Netflix Not Renewing Its Star Trek Show Would Tie An Embarrassing Record

Netflix's Star Trek project is something of an outlier as the majority of the franchise has a home on Paramount+, and if the show isn't renewed for a third season, it would look even more like an outsider than it already does. The movies and TV shows that make up the Star Trek timeline have varied in the level of their respective success. While most franchise installments have been well-received, some have been forced to end much sooner than others, and Netflix's Star Trek show could be next in the firing line.

Despite the iconic sci-fi franchise boasting several movies, the Star Trek TV shows remain the heart of the saga. The various eras have been extensively explored since the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series helped to kickstart the franchise back in 1966. Netflix's Star Trek show, although it follows an original storyline, is also something of a stealth sequel to another franchise entry. It's currently sitting at two seasons, and a third needs to be greenlit to lift itself from last place in one specific category.

Star Trek: Prodigy Would Tie The Animated Series For The Fewest Number Of Seasons

Star Trek: The Animated Series only ran for 2 seasons

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 found a home on Netflix just in time, as Paramount+ seemingly wanted to shelve the new episodes despite their near-completion. Thankfully, the Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 cast was afforded the opportunity to continue the story, but Star Trek: Prodigy season 3 still has yet to be confirmed. As it stands, Prodigy's two seasons put the show in joint last place with Star Trek: The Animated Series, of which a third season was never ordered.

If Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and company do return, then Star Trek: Prodigy would no longer share the embarrassing title of the fewest seasons with Star Trek: The Animated Series. Instead, it would move up one spot, and be tied with Star Trek: The Original Series with three seasons each. While Prodigy's uncertain future makes it unlikely to hit the same heights as the 90s shows like Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, it's not an unreasonable goal for Star Trek: Prodigy season 4 to eventually happen, which would mean matching Star Trek: Enterprise's time on air.

Why Star Trek: Prodigy Season 3 Needs To Happen

There are clearly more planned adventures for Star Trek: Prodigy's potential future

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2's ending made it clear that the showrunners have big plans for the future, which makes the wait for a season 3 announcement all the more frustrating. The animated show also bridges the gap perfectly between classic Star Trek and the franchise's modern era. While it includes established characters like Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Voyager's Doctor (Robert Picardo), Star Trek: Prodigy's new characters make the show a perfect jumping-on point for new fans.

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There's also the consideration that, with Star Trek: Lower Decks coming to an end, Star Trek: Prodigy is about to become the only show set in the 24th century - which is arguably the franchise's most popular era. Other active properties like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy are set during either side of the iconic period. As well as being the franchise's last active animated project after Lower Decks ends, both seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy also have 20 episodes each - which is an unheard-of number in Star Trek's modern age.

Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

Release Date October 28, 2021

Seasons 2

Showrunner Dan Hageman

Number of Episodes 40