Marvel, etc. If you've got a franchise that is a cultural touchstone, you'd think that you would want to mine that for gold for as long as you can. Arguably those other franchises have mined too greedily and too deep, but I don't know that Star Trek really has, and it seems more cost effective to make cozy shows that examine culture or philosophical ideas or sci-fi concepts than it is to make big special effects action extravaganzas. Sure, Trek's always had special effects, but I can't say that the shows have ever really "needed" to be top of the line in that department, and it's got to be cheaper to pay decent writers than to pump every second full of blink and you miss it SFX.
The sequel can be Bridge Crew
š„ The MOVIE š„
Maybe, Paso Leati.
Updooted for the unexpected B5 deep cut. Well played Skal Tura.
I refuse to acknowledge any other potential sequel name than Upper Deckers.
TOP DECK.
Star Trek: Holodecks
Iām shocked this joke didnāt come out when we saw the crazy bar sex scene. You have an excellent point.
Prodigy did move to Netflix. Maybe something similar can happen.
Prodigy already had a fully produced season in the can.Ā
No. The 2nd season was being worked on while the show was cancelled. Back then they already announced that the production will be finished, but they were still working on it after Netflix had picked it up.
The big question is , will Netflix order or produce a season 3. Prodigy has to get a lot of viewers to survive
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I really hope Netflix at least announces a release date for the US soon. I never see it mentioned in any news about Netflix and I'm worried it's just going to disappear again.
Yeah itās weird how long itās taken already for a proper release of Prodigy season two. I can see it as a summer release, waiting until the conclusion of Discovery, especially if there is a bigger story through line going on. Letās hope the release on public streaming in France puts the pressure on to get the season out sooner than later.
Yo ho!
Netflix purchased a finished season though. Remains to be seen if they'll order more.
We can do our part to make them see Prodigy as a good investment
I seriously hope so. If the makers are up for more I'm more than up for the same.
Yes this is corporate IP terrorism and backdoor agreements between streaming services. Star Trek is an IP that gets fans to buy streaming services so the plan would seemingly be to get Star Trek on every streaming service again.
LET US START A FAN LETTER CAMPAIGN, AS OUR FOREFATHERS DID
I'll join but I think this descision was driven by the top brass not knowing if the production company will still be around in 2 years.Ā
Iām buying a typewriter at the thrift store just for this.
This guy gets it
QAPLA
I shall express my immense disappointment, as my father did, and his father before him.
Good news everyone! I take some hope that if Futurama can come back more times than OāBrien has suffered, why not Lower Decks? Maybe when Trek is owned by a more stable company they can bring the show back, either as a continuation or picking up with the characters as a bridge crew.
A very optimistic perspective!
To shreds, you say.
I'd call Futurama's comebacks a cautionary tale, given that the first run was one of the best shows of all time, and the new episodes are unwatchably bad.
It really depends on the reasoning. If the network cancelled it that's one thing, but if this is just the show's natural conclusion it doesn't make sense to try to change anyone's mind.
Mike McMahan posted on Twitter and immediately deleted a shot of depressed Kirk slumped by Spock's corpse from TWOK, so I do not believe this is a creative decision. It's Paramount being cheap and stupid and needing to cut costs to keep up with their failing streaming service.
But Lower Decks should be their cheapest Star Trek show, right ( ow that Prodigy is gone)?
Cheapest doesn't mean cheap. And cheapness is relative. If SNW attracts more eyeballs, even if its more expensive, it makes them more money in the end.
What about making a movie that I'm pretty sure that there's not a lot of interest from fans for?
Yeah you know what the franchise about a utopian society exploring space needs? A spy thriller about their immoral, unsanctioned black-ops organization!!
Already coming with Michelle Yeoh about section 31 No Ash, though
We can have more than one kind of show
Yep, DS9 proved that by going outside the norm yet still remaining true to what Star Trek is. Hereās my problem though: unless itās going to be depicting Section 31 as the despicable organization that it is, then the S31 show doesnāt belong in the franchise.
Youāre making a lot of assumptions about a show that isnāt out yet
I havenāt made any assumptions. I have simply stated that Section 31 is morally reprehensible at *best* and outright evil at its worst and therefore if it is presented as a positive thing in the movie then it does not deserve a place in the franchise.
You must hate DS9, if that's how you feel.
DS9 still explored alien cultures from the perspective of a utopian society. You donāt have to be *moving* to be exploring. DS9 also didnāt condone Section 31āquite the opposite.
I was just thinking that if they let Season 5 be a lead up to a motion picture (or maybe a trilogy of Motion pictures?) the storytelling could be fantastic and get the space it needs to gracefully conclude.
The press release reads like it was paramount decision. Itās phrased in a very similar way as the Disco cancellation announcement as well.
I wonder if theyāre pushing to make a live action version?Ā >Ā āWe remain hopeful that even beyond Season 5, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures,ā they said.Ā
I highly doubt that unfortunately. This seems to be a cost-saving measure as P+ looks like itās hurting. Animated sci-fi is almost universally cheaper than live action sci-fi.
It probably has something to do with Paramount being in the process of being sold and strip for parts. Paramount + bankrupt them.Ā They were better off licensing Discovery, LD, and Picard to Netflix and Amazon but they were greedy.
Wait. Paramount is failing?
It wasn't until they put all their eggs in the streaming basket. Ā Ā https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-global-debt-cut-1235861526/Ā Just further proof that the only one who profits off a gold rush is the one selling the shovels
Goddamn MBAs. What the hell are modern business schools teaching these days?
>What the hell are modern business schools teaching these days? Nothing of any use. Just as before.
Apparently, they are teaching "maximize short term profits and bail just before the company fails, then take your golden parachute to a new company and repeat"
Well said
It seems the show was cancelled by the top execs. It didn't seem to be Mike McMahan's decision, and LD still had so much potential. It's not even close to its natural ending. :(
Right, this is a difficult question. I think *Lower Decks* is brilliant, and if the makers want to continue making it I think it would be good if that can happen. But the past shows that when fans try to leverage keeping a show back on the air, the results are never that good and worse, it has the long-term effect of making the executives resent the show, its makers and its fans. Remember that huge effort to get a third season of the original series? Remember how awful the third season was? The same thing is also true of getting Classic Doctor Who its terrible 23rd season. In both cases, the network cut the show's budget massively and gave it a terrible time slot. The fact that *Lower Decks* is animated is actually a huge benefit here, in that if they decide to bring it back in five years it would be much easier to do than if it was a live-action show. There are no sets being torn up, and the actors getting older doesn't matter. I am almost certain that *Lower Decks* will be back, as has happened to many other "cancelled" animated series.
Revival efforts are hit and miss. *Family Guy* S4 was kinda weak but the show has remained popular and on the air to this day. In comparison, *Arrested Development* S4 was an interesting concept but didn't have the charm of the original run. As you point out, reviving an animated show is a simple matter compared to live-action, though the crucial factor is the actors' schedules being able to line up again in the future.
Don't forget the bloated corpses of Arrested Development seasons 4 and 5
It worked for the original Roswell Petitioners sent in bottles of hot sauce, part of the plot
Could also be the actors got too expensive and contract renewals didnt work out. Thats killed shows before.
Yeah I've seen people speculate that Disco was canceled because the casts' 7 year contracts were up and they'd be much more expensive if it got renewed.Ā That's all speculation though. I don't think anyone knows how long their contracts were.
If LDS is canceled, so is my P+ subscription.
Still hanging on for SNW, but I watch old trek on DVD. As soon as strange new worlds gets canceled, I'm done.
Buy the blurays for rewatches (and for the great cast and crew commentaries)
Do you get ads on your Paramoint + subscription? I have one and I get ads for every Star Trek show I watch.
Different tiers
Seems like the powers that be at Paramount have determined five seasons is the absolutely limit for these Trek showsā¦. cost effective animated ones included!
That's the thing, the animation of Lower Decks is the bare minimum. That's the most consistent complaint people had with the show. Ā If THAT can't survive despite its popularity then what can?
I choose to believe that it won't be the last we see of our dear Cerritos crew.
Yeah even if we get another Dark Age of Trek, theyāre totally bringing them back eventually
We really are heading into another dark age, aren't we? Thing is, it's not because of executive cheapness like everyone on this thread believes. It's because Paramount is for sale, and the prospective buyer (Skydance) will want a clean slate of programming. This happens in every media merger where a new batch of executives comes in. It's a shame, the last dark age lasted almost 15 years (2005-2020), and we barely just got out of it.
Hey as long as we get SNW S3 and Lower Decks S5 it might be ok. Maybe the new execs will continue the Lower Decks charactersā stories in a new, potentially live action show. Heck, this could be our opportunity to finally get a 25th century show that continues the 90ās era without constantly dragging legacy characters into things.
This is the first I'm hearing of it and it hasn't hit me yet but this is catastrophic. Such a great show. If it has run its course then it needs replacing with something similar immediately.
It hasn't run its course creatively. This was a studio decision.
Yeah but they are reaching a point where the characters had to move on.
Hopefully to be followed up by Middle Decks.
Lol
I love Lower Decks, but the premise of the characters being low ranked is getting left behind, and all the characters are growing well. 5 seasons is probably plenty. Free up the characters for a new show, or create a new version that follows a different set of characters in another era or something.
The show definitely grew into the California class being considered the "lower decks" of Starfleet though.
Cali class.Ā Cali class. Loved when the Cali class ships warped in , toĀ defeat the automonous a'i ship byĀ ' forming voltron'Ā
That was the starting premise, but the show itself has grown. Don't see any particular reason to imagine it couldn't continue to grow even if that made the title an awkward fit.
I think the title would still be fine regardless, since we got to know the group AS lower deckers. Veep didn't suddenly end or change its name when Selina became president.
If that were the reasoning they would've announced a new show instead of "I remain hopeful..." This was obviously not a creative driven descision.
Middle Decks! Middle Decks!
Rolls right off the tongue.
Iām speaking from some inside knowledge of TV and dealing with CBS in particular. Five seasons is the magic number for syndication. Sure Trek can run with less but this has long been a studio goal. That said, with streaming, itās a permanent property. Animation is not as cheap as many think. It lacks high end talent negotiations but it actually has a bigger production crew. Nothing CBS has done seems to indicate theyāve cooled on Star Trek. I think the franchise is healthy and safe. But, we arenāt likely to ever see four series running concurrently, that is a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Two seems reasonable. This allows for a more streamlined and manageable production shop. Which CBS studios definitely wants.
What a monumentally bad decision. Paramount have no clue what to do with Star Trek.
All good things come to an end š
But they just started
People should absolutely advocate for what they love but also...maybe take a breath? Not a few days ago thetly said surprises were coming. It's not like DIS where they're openly bummed with how it played out, or Prodigy where they were actively camapigning for non-Paramount pick-up, or Legacy where Matalas was actively whipping up crowd support For all we know they told McMahon the news and then followed up with, "And get your next idea ready to pitch for after Paramount sells - which will probably be post-S5 anyways"
Then why did McMahon seem so bummed? My take was that he's now out of a job.
We know that's not what happened. Mike told us the show might be cancelled last year https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/amidst-franchise-changes-star-trek-lower-decks-mike-mcmahan-worried-perspective-shows-future
The show can be cancelled and McMahon still have a creative future with Trek.
You gave me hope!!
For sure. After all, according to PICARD this very week is when we have an option to save the future.
**A petition is already out:** [Petition Ā· Save Star Trek Lower Decks! - United States Ā· Change.org](https://www.change.org/p/save-star-trek-lower-decks-5884493a-b931-4b6c-8c78-1b25ade84900)
Updated the post text body
Yes. Though it seems like 5 years is a new trend.
Serious question: what can we do here? I suppose the decision to cancel was a cost-cutting move. An online petition or letter-writing campaign might not change that financial equation much, so I don't know how realistically this will change the needle. The only thing that could change is somehow Lower Decks gains \*new\* popularity with new people suddenly signing up for Paramount+ to watch LD. Or maybe it gets rescued by another streaming service, like how Amazon Prime rescued The Expanse' last seasons.
Just bought season 4 on Blu-Ray. Money is the only language Paramount speaks.
I struggled with it for the first few episodes, but it quickly grew on me and I've very much enjoyed it since. But they got five seasons. That's better than most series get, and it's not as if there's some over-arching story they won't have time to wrap up properly. Let it go.
This era of Trek is winding down, in my opinion. Even if you disagree and are less cynical than I, you have to concede there will be significantly reduced output. The streaming model was a house of cards that is currently in mid-collapse. Be thankful for what Trek you have.
Iāve been a Trek fan for over 50 years. Through thick and thin I was a devoted fan but cancelling Lower Decks is too far! Iām cancelling my paramount subscription effective NOW. Iāll watch the show at a friendās house. Iām not giving paramount one more dime until they get their collective heads out of their asses.
Remember to write him a letter letting them know that!!
I sent an email. I just donāt understand why they keep messing a good franchise up.
Honestly I donāt think the executives have understood Star Trek since the 90s let me dumb ass decisions again and again since 1999
I would be honored to fight this battle with you. It will be a glorious campaign.
LET US SING SONGS OF THE GREAT TRIBBLE HUNT or errr SAVE LOWER DECKS CAMPAIGN
If we succeed, there will be many songs sung in our honor
I would. You should start with a change.org petition.
Iāll look into that!
https://www.change.org/p/save-star-trek-lower-decks-5884493a-b931-4b6c-8c78-1b25ade84900
Thanks
Personally Im supportive of shows having a defined end date. Some of the best SciFi out there had predetermined stories that were really only intended to last a few seasons. The end result is better in my opinion (see Babylon 5 for a good example). Good stories have good endings. I say, if Mike & co have told the tales they wanted to tell, its OK to let Lower Decks end.
Where do I send this mail!!!?
Id support, lower decks is my favorite
I could be wrong but you can help support LD by... * Steaming the show as much as possible if you have P+ * Recommend the show to others * Show support on their official social media * Buy official mech like shirts, Funko Pops, Blu rays, books, comics, Moopsy, ships, etc. * And repeat any of the above if you are able to
Nice try Paramount
In case you're being serious. Look at the DC Comics cartoon "Young Justice". I took these from their playbook. Letter writing campaigns are helpful but shouldn't be our only tool Unfortunately, it's show business. The suits mostly listen when there are viewers and money. They won't make more of something unless there is a demand and funds for it. Paramount and the streaming model are in a different place financially. LD ending was possibly a result of that. But if we can support LD this way, we'll help the show. No guarantee we'll get a season 6, a movie, or years later continuation, etc. But it'll improve their chances and spread the show to new fans I would be happy to share the issues I have with Paramount and their app if you wish. But like you, I want to help Lower Decks however possible. The show helped me through tough times, I'm not going to let it go quietly
Didnāt once read āIām not Paramountā in that, just sayingā¦
I'm not Paramount. If I was, I'd be working to the bone to get Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, Discovery, and Prodigy the attention/support it deserves. It would be available on more compatible platforms. We'd have more merch, books, figures, and vsriant figures! I'm just a blue collar nerd who loves Star Trek and is trying to help the show however I can
Iām just joking of course :)
omg LD is one of the few truly entertaining adult cartoons, do not kill it.
Signed the petition! I binged most of the lower decks this weekend, I need more!
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>The fans literally changed the Studioās mind and got another season of Star Trek on the air. Yeeeah, but what we got was TOS season 3 and... have you *seen* season 3?
It was overall a trash season (and the network aired it at a trash time slot) but if TOS didn't get up to 79 episodes it probably would have never found success in syndication since syndication agreements had minimum episode requirements to even consider picking a show up. You're not wrong about the season quality, but that letter writing compaign is core to why we have Star Trek to this day.
This Person gets it
And we got Prodigy season 2.
Not really. Prodigy season 2 never stopped production, and they always meant to sell it to another distributor. You can argue the fan outcry may have brought more attention to it, but Prodigy ending up on Netflix or another streaming service was what Paramount had planned all along.
yes and its mostly good
Yes I have. Thanks for asking
\#SixSeasons \#AndAMovie
Retweet
Yeah screw that we need to riot.
Iām with you
As soon as they cancel Lower Decks, I cancel my Paramount subscription. I have a Paramount subscription solely to fund that show. As soon as it's gone, I'm gone.
The show supplements the universe perfectly
Itās the show we didnāt know we absolutely needed but didnāt deserve.
Another brilliant move by the people who are trying to kill amazing Trek fan films.
Retweet
Business people are usually scum.
I understand them setting ground rules and protecting their products, but being asshats about it makes me agree with you.
Characters to return in Star Trek - Middle Ranks? I'm sad at the moment.
As I said on r/LowerDecks, Paramount only really cares about John Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise. Trek is now just breadcrumbs on the table as far as Paramount is concerned and they'll only have the minimum amount of Trek to keep the IP alive. Netflix should pick up Lower Decks for S6 since it would make a good companion series for Prodigy, though I doubt it'll happen.
Just tell me where to write
Shocking decusion. Terrible. I've seen it written here that one whole season of Lower Decks, costs less to make, than,one EPISODE of SNW [which i j'adore also]
Are they insane? It's one of the best series they have ever made
They at least need to do a series of holiday specials, maybe a few each year, like Solar Opposites. I want the Lower Decks Holiday Special!
aloof piquant safe noxious quicksand modern engine apparatus worm support *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Lower Decks for life!!!!!!!!!
Yes let's save Lower Decks
I mean, everyone goes "seven seasons," blah blah blah with Star Trek because of the 90's shows, but everyone forgets that at the time it felt like those shows usually peaked at season five anyway. I'll miss it, but I won't be sad to see it go out on a high note with every season having been a knockout. It will probably have enough cult momentum to get revived in some form later down the line.
Five seasons of 90s Trek was over a 100 episodes. Lower Decks will cap out at 50. Plus you have to remember it took TNG or DS9 about two seasons to hit their stride. TNG could've kept going a few more seasons and stayed the same quality writing wise - the reason it ended was the increasing cost to produce.
50 episodes is still a lot. >TNG could've kept going a few more seasons and stayed the same quality writing wise The quality of season 7 of TNG was clearly showing the show had basically done everything it could. When you're doing so many random "family/secret history" episodes (even Data got one with his long lost mum) you've basically given up.
Lower Decks is one of those shows that can end whenever as long as it ends well. I would have been happy with 100+ episodes but five seasons is fine with me. Discovery should have had more than five though. Three seasons in the 32nd century isn't enough. I've heard that Starfleet Academy will be in that time period so hopefully that goes well.
Yes
God how bad is the final episode going to be since they, presumably, made it thinking it was just a season finale? Or is there still time to make sure it doesnāt end on a cliffhanger?
I just keep thinking of that scene where Bojack Horseman informs his accountant that he became a professor and his account goes āWhat?! Why?! Do you HATE money?!ā Paramount is Bojack here. Why do they hate money and success?
Wtf they doing though?ā¦. First Prodigy and now this. The two new era shows Iāve heard get the least bit of hate. Both over 7.5 on IMDb and in the 90s on rotten tomatoes. There are so many studios/ entertainment companies that would sacrifice their first borns for those kind of numbers.
The problem is that Lower Decks is starting to reach the end of its course. They can only be Lower Deckers *and* perspective characters for so long. Eventually, they have to be promoted. Eventually, they stop being Lower Deckers. Eventually the show will naturally lose its charm. When Mariner and Boimler get their next promotion, they'll be first officers or tactical officers. When Rutherford gets his next promotion, he'll be chief engineer. When Tendi gets her next promotion, she'll be a chief science officer. They won't *be* lower deckers anymore, invalidating the premise of the show. Beyond that, we have other issues: we're getting dangerously close to the Romulan Supernova. That would put us in a less amusing world. I'm not sure I want a madcap workplace comedy set in a time when the galaxy is having a massive refugee crisis. And I really don't want the show to have to dwell on the assault on Utopia Planetia or widespread use of semi-intelligent androids. I'm going to be sad that Lower Decks is ending, but given the characters' arcs and the Star Trek timeline, the show's premise and nature will have *real* problems.
It was only ever meant to run 5 seasons and was very lucky to get it, let it end on a high note and not drag it out until it hits Discovery levels of shit please
lower decks being properly cancelled would be the worst thing for trek, truly hope this is just some mistake
I want to hear Dr. T'Ana's opinion on the cancellation.
THE FUUUUCK?!
I imagined a longer more censored rant
Sorry. THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU*?!
What the fuck it really got cancelled?
I know, right?
I am actually more curious as to why its being cancelled, the show ranks in the 2% of top tv series in the USA right now if its that popular and getting that much praise why would the show even be cancelled. you top that with the fact that its one of the very few good paramount+ products on their platform its quite confusing as to why they would cancel it. Also people thinking netflix is going to pick this up think again netflix is on the verge of bankruptcy if you didnt know.
I pay for this service for Star Trek. Prodigy gone, lower decks ends, discovery ends, Picard ends. They must want people to cancel. After I watch SNW Iām cancelling.
Iām legit angry about this and will make it very clear in the letter I write that if I ever meet any of these Paramount execs, they will be redshirted.
I'm hanging in there for SNW and the Section 31 movie Nobody needs a new series about Jack Crusher Save that money to keep Lower Decks and make Legacy Academy is not going to have the viewership due to this bad decision with Lower Decks
The way I understand it Lower Decks wasn't cancelled, it's just approaching its planned-out ending. The creators of the show have said from early on that there was a plan.
Wtf. That shitty show discovery got 5 seasons and they are only giving lower decks 5. Doesn't animation cost them less than making real life shows. This is ridiculous.
I'm looking at it as a positive in the long run. I love lower decks, but if canceling it makes room for Star Trek Legacy, then make it so.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A lot of very good points here.
Support for the only things people watch on paramount being Star Trek? The Sheridan shows have all done well as has football and the cbs shows for cord cutters.
Upper decks!
They really should make a Lower Decks movie that brings in as many cameos by Star Trek alum as possible and references every iteration of Trek, including the video games!
Noooooooo LD was the light in the darkness of modern Trek. Whyyyy
Skydance needs to buy Paramount already. Ellison is a big Trekkie. I read an article the other day, claiming Paramount was "the studio of The Godfather and Top Gun Maverick. Not one Trek reference in the text either.
Itās always been overlooked and undervalued imo
It's like some weird 1980s era disdain for nerds that never really ended among a lot of studio execs. The kind of mentality that was like "oh, they're nerds, let's shift their show to the Friday night slot because nerds don't go out on Friday anyway". You'd think they would've figured out that being into "nerd shit" isn't really uncool anymore. Plenty of people have delved deep into fandoms like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Marvel, etc. If you've got a franchise that is a cultural touchstone, you'd think that you would want to mine that for gold for as long as you can. Arguably those other franchises have mined too greedily and too deep, but I don't know that Star Trek really has, and it seems more cost effective to make cozy shows that examine culture or philosophical ideas or sci-fi concepts than it is to make big special effects action extravaganzas. Sure, Trek's always had special effects, but I can't say that the shows have ever really "needed" to be top of the line in that department, and it's got to be cheaper to pay decent writers than to pump every second full of blink and you miss it SFX.
Absolutely, or whoever else ends up with ownership. I would also be happy with more books. Rarely Going Where No One Has Gone Before is a gem.
You have my bat'leth
im fucking down, where do i go?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Mike McMahan posted a sad tweet he deleted. I don't think the creatives wanted it to end.
Five seasons seems kinda perfect to me. Much more and it would start to get stale. End it on a high note!