David Farnor | On 06, Oct 2019

A new trailer has landed for Star Trek: Picard, and there’s a lot of new Data to absorb.

The sequel, first announced last summer, will see Patrick Stewart reprise his iconic role as the Starfleet legend, who has since retired in France on his family’s vines, but it’s not long until his traumatic past comes back to catch up with him: while he has been looking to find a new life firmly on the ground with his dog (named Number One), he’s soon approach by Michelle Hurd’s (Blindspot) character, Raffi Musiker, whose revelations about the past prompt him to start an investigation that takes back to Starfleet. a connection to Picard’s past.

Joining the pair on screen are Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation) and Evan Evagora. Old friends also set to return include Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Brent Spiner (Data/B4) and Jonathan Del Arco (Hugh the Borg), not to mention Will Riker himself (Jonathan Frakes).

With Michael Chabon aboard as showrunner and the new trailer beamed up to New York Comic-Con this weekend, the only other question about the series is when it will air in the UK. Fortunately, Chabon knew that too, and Amazon has now confirmed that Star TrekL Picard will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 24th January 2020.

 

Star Trek: Picard gets new trailer and 2020 release date

20th July 2019

Star Trek: Picard set its phasers to stun at Comic-Con this weekend, with a new teaser trailer revealing a host of fresh details about the series.

What we know is that the prequel sees Patrick Stewart reprise his iconic role as the Starfleet legend. We catch up with him on his family’s French vineyards, at least 15 years since his days aboard the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Nemesis. Now retired, looking to find a new life firmly on the ground with his dog (named Number One), we know that something’s gone wrong, but we don’t know what exactly.

We also know that Stewart will be joined on screen by Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Evan Evagora, and Michelle Hurd (Blindspot).

Pill’s character, Dr. Agnes Jurati, was described at the show’s Comic-Con panel today as “a researcher, someone who’s confused with her place in the world. Hurd’s character, Raffi Musiker, has a connection to Picard’s past. Briones plays Dahj, who is prompted to find Picard after a tragedy. Cabrera plays Cristobal Rio, an ex-Starfleet officer, and Treadaway plays Narek, alongside Evagora as Elnor.

The trailer, though, also confirmed the return of several familiar faces, including Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Brent Spiner (Data/B4) and Jonathan Del Arco (Hugh the Borg). Showrunner Michael Chabon also announced during the panel that Jonathan Frakes (Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Troi) will appear in the show.

That news should be enough to console fans, after CBS also announced that the series has been pushed back slightly and will premiere in early 2020. UK Star Trek fans can watch the show on Amazon Prlme Video, where the series will air weekly following its US broadcast.

 

New poster unveiled for Star Trek: Picard

10th July 2019

How do you improve a show about Jean-Luc Picard? Turn it into a show about Jean-Luc Picard and a dog. That’s the pretty unimpeachable logic behind the latest poster for the Star Trek spin-off series, which Sir Patrick Stewart unveiled on Twitter today.

The show, which was announced last year, sees Stewart reprise his iconic role as the Starfleet legend. We catch up with on his family’s French vineyards, at least 15 years since his days aboard the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Nemesis. Now retired, looking to find a new life firmly on the ground, we know that something’s gone wrong, but we don’t know what exactly. That’s likely to be revealed at San Diego Comic-Con next week, when the show will host a panel where footage is expected, at least in the form of a new, fuller trailer.

What we do know is that Stewart will be joined on screen by Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Evan Evagora, and Michelle Hurd (Blindspot).

We also know that the series will premiere in the UK on Amazon Prime Video, which has the exclusive rights for the show on British soil. Here’s the poster – or read on below for the teaser trailer.

 

Amazon unveils first teaser trailer for Star Trek: Picard

23rd May 2019

The end is only the beginning, promises Star Trek’s new Picard series – and the first teaser for the show finally gives us a look at what the beginning looks like. Hint: it looks a lot like Sir Patrick Stewart.

Yes, P-Stew is back in the shoes of Starfleet legend Jean-Luc, and the time since he last appeared in the franchise has taken its toll: the video sets a melancholic tone for the programme, as we join him on his family’s French vineyards, 15 years since he led an unknown narrator “out of the darkness”. The voice talks of the “greatest rescue armada in history”, but while something grand occurred, something clearly went wrong too, as Picard then retired to find a new life firmly on the ground.

There’s little else we know about the new Trek series, although we know that Stewart will be joined on screen by Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Evan Evagora, and Michelle Hurd (Blindspot). We also know that Star Trek: Picard will follow the normal Trek timeline, picking up over a decade after his last canonical appearance in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. Why did he leave Starfleet?

You can find out later this year when the series premieres on Amazon Prime Video, which has the exclusive UK rights for the show. Here’s the trailer:

 

Amazon Prime Video will be the UK TV home of Star Trek’s Picard series

13th May 2019

Amazon Prime Video will be the UK TV home of Star Trek’s Picard series.

The untitled show features Sir Patrick Stewart (X-Men) reprising his role as the venerable Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: Next Generation. The series will follow this iconic character in the next chapter of his life.

The programme, announced last year, has been subject to much speculation – not least where it might end up on British screens. Now, Amazon Prime Video has announced it will be the exclusive streaming home of the series, under a multi-year agreement with CBS. The deal is something of a coup for Amazon, as rival Netflix is the home to CBS All-Access’ other new Star Trek series, Discovery.

“There’s only one word that can begin to describe Sir Patrick Stewart as Starship Commander Jean-Luc Picard, and that’s ‘legendary,’” says series executive producer Alex Kurtzman (Sleepy Hollow). “We are thrilled beyond measure to have him back in command, bringing the optimistic messages of Star Trek to audiences around the world.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with CBS to bring the newest edition of the storied ‘Star Trek’ franchise to our international Amazon Prime Video customers,” adds Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Licensing for Amazon Prime Video. “With the incredible Sir Patrick Stewart returning as the beloved Jean-Luc Picard, we’re excited we can give ‘Trek’ fans both old and new the opportunity to see him back in action. It’s a terrific addition to our already robust catalogue of exclusive Amazon Prime Video content.”

“For 50 years, the Star Trek series have been a global sensation, spanning generations and audiences of all ages. It’s an honour to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back for what is sure to be another world-class extension of the historic franchise,” comments Armando Nuñez, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We look forward to working with the team at Amazon Prime Video to bring this next chapter of the incredible Star Trek franchise to its passionate international fan base.”

Alongside Stewart, the series will also star Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Evan Evagora, and Michelle Hurd (Blindspot). The series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman, Michael Chabon (John Carter), Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), James Duff (The Closer), Stewart, Heather Kadin (Salvation), Rod Roddenberry (Earth: Final Conflict) and Trevor Roth (Star Trek: Discover) will serve as executive producers and Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout) will serve as co-executive producer and Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Discovery) will serve as supervising producer.

Each episode will be available on Prime Video within 24 hours of its US premiere.

 

Evan Evagora joins Patrick Stewart in Star Trek Picard series

18th March 2019

Newcomer Evan Evagora has joined the cast of the upcoming Jean-Luc Picard TV series.

The show, which was first announced last year, will see Patrick Stewart reprise his iconic role as the USS Enterprise capital. Like Star Trek: Discovery, this new spin-off will be produced for CBS’ streaming service, CBS All Access. Nothing else has been confirmed about the show, but anticipation is nonetheless sky-high among followers of the sci-fi franchise, with Stewart winning fans over seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Behind the scenes, a familiar team of Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, Akiva Goldsman, Stewart, Michael Chabon, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth are on board as exec producers, with Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout) serving as co-EP. Now, though, we have word of the people set to appear in front of the camera. Even they, however, are something of an unknown: Deadline reports that Evagora is an Australian and that this will mark only his third screen role, after Fantasy Island (currently filming) and the TV show Secret City.

“With Patrick as a resource and as a very willing and literate resource, I think its going to make the show,” Chabon told Deadline last year. “It’s going to take it to another level. Just to have him participating in the way he participated? Amazing. He understands drama and he understands character and can bring to bear on that all of his experience doing Shakespeare and Beckett and everything in between. Plus he’s incredibly sweet and funny and charming and surprisingly humble and modest. He’s a wonderful collaborator and I can’t say enough about the amazing and unexpected benefit of the process.”

“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now!” Evagora wrote on Instagram. “I’m happy to finally announce that I will be joining the cast for the upcoming Star Trek series. I’d like to thank everybody who has been here to support me along the way. I’m looking forward to growing as an actor,as well as a person and sharing the next step of my journey with all of you.”

With Discovery airing on Netflix internationally, the odds seem high that the project, when it eventually comes to life, will follow in its footsteps, although More4 is another UK broadcaster home to CBS All Access content, with The Good Fight premiering exclusively on the Freeview channel, before being released on Amazon Prime Video.

 

Patrick Stewart to return as Jean-Luc Picard in new Star Trek series

4th August 2018

Patrick Stewart will return as Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series.

The long-running sci-fi franchise has taken off with renewed success in recent years, with both JJ Abrams’ big screen reboot spawning multiple sequels and the second season of CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery currently in production (see the trailer here). While Discovery, in particular, has taken the show in new, modern directions, even as it delves into the universe’s past before the USS Enterprise, CBS is now looking to go back to familiar territory, with a brand new series that will see Patrick Stewart reprise his iconic role as Captain Picard.

The series has been the subject of speculation for several months, after CBS confirmed it wanted to expand the Star Trek universe with new projects, but was finally confirmed today, when Stewart himself made a surprise appearance at Star Trek Las Vegas, alongside Alex Kurtzman, co-creator of Discovery and one of the leads on CBS’ Star Trek development.

Like Discovery, this new series will be produced for CBS’ streaming service, CBS All Access. With Discovery airing on Netflix internationally, the odds seem high that the project, when it eventually comes to life, will follow in its footsteps, although More4 is another UK broadcaster home to CBS All Access content, with The Good Fight premiering exclusively on the Freeview channel, before being released on Amazon Prime Video.

For now, what we do know for sure is that Picard is back, and that the series will not be a reboot from scratch, rather telling “the story of the next chapter in Picard’s life”.

“I will always be very proud to have been a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation,” said Stewart in a statement. “But when we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course. It is, therefore, an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him. Seeking out new life for him, when I thought that life was over.”

“During these past years, it has been humbling to hear stories about how The Next Generation brought people comfort, saw them through difficult periods in their lives or how the example of Jean-Luc inspired so many to follow in his footsteps pursuing science, exploration and leadership,” he added. “I feel I’m ready to return to him for the same reason – to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times. I look forward to working with our brilliant creative team as we endeavor to bring a fresh, unexpected and pertinent story to life once more.”

“He may not be a Captain anymore,” he told fans at the convention. “He may be someone who has been changed by his experience. We have no scripts as yet. We’re just talking talking talking storylines. It will be something very different but it will come to you with the same passion.”

In the meantime, Star Trek: Discovery will return for Season 2 in early 2019. Still need to catch up? Season 1 is available on Netflix UK. Read our reviews of each episode here.

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