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Analysis - can Prodigy benefit from the writers strike the way TAS once did?

Some interesting reflections on how the live action writers’ strike may improve the marketability of Prodigy to a new platform, as well as enable work to begin on a third season.

This would of course been a good reason for Paramount not to cancel and pull Prodigy when they have a gap in Star Trek releases ahead in 2024.

I always appreciate a callback to DC Fontana’s smart employment of writers for TASunder the exception that they could write one animated episode without violating the strike rules.

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4 comments

  • "If that happens, not only will Prodigy keep Star Trek alive in the hearts of fans, any work it brings other writers, or live-action actors could help them, too."

    I hope the fan support for Prodigy factors favorably for the show getting a new home and season sooner rather than later. Being able to provide income for writers, actors, and others in the industry during the strike would be great. I think the first part of the above quote is a bit of hyperbole.

    I think that Prodigy is a different situation from TAS in that there isn't a lack of Star Trek available for viewing at this time, and fan support of Star Trek is ongoing. I think it's possible that TAS saved Star Trek by igniting a fresh wave of letter writing campaigns by fans calling for more Star Trek. At the time, there was only TOS and then TAS. Prodigy doesn't stand alone in a near empty void of any other Star Trek offerings like TAS did. Any support of Star Trek is wonderful.

    I do think Prodigy is much more successful than TAS in being tailored for very young viewers, and open for older viewers to enjoy as well. I was a teen when TAS was first broadcast, and I watched the show because I was already a Star Trek fan. Nothing about TAS struck me as being targeted for children. It seemed like it fell to a general idea of the time that animated = for children. TAS was parked with Saturday morning cartoons.

    So, I have two hopes for Prodigy during the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike. One, that it gets a new home soon with a new season that provides income for the Prodigy creative team. Two, that Paramount+ is kicking itself for how badly it treated Prodigy.