Announced late last month at San Diego Comic Con, the Star Trek franchise is planning to get back into the world of podcast production with Prime Directive, a new official project which is the first expansion of CBS’s new Global Franchise Group.
Picking up where Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast left off where that Jordan Hoffman-hosted show ended in early 2018, this new podcast — set to be hosted by Star Trek: Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome — looks to be a much more structured series with a format already determined.
Here’s the official announcement on the upcoming show, which notes that a yet-to-be-named co-host will also join Newsome on the podcast when it launches later this year.
Tawny Newsome
With unparalleled access to “Star Trek” luminaries and behind-the-scenes creative professionals, this official podcast will take a smart, witty and thoughtful look at all things “Trek”– both old and new.
Offering a high-level discussion of the themes, ideas and characters that resonate across the history of the franchise’s storied universe, episodes will also explore the brand’s 50-plus year legacy and influence in an accessible and inclusive way for dedicated and casual “Star Trek” fans alike.
“‘Star Trek’ has always been a touchstone for a larger cultural conversation,” said Veronica Hart, EVP, Global Franchise Management. “‘Prime Directive’ will continue that legacy by being a launching point for wider discussions of social issues, literature, music, philosophy, popular culture, space exploration, the environment and other topics that spring out of this vast universe.”
Each episode features an in-depth personal interview with a notable guest, coverage of a “Star Trek” event, or a discussion of a specific topic with one or more guests. Listeners will also be able to hear updates about new projects and take part in a regular quiz segment.
Guests will include the cast and creative teams behind upcoming, current and legacy projects, as well as noted writers, performers, critics, scientists, musicians, historians and scholars – all offering fresh perspectives as the franchise continues to expand with a range of new projects.
The podcast will be co-hosted by Newsome who also co-hosts the popular comedy-meets-culture podcast “Yo, Is This Racist?” Newsome is a sketch/improv comedian who wrote and performed her work on the Second City Mainstage in Chicago. She also frequently appears playing characters and improvising on podcasts like “Comedy Bang! Bang!,” “Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins,” and “Hello From the Magic Tavern.” Newsome has also appeared on IFC’s “Brockmire,” “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$,” “The Carmichael Show,” IFC’s “Documentary Now” and the upcoming sketch and music parody series “Sherman’s Showcase.”
A second host will be announced at a later date.
While there’s been no specific launch date for the new podcast series yet, the Prime Directive show is set to be available on StarTrek.com, Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, and other podcasting sources when it arrived this fall.
Do you plan to tune into the Prime Directive podcast? Let us know in the comments below!
