Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is already halfway through its fourth season, but we're just now getting the streaming numbers for the series. And it's not good.
Nielsen shared the streaming numbers for the top ten original series during the week of July 20-26, which covers the July 23rd debut of Strange New Worlds Season 4. The episode, titled "Valles Marineris," failed to crack the top 10.
Strange New Worlds hasn't necessarily been a massive series, but is one of the stronger performers for modern Star Trek in the streaming era. 8 of the 10 episode for Seaosn 2 made Nielsen's Top 10 Originals in 2023, with the Season 2. It never reached higher than No. 7 on the charts, but it was consistently a top performer.
Season 3 was a bit less consistent, though it still made the chart for its first four episodes. In fact, the Season 3 debut set a record for Strange New Worlds, ranking No. 7 with 471 views; however, that may be attributed to the fact that it was released with a two episode premiere.
With the fate of Strange New Worlds already sealed, I'm not entirely sure how much this matters. The series is slated to end after its fifth season, which has already been filmed. The final season wlil onlyc onsist of six episodes, four fewer than Seasons 1-4.
Still, it's a bit unfortunate to see even one of Star Trek's best modern series not drawing much traction with audiences. Season 4 is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 86% among credits. But like much of Star Trek these days, it doesn't seem to be resonating with general audiences, as it sits at just a 54% on the Popcornmeter.
Are audiences tired of Star Trek in general or just the modern take on the iconic franchise? It's that uncertainty, perhaps, why Paramount+ is taking its time before greenlighting its next series.
As it currently stands, there are no new Star Trek series in active development, but Paramount+ has not given up on the franchise.
Just week, Jane Wiseman, EVP & Head of Originals for Paramount+, addressed the future of the franchise, saying it's "imperative" the streamer figure out its next chapter.
"Well, it’s one of the reasons why Chris is here as the resident number one fan of the Star Trek franchise," Wiseman said, referring to the hiring of Chris Parnell as EVP for Paramount+ Originals. "And there’s so many people in this building, by the way, that are. It is our goal and it is our job to figure out what the next bounce of Star Trek is. "We’re talking to a lot of writers, we are leaning on CBS Studios, and it is imperative that we figure out what the next iteration is in this franchise because it’s just too important. We also are in touch with Paramount Pictures, they have a Star Trek movie that’s in development."
On the bright side, there is a new Star Trek movie in development, though details remain under wraps.