It's no secret that Star Trek has faced challenges when trying to attract younger audiences. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman has been vocal about the issue, even nothing that the sci-fi franchise has rarely targeted younger audiences.
Sure, there was Star Trek: Prodigy on Paramount+, but that series was canceled after just two seasons. Looking to address this missed opportunity, Paramount+ is reportedly developing a new Star Trek animated series.
Reportedly titled Star Trek: Starfleet Scouts, the new series is described as a "family-friendly project" that will target ages 3-10 and serve as an introduction to the Star Trek franchise, comparable to what Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures sought to achieve.
Although Star Trek: Starfleet Scouts has not yet officially been announced, Trek Central has done some digging, including looking up the details from the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
It's listed as a "multimedia series featuring animation distribution via various platforms." A casting website also calls for young actors and actresses for a YouTube Short Series, which suggests that the show could air on the Nick. Jr. YouTube channel.
As the site notes, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures originated as a series of shorts on YouTube before gaining a full season order. It's been one of Lucasfilm's most successful series for kids on Disney+ with two full, 20-plus episode seasons available and a third in production.
While details are limited, the casting information suggests the animated series will follow the adventures of three 8-9-year-old friends who attend school on an Earth-like planet and train to become future Starfleet explorers. We don't have specific names for the characters, but they are described as "cool, funny, heroic, and authentic."
As anyone knows, the key to attracting new audiences is to introduce your brand to them at a young age. Star Trek: Prodigy was popular with established fans of the franchise, but didn't really attract new, younger viewers. Perhaps skewing a bit younger and shifting to YouTube as a platform could help find new audiences who may not be subscribed to Paramount+ already.
There's no denying the viewing habits of kids have evolved over the years, and YouTube is among one of the most popular streaming platforms. Putting Star Trek on the Nickelodeon YouTube channel could improve its presence among young kids.
As of right now, there's not much in the pipeline for Star Trek in general. Following the cancelation of Star Trek: Prodigy and conclusion of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks, all fans have been left with is the upcoming third and fourth seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. A live-action comedy series is also in development, but we don't know much about that right now.