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Star Trek boldly returns to TV

November 2, 2015

A fresh Star Trek TV series will launch in 2017, US broadcaster CBS has announced. The cult classic that spawned dozens of movies and television series since its inception marked its 50th anniversary earlier this year.

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LEONARD NIMOY, the actor who won a global following as Mr. Spock, the alien first officer of the Starship Enterprise in the television and movie series ''Star Trek,'' died on Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air, Los Angeles. He was 83. (Photo: © Globe-ZUMA)
Image: picture alliance/ZUMA Press/Globe Photos

CBS announced Monday it would release an all-new version of Star Trek in January 2017.

"The brand new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966," the US television broadcaster said in a press statement.

"There is no better time to give Star Trek fans a new series than on the heels of the original show's 50th anniversary celebration," said David Stapf, president of CBS Television Studios.

The TV series is not related to Paramount Pictures' forthcoming film "Star Trek Beyond," which is slated for release next year.

Alex Kurtzman, a co-writer and producer of the feature films "Star Trek" (2009) and "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013), will be the executive producer of the new series.

A cult classic

Created by the late Gene Roddenberry, the first series premiered in the US in 1966, introducing characters like Captain James T. Kirk and Mr Spock, who went on to become household names. The show told the story of the flight crew aboard the USS Enterprise spaceship that travelled around the galaxy exploring new worlds in breathtaking adventures.

According to TV Guide magazine, Star Trek remains one of the most successful shows in the history of television, and is still on the air in some form in 190 countries. The cult classic has legions of devoted fans around the world.

"Everyday, an episode of the Star Trek franchise is seen in almost every country in the world," said Armando Nunez, president of CBS' global distribution group.

shs/jm (AFP, dpa, Reuters)