Star Trek "Adult Animated Comedy" Series On The Way From Rick and Morty Writer

With the second season of Star Trek Discovery due in January and a new show focusing on the later adventures on Jean-Luc Picard on the way, the long-running sci-fi franchise is steadily becoming a TV force once more. It has now been reported that an animated Star Trek show is also in development.

According to Deadline, CBS has ordered two seasons of a show titled Star Trek: Lower Decks. The series is described as a "a half-hour adult animated comedy series," and it is being developed by Mike McMahan, the head writer of Adult Swim's hugely popular Rick and Morty. The show will take a humorous look at the crew serving on one of the least important ships in Starfleet.

Like Discovery and the Picard show, Star Trek: Lower Decks will screen in the US on the subscription channel CBS All-Access. It will be be produced by Secret Hideout, the CBS TV-based production company run by Alex Kurtzman, who has been associated with the franchise since co-writing JJ Abrams' 2009 reboot movie and its sequel. In a statement, Kurtzman said: "Mike won our hearts with his first sentence: 'I want to do a show about the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end.' His cat's name is Riker. His son's name is Sagan. The man is committed [to Star Trek].

"He's brilliantly funny and knows every inch of every Trek episode, and that's his secret sauce: he writes with the pure, joyful heart of a true fan. As we broaden the world of Trek to fans of all ages, we're so excited to include Mike's extraordinary voice."

The Picard show was announced in August, but it does not yet have a premiere date. Star Trek Discovery returns to CBS All-Access on January 17, 2019. Check out the latest trailer here.

While Star Trek continues to thrive on TV, the future on the franchise on the big screen is less certain. 2016's Star Trek Beyond was a commercial disappointment in comparison to its two predecessors. While Star Trek 4 was previously announced, in August this year it was reported that the movie is currently in limbo following a breakdown in pay negotiations for stars Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth.

Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company.