But what if this is actually a good thing?

Another time

It is important to put Kurtzman’s comments into context. The current era of streaming TV is very different from the era in which TNG, DS9 And Traveler. In the 1980s and 1990s, US cable and broadcast networks wanted seasons of 22 or more episodes so they could get enough content into viewers’ living rooms between September and May, as it was believed that people watched less TV in the summer. This nine-month period was in turn roughly divided into a September-December block and a January-May block – hence the division of TV shows into “seasons”, a terminology that has now caught on in the UK, even though our model for TV production is quite different.

In addition, it became increasingly lucrative to produce programmes in a syndication format, i.e. to sell them to other broadcasters in different markets, both nationally and internationally. This meant that British viewers could TNG on BBC2 from September 1990, three years after the show’s US debut, a gap that fans can hardly afford to fill these days. The more episodes available, the more valuable the package is.

All I’m trying to say is that the 22-episode season model was not born out of an artistic or creative impulse. The motive was profit. After all, to paraphrase one of the Ferengi procurement rules, a production company without profit is no production company at all.

Of course, the streaming era is no different in this respect. The motive is the same, only the model has changed – in a world with so many more entertainment options, the competition for attention has become much more intense. And in this new landscape of increased competition and shorter attention spans, even a heritage brand like Star Trek It’s not safe to assume that enough viewers would justify the cost of a 22-episode season – a cost that would probably be prohibitive anyway, as most streaming services already seem to be making a loss. Audiences are no longer limited to what’s on TV at a certain time of day, and a season of around 10 episodes has therefore become the ideal model, with creatives forced to adapt accordingly.

For Kurzman, that’s ultimately a positive thing. It means 10 lean, focused episodes where the tension – and therefore the audience’s interest – is maintained at a constant level, and all the money is always on the screen, rather than being stretched to the breaking point. It means lots of serialization, story arcs, big action and big emotions. No bottle episodes, dull chamber plays or quirky character experiments.