With the new attention brought to the Star Trek franchise by the Abrams’ reboot, many are wondering and hoping if it is time for another series. It has been in the hearts of Trekkies for a long time to see Star Trek make a return since the end of Enterprise in its fourth season.
It appears that Star Trek alumni are attempting to make this dream into a reality. Tim Russ, best known for his role as Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager, is directing a pilot episode for a new series pitch to CBS titled Star Trek: Renegades. Many will remember Tim Russ directing the project Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, an online mini-series created as a gift to the fans marking the 40th anniversary of Star Trek. Despite its very small budget, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men received many positive reviews from the fans, and it is with that success that the team decided to make this bold attempt to bring back Star Trek as a web series.
Star Trek: Renegades has received funding from both its Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns. With this overwhelming support, the idea is to create a professionally produced pilot episode to present to CBS as a possible online series. While many have pitched the idea of presenting it to Netflix instead, the Renegades team has stated that will be unlikely due to the rights owned by CBS, and any attempt to be picked up by Netflix or anyone else would have to be done with the blessing of the network.
Renegades has already received over $350,000 combined from both campaigns. It is clear that fans want to see this made into a reality. The money will cover the production costs as well as fund real alien planet sets, better make-up and prosthetics, props, and custom made costumes. Additional funding is needed to create the bridge specifically designed for the show. Still, even without, the amount of support the endeavor has received is truly remarkable and will hopefully send a clear message to the network.
Star Trek: Renegades will take place in the prime timeline and not the new one created by the Abrams’ reboot. While this will look and feel like the Star Trek we all grew up with, the story will be quite different. According to the official site, the story is as follows:
It is ten years after Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, and the Federation is in a crisis. The Federation’s main suppliers of dilithium crystals are disappearing. Space and time have folded around several planets, effectively isolating them from any contact with outside worlds. And this phenomenon is not natural – someone or something is causing this to happen. This necessitates drastic measures; some of which are outside the Federation’s normal jurisdiction. For this, Admiral Pavel Chekov, head of Starfleet Intelligence, turns to Commander Tuvok, Voyager’s former security officer and current head of the newly reorganized Section 31. Tuvok must put together a new covert, renegade crew – mostly outcasts and rogues – even criminals [sic]. This new crew is tasked with finding out what is causing the folding of time and space, and stopping it – at all costs. But will they be able to put aside their differences and stop trying to kill one another in time to accomplish their mission?
The show will be darker than fans are used to:
Renegades will be a departure from previous Treks – delving into the dark side of the human psyche, pushing our heroes to their limits, forcing them to carry out actions that they never would have as Starfleet officers. The rules have changed, and they realize they might be the last hope to save the Federation.
With a name like Renegades, how can we expect anything different? With the return of many old faces and some very exciting new ones, this pilot is a remarkable project that, with the much needed help and support of fans, could be the next step in the Trek universe. If the pitch is unsuccessful, the team has stated they will release the pilot online for fans to see.
Some funding is still needed, so if you would like to learn more about this project and how you can support it, please visit the official site here. Also make sure to follow them on Facebook; that is one of the best ways to let the network know you would like to see them follow through with the web series. Sound off, Nerdy Minds! How do you feel about the project?
So that we are able to better understand our viewers’ perspective and give you more of what you want and less of what you don’t, please leave a comment (positive or negative). Care to offer another perspective on something?
Facebook us!
Nerdy Minds Magazine 
Comments? Questions?