Animated Space Adventure Television Series Codexery

Star Trek: Lower Decks

An animated comedy following Starfleet's least important starship crew.

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Star Trek: Lower Decks is set in the late 24th century, focusing on low-ranking officers with menial jobs on the USS Cerritos, one of Starfleet's least important starships.[1] The series follows the support crew rather than senior officers, with the captain and other senior staff appearing as supporting characters.[1]

Making and release

In June 2018, Alex Kurtzman signed a five-year deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the Star Trek franchise, and Aaron Baiers brought Mike McMahan to a meeting about animation in Star Trek.[2] McMahan had previously run the Twitter fan account @TNG_S8 and was asked what his dream Star Trek series would be.[3] He pitched a series following "the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end"[3] CBS All Access officially ordered two seasons on October 25, 2018, making it the service's first original animated series.[4][5]

McMahan was set to create, write, and executive produce alongside Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Katie Krentz.[5] A third season was ordered in April 2021, a fourth in January 2022, and a fifth in March 2023, with Paramount confirming the fifth season would be the last in April 2024.[6][7]

What the cited sources add

McMahan described the mission of the Cerritos as "Second Contact," where support ships arrive after first contact to find "all the good places to eat the communications stuff"[8][9] The series begins in 2380, one year after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and is named after the Next Generation episode "Lower Decks," which McMahan said was his favorite episode of any Star Trek series.[8][10] McMahan wanted the animation style to reflect the look of "prime time animated comedy" series like The Simpsons and Futurama, with detailed backgrounds reflecting the Next Generation era.[11][12] The main cast includes Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner, Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler, Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi, and Eugene Cordero as Sam Rutherford.[13][14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ""Star Trek: Lower Decks" Voice Cast and Animated Characters Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con(R)", The Futon Critic, July 20, 2019; Turnbull, "Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season One Review", The Digital Fix, January 24, 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Otterson, "Alex Kurtzman Sets Five-Year CBS TV Studios Pact, Will Oversee Expanded 'Star Trek' Universe", Variety, June 19, 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Knupper, "Interview: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Creator Mike McMahan Talks About The Joys of Painting with the Palette of Trek [Exclusive]", Nerds & Beyond, August 6, 2020; Goldberg, "'Star Trek' Animated Comedy a Go With 2-Season Order at CBS All Access", The Hollywood Reporter, October 25, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Knupper, "Interview: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Creator Mike McMahan Talks About The Joys of Painting with the Palette of Trek [Exclusive]", Nerds & Beyond, August 6, 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Goldberg, "'Star Trek' Animated Comedy a Go With 2-Season Order at CBS All Access", The Hollywood Reporter, October 25, 2018; "Alex Kurtzman Talks 'Discovery' Season 2 Arc, Klingon Hair, And Taking Star Trek To New Places", TrekMovie.com, January 9, 2019; ""Star Trek: Lower Decks" Voice Cast and Animated Characters Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con(R)", The Futon Critic, July 20, 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Del Rosario, "'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Renewed For Season 3 As Second Season Gets Teaser & Premiere Date On Paramount+", Deadline Hollywood, April 5, 2021; Andreeva, "'Star Trek' Universe News: 'Discovery', 'Strange New Worlds' & 'Lower Decks' Renewed, 'Picard' Gets Season 2 Premiere Date", Deadline Hollywood, January 18, 2022; "Paramount+ Sets Star Trek Spring Slate: Picard and Strange New Worlds Dates, Plus Disco, SNW, and Lower Decks Renewals", TrekCore.com, January 18, 2022; Otterson, "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,' 'Lower en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vary, "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Renewed for Season 4; 'Lower Decks' to Conclude With Season 5 (Exclusive)", Variety, April 12, 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Drew, "STLV19: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Panel Talks Second Contacts, Cleaning Holodecks, And Canon", TrekMovie.com, August 6, 2019. facts only, no text reused. trekmovie.com
  9. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Drew, "STLV19: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Panel Talks Second Contacts, Cleaning Holodecks, And Canon", TrekMovie.com, August 6, 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Comic-Con 2019: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Characters and Voice Cast Revealed", TrekMovie.com, July 20, 2019; Goldberg, "'Star Trek' Animated Comedy a Go With 2-Season Order at CBS All Access", The Hollywood Reporter, October 25, 2018; Pascale, "SDCC19: 'Lower Decks' Panel Unveils An Animated Comedy By And For Star Trek Fans", TrekMovie.com, July 22, 2019; Drew, "STLV19: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Panel Talks Second Contacts, Cleaning Holodecks, And Canon", TrekMovie.com, August 6, 2019; Pascale, "SDCC19: 'Lower Decks' Panel Unveils en.wikipedia.org
  11. Reilly, "Interview: Mike McMahan on Star Trek: Lower Decks' Animation Design, Balancing Canon and Creativity, and "Good People Doing Good Things" in Starfleet", TrekCore.com, August 15, 2020. facts only, no text reused. blog.trekcore.com
  12. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Reilly, "Interview: Mike McMahan on Star Trek: Lower Decks' Animation Design, Balancing Canon and Creativity, and "Good People Doing Good Things" in Starfleet", TrekCore.com, August 15, 2020; "Star Trek: Lower Decks – Premiere Special – The Ready Room", Facebook, August 8, 2020; Reilly, "Interview: Mike McMahan on Star Trek: Lower Decks' Animation Design, Balancing Canon and Creativity, and "Good People Doing Good Things" in Starfleet", TrekCore.com, August 15, 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  13. ""Star Trek: Lower Decks" Voice Cast and Animated Characters Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con(R)", The Futon Critic, July 20, 2019. facts only, no text reused. thefutoncritic.com
  14. Wikipedia, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wright, "Alex Kurtzman Gives Updates On CBS Star Trek TV Franchise", TrekMovie.com, June 18, 2019; ""Star Trek: Lower Decks" Voice Cast and Animated Characters Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con(R)", The Futon Critic, July 20, 2019; "Comic-Con 2019: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Characters and Voice Cast Revealed", TrekMovie.com, July 20, 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Star Trek: Lower Decks (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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