10 Worst Star Trek Moments In 2023

3. Prodigy Axed

Star Trek Worst Moments
Paramount

The once-jewel in the crown for Paramount's advertising of the future of Star Trek, Prodigy looked to be one of the most fresh, innovative, and exciting segments of the franchise.

Looked, past tense, is the key-word here. As part of their chainsaw cost-cutting moves, the network/streamer decided that it was going to call time after just one season and 20 episodes of the animated show.

Its salvation has already been highlighted in the Greatest Moments of 2023 (thanks Netflix!) but seeing a piece of the franchise so unceremoniously ended when Star Trek was truly flourishing hit fans extremely hard.

Offering an entry point to new fans and a fresh perspective for established Trekkies, Prodigy's first season introduced a diverse crew, a spangly new starship, great villains, and the return of old favourites. It even provided a partnership with Nickeleodeon, unprecedented in the franchise.

Perhaps it didn't hit that younger target market or maybe it was seen as the weakest link in the Trek chain, Prodigy was swiftly cut from the catalogue, seeing its mere mention on First Contact Day erased and its existence as animated Trek (almost) unacknowledged on The Animated Series' 50th anniversary.

Fans were apoplectic with the treatment of the series as season two was almost dotted and crossed to stream. But as is true in Star Trek more than once, death isn't the end...

 
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Contributor

A Star Trek fan from birth, I love to dive into every aspect of the franchise in front and behind the screen. There's something here that's kept me interested for the best part of four decades! Now I'm getting back into writing and using Star Trek as my first line of literary attack. If I'm not here on WhatCulture then you're more than welcome to come and take a look at my blog, Some Kind of Star Trek at http://SKoST.co.uk or maybe follow me on Twitter as @TheWarpCore. Sometimes I force myself not to talk about Star Trek.