One of many highlights this yr has been the discharge of the Star Trek: Khan scripted podcast. The audio sequence started life as a possible TV mini-series, created and written by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer. It later was remodeled, with Star Trek novelist and TV screenwriter Kirsten Beyer and Trek novelist David Mack constructing on Meyer’s story, and scripting the nine-episode podcast sequence.
Khan arrived on Star Trek Day in September, full with an authentic rating, sound results and a full solid, together with Star Trek’s George Takei as Capain Sulu and Voyager’s Tim Russ as Ensign Tuvok. It’s written and produced by lots of the identical individuals who work on the Paramount+ TV sequence, together with govt producer Alex Kurtzman. And just like the TV reveals, it’s produced by CBS Studios by means of their podcast arm. However as Khan is a brand new format for Star Trek, it inevitably brings up the query of how is it being handled as a part of franchise canon. Ought to it’s handled like these TV reveals, or just like the books and relegated to “beta canon”? We now have a solution.
Khaaannon!
In September when TrekMovie interviewed Kirsten Beyer for the launch of Khan, the difficulty canon got here up, however on the time Beyer stated she didn’t have a definitive reply, noting “There are conversations I must have.” We adopted up with Beyer within the newest episode of the All Entry Star Trek podcast, which additionally Khan included co-writer David Mack and director Fred Greenhalgh. Chatting with myself and All Entry co-host Laurie Ulster, Kirsten confirmed she now has had these canon conversations, giving us the reply:
“Okay, right here’s what I can let you know. As a result of I’ve had just a few conversations. There may be no person who comes alongside and like waves a scepter and dubs a factor ‘canon.’ What I can let you know is that for the folks at present engaged on Star Trek, [Star Trek: Khan] might be handled as canon, that means it won’t be overwritten, contradicted. And it is going to be – when attainable – integrated into future storytelling.”
So there you’ve got it. Star Trek: Khan, and probably future scripted podcasts, are a part of the identical canon because the TV reveals and films. The concept that components from Khan could possibly be “integrated into future storytelling” is intriguing. Beyer is likely one of the writers on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which is at present in manufacturing on its second season. It’s attainable the brand new TV sequence – which debuts in simply a few months – has a nod to Khan. The audio sequence added quite a bit to the lore when it got here to Khan’s time on Ceti Alpha V, and likewise to Marla McGivers’ story, in addition to introducing new characters and an entire new alien race, the Elborians. So there’s a lot to work with for these making Trek TV (and films too, in principle).
Naveen Andrews in recording sales space as Khan (photograph credit score, Jasper Lewis/CBS Studios)
What’s subsequent for Trek audio drama?
Evaluations and fan response to Star Trek: Khan has been very constructive, and throughout the podcast the writers and director expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of assist they’ve seen. However is Khan the start of one thing new? A lot of that may rely on how effectively it performs. It debuted fairly robust topping the Apple charts on the discharge day, one thing Beyer stated she took a screenshot of to protect for posterity. It remained on the Apple High 50 podcast sequence chart for a lot of its run however ultimately fell off the itemizing. In the course of the podcast, Beyer stated:
“I feel there’s urge for food for extra from the individuals who made it. We’re like: this was nice and we all know how to do that. However past that, I don’t know.”
She additionally famous it was nonetheless early to evaluate the success because the sequence solely wrapped up final week, including “I do assume it’s too quickly to have an actual sense of what this actually did for us, numbers-wise.”
Kirsten Beyer at Discovery writers panel at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017
Each Beyer and Mack confirmed they’ve already put some thought into different potential audio sequence. Kirsten stated she now feels that this format might do extra than simply “let’s fill in some gaps,” including:
The extra I give it some thought – particularly after this one – I’m extra anxious to really do a very authentic story, carried out this manner, that would carry ahead with out essentially being set that it’s solely going to be one season… that’s really what I feel could be extra thrilling for me, somewhat than digging again into the identified.
Beyer famous she didn’t have one thing lined up, however confirmed she might see an audio sequence with an entire new solid of characters, presumably on a brand new ship, suggesting it could possibly be set “in one of many extra unexplored eras… one of many much less canon-heavy eras.” Her co-writer David Mack jumped in, suggesting “the misplaced period between the flicks and Subsequent Gen, for example.”
To this point, Trek’s “Misplaced Period” has primarily been the area of the novels, though the Star Trek: Part 31 streaming film was additionally set within the early twenty fourth century. Star Trek: Khan already dipped its toe into this period because the framing story for the podcast was set on the USS Excelsior below Captain Sulu, shortly after the occasions of Star Trek: Generations. Mack additionally urged that the audio drama format could possibly be used to adapt beforehand launched Star Trek novels and comedian books.
Cowl for Effectively of Souls – one of many “Misplaced Period” sequence of books
Hopefully CBS Studios sees Khan as a win, and followers get extra scripted podcasts. We do know different audio dramas have been thought of. Chatting with TrekMovie’s Laurie Ulster final month, Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Duncan McNeill recounted how he pitched a “Captain Proton” scripted podcast to Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout manufacturing firm again in 2021. In line with McNeill, the Star Trek staff turned down Captain Proton as they already had 5 different podcast concepts they wished to do at the moment.
In fact there’s a new sheriff on the town, with the Skydance staff now in control of Paramount. The brand new executives need to take a extra holistic view of Star Trek in TV and movie. It’s unknown in the event that they see scripted podcasts are a part of Trek’s future, however they are searching for “contemporary” concepts.
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