CBS Exec Confirms Star Trek: Picard Will Be “Hybrid” of Discovery and The Next Generation
A CBS executive confirmed the upcoming Star Trek: Picard show starring Sir Patrick Stewart will be a hybrid of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG).
As reported by TrekMovie, at the Television Critics Association, CBS EVP of Original Content Julie McNamara revealed how Picard will be a hybrid of Discovery and TNG.
McNamara first revealed how the production, size, and scope is similar to Discovery:
“I would say that it is in production, sort of size and scope, [Picard is] probably more similar to Discovery.”
As many might remember, Star Trek: The Next Generation was a syndicated show which was not really expensive to make at the time. So it seems that CBS is flat out saying that Picard was given a massive amount of support (financially speaking) as compared to when Star Trek; TNG was being filmed.
McNamara then noted that the show will leverage storytelling similar to TNG:
“In terms of the characters and the nature of the storytelling, [Picard is] probably more like Next Generation. But of course, we’re a number of years later now so there are some shifts in the storytelling style but I think it’s a really nice hybrid of the two.”
This is good news, since for many the storytelling of The Next Generation is what made the show. The show had deep and rich storytelling that is still quoted today. For example, the 15th episode of the 6th season of TNG titled “Tapestry” sees Q decide to teach Picard a lesson after the Captain has a near-death experience. Picard takes the opportunity to change his past involving a bar fight he had with a pair of alien Nausicaans. Picard believed that with his current knowledge and experience his younger self would be better off not getting in the bar fight. However, when he returns to the present he realizes that he never reached the rank of Captain because he was unwilling to take any real risks. By the end of the episode, Picard asks Q to return him to the past and ensure that he gets in the bar fight. He then understands that the choices he makes forms his whole. If he attempts to unravel just one of them it can undo the entire tapestry of his life.
Star Trek: Picard taking place in the future was confirmed when they released the first teaser trailer indicating Picard had retired, but Starfleet was looking to bring him back into the fold.
The show will not only see the return of Sir Patrick Stewart as Picard, but Brent Spiner will return as Data and Jeri Ryan will reprise her role as Seven of Nine.
What do you think of the idea of Star Trek: Picard being a hybrid of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: The Next Generation? Does it seem that CBS is attempting to bridge the gap in the fandom? If so, can they? Let me know your thoughts below!
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