A prominent figure from Star Trek’s classic era recently offered a sharp critique of modern television, likening its often-shortened seasons to casual ‘Tinder relationships.’ He expressed a strong desire for the beloved sci-fi franchise, and TV in general, to return to the more expansive 22-episode season format of years past.
During the STLV: Trek to Vegas convention, as reported by TrekMovie, veteran writer and producer Brannon Braga shared his thoughts. Braga, whose extensive career includes writing for Star Trek movies like ‘Generations’ and ‘First Contact,’ and producing ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and ‘Star Trek: Voyager,’ lamented the change in how fans engage with shows today. He penned over 100 episodes across these iconic series, though he hasn’t been involved in the franchise’s current iteration.
“I look at this audience, and I think you’re here because you had a long-term relationship with Voyager,” Braga remarked during a panel. “Voyager was 26 episodes a year. Some of you probably keep it on because it’s cozy, and that’s the kind of relationship you had. A lot of shows now are Tinder relationships — eight episodes every two years, I don’t think so. That’s not going to be something you necessarily pass on to your kids. And I think that’s a loss.”
Braga didn’t single out specific series in his broader commentary, but his observations are particularly relevant when examining the trajectory of Star Trek’s modern streaming titles. For instance, ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ debuted in September 2017 with a 15-episode run, followed by 14 episodes in its second season. Subsequent seasons saw decreasing episode counts, culminating in a 10-episode fifth and final season in 2024, after a two-year hiatus.
‘Star Trek: Picard’ also followed this trend, delivering three 10-episode seasons over four years. Similarly, ‘Strange New Worlds’ has released three 10-episode seasons within the same timeframe, with a notable two-year gap before its most recent installment. Its upcoming fifth and final season is slated for a mere six episodes, with filming expected to commence next year.
Indeed, 10 episodes has largely become the new standard for the Star Trek franchise (with the upcoming ‘Starfleet Academy’ also adopting this length), mirroring a wider industry shift. This trend is often attributed to escalating production budgets and audience expectations for consistently high-quality, cinematic storytelling.
“It’s a new paradigm,” Braga conceded. “And some shows are still doing [long seasons]… NCIS does like 22 [episodes]. But I really don’t know what’s in store for the future of Star Trek, the TV franchise anyway. But I hope, I hope that eventually they get back to a longer, more sustained season.”
However, the prospect of this change remains uncertain. Actress Rebecca Romijn recently disclosed that securing even a six-episode final season for the immensely popular ‘Strange New Worlds’ involved considerable “negotiation” with Paramount, who initially considered concluding the series with a shorter TV movie instead.