The creator and showrunner of the upcoming Star Trek series, Bryan Fuller, has jumped ship as Star Trek: Discovery falls behind its original schedule.
Since it was announced last fall, the latest TV series in the Star Trek franchise has faced various setbacks. After slow pre-production and casting phases, the launch date for Discovery has already been pushed back a few months.
Initially scheduled for January, the series is now expected in May on CBS All Access, the video streaming service of US network CBS. With a month to go before filming begins, the latest version of Star Trek still hasn’t filled its lead role, a female lieutenant commander.
So why has Bryan Fuller made the decision to quit the series when it’s still not ready?
Showrunner Bryan Fuller leaves Star Trek: Discovery. Photo: AFP
Officially, CBS Television Studios cites scheduling issues and commitments to other projects as the reason. The series creator has production commitments to two other series: American Gods, set to air in 2017 on Starz, and the Amazing Stories reboot for NBC.
Off the record, word has it that the studio has been pressuring Bryan Fuller to up the pace to ensure that Discovery arrives on time. CBS has a lot riding on this new installment in the legendary sci-fi saga, which is reportedly costing US$6mil to 7mil (RM25mil to 29mil) per episode.
The departure of Bryan Fuller could prove disappointing for fans of the franchise, who were thrilled to hear that he had accepted the showrunner role back in February.
A fan of Spock and Kirk, the series creator knows the world of Star Trek inside out after working on the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager from 1997 to 2001. Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts, who worked with Fuller on one of his previous series, Pushing Daisies, are due to take over. – AFP Relaxnews
