(written from a Production point of view)
Star Trek: Lower Decks is the ninth main series set in the Star Trek universe, the tenth including the companion series Star Trek: Short Treks, and the twelfth Star Trek series overall. It is the second series to be entirely animated, after Star Trek: The Animated Series, with episodes running half an hour, and the third series to have animated episodes, after Short Treks. Lower Decks is the first original animated series commissioned by CBS All Access, as well as the first produced by the new CBS animation arm, CBS Eye Animation Productions, and was announced in October 2018, with All Access committing to a two-season order. [1]
Created by Mike McMahan, the series is an adult animation comedy produced in association with Titmouse, Inc. and forms part of Alex Kurtzman's five-year deal with CBS to expand the Star Trek franchise. Lower Decks focuses on "the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships." [2]
The show takes place aboard the California-class USS Cerritos on the "lower decks". [3] The show's time period is described as the Star Trek: The Next Generation-era, more specifically 2380, after Star Trek Nemesis. [4] [5]
A full-length trailer was released on 12 July 2020. [6]
The first season was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Animated Series. [7]
In April 2021, it was announced that Lower Decks had been renewed for a third season. [8]
McMahan has acknowledged that some fans have referred to the four leading characters as "the warp core four," though the production team's shorthand for them is "The Lower Deckers." [9]
↑ John Van Citters has chosen "LDS" as the series' official abbreviation, while also alluding to it being a reference to Kirk's line about LSD in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. [10] This is consistent with the three letter abbreviations for other series, though no "official" abbreviations have been given for Star Trek: Short Treks, After Trek, or The Ready Room. MA will use the abbreviation "LD" for Lower Decks to remain consistent with using the first letter in titles with more than one word after Star Trek.
On 18 January 2022, it was announced that Lower Decks had been renewed for a fourth season, followed a year later by a fifth season renewal announcement on 28 March 2023. The series was canceled on 12 April 2024 and will end with the fifth season.
Cast of characters[]
The ensigns of Lower Decks
The command crew of the USS Cerritos
Starring[]
- Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner
- Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler
- Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi
- Eugene Cordero as Sam Rutherford
- Dawnn Lewis as Freeman
- Jerry O'Connell as Ransom
- Fred Tatasciore as Shaxs
- Gillian Vigman as T'Ana
Special guest stars[]
- James Cromwell as Dr. Zefram Cochrane
- Jeffrey Combs as AGIMUS
- John de Lancie as Q
- Shannon Fill as Sito Jaxa
- Jonathan Frakes as Capt. William T. Riker
- Susan Gibney as Dr. Leah Brahms
- Max Grodénchik as Rom
- J.G. Hertzler as
- Alice Krige as Borg Queen
- Chase Masterson as Leeta
- Robert Duncan McNeill as
- Lycia Naff as Sonya Gomez
- Armin Shimerman as Quark
- Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
- George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
- Nana Visitor as Col. Kira Nerys
- Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Additional recurring characters[]
- Carlos Alazraqui as Les Buenamigo
- Eugene Cordero as Winger Bingston, Jr.
- Kether Donohue as Peanut Hamper
- Phil LaMarr as Alonzo Freeman
- Lauren Lapkus as Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan
- Jack McBrayer as Badgey
- Jessica McKenna as
- Ben Rodgers as Steve Stevens
- Gabrielle Ruiz as
- Paul Scheer as Andy Billups
- Carl Tart as Kayshon
- Fred Tatasciore as Vassery
- Paul F. Tompkins as Migleemo
- Gillian Vigman as Dayton
- Ariel Winter as D'Erika Tendi
Opening credits[]
The opening credits for Star Trek: Lower Decks contain imagery of the USS Cerritos passing near various spatial phenomena, often with deleterious effects.
Episode list[]
Season 1[]
LD Season 1, 10 episodes:
| Title | Episode | Production number | Stardate | US release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Second Contact" | 1x01 | LD-1001 | 57436.2 | 2020-08-06 |
| "Envoys" | 1x02 | LD-1002 | Unknown | 2020-08-13 |
| "Temporal Edict" | 1x03 | 103-03 | 57501.4 | 2020-08-20 |
| "Moist Vessel" | 1x04 | LD-1004 | 57538.9 | 2020-08-27 |
| "Cupid's Errant Arrow" | 1x05 | LD-1005 | 57601.3 | 2020-09-03 |
| "Terminal Provocations" | 1x06 | LD-1006 | 57663.9 | 2020-09-10 |
| "Much Ado About Boimler" | 1x07 | LD-1007 | 57752.6 | 2020-09-17 |
| "Veritas" | 1x08 | LD-1008 | Unknown | 2020-09-24 |
| "Crisis Point" | 1x09 | LD-1009 | Unknown | 2020-10-01 |
| "No Small Parts" | 1x10 | LD-1010 | Unknown | 2020-10-08 |
Season 2[]
LD Season 2, 10 episodes:
| Title | Episode | Production number | Stardate | US release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Strange Energies" | 2x01 | LD-2001 | Unknown | 2021-08-12 |
| "Kayshon, His Eyes Open" | 2x02 | LD-2002 | 58001.2 | 2021-08-19 |
| "We'll Always Have Tom Paris" | 2x03 | LD-2003 | Unknown | 2021-08-26 |
| "Mugato, Gumato" | 2x04 | LD-2004 | 58036.4 | 2021-09-02 |
| "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers" | 2x05 | LD-2005 | 58053.9 | 2021-09-09 |
| "The Spy Humongous" | 2x06 | LD-2006 | 58105.1 | 2021-09-16 |
| "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie" | 2x07 | LD-2007 | Unknown | 2021-09-23 |
| "I, Excretus" | 2x08 | LD-2008 | Unknown | 2021-09-30 |
| "wej Duj" | 2x09 | LD-2009 | Unknown | 2021-10-07 |
| "First First Contact" | 2x10 | LD-2010 | 58130.6 | 2021-10-14 |
Season 3[]
LD Season 3, 10 episodes:
| Title | Episode | Production number | Stardate | US release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Grounded" | 3x01 | LD-3001 | Unknown | 2022-08-25 |
| "The Least Dangerous Game" | 3x02 | LD-3002 | Unknown | 2022-09-01 |
| "Mining The Mind's Mines" | 3x03 | LD-3003 | 58256.2 | 2022-09-08 |
| "Room for Growth" | 3x04 | LD-3004 | Unknown | 2022-09-15 |
| "Reflections" | 3x05 | LD-3005 | 58354.2 | 2022-09-22 |
| "Hear All, Trust Nothing" | 3x06 | LD-3006 | 58456.2 | 2022-09-29 |
| "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption" | 3x07 | LD-3007 | Unknown | 2022-10-06 |
| "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus" | 3x08 | LD-3008 | Unknown | 2022-10-13 |
| "Trusted Sources" | 3x09 | LD-3009 | 58496.1 | 2022-10-20 |
| "The Stars At Night" | 3x10 | LD-3010 | 58499.2 | 2022-10-27 |
Season 4[]
LD Season 4, 10 episodes:
| Title | Episode | Production number | Stardate | US release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Twovix" | 4x01 | LD-4001 | 58724.3 | 2023-09-07 |
| "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee" | 4x02 | LD-4002 | Unknown | 2023-09-07 |
| "In the Cradle of Vexilon" | 4x03 | LD-4003 | 58759.1 | 2023-09-14 |
| "Something Borrowed, Something Green" | 4x04 | LD-4004 | Unknown | 2023-09-21 |
| "Empathological Fallacies" | 4x05 | LD-4005 | Unknown | 2023-09-28 |
| "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place" | 4x06 | LD-4006 | 58901.5 | 2023-10-05 |
| "A Few Badgeys More" | 4x07 | LD-4007 | 58934.9 | 2023-10-12 |
| "Caves" | 4x08 | LD-4008 | Unknown | 2023-10-19 |
| "The Inner Fight" | 4x09 | LD-4009 | Unknown | 2023-10-26 |
| "Old Friends, New Planets" | 4x10 | LD-4010 | Unknown | 2023-11-02 |
Season 5[]
LD Season 5, 10 episodes:
Crew[]
- Casting
- Ruth Lambert
- Robert McGee
- Casting assistants
- April Caputi
- Robert Lee Terry
- Consultant
- Co-executive producers
- Aaron Baiers
- Chris Kula
- Co-producers
- Executive producers
- Heather Kadin
- Katie Krentz
- Alex Kurtzman
- Mike McMahan – head writer
- Rod Roddenberry
- Trevor Roth
- Head writer
- Mike McMahan – executive producer
- Staff writers
- Garrick Bernard
- John Cochran
- Dave Ihlenfeld
- Ben Joseph
- Ann Kim
- Ben Rodgers
- Dave Wright
- Story editor
- M. Willis
- Supervising Producers
- Ben Kalina
- Chris Prynoski
- Shannon Prynoski
- Producers
- Dave Ihlenfeld
- David Wright
Production companies[]
- CBS Eye Animation Productions
- Roddenberry Entertainment
- Secret Hideout
- Important Science
- Titmouse, Inc.
About[]
- From Paramount+
Season 1[]
- The animated comedy series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS follows the support crew on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Tendi (Noël Wells) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
Season 2[]
- Developed by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty,” “Solar Opposites”), season two of STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is bigger, funnier and Star Trekkier than ever before. Fans can expect strange new (and familiar) aliens to challenge the crews of the U.S.S. Cerritos and the U.S.S. Titan. For Mariner, Tendi, Rutherford and Boimler, the animated adventure is just beginning.
Season 3[]
- Created by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty,” “Solar Opposites”), season three of STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS challenges the U.S.S. Cerritos ensigns in (hilarious) ways they could never imagine, starting with a shocking resolution for season two’s epic cliffhanger finale.
- The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; Lieutenant Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
Season 4[]
- Created by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), in season four of STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, an unknown force is destroying starships and threatening galactic peace. Luckily, the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos isn’t important enough for stuff like that! Instead, Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and Provisional Ensign T’Lyn are keeping up with their Starfleet duties, avoiding malevolent computers and getting stuck in a couple caves – all while encountering new and classic aliens along the way.
- The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; Lieutenant Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.[11]
- Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.
Development[]
In 2018, Mike McMahan, then head writer of the animated comedy Rick and Morty, was brought in to pitch an idea for his ideal Star Trek series to production company Secret Hideout. Won over by his pitch of a series following "the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end", Secret Hideout moved forward and eventually sold the series to CBS All Access, the streaming service airing Star Trek: Discovery. On 25 October 2018, they announced that Star Trek: Lower Decks, named after an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was picked up for two seasons.
Promotion[]
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Season 4
Products[]
Eaglemoss/Hero Collector introductory XL Edition USS Cerritos
Eaglemoss/Hero Collector revealed that the USS Cerritos, USS Titan, and USS Vancouver have been manufactured as starship miniatures and confirmed that its Lower Decks ships line would debut at retail in January 2022. [12][13] After an introductory XL January outing in the main Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, a separate Star Trek: Lower Decks The Official Starships Collection was indeed launched in April 2022, but was cut short however due to the August 2022 Eaglemoss bankruptcy.
These three starships are also explored in the second edition of the company's Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet Ships 2294 to the Future reference book, which was released in August 2021. [14]
On 13 July 2021, ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Playmates Toys jointly announced that the latter had acquired new licensing for "action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories", and slated the first of these products for retail release in 2022. Among other Star Trek series and films, this licensing encompasses Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Prodigy. [15]
Cancellation[]
On 12 April 2024 The fifth season announcement in March 2023 was followed by an announcement on 12 April 2024 that the series was canceled and would end following that season. No explanation was given for the cancellation, but unlike franchise sibling Star Trek: Prodigy, it was not slated for removal from Paramount+. [16][17] Yet, while discussing cancellation of Star Trek: Discovery, also a post-season five termination, with CinemaBlend.com, franchise head Alex Kurtzman expressed his thoughts on how he considered ostensibly premature cancellations a recent symptom of a very changed television landscape: "I don't know, it's very hard. I mean, the fact that [Discovery went to] go on five seasons is sort of a miracle. I think most people watch two seasons of a streaming show, and they check out, you know, and that's not specific to Trek. I just think that's the watch pattern for television in the streaming world. It's hard to know." [18]
25 May 2024 was declared to be the "All Hands On Decks Streamathon" on which fans of the show were encouraged to binge-watch the program to show support for it. [19]
Reception[]
Star Trek: Lower Decks has been nominated for one Emmy Award, in the category of "Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation".
Related topics[]
Media[]
| Star Trek television series |
|---|
| The Original Series • The Animated Series • The Next Generation • Deep Space Nine • Voyager • Enterprise • Discovery • Short Treks • Picard • Lower Decks • Prodigy • Strange New Worlds |
| Aftershows: After Trek • The Ready Room |
| Web content: very Short Treks |
| In development: Starfleet Academy |
External links[]
- Star Trek: Lower Decks at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Star Trek: Lower Decks at Wikipedia
- Star Trek: Lower Decks at the Internet Movie Database