While the series premier is still a month away, streaming service CBS All Access has renewed their Star Trek franchise series Picard for a second season.
Deadline is reporting that the series’ early renewal is coming in part thanks to receiving over $20.4 million in California tax incentives. Season 1 of the series received $15.6 million in tax credits.
Picard sees Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as played by Sir Patrick Stewart, coming out of retirement to solve a crisis that the United Federation of Planets refuses to acknowledge exists.
Although the series will predominately feature a cast new to the Trek universe, Stewart’s Next Generation Enterprise crewmates Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner and Star Trek: Voyager alum Jeri Ryan will also appear on the show.
Picard being picked up for its second season doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Star Trek franchise is the crown jewel for CBS All Access. Although the service does have other original series, none of them is generating any real buzz, whereas Trek has both a loyal core audience as well as a pop culture footprint large enough that casual viewers are still interested in checking out what is going on with the franchise. Picard is also benefiting from the fact that its progenitor, Next Generation, is perhaps the best loved and remembered of the franchise’s various spin-off series.
The streaming service already has two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery and several Short Treks short films available for viewing. A third season of Discovery is due later next year. All Access is also developing a number of other live action and animated Trek series.
Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard debuts on CBS All Access on January 23, 2020.
