Picard Showrunner Addresses Whether Star Trek Could Return to Episodic Storytelling

Credit: CBS


Credit: CBS


Star Trek: Picard has quite a different format from what the fans are used to like in The Next Generation. Picard is seen as a 10-hour movie with a serialized storytelling, but does this indicate that there won't be any episodic storytelling in the franchise ever again?

"The market determines which literary forms predominate," showrunner Michael Chabon writes when a fan asked him this question over at Instagram. "That has always been true, and not just on TV."

"When big-circulation magazines paid good money for short stories, our best writers revolutionized the form," he added. "In Germany, magazines wanted novellas; Thomas Man wrote some of the best ever." Chabon then proceeded to provide a shorter version of his answer, pointing out that when there is a "perceived" demand for episodic TV, it will return in the franchise. However, he says it won't return in " quite the same way."

While this doesn't necessarily confirm that there won't ever be episodic storytelling anymore, Chabon notes that there ought to be a "perceived demand" for it." This means that either CBS can't see the demand for such content as of late or they prefer to sticking with this kind of storytelling.

His comment doesn't bring a glimmer of hope, but would you like to see a return of episodic Star Trek in the near future? Or do you prefer long-form storytelling? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Star Trek: Picard debuts new episodes on CBS All Access every Thursday

Also Read: Patrick Stewart On Why Star Trek Remains Relevant

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