Written by 'Rick and Morty' EP and longtime franchise fan Mike McMahan, 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' marks the first CBS All Access' first original animated series
- Oct 26, 2018
AceShowbiz - CBS All Access is expanding its roster of "Star Trek" franchise on its network. The network has given a two-season order to "Star Trek: Lower Decks", a half-hour adult animated comedy series from "Rick and Morty" head writer and executive producer Mike McMahan.
The new series is set to focus on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, marking the first CBS All Access' first original animated series. It is also the first project to be produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, a newly launched animation arm of CBS Television Studios.
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" hails from Alex Kurtzman’s CBS TV Studios-based Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producer alongside McMahan. Also executive producing the series are Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth as well as former Cartoon Network executive Katie Krentz with Aaron Baiers co-executive producing.
"Mike won our hearts with his first sentence: 'I want to do a show about the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end.' His cat's name is Riker. His son's name is Sagan. The man is committed," Kurtzman said. "He's brilliantly funny and knows every inch of every Trek episode, and that's his secret sauce: he writes with the pure, joyful heart of a true fan. As we broaden the world of 'Trek' to fans of all ages, we're so excited to include Mike's extraordinary voice."
"As a life-long Trekkie, it's a surreal and wonderful dream come true to be a part of this new era of 'Star Trek'," added McMahan. "While 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' is a half-hour, animated show at its core, it's undeniably 'Trek' -- and I promise not to add an episode at the very end that reveals the whole thing took place in a training program."
Julie McNamara, EVP, Original Content, at CBS All Access concluded, "We couldn't have imagined a better creative team to work with on CBS All Access' first original animated series than Mike McMahan, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' is a fantastic complement to our growing lineup of original series and our ongoing expansion of the Star Trek universe on CBS All Access."
