Prodigy Was Canceled & What Happens Next
Star Trek: Prodigy, the beloved animated series aimed at younger viewers, was unexpectedly canceled by Paramount+ on June 23, 2023, along with three other shows, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, The Game, and Queen of the Universe. While the series may have completed its run on Paramount+, there is still hope for its future. The cancelation was announced by a spokesperson for Paramount+, who thanked the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication.
Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Star Trek: Prodigy introduced a new generation to Star Trek and its values, with its talented voice cast including Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Rylee Alazraqui, Angus Imrie, Dee Bradley Baker, Jason Mantzoukas, Jimmi Simpson, Jameela Jamil, and John Noble. The show also marked the return of Kate Mulgrew as Admiral Kathryn Janeway and a Hologram of Janeway.
Despite the cancelation, season 2 is currently in post-production, and CBS Studios plans to shop the series to find a new streaming home for both seasons 1 and 2. However, the show will not air on Nickelodeon, even though it was a joint venture between Nickelodeon Studios and Paramount+/CBS Studios.
The cancelation was reportedly data-driven, with Paramount+ not providing any specific data on why the show was cancelled. However, it is reflective of the changes in the industry as streaming services like Max, Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu have deleted existing shows and content to cut costs and for tax write-offs.
The best-case scenario for Star Trek: Prodigy is that it will find a new streaming platform to call home, which will stream both seasons 1 and 2. However, there is no timetable for when this may happen, and the current state of the industry makes it questionable whether another streamer will pick up the series.
Although season 3 is uncertain, there is hope that the show can find a new streaming home, allowing fans to see season 2 and relive the adventures of season 1.
Star Trek: Prodigy was unexpectedly canceled by Paramount+, but there may yet be hope for the beloved animated series. On Friday, June 23, 2023, Paramount+ announced the cancelation of four shows: Star Trek: Prodigy, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, The Gameand Queen of the Universe. A Paramount+ spokesman said those series, “have completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service. We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors.”
Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Star Trek: Prodigy was the first Star Trek animated show aimed at younger viewers, and it can take immense pride in introducing a new generation to Star Trek and its lofty ideals. Prodigy also featured the return of Kate Mulgrew to Star Trek, reprising the iconic Admiral Kathryn Janeway, as well as a Hologram of Janeway. Prodigy’s talented voice cast includes Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Rylee Alazraqui, and Angus Imrie, along with Dee Bradley Baker, Jason Mantzoukas, Jimmi Simpson, Jameela Jamil, and John Noble. Prodigy was a joint venture of Paramount+/CBS Studios and Nickelodeon Studios, and season 1 aired on Nick after it streamed on Paramount+. Prodigy season 2 was announced in 2022 and is currently in post-production even after Paramount+ canceled the show.
Why Star Trek: Prodigy Was Canceled By Paramount Plus
Star Trek: Prodigy was canceled as part of Paramount+’s merger with Showtime, which will happen at the end of June. To add insult to injury, Prodigy and the other canceled series will be removed from Paramount+ entirely in the coming days. Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will still complete its post-production, but the new episodes will not stream on Paramount+. CBS Studios plans to shop Star Trek: Prodigy to hopefully find a new streaming home for both seasons 1 and 2. In spite of being a joint production with Nickelodeon, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will not air on Nickelodeon either.
On Twitter, Star Trek: Prodigy‘s executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman confirmed the news:
According to Variety, the decision to cancel Star Trek: Prodigy was “data-driven, though Paramount did not share any specific data that highlighted why these shows are being canceled and removed.” The move, however, reflects the deleterious changes across the streaming industry, as services like Max, Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu have deleted existing shows and content as cost-streaming measures and for tax write-offs. Months ago, Paramount+ purged other titles from its service such as Coyote, The Real World, and The Twilight Zone.
What Happens Next To Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2?
The best-case scenario for Star Trek: Prodigy is that the show will find a new streaming platform to call home which will then stream both seasons 1 and 2. If this comes to fruition, Prodigy will become the first Star Trek series not streamed on Paramount+ since the television franchise was resurrected in 2017 by Star Trek: Discovery, which was also canceled by Paramount+ in February and is waiting to stream its 5th and final season in 2024. Unfortunately, there is no timetable for when Prodigy could find a new streaming home, and the fact that other services are cutting content across the board makes it questionable whether Star Trek: Prodigy will be picked up by another streamer. But hope remains nonetheless.
Will There Be A Star Trek: Prodigy Season 3?
Although Star Trek: Prodigy will still complete post-production on season 2 as it awaits being shopped to another streaming service, it’s unclear at this juncture whether Prodigy season 3 can happen. Prodigy is finished at Paramount+, but it’s possible that wherever the animated series could land may then take up the cost of production of Prodigy season 3. For now, with so much uncertainty and disappointment, the hope is that Star Trek: Prodigy can find a new streaming home so that fans can at least see season 2 as well as relive the adventures of season 1.
