Posted in: Netflix, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: kate mulgrew, Kathryn Janeway, San Diego Comic Con 2024, star trek, star trek: prodigy, star trek: voyager

Star Trek: Mulgrew on Prodigy S03 Hopes, Embracing Younger Audiences

Star Trek: Prodigy star Kate Mulgrew on the franchise's bold effort to attract younger audiences, her hopes for a third season, and more.

Star Trek: Voyager and Prodigy star Kate Mulgrew couldn't be prouder of the legacy she's built, starting as Captain Kathyrn Janeway on the UPN live-action series to the Vice Admiral on the Nickelodeon/Netflix animated series. While each series in Star Trek can serve as an entry point, Prodigy goes above and beyond, making the experience more palatable for younger audiences who might initially get confused by the abundance of drama and technobabble. Following her appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, Mulgrew reflected on her experience at the series panel.

Star Trek: Prodigy Star Kate Mulgrew on Expanding the Frontier for Younger Generations

"I had a full auditorium on Sunday morning for the panel," Mulgrew told Variety. "They were thrilled. They were delighted! They're desperate for this kind of television. I don't think there's anything quite like it on television now because it's teaching 'Star Trek' to a new generation of young children in an entirely novel way." The first season of Prodigy streamed on Paramount+ before the platform canceled the series and removed it from the service. Fortunately, the Dan and Kevin Hageman-created series was allowed to shop for a new home with the bulk of season two already finished before finally landing on Netflix in a deal with CBS Studios as the new exclusive home.

Mulgrew praises Prodigy creators for delivering the complex Star Trek storylines in a relatable way, "[The Hagemans] don't patronize anybody," she said. "They wouldn't patronize a five-year-old; they're elevating the five-year-old." Fans have largely warmed to the series as the campaign to save Prodigy gained so much momentum that one passionate fan flew with a banner over Netflix headquarters to save the series.

The actress also sang the praises of the Star Trek franchise's "prescient" leadership from Alex Kurtzman as Mulgrew calls Prodigy an unofficial eighth season of Voyager with the additions of alum Robert Beltran and Robert Picardo, reprising their roles as Chakotay and The Doctor for the animated series. Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), and Tim Russ (Tuvok) reprised their roles across other Paramount+ Star Trek shows and shorts.

Mulgrew doesn't feel there's such a thing as too much Trek. "There will never be a saturation point because there is never a saturation point for this kind of decency, this kind of excitement," she said. "This message is good, and it's profoundly important. This is truly what we aspire to be – the best of ourselves. It sounds a little Pollyanna, but when it's as beautifully created as 'Prodigy' is, and as the other shows are, it's not Pollyanna at all. It's how we should be behaving in this world."

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