Trekkies around the galaxy are quivering with anticipation (unless you’re part-Vulcan – then you’re just logically awaiting a Star Date that should inevitably arrive, unless there is a rip in the space-time continuum, obviously).

CBS Television Studies have announced that they will launch a brand new Star Trek television series in January 2017!

This will be a brand-new Star Trek: It will introduce new characters, new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the contemporary themes that are supposed to make you think about deeper stuff, besides the imagining what you’d do with a fully-functional holodeck (you sick bastard!).

Alex Kurtzman will be the executive producer for the new series. Kurtzman’s Trek cred is… okay, I suppose. He did only co-write and produce the nerdtastic Star Trek (2009) film as well as the less-nerdtastic-but-still-kinda-cool-because-Khaaaaannn!!!  Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013). Kurtzman’s cred is bolstered further as executive producer of TV series such as Scorpion, Limitless, and Hawaii Five-0.

Interestingly, the new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film Star Trek Beyond, scheduled to be out in time for summer 2016. We think it might be a good move – it’s not easy to build an entire multimedia universe in the same way Marvel built the MCU or how DC built its TV universe. Like following every single related issue to a mega-universe crossover story arc – when it is done well, it is awesome. When it is not, nerd rage follows.

It will also be interesting to see how this new series plays in the overall Star Trek universe:

 

Trekkies will note that that Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016 and is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time (contrary to what geeks from a galaxy far, far away might say).

Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original Star Trek series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966. The series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics and the environment. The original Star Trek spawned a dozen feature films and five successful television series. Almost half a century later, the Star Trek television series are licensed on a variety of different platforms in more than 190 countries, and the franchise still generates more than a billion social media impressions every month.

More details in the official press release here.