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The full series name for the upcoming Star Trek TV series has been revealed, along with the first look at the new starship that will grace the show.

The series, which was first announced in November 2015, will be known as Star Trek: Discovery when it debuts in January 2017. Each episode will debut on Netflix in the UK within 24 hours of its US broadcast, it has been confirmed.


The reveal was made at a Star Trek 50th anniversary panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where showrunner Bryan Fuller also revealed the show would be arc-based rather than episodic. This shift in narrative structure is largely because the series will be shown via streaming platforms - CBS All Access in the US and Canada, and Netflix internationally. This lets the creators structure stories "like a novel", as they won't need to worry about viewers missing episodes.

The series will be set in the prior television series continuity, rather than the divergent timeline created in the JJ Abrams' directed 2009 cinematic reboot. It has also been confirmed to run for a 13-episode first season.

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Fuller was joined on the panel by Trek alumni William Shatner, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, and Scott Bakula, where they discussed the original series' enduring legacy and the importance of its promise of an optimistic future for humanity, particularly in light of current world events.

"We're in a time now where identity is under attack," Deadline quotes Spiner. "It's disturbing [...] Politicians could learn from Star Trek."


"Individuality should be celebrated. Star Trek celebrates diversity," added Fuller. "It seems like a great statement from Gene Roddenberry, who felt the human race just has to get along."

"The new series has to remind audiences the message of Star Trek — continuing to push boundaries," Fuller continued. "We do have to celebrate a progression of our species because right now we need a little help."

CBS Television / Netflix

For hardcore Trekkers, the new 'Test Flight' teaser above will also be notable for revealing the full designation of the new ship. Meet the USS Discovery NCC-1031 - a starcraft quite unlike any headline Star Trek ship we've seen before.

The vessel, which bears similarities to Star Wars designer Ralph McQuarrie's early concept art for a reimagined USS Enterprise - once planned for a Star Trek: Planet of the Titans movie that was cancelled in favour of the original Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Gone are the traditional slender body and distinct warp drive nacelles; in comes a flat, triangular lower body that, probably not coincidentally, looks an awful lot like the Star Trek insignia.


Don't fret if you're not immediately in love with the design though - TrekMovie.com quotes series producer Heather Kadin as saying it's not necessarily final.

"The concepts of the ship are totally what we're going for and they'll be honed up until, I think, the day we deliver," Kadin says.

The pilot of Star Trek: Discovery will be directed by David Semel, and premiere globally in January. Cast and characters have yet to be revealed.