‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ to Air on CBS as Part of Star Trek Day Programming

Meredith Jacobs August 24, 2023

Star Trek Day in 2023 is going to look a bit different than it has in years past, when the celebration has included conversations with cast and creatives of your favorite shows in the franchise.

Paramount+ has announced its plans for the fourth annual event on Friday, September 8, and it will include the chance for those who don’t subscribe to the streaming service to check out the first two episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a special program, and Lower Decks screenings across the U.S.

It was on September 8, 1966 that Star Trek first debuted on TV with “The Man Trap.” With that, creator Gene Roddenberry introduced audiences to a world that championed diversity, inclusion, acceptance, and hope. In honor of that day and the franchise’s enduring legacy, Paramount+ provides fans with memorable ways to enjoy and celebrate all things Star Trek.

The first two episodes of Strange New Worlds will air back-to-back on CBS at 8/7c. In the series premiere, “Strange New Worlds,” when one of Pike’s (Anson Mount) officers goes missing while on a secret mission for Starfleet, the captain has to come out of self-imposed exile. He must navigate how to rescue his officer, while struggling with what to do with the vision of the future he’s been given. Then, in “Children of the Comet,” while on a survey mission, the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a comet is going to strike an inhabited planet. The crew tries to re-route the comet, only to find that an ancient alien relic buried on its icy surface is somehow stopping them. As the away team tries to unlock the relic’s secrets, Pike and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) deal with a group of zealots who want to prevent the Enterprise from interfering.

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Fans will also be able to watch the Star Trek Day special program, hosted by Jerry O’Connell (who voices Commander Jack Ransom on Lower Decks), for free on StarTrek.com/Day, YouTube (Paramount+ and Star Trek Official pages), Twitch (ParamountPlus) and Facebook (@StarTrekOnPPlus and @StarTrek). In the U.S., it will be available to stream on Paramount+, Pluto TV (Paramount+ Picks, Star Trek, More Star Trek, and Pluto TV Sci-Fi channels) and Mixable and will air on select local CBS affiliates, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Fave TV, and Smithsonian.com.

The special is a salute to the franchise and will include segments that look back at memorable moments over the past 57 years; commemorate 50 years of Star Trek animation; pay tribute to Star Trek: Discovery ahead of its final season; provide an exclusive sneak-peek clip from Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4; and commemorate many other moments that highlight the franchise’s legacy.

As part of celebrating 50 years of Star Trek animation, there will be an evening of cartoon comedy, including four specially selected episodes of Lower Decks. Fans can attend these exclusive, free promotional screenings and experience its brand-new season on the big screen. Fans can register here, and the fan screenings will take place in Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, Washington D.C., Vancouver, Calgary, and London.