Paramount+’s Canceled 93% RT Sci-Fi Series Had “At Least 2 Seasons More” Of Great Ideas, Says Creator

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Mariner and Boimler in Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Published Jul 3, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Star Trek: Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan says his beloved animated comedy could have run two more seasons, at least.

In December 2024, Star Trek: Lower Decks ended its five-season run on Paramount+, totaling 50 episodes. Headlined by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid as Ensigns-turned-Lieutenants Beckett Mariner and Bradward Boimler, Star Trek: Lower Decks' five seasons combined are rated 93% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Lower Decks' premature wrap was a casualty of Paramount Global's sale to Skydance Media.

On Bluesky, Mike McMahan responded to a fan that he "couldn't be prouder" of Star Trek: Lower Decks' five seasons, but Mike announced, "I had at least two seasons more in me." McMahan then lists many great ideas future Star Trek: Lower Decks seasons would have explored, including the USS Cerritos going to the Delta and Gamma Quadrants, and even meeting "a weirdly nice leftover Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs)." Read Mike's post below:

Couldn't be prouder of the five we made, but I had at least two seasons more in me. Wanted to hit up the Delta and Gamma quadrants. One more Vindicta holodeck movie. Meet a weirdly nice leftover Weyoun, more stories with the whales and Kayshon, T'Lyn and Ensign Olly. Lots of stuff. — Mike McMahan (@mikemcmahan.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T22:27:42.536Z

As per Mike McMahon's ideas, the USS Cerritos visiting the Delta and Gamma Quadrants would have let Star Trek: Lower Decks tell more loving odes to Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as would meeting a "weirdly nice" Weyoun, the cloned servants of the Dominion. Another Vindicta story would've capped off a trilogy of holodeck movies within the show.

Star Trek: Lower Decks fans would certainly have appreciated more stories about fan-favorite supporting characters like T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) and Kayshon (Carl Tart), as well as Kimolu and Matt, the talking beluga whale lieutenants who help navigate the USS Cerritos from Cetacean Ops.

McMahan's desire for more seasons would have equaled the seven-season run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a fitting number since Star Trek: Lower Decks is TNG's animated successor. However, as an animated comedy, Star Trek: Lower Decks didn't necessarily have a ceiling beyond what was decided by Paramount+. Star Trek: Lower Decks could have run 10 seasons or more if the streamer allowed.

Sadly, Star Trek: Lower Decks is a casualty of the new regime at Paramount Skydance along with every Star Trek on Paramount+ series that was canceled or is premiering its final seasons. After Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' final seasons drop in 2027, Star Trek TV is expected to go on a hiatus until a new direction is decided for the final frontier.

However, Star Trek: Lower Decks being an animated series could be its saving grace, allowing for a potential comeback on another streaming service, much like how Futurama has spent decades continuing to produce new episodes on different networks.

Fingers are crossed this will be the case for Star Trek: Lower Decks, and that Captain Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) will "engage the core" of the USS Cerritos once more, some day.