There’s new hope for new frontiers as Star Trek’s parent company finds new owners, Prodigy’s second season makes a big impact on Netflix and more including new merch, new collaborations and Starfleet at war! Well, kind of…
New Frontiers for Paramount Global
Generally we avoid the business shenanigans of mergers and buyouts, however it’s hard to ignore that not long after re-merging CBS with Paramount, the controlling share of the company is in new hands as Shari Redstones taken a deal from Skydance to merge the two media companies into one! It’s not been a straight forward negotiation and there are still some legalities to go through, such as a short window where Paramount can accept new bids in case of a better deal just over the horizon. But David Ellison and Skydance won’t be likely to have any opposition and have already set a plan in motion.
Investors heard the announcement first with Skydance committing to several positive steps for the company including clearing off Paramounts debt, and rebuild Paramount+ while looking into partnerships and modernisation of their output. For Star Trek, things have been on pause for a while as Paramount made cuts to their expenditure, but as one of the noted key franchises it looks as if the Universe will begin to merge together in it’s film and streaming content and maximise the companies franchises.
Ellison and Skydance aren’t new to Star Trek as a franchise either. In the era of movies and TV output being split he was credited as Executive Producer for Into Darkness and Beyond, with Skydance already committing finance to the future of the film branch of the franchise before the sale was even a thought in an executives mind.
It’ll be interesting to see how Skydance’s vision effects Star Trek in the coming years now that bnoth creativity and money are potentially unleashed for a more expanded universe once again. .
Prodigy Makes UK Top Ten
One aspect of Star Trek with an uncertain future is animated series Prodigy which has had a weird couple of years. After being quickly renewed for a second season following a staggered launch on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, the show was a surprise cancellation and early sign of financial stress at Paramount. The show found anew home on Netflix and only recently launched to a lot of fanfare.
The second season was a surprisingly good story that’s been receiving rave reviews across the internet. Rotten Tomatoes – which is a trusted if somewhat controversial measurement thanks to years of review bombing campaigns for certain properties – has the show rated at a stunning 100%/96% split with Prodigy trending positively across all popular social media. It also made a bit of an impact on Netflix in some weird ways.
Netflix is notorious for not releasing data on viewership numbers, however Prodigy was able to rank highly in several key European markets, making the top ten in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France and the UK among others. New Zealand and Australian audiences also kept the show in the top ten. All of which is a positive step for Prodigy, though Netflix’s decisions often rest in their home market and the show hasn’t appeared yet in the US’s top ten list.
It should be noted that several countries still don’t have access including Spain, the Netherlands and many more thanks to a split deal with SkyShowtime, a Paramount and Comcast partner that gained exclusive rights in certain markets. Canadian viewers are always waiting for confirmation following Showtimes recent announcement that Prodigy was coming in August.
Whatever happens, those who can view the show through Netflix will have both first and second seasons available now. Q2 Comms will have a full spoiler free review of the season soon.
[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”13417″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Please State The Nature of the Medical Emergency
For fans of extravagant collectables, we have another replica coming from Factory Entertainment later this year. Factory Entertainment has produced some lovely products in the past, from the rare and underappreciated ‘dust buster’ phaser from early Next Gen to Captain Sulu’s ill fated tea cup (replica designed before the battle damage). This time it’s an all new Medical Tricorder, based on the Next Generation design.
Made in metal over resin for a more realistic look, the TNG medical tricorder has been crafted to be as close as possible to the later used prop with some classic elements and minor design tweaks. Using a push down switch where the power light should be, the tricorder is designed to activate when opened and plays replicated screen accurate sounds alongside the usual special effects. The screen utilises an LED screen to let you choose between several modes instead of a static screen AND it even comes with an aluminium medical scanner thats held in magnetically for ease of playing around with.
Needless to say, it’s a bit of an upgrade from the old Playmates version but comes at a premium. Marked for $799.99 (around £620 / €740) plus postage, it’s not a cheap item but one that would look fairly good in your collection! You can see full details and pre-order at Factory Entertainment.
And If You Missed It…
- First Class: The first batch of cast announcements for Academy focused on veteran actors Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, the latter in the role of the new Academy Commandant, but now we’re getting a full look at the shows first class of cadets as the first five are ready to enlist!
- Battle Stations!: Become a captain and sail to glory Starfleet style! World of Warships is the latest collaboration for the Star Trek franchise as now you can take command of new ships stylised to represent the Enterprise D and more from the Next Generation!
- A Good Day To Die!: Star Trek Online’s latest event will kick off from July 25th where Captains can log in for daily tasks to earn some unique goodies including the all new Temporal Disorder console!
- Friendship is Universal: In a surprise collaboration, the Star Trek Franchise join forces with Doctor Who at San Diego Comic Con for a collaborative display and panels! Star Trek will also be in action on their own as they take over the infamous Hall H during the event.
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