Why is Star Trek: Discovery headed to CBS All Access? Recently, CBS Interactive Media CEO Jim Lanzone spoke with Recode Media about the upcoming TV series.
The new Star Trek series is slated to premiere on CBS. Then, all subsequent episodes will be available only on the network’s subscription streaming service, CBS All Access. Recently, the series’ original showrunner, Bryan Fuller, stepped down from the position but will remain as an executive producer.
In the interview, Lanzone revealed that Star Trek: Discovery will air on CBS All Access because sci-fi shows do not perform well on broadcast networks:
Sci-fi is not something that has traditionally done really well on broadcast. It’s not impossible, for the future, if somebody figures it out. But historically, a show like ‘Star Trek’ wouldn’t necessarily be a broadcast show, at this point.”
Star Trek: Discovery is expected to debut in May 2017.
What do you think? Are you a Star Trek fan? Will you subscribe to CBS All Access to watch the new series?
I watched part of the first episode of Discovery; only part of the episode because the show was so bad I just couldn’t stand to watch any more than what I had seen. Everyone was hoping for a good series, but given it was a CBS production and with their agenda they want to promote, they created a show that is good at only wasting the viewer’s time and killing the some of the viewer’s brain cells. A vapid production likely written by idiot millennials.
I will NOT watch it on TV And then can not see the show again unless I start new service. This is going to kill the show before it can even get started.
Star Trek is worth every penny. More shows should be so ethical and inspiring.
Star Trek won’t survive on TV if the show is crap. If it’s good, then it will. This isn’t rocket science. Make good show, people will watch. Make bad show, people won’t watch.
By the way, I’m not holding out hope at this point that it will be good.
I will watch it on TV but will not subscribe to another new service just to see it.
I won’t subscribe either, and I’m a HUGE fan going back to the 60s; we’ve got enough paid-outs (cable, Netflix, Amazon Prime). If it comes out on DVD I’d buy it.
It’ll fail on CBS All Access since CBS won’t get the critical subscriber base. I’m not going to subscribe for this one show.
I don’t know maybe it could be about money but TV shows today don’t seem to be given much time before they are cancelled. TV doesn’t seem to be the same like it was when those shows were on air. Medical, cop, and reality shows seem to be what they want. I’m mostly talking about CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC. They could put it on one of those other cable networks for real though now that I think about it.
The ONLY reason why they will only have it on All Access is to charge viewers through the nose when on TV it is already paid for when have cable or satellite. They have no legitimate reason to not have it on TV, only for greed.
Yeah, right. That’s why TNG, DD9, and VOY lasted 7 years each on broadcast tv with 20 + episodes a season not the 10-13 episodes so many programs now produce and call a season. Even TOS and ENT lasted 3 and 4 years respectively on broadcast tv. This is just a ploy to make more money than they would on regular tv. I won’t be watching after the first episode.
TNG, DS9, and Voyager were never on any broadcast TV network. They were all syndicated shows that ran on independent stations. TOS ran on NBC, so that won’t work. And Ent was on UPN which no longer exists so that isn’t an option. So you really can’t compare what happened on another network to what would happen if it was on CBS. After Supergirl failed to get the ratings CBS expected this probably influenced their decision that a Sci-Fi show doesn’t work on broadcast TV.
TNG, DS9 and Voy were syndicated to broadcast stations, I watched the first run episodes with an over the air antenna.
Sci-fi doesn’t do well on broadcast tv, eh? Hello? Babylon 5, anyone? What about Stargate SG-1? Ten seasons?! Yeah, THAT show didn’t do very well, did it? And what about Star Trek TNG, DS9 and Voyager? You’re saying they didn’t do well when they ran?
None of those shows were on a broadcast network. You can’t compare what a syndicated or a cable TV show does to something on a major network like CBS.
You’re right about SG-1, it started on Showtime and moved to Sc-Fi. But Babylon 5 was syndicated on broadcast stations.
Wrong They Are Doing This To Make Money If This Show Went On Regular Tv I Think It Would Do Very Well Sorry I Wont Pay For This Show And Im A Big Star Trek Fan Good Luck I See This Dying Quick
You won’t know unless you try. They could make 13 episodes. If it isn’t doing well. or they would rather show it on All Access, then move it. You might actually get more people to subscribe to All Access that way.