Paramount+ has just announced the upcoming season of Mike McMahan’s 2D animated comedy will be its last, while a fourth season of the Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn live-action starrer has been ordered ahead of its 2025 third season premiere.
In a major announcement impacting the expansive Star Trek TV universe, Paramount+ has just shared that it has renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fourth season, ahead of its third season 2025 premiere. The network also confirmed that its animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks will end with its upcoming fifth season, which premieres this fall.
In a message to fans posted on StarTrek.com, Star Trek TV franchise uber EP Alex Kurtzman and Lower Decks showrunner and EP Mike McMahan said:
“We wanted to let you know that this fall will be the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. While five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle, it’s no exaggeration to say that every second we’ve spent making this show has been a dream come true. Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we’ve built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we’re working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off. Finally, thank you for always being so creative and joyful, for filling convention halls and chanting ‘LOWER DECKS!’ We remain hopeful that even beyond season five, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures.
LLAP
Mike McMahan and Alex Kurtzman”
Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President of Programming at Paramount+, stated, “The journey through the Star Trek universe has been incredibly rewarding. We are grateful for the partnership with Secret Hideout and the remarkable talent of our casts and producers. Strange New Worlds has masterfully blended action, adventure, and humor, captivating audiences and we are thrilled to continue this voyage.”
“Star Trek: Lower Decks has been a fan-favorite, bringing a unique blend of humor and heart to the storied franchise,” he continued. “The final season promises to deliver more thrilling adventures and laughs as the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos embarks on their last journey together.”
David Stapf, President of CBS Studios, added, "Both Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds have played pivotal roles in expanding the Star Trek universe, pushing the boundaries of our storytelling and exploring new thematic horizons. These series stand as testaments to Gene Roddenberry's enduring legacy, nearly 60 years after its inception."
Lower Decks, which “boldly goes where no one has gone before, but lower,” focuses on the support crew on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos. The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” include Ensigns Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
The show is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Kurtzman, Aaron Baiers, and Heather Kadin, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, and Katie Krentz (219 Productions) serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner McMahan. Titmouse (Big Mouth), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.
Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock, Number One, and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the starship, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
The series stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Babs Olusanmokun. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Roddenberry, and Roth serve as executive producers.
Though Star Trek: Discovery just premiered its fifth and final season, the Star Trek universe continues to “engage” on Paramount+ with multiple projects, including the original movie event, Star Trek: Section 31, featuring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, which recently wrapped production, and the anticipated new original series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, set to begin production later this year.
Source: Paramount+
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
