Star Trek: Discovery - First footage unveiled in new trailer

At the end of the universe, Discovery begins.

The first proper trailer for Star Trek: Discovery has arrived, thanks to the CBS Upfronts presentations, where broadcasters try to hawk their wares to advertisers. That’s slightly less of a problem for Discovery which will premiere on broadcast television before transferring to CBS All Access for its full season. It was also revealed that the season has been extended from its proposed 12 episodes up to an exciting 15, which still makes it the shortest season of Star Trek ever made.

Here we get a good look at lead performer Sonequa Martin-Green as Lieutenant Commander Michael Burnham, first officer of the USS Discovery serving under Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Burnham’s Vulcan heritage is new information and it seems that she has a strong connection to Sarek, played here by James Frain. That would appear to be going over much of the same ground as covered by Spock in the the original Star Trek series and in the new movies, but surely there will be a good reason for the familiarity. Also returning in a big way, are the Klingons, who have (another) brand new design.

Star Trek has been boldly going backwards since Voyager finished up in 2001, first with founding of Starfleet show, Enterprise and then with the more recent movies. This new series is set 10 years before Kirk began his five year mission on board the Enterprise, but the look couldn’t be more different from the bright colours of that show with dark blue uniforms (not unlike Enterprise) and they definitely need to change the bulbs on the bridge.

It’s been a long time since the show first began it’s journey towards production with the ship footage trailer and the first episodes promised for January. Since then, there have been some behind the scenes changes with original showrunner Bryan Fuller leaving before a the single shot was in the can. Now, a couple of episodes are reportedly complete with location filming having taken place in Jordan, the first time any Trek show has ventured outside North America.

Bryan Fuller devised the show with Alex Kurtman with showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts heading up a writing team that also includes Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II, IV and VI), Joe Menosky (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Kristen Beyer (Star Trek: Voyager relaunch novels), Jesse Alexander (Hannibal) Bo Yeon Kim (Reign)and Aron Eli Coleite (Heroes).

The cast also includes Jason Isaacs, Doug Jones, Maulik Pancholy, Shazad Latif and Terry Serpico.

Here’s a UK cut of the trailer as released by Netflix, who have the international first run rights to the show internationally.