Let me see if I can explain this well in a short amount of space. Paramount used to be the sole owner of the Star Trek Franchise. For a time they and CBS were part of the same company, but when they split back up CBS got the TV rights and Paramount the movie rights. Licensing and rights are a strange animal. Look how many different companies own parts but not all of Rankin/Bass or Filmation’s libraries. That’s why Paramount started their own continuity, referred to as the Kelvin timeline because it split from the TV and previous movies timeline using time travel and an alternate universe forming after the destruction of the USS Kelvin, which Kirk’s father was a crew member of. I hope that makes sense because that’s all the space I have and it’s a long story anyway.

Right now Paramount is not in the best of shapes. If they’re going to continue making the Kelvin universe Star Trek movies they’re going to need investors. However, recent events may make that a problem, and it’s the CBS All-Access exclusive show Star Trek: Discovery that may make things worse. The brand is taking a few hits, from scandal to actors leaving and the show itself. Discovery‘s official place in continuity is debatable, with the creative team not wanting to make a Star Trek series in the first place (according to rumors, mind you) possibly being the culprit. However, one of the key plot points of the first season may have been stolen from an indie video game and now there’s a lawsuit involved. This happened just before the intended period of my recent hiatus, in late August, so I don’t know the latest but here’s what Midnight’s Edge reported late last month. NOTE: Some swearing in audio and pictures are in this video.

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