When I sat down to watch the first Star Trek: Prodigy trailers with my family, my children’s eyes were glued to the screen — and as they watched that ‘motley crew’ of young aliens discover and commandeer the USS Protostar, my eyes were watching them.

There was something magical about their reactions to seeing a Star Trek show made just for them, even with less than two minutes of footage. As a longtime fan, were things I noticed that didn’t register with them at all: the classic Trek sound effects, that mysterious third engine on the Protostar, and even what looked like a Kazon. But what did get their attention was the epic scale of this new adventure, and a cast of characters they’re already excited to learn more about.

(They even asked me if there are any books about the Protostar crew to read, which certainly must be a good omen for the Prodigy creative team!)

While Prodigy is ostensibly a kids show, it certainly seems to be designed for everyone to watch it together, as show’s creators Dan and Kevin Hageman have been quick to note that it truly will be for a show for all ages, and for all stages of the Star Trek fancom.

As a parent of three children in the prime target ages for this show — at 11, 9, and 7 — that’s such an exciting prospect to me. I’m a lifelong Trekkie and I wear my love for Trek on my sleeve, but until now Star Trek has always just been “Mom’s thing” at my house, despite my attempts to hook them on the franchise so far.

I’ve showed them episodes they’ve enjoyed, like “Rascals” and “Take Me Out to the Holosuite,” and even translated “The Trouble with Tribbles” into a campfire story (which absolutely killed!), but nothing so far has sent them spiraling into Trek fandom like my experiencing watching Kirk and Spock when I was their age.

Like many fans of my generation, I first found Star Trek through syndicated reruns as a kid, flipping through the channels or reading about it in that week’s TV Guide… but that’s just not how kids of the 2020s discover new television.

These days, basically every episode of every show ever made is available on demand, making it nearly impossible to randomly stumble across Trek like I did — and most streaming services have a “kids mode” which wall off shows not specifically categorized for children, including the legacy Star Trek shows.

Now that Prodigy is on the way, they’ll actually have a Star Trek show that can cut through the noise of today’s nearly-overwhelming media landscape and land right at their feet.

I would absolutely love for my kids to share in the joy in Star Trek that I’ve found over the years, because as a parent, this universe embodies the ethos and values that I want to see them take to heart as they grow up. I want them to experience the thrill of scientific discovery and exploration, to seek out new experiences and new perspectives, to find the beauty of different ways of thinking, and to embrace the the IDIC concept wholeheartedly, while having the courage to stand up for themselves — and for others — to protect it.

Star Trek: Prodigy can be their entry point into this glorious world that I hold so dear, and even the first brief glimpses of the sweeping, cinematic animation style has already pulled them in. The wide variety of characters will, I hope, find someone that they can each relate to, and I’m really looking forward to seeing who each gravitates towards.

We’ll get to see this universe through the eyes of these outsiders, and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing my kids’ thoughts and opinions as they learn about the Federation along side them. Kids are smart, and Star Trek is smart — I know that it will stimulate their minds the same way it always has mine. (I can already imagine a lively discussion about the ethics of the Prime Directive in our future!)

And there is no one I’d trust more to be caretaker to my children — to pardon the pun — on their first venture into the Star Trek world than Kathryn Janeway, so how fitting is it that she’ll be shepherding the Protostar’s young crew on their wild ride through the Delta Quadrant and beyond? I know my kids will take to her right away, the same way I did as a teenager when I first saw her back on Star Trek: Voyager.

We know that the show will have action, adventure, and some “pew pew” moments, but Star Trek is so much more than that — and I can’t wait to see how this creative team delivers on that premise. My hope is that the Trek-ness of Prodigy sneaks up on every newcomer, and leaves them hungry for more… so it’s a good thing they’ll have like 800 more episodes to feed that appetite!

Writer and producer Aaron Waltke has called Prodigy “a tale of hope, wonder, and redemption,” which is exactly what all of our children need and deserve right now, after their childhoods have been turned upside down by… well… everything. My kids are ripe to soak up those themes, and I am so thrilled that Star Trek is giving such a gift to them — and that we’ll get to experience it together.

Jenn Tifft is co-host of the SnapTrek podcast and can be found on Twitter at @EatAtQuarks.

Watch for her weekly Star Trek: Prodigy reviews here at TrekCore when the series debuts!

Star Trek: Prodigy premieres October 28 on Paramount+ in the United States (and CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada), with a one-hour opening episode to kick of the show’s first season; it will premiere on Paramount+ in Australia on October 29.

Additional international premiere dates have not yet been announced.