DS9: What We Leave Behind Documentary Release Date

The multi-year process of creating What We Leave Behind documentary on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine finally reaches its conclusion with its release on Blu-ray on August 6 in North America via Shout Factory. There is no release dates for the rest of the world but the NA release version is region free so importing is an option. The documentary is a result of several rounds of fan funding on Indiegogo (who will receive their own special edition in early July) that in part was the result of people discovering the series through Netflix.

Really if have not watched DS9, I highly recommend it. The first three seasons was the series still figuring things out but seasons 4-7 really set not just a gold standard for Star Trek but really set the bar for what television would become with multi-season arcs, character arcs, continuity, and more. The doc that includes cast, producers, writing interviews, a discussion of a hypothetical new episode of the series, DS9 footage remastered in HD, and more. Special features will include an introduction, brief history of the series, deleted scenes, and behind the scenes features. All the details on the release is at TrekMovie.com.

Shout Factory! is also release a 1,500 copy special edition version for $30 that will include an additional disc of with extended conversations with show composers and 50 minute round table on making the documentary. If interested in just the standard edition, you can pre-order it now for around $21 at Amazon.

Star Trek: Picard Teaser Trailer (Updated)

While filming on Star Trek: Picard has just begun, that has not stopped CBS from releasing a teaser trailer. While its light on actual series footage with scenes that suggests a now retired Picard working the family vine yards. More importantly is the voice over that says that 15 years ago Admiral Picard led the largest rescue armada in history. Shortly after, for unknown reasons he left Starfleet. The time frame would be around the destruction of Romulus as depicted in 2009 Star Trek. It also suggests the central story is a crisis of faith (in Starfleeet? Fedeation? Himself?).

Update: CBS stopped blocking the teaser. Here is the relevant voice-over text and below that a new poster:

"15 years ago, today, you led us out of the darkness. You commanded the greatest rescue armada in history. Then the unimaginable. What did that cost you? Your faith? Your faith in us? Your faith in yourself? Tell us. Why did you leave Starfleet, Admiral?" It then concludes with the tag "The End Is Only The Beginning"

Currently there is no release date for the series but current assumption is late 2019.

Jean-Luc Picard Series Reveals Official Title

For last six or so months we have know about the Jean-Luc Picard series that was in the works. As a shorthand, I chose the shorthand Star Trek: Picard as did many other sites. To my knowledge the choice was independent of each other as a straightforward way of providing a concise shorthand that also followed the normal format of "Star Trek: ." The assumption was that some other title was in the works. Even those at CBS suggested it several times they were still figuring out the title. Apparently, they liked the ones all the blogs and entertainment sites came up with as they announced on twitter the official title of the undated series is Star Trek: Picard.

On one hand I am slightly disappointed as was expected something more grandiose (I guess). On the other hand, it is the perfect title and fits the long tradition of the show despite being the first time a series is named after a character. The TV series now have a long tradition of picking titles that effectively underline what the series will be focused on so why change what works. Past titles don't allude or dance around the series' focus and neither does this.

Star Trek: Picard Global Airing Rights Sorted

We remain an unknown amount of time from the unknown premiere date for the still not officially titled Star Trek: Picard series. The one thing we now know is how the show will air in most of the world. The breakdown is pretty straightforward, if your not in the US or Canada, then its Amazon Prime Video with each new episode premiering within 24 hours of the US premiere date which thanks to time zones is not as bad as it sounds.

United States > CBS All Access
Canada > Space Channel
Rest of the world > Amazon Prime Video

CBS Starts Star Trek Global Brand Franchise Group

CBS Television Studios has announced they have tapped EVP Veronica Hart to head the newly created Star Trek Global Franchise Management. The group will be based at Alex Kurtzman's Secret Hideout Productions HQ in Santa Monica. The purpose of the group is in the name. The goal is to expand Star Trek worldwide in all the ways it has already spread in the States and some EU countries so not just television but merchandising, brand awareness, conventions, video games, pod casts, and so on. The choice in location is likely because the soon to five different Star Trek series that will be on the air in a year or two is be driven from Secret Hideout with Kurtzman an executive producer on all of them.

From a Trekkie perspective, this news is kind is a factoid but doesn't change things much for us. From a corporate and Hollywood perspective its sending the signal that CBS is planning to make serious efforts to expand the brand worldwide, something its only made a token effort to do in the past. Most of the worldwide recognition of the brand has been due to streaming, re-runs and the like but not because CBS but any real effort or people behind the attempt instead choosing to let Paramount Pictures attempt that effort via the marketing for the movies.