The Epic Transformation Star Trek Must Embrace, Just Like Star Wars Did

Summary

Star Trek should follow the example of Star Wars: Ahsoka and release new episodes during prime time on Thursdays, creating appointment television for fans.

Releasing new episodes simultaneously at 6pm PST and 9pm EST would create a sense of excitement and unity among the Star Trek fan community, as they can gather together to watch the show. By adopting a prime time release schedule, the Star Trek brand will be strengthened, attracting a larger audience and preventing spoilers. This strategy will also give the franchise a more exclusive and remarkable feel in the year 2024.

Star Trek should follow in the footsteps of Star Wars: Ahsoka and make a significant change. Recently, Disney+ launched a new Star Wars series featuring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka, a Jedi Knight in search of the missing Grand Admiral Thrawn from the Empire. One aspect of Ahsoka that fans appreciated was the announcement by Disney+ that new episodes would be released on Tuesdays at 9pm EST/6pm PST, essentially transforming it into must-watch television.

Popular streaming services like Netflix, Paramount+, and Disney+ typically release new episodes of TV series at midnight Pacific time, which translates to 3am on the East Coast. This often puts viewers in a tough position of either staying up very late or waking up extremely early to avoid spoilers on the Internet and social media. In contrast, HBO has had great success by following a more traditional network release model. Their top shows are released on a specific day, usually at 9pm EST. Game of Thrones, for example, became a global phenomenon from 2011 to 2019, partly thanks to audiences knowing that a new episode would always be available at 9pm EST on Sundays. As a result, millions of viewers made a point to watch the show at that designated time.

Star Trek Should Make New Episode Releases Appointment Television

To enhance the Star Trek experience for fans, it is recommended for Paramount+ to follow the successful approach of Star Wars: Ahsoka and release new episodes during prime time on Thursdays. Currently, episodes are released at midnight PST/3am PST, which can be inconvenient for viewers. Moving the release time to 6pm PST and 9pm EST would transform it into a special event that fans can plan for. This change would encourage families and households to watch the new episodes together and prevent the occurrence of unexpected spoilers. Paramount+ has already designated Thursdays as New Star Trek Day, so shifting to prime time would further strengthen the brand and its overall appeal.

Star Trek Needs To Make 2024's Releases Feel Special

Star Trek will require additional innovations to make the franchise stand out in 2024. In 2022, Paramount+ proudly presented 5 Star Trek series and managed to release a new episode of Star Trek almost every Thursday throughout the entire year. 2023 witnessed the exciting final season of Star Trek: Picard, a monumental event that reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation and attracted new attention to the franchise while also welcoming back fans who had previously lost interest. However, due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, as well as the cancellation of Star Trek: Prodigy by Paramount+, Star Trek only has 2 series scheduled for 2024: the concluding season of Star Trek: Discovery and the fifth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Employing an appointment TV release strategy could provide Star Trek: Discovery season 5 with an extra boost and potentially attract more viewers for its final season. The same can be said for Star Trek: Lower Decks and even the movie made exclusively for Paramount+, Star Trek: Section 31, featuring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, if it is able to be produced and released in 2024 after the strikes. Moreover, the future streaming platform for Star Trek: Prodigy must consider assigning a specific prime time release date for the animated show. The unquestionable high quality of Star Trek series such as Strange New Worlds, Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, and Prodigy make them stand out, but taking inspiration from Star Wars: Ahsoka and adopting an appointment TV approach for Star Trek would undoubtedly elevate the franchise's reputation and make it more appealing to both longtime and new viewers.