With the launch of a new STAR TREK television series comes one of the popular trends in media – a companion podcast series!

But you won’t need to wait for the January debut for the audio series to begin, as ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast begins next week, through the Play.It podcast network.

This podcast will be hosted by our friend, entertainment writer Jordan Hoffman, and launches with three episodes next week – featuring guest appearances by Adam Nimoy and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Here’s the official press release:

‘ENGAGE: THE OFFICIAL STAR TREK PODCAST’
BEAMS ON TO PLAY.IT EXCLUSIVELY WITH THREE ORIGINAL EPISODES ON JUNE 15

Hosted by Noted Critic Jordan Hoffman, First Guests Include “Weird Al” Yankovic and Adam Nimoy

CBS RADIO, CBS Local Digital Media and CBS Consumer Products, today announced the launch of “Engage: The OFFICIAL Star Trek Podcast,” which will be exclusively hosted on the podcast platform Play.it. The first three episodes of the hour-long podcast will be available on Wednesday, June 15 via Play.it/StarTrek, iTunes and StarTrek.com. Starting June 22, new episodes will be released weekly.

The podcast will be hosted by Jordan Hoffman, a film critic and writer of the “One Trek Mind” blog on StarTrek.com. The three episodes available June 15 feature special guests including “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Adam Nimoy.

A celebration of one of the most iconic entertainment franchises in the Galaxy, “Engage: The OFFICIAL Star Trek Podcast” is aimed at both fans old and new. Film critic and author of StarTrek.com’s “One Trek Mind” column, Hoffman will interact with enthusiasts, interview guests, and argue the minutiae of this beloved 50-year-old fictional universe.

“There is no better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek than with the official podcast coming to CBS RADIO and CBS Local Digital Media,” said Andre Fernandez, President, CBS RADIO. “It is a groundbreaking and noteworthy franchise that we are proud to be a part of.”

“Star Trek has been a significant and integral part of pop culture for many years,” said Adam Wiener, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Local Digital Media. “We are thrilled to bring fans another outlet to connect to for their love of the franchise through the launch of the first Official Star Trek podcast on Play.it.”

“Star Trek is more than just a collection of television shows, films, books, comics and toys for me – it is one of the great loves of my life. It’s a relationship that has evolved over time and has created true, lasting connections,” said Hoffman.

“There’s nothing I like more than meeting someone who might be Trek-curious and guiding them toward full-fledged devotion. I want this show to “engage” with the hardcore and the neophyte alike. It’s a big galaxy out there.”

Hoffman is a film critic and writer based in New York, and a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, a film critic organization dating back to 1935. His movie reviews appear regularly in The Guardian, and he has contributed to Vanity Fair, Mashable, the New York Daily News and other outlets.

Since 2011, he has written the “One Trek Mind” blog for StarTrek.com, a fan-focused humor column. In 2012, Hoffman began hosting “One Trek Mind: Live” at Star Trek conventions, a raucous, hour-long debate with fans to create top 10 lists on various Star Trek topics.

In late 2014, Hoffman took on the Herculean task of ranking the near 700 episodes of the complete Star Trek franchise for Playboy.com, and in 2015 he profiled Adam Nimoy for the Los Angeles Times during his first trip to a Star Trek convention since the passing of his father, Leonard Nimoy.

“Episode Zero” is available to hear now, featuring an interview with Hoffman by Entertainment Weekly columnist Darren Franich:

The podcast will be available through a multitude of sources, including StarTrek.com, iTunes, and via RSS subscription, along with the PlayIt.com/StarTrek channel.