Marni Grossman/Paramount+
The end of Star Trek: Discovery is in sight. Paramount+ today announced that its longest-running original drama series will conclude with the upcoming fifth season, which will debut in early 2024.
Leading up to the final season, Paramount+ will honor the show’s groundbreaking storytelling over the past four seasons with annual celebrations and appearances at key events in markets around the world.
“Star Trek: Discovery is an enduring feature of the service dear to the hearts of legions of Star Trek fans as well as all of us here at Paramount+,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount Streaming.
Star Trek: Discovery, which launched in 2017, is a legacy show for Paramount+. It helped herald then-upstart streamer CBS All Access as its first commissioned original series. It also launched the Star Trek franchise on the streamer, which has grown to five current series. With Picard currently airing its final season, Star Trek: Discovery will be CBS’ last all-access series to complete its run on Paramount+.
CBS made waves in 2017 when Discovery, part of an iconic franchise and one of its most valuable IPs, was sent to the company’s then-work-in-progress streaming service in place of its flagship broadcast network. Star Trek: Discovery premiered on CBS before becoming a CBS All Access exclusive. Discovery then returned to CBS in the fall of 2020 when Season 1 was used as a contingency program due to the impact of the pandemic on production.
“The series and its incredible cast and creative minds ushered in a new era for Star Trek when it debuted over six years ago, embracing the future of streaming with serialized storytelling and bringing to life deep and complex characters that carry Gene Roddenberry’s legacy of the Honoring diversity and inclusion, and pushing the envelope with award-winning world-building,” added Giles. “In this final season, our beloved crew will embark on a new adventure, and we can’t wait to celebrate the show’s impact on the franchise ahead of the final season early next year.”
In the fifth and final season, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery uncover a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose existence has been intentional for centuries was hidden . But there are others on the hunt too – dangerous foes desperate to claim the prize and will stop at nothing to get it.
Principal filming has just wrapped, but more filming of the season will follow, a source told Deadline.
“As lifelong fans of Star Trek, it has been a great honor and privilege to help bring Star Trek: Discovery to the world,” said executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise. “The ‘Trek’ universe means so much to so many – including us – and we couldn’t be prouder of everything that Discovery has added to its legacy, particularly with representation. If only one person sees themselves or the possibilities for their future in a new way because of Discovery, then we think we would have made Gene Roddenberry very proud.”
Joining Martin-Green are Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner).
“Of course, Discovery would not exist without Sonequa Martin-Green and the extraordinary team of artists in front of and behind the camera who brought this show to life. Her passion and determination to make every episode special was deeply inspiring; as does their love and support for one another and their genuine love for Star Trek,” Kurtzman and Paradise continued.
Martin-Green made Star Trek history as the first black woman to command a ship, with the show ushering in other major firsts in LGBTQIA+ representation both in Star Trek and in television in general.
“I am incredibly blessed of God to have played Captain Michael Burnham and to have worked on a legacy alongside an extraordinary cast, phenomenal crew and remarkable writing team,” said star and producer Martin-Green. “I’ll never forget what it was like to stand together as a show family and weigh the heirloom of ‘Trek’ with everyone in the franchise at large and with the fans… 65 episodes later, this is a cheer for the entire company of Star Trek: Discovery, to the show and its fifth and final season, to its beloved fans, and to all who envision a brighter future. Let us fly… “
With Discovery and Picard coming to an end, there has been speculation about new series in the franchise as part of Kurtzman’s deal with CBS Studios. As we previously reported, a new spin-off, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, is in development at CBS Studios and Alex Kurtzman’s studio-based Secret Hideout for the streamer. Also in the works is Section 31, a Discovery spinoff starring the character of Emperor Philipa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh. In addition to Discovery and Picard, current Star Trek series include Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy.
“When we first discussed the return of Star Trek eight years ago, we never imagined the indelible impact Star Trek: Discovery would have,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “The series brought back a beloved global franchise, and just like its predecessors, Discovery honored Star Trek’s legacy of ‘infinite variety in infinite combinations,’ and represented the best that we could be as people while celebrating our differences.”
Star Trek: Discovery is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers. Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise will serve as co-showrunners.
“To the fans around the world, thank you for joining us on this incredible journey,” added Kurtzman and Paradise. “We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on for this final season; In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and trust us when we say it’s worth the wait. We love all of you! LLAP.”