Sonequa Martin-Green

Sonequa Martin-Green arrives at the LA Premiere of "Fear the Walking Dead" Season Two at Cinemark Playa Vista on March 29, 2016, in Los Angeles. Martin-Green plays the main character on the upcoming "Star Trek: Discovery."

(Rich Fury, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After numerous delays and apparent setbacks, "Star Trek: Discovery" started filming earlier this year.

But if CBS would have stuck to its original timeline, the series would have premiered in January. That timeframe was eventually replaced with a May premiere date, but the show has been delayed yet again, with an exceedingly vague "late summer/early fall" timeline.

In an interview with Vulture that was published over the weekend, CBS Interactive President Marc DeBevoise wouldn't even confirm a fall release date. Although he said he had visited the set and the filming of the series was "phenomenal."

One showrunner, critically acclaimed producer Bryan Fuller, has already stepped away from the series, saying in a December interview with comingsoon.net that his attention was needed elsewhere.

There's no indication that CBS will scrap the series altogether, but everything from the tone of the show to the look of the ship that inspired the show's title has given fans pause.

The U.S.S. Discovery's appearance was unveiled in August to a lukewarm reception. Fans said the ship looked too old and industrial, and departed too much from the classic look of "Star Trek" ships.

CBS has revealed that the series will be darker than past shows in the franchise, which alarms some fans. The first "Star Trek" series -- an eponymously titled show that premiered in 1966 -- was praised for its optimistic view of the future. It portrayed a time when the Earth was at peace and people of different ethnicities and nationalities worked together in harmony.

If "Discovery" took place in a post-apocalyptic future, it could betray the essence of the show it is based on.

Fans have also raised concerns about the format. "Discovery" marks the first time a "Star Trek" show will be serialized, meaning each episode will be a new chapter in an ongoing story, much like "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad." Previous "Trek" shows are episodic, with each episode telling a different story.

All of this is enough to make one wonder if the new series can live up to the lofty standards set by past "Star Trek" shows.

The first series in the storied franchise received a lukewarm response from critics, but developed enough of a following that it was adapted into an animated series and spawned six feature films.

Four additional live-action "Star Trek" shows have followed. The first of these -- "Star Trek The Next Generation, which premiered in 1987 -- was the most beloved among critics and fans. The follow-up shows were less well-received.

The fifth live-action "Trek" series, "Enterprise" was cancelled after four seasons due to low ratings.

And with what we know about "Discovery," there's reason to believe it will continue that trend.

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