These three shows are reinventing the legacy of Star Trek
2016 might have been Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, but 2017 was the year when no less than three shows reinterpreted, reimagined, or paid homage to Gene Roddenberry’s classic science fiction series. Each one follows the show’s familiar blueprint, joining the diverse crew of a starship as they zip around the universe. But each show also has their own new take on what Star Trek means, taking the classic form of the franchise and molding it in some new ways.
Star Trek: Discovery, the first official Star Trek show in over a decade, launched last fall on CBS, while Seth McFarlane’s interplanetary comedy The Orville debuted on Fox. And then there was Black Mirror’s dark take on the franchise in the episode “USS Callister.”
“USS Callister” is...