Star Trek: Lower Decks
Star Trek: Lower Decks is an American adult animated science fiction television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth Star Trek series and debuted in 2020 as part of executive producer Alex Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe. The franchise's first animated series since Star Trek: The Animated Series concluded in 1974, and also its first comedy, Lower Decks follows the low-ranking support crew of the starship Cerritos in the 24th century.
| Star Trek: Lower Decks | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Mike McMahan |
| Based on | Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry |
| Voices of | |
| Composer | Chris Westlake |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 40 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 23–30 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | CBS All Access |
| Release | August 6 – October 8, 2020 |
| Network | Paramount+ |
| Release | August 12, 2021 – present |
| Related | |
| Star Trek TV series | |
Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, and Eugene Cordero voice junior "lower decks" crew members of the Cerritos, with Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O'Connell, Fred Tatasciore, and Gillian Vigman providing voices for the ship's senior officers. Work on an animated Star Trek series began in June 2018. McMahan joined as creator and showrunner by that October, when Lower Decks was ordered for two seasons by All Access. The series is produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions in association with Secret Hideout, Important Science, Roddenberry Entertainment, and animation studio Titmouse. The latter began work by February 2019, and the main cast was announced that July. Production on the first two seasons shifted to taking place remotely in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series features many connections and references to past Star Trek series.
Star Trek: Lower Decks premiered on CBS All Access on August 6, 2020, and its 10-episode first season was released weekly through October 2020. The second season was released on Paramount+ from August to October 2021, a third season was released from August to October 2022, and a fourth season was released from September to November 2023. A fifth season is in development. The series has received positive reviews and several accolades, including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for sound editing.