‘Star Trek’ is coming back to TV

The “Star Trek” franchise is boldly going back to its small-screen roots, as CBS has announced that a new “Star Trek” series will kick off in January 2017. “The brand-new ‘Star Trek’ will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizationswhile exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966,” the statement reads.

Before you get too excited, there are a couple of troubling details: “The new program will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month,” the statement explains. “CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous Star Trek television series.”

Interesting. CBS is making a push into the world of streaming original content by pushing their own subscription service instead of partnering with an existing giant like Netflix or Hulu. That seems risky. Also worth noting? The new series will be executive-produced by Alex Kurtzman, co-writer of the awesome 2009 “Star Trek” reboot but also the less-than-awesome 2013 follow-up “Star Trek into Darkness.”

“There is no better time to give Star Trek fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration” in 2016, CBS Television Studios presidentDavid Stapf says. “Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.”

Follow Ned Ehrbar on Twitter: @nedrick