The Lower Decks star hopes the series pulls Futurama and returns

The final episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks It aired on Paramount+ on December 19, 2024, wrapping up the show’s five-season run on a high note. “Lower Decks” was just the latest “Star Trek” show to be dropped from the schedule in the franchise’s major downturn. In 2017, Paramount started putting all of its eggs in one “Star Trek” basket, and Trekkies were treated to six Trek shows running simultaneously. However, in the past few years, five of those six shows have been cancelled, and one of them (“Star Trek: Prodigy”) has been removed from Paramount+ altogether. Apparently the top brass at Paramount didn’t want to spend the money needed to keep all the “Star Trek” shows going.

As of this writing, only “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has a definite future. There will also be a TV movie called “Star Trek: Section 31” released in 2025, and a new series called “Starfleet Academy” is also in production. There are also other “Star Trek” movies and TV shows in early development, but time will tell if they will be produced.

The end of Lower Decks was a sad moment for Trekkies. Of all the new “Star Trek” shows on the air, it seems to be the most universally popular, keeping the basic tenets of “Star Trek” alive, while also featuring its crude humor and cheesy characters. The series ended with the USS Cerritos continuing its years-long mission, now equipped with a new captain. The adventures will continue. We can no longer watch them.

Of course, some were already hoping for the idea of ​​a major return for Lower Decks to be floated at some point in the near future. In fact, lead actress Tawnie Newsom, who played the mischievous feisty Beckett Mariner, He recently told Variety She hopes “Lower Decks” will be like “Futurama,” another sci-fi animated show that has been canceled and revived several times.

“Futurama,” created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, debuted in 1999 and is set in the early 31st century when Earth has become a melting pot of humans, aliens, mutants and robots. The show only ran for four seasons on Fox before being canceled in 2002. DVDs of “Futurama” sold so well, Comedy Central took notice. The station financed four live-action Futurama movies in 2009, which could easily translate into a full new season. But after these four films, “Futurama” has hit a dead end again. It was canceled for the second time. However, Comedy Central must have seen an opportunity, and revived the show a second time in 2010, eventually producing 52 more episodes. Then it was canceled for the third time. Then, in 2023, Hulu stepped in and revived it once again. New episodes are still airing to this day.

This arc is well known to fans of sci-fi television, including Tawny Newsom. “Star Trek: Lower Decks” may have died, but by now everyone knows that shows like this could easily be revived if there’s enough demand. She said:

“As far as the people who created it, we’d all love to do it. I don’t know who’s writing the check for it, so I don’t know if they thought it was possible. But (show creator) Mike (McMahan)” has stories and stories for these characters, and he can do 10 more seasons, and none of us are finished. From our bridge crew and our recurring characters, “Yes, sign me up, we’ll be the next Futurama and we’ll be back in 10 years, whatever you want.”

As far as everyone knows, Lower Decks wasn’t canceled because the show was doing anything wrong. It was likely only cut from the Paramount+ lineup for budgetary reasons. In this case, the numbers must appear to justify the resurrection.

Newsom also said she is open to any format or medium. After all, “Futurama” became four films. Why not four “lower decks” movies? There was a crossover episode “Lower Decks” in which Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Mariner played their characters in live action. Newsom would like to see any new “basement” idea come to fruition, saying:

“So we’re all game. I love the movie. I love the live-action movie, because we need to see Noel and Jerry (O’Connell) and Eugene in human form. … human form.”

The “human-ish”, as Noel Wells’ character, Davana Tendi, is Orion.

However, the “lower floors” may face an uphill battle. Paramount has long owned the rights to “Star Trek” and will be the only one equipped to remake “Lower Decks.” If they suffer from low budgets (Paramount has been in dire straits the past few years), no amount of good faith will return any offer. “Futurama” had a hand-passing feature. It went from Fox to Comedy Central to Disney-owned Hulu. Other outlets were more willing to take risks. Lower Decks would have to turn to the same studio that had already canceled it.

But there is precedent for that too. Newsom could be referring to the cancellation and rerun of the animated series “Family Guy,” which Fox canceled in 2002 due to low ratings. Bringing Family Guy back was a big deal for Comedy Central, however, Fox chose to reboot the series after a three-year hiatus. The series has been in production since then and is now in its twenty-third season.

The message is clear: Lower Decks fans should do this Buy Blu-ray And rewatch episodes on Paramount+. If the numbers are up, Cerritos could make a comeback.