Star Trek: Short Treks
Short standalone stories exploring characters from Star Trek: Discovery.
Star Trek: Short Treks is a science fiction anthology series for CBS All Access, created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. It began as a companion to *Star Trek: Discovery*, with each short running 10 to 20 minutes and mostly using that show’s settings and characters. Kurtzman announced the project in July 2018, after signing a deal to expand the *Star Trek* franchise on TV, making it the first such effort. The first four episodes aired between October 2018 and January 2019, bridging *Discovery*’s first and second seasons. Most of these shorts were made by *Discovery*’s cast and crew, including composer Jeff Russo, who wrote an updated main title theme and original score. Filming took place in Toronto on the *Discovery* set.
In January 2019, two animated shorts were revealed, and four more live-action episodes were announced in June 2019. The second season aired from October 2019 to January 2020, between *Discovery*’s second season and the first season of *Star Trek: Picard*; the final short served as a teaser for *Picard*. Visual effects house Pixomondo created the animated shorts, while a new group of composers, overseen by Michael Giacchino, provided music for the second season. The series has received positive reviews and earned several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award. Kurtzman expressed interest in continuing, but producers decided not to start new shorts when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Each episode tells a stand-alone story, exploring key characters and ideas from *Discovery* and other *Star Trek* series. The first season’s shorts were released between *Discovery*’s first and second seasons, and the second season’s between *Discovery*’s second season and *Picard*’s first.
In June 2018, after becoming *Discovery*’s sole showrunner, Alex Kurtzman signed a five-year deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the *Star Trek* franchise with new series, miniseries, and animated shows. A month later, at San Diego Comic-Con, he announced *Short Treks* as a four-short miniseries to be released monthly between *Discovery*’s first two seasons. He said the shorts would deliver closed-ended stories while hinting at future *Discovery* episodes and introducing new characters. They were expected to be 10 to 15 minutes long. Kurtzman explained that the shorts were a way to buy time for getting *Discovery*’s second season right, designed to tie
- Creator
- Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman
- Network
- CBS All Access
- First aired
- October 2018
- Last aired
- January 2020
- Number of seasons
- 2
- Episode length
- 10 to 20 minutes
- Genre
- Science fiction anthology
Lore & Background
The first season of Short Treks consisted of four live-action episodes released between the first and second seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, from October 2018 to January 2019. These shorts focused on characters from Discovery, including Silvia Tilly, Saru, Harry Mudd, and a new character named Craft. They were produced on the Discovery set in Toronto, Canada, with music by composer Jeff Russo. The second season, announced in January 2019, added two animated shorts created by visual effects house Pixomondo, and four additional live-action episodes were announced in June 2019. This season aired from October 2019 to January 2020, between the second season of Discovery and the first season of Star Trek: Picard, with the final short serving as a teaser for Picard. Music for the second set of shorts was supervised by Michael Giacchino.
Reader's Guide
Star Trek: Short Treks served as a bridge between major Star Trek series, providing character backstories and setting up plot points for Discovery and Picard. The series was praised for its intimate storytelling and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Alex Kurtzman expressed interest in continuing the series, but production on new shorts was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shorts allowed for experimentation with new filmmakers and story formats, including animated episodes, and were seen as a way to expand the definition of Star Trek. Despite no new episodes being produced after early 2020, the series remains a notable part of the franchise's expansion on streaming platforms.
Did You Know?
- The first four shorts were released monthly between the first and second seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.
- The animated shorts were created by visual effects house Pixomondo.
- One of the first ideas discussed for Short Treks was a story featuring Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, which led to the development of Star Trek: Picard.
- The series received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
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