Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Aaron Waltke, netflix, paramount, Robert Picardo, star trek: prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy: Picardo's Voyager Doctor "In It for the Long Haul"

Star Trek: Prodigy EP Aaron Waltke on the #SaveStarTrekProdigy fan campaign, the importance of Robert Picardo's "Voyager" Doctor & more.

When it comes to fan campaigns, there is no other base that is as familiar with them as Star Trek fans. After all, it was one that allowed The Original Series to see a third and final season. Unfortunately for the Nickelodeon animated series Prodigy, fans were only able to see one season on the supposed home of the franchise on Paramount+. There is some saving grace for now as Paramount has allowed creators Dan and Kevin Hageman to search for a new home as support is strong for the #SaveStarTrekProdigy campaign is still going strong online. Among those stepping up to bat is a pilot who flew a banner over the Netflix corporate offices in a clever publicity stunt. Since season two has been in the middle of filming and productions have largely been suspended due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, writer and co-executive producer Aaron Waltke is opening to TrekMovie about what's been revealed in the trailer, which includes another Voyager alum making a return with Robert Picardo lending his voice to reprise his role as The Doctor.

When asked if he was surprised about the banner, "Honestly, no, because I think Star Trek fans more than anyone don't like it when you mess with their shows," Waltke said. "I think they're some of the most passionate people out there. There's a great legacy in Star Trek of efforts to sustain the movement dating all the way to Bjo and John Trimble. So the fact that that kind of legacy has been resuscitated for our show is a deep honor." At the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention, the Hagemans teased about how Prodigy could go on once if found another home into a possible third season. "Yeah, as far as I know. There was a lot of confusion because it was kind of announced alongside a number of shows that were, I believe, officially canceled," Waltke explained. "But at the bottom of some of those articles, you saw the caveat of like, "Oh, we're actually still producing our show, and we're shopping it around for the potential for more episodes and licensing."

Waltke stressed that Paramount loosened the strings as far as what could be done with the show should an agreement come. "Exactly. I think there's nothing preventing them from paying for more episodes. I think the question now is just who's paying for it? But from what I understand, the talks are active. There is some positive trending, but deals like this take a very long time, as you can imagine. All I can do is just like keep up the movement, keep the faith, and eventually, I think we can expect some very good news."

When it came to bringing back Picardo, Waltke assures us that, like Robert Beltran's return as Chakotay, The Doctor will fulfill a significant role. "When we bring a legacy character onto Star Trek, it's not just for pure nostalgia or a fun 'Hey, look at that guy.' Because of both financially and because of how our story unfolds, we want their relationship to be an integral part of both our young cadets' journey and hopefully have an influence on those characters' story as we get this sort of coda to what happened after Voyager returned to Earth. So Picardo, as The Doctor, is in it for the long haul. And he certainly has his fair share of teaching young people about how the warp core of the cell works. I think he fancies himself as something of a mentor to them, even if they still don't quite know what to make of him." For more including Waltke talking about physical media sales, when he thinks the 20-episode season two will be completed, what else he can tease about the season, and what the Save Prodigy movement means, you can check out the interview here. Season one, part two of Star Trek: Prodigy comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on September 26th.

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