One thing Star Trek always does well is push beyond social boundaries, often featuring progressive storylines that question controversial issues of the time.
The new Star Trek series on CBS will also feature progressive characters and stories, maintaining the tradition of going "where no one has gone before."
When asked about those kinds of story lines, showrunner Bryan Fuller confirmed that the new series plans on going back to Star Trek's roots.
"I think the progressive audience that loves Star Trek will be happy that we're continuing that tradition," Fuller said to Collider.
That progressiveness will also extend to the casting process.
"There's a few people that we like and we want to carry on what Star Trek does best, which is being progressive," Fuller said. "So it's fascinating to look at all of these roles through a colorblind prism and a gender-blind prism, so that's exciting."
Fuller also gave more details about what fans can expect from the series, as well as how many episodes the first season will have. Although most of the more substantial information will come at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Fuller spoke a little more about the show, stating that he and the writers have finished the first story arc for the first season and have finished writing the first six episodes.
When asked about how many episodes the first season will contain, Fuller confirmed that the answer is 13. This means that the show is opting for a smaller season, which generally means more focused storytelling and tighter story arcs.
Beyond that, though, everything is still in the planning stage. Fuller hasn't booked any directors for those episodes yet, and casting is still underway. Shooting begins in September, though, so announcements about directors and actors will probably come soon.
Unlike the current movies, Fuller's Star Trek will bring back those things that fans of the franchise love the most: not just the progressive characters and stories, but also the way other shows and movies in the franchise used science fiction to tell its stories, which often revolve around what it means to be human.
"And it was wonderful to be working with Alex Kurtzman, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and who's such an elegant storyteller and crafting a story with him that ties in so many elements of Star Trek that I think people will be really excited about because you can look at the original series and pick out episodes we're using the DNA of and using the spirit of what Star Trek offers, both in terms of high-concept science fiction storytelling and really wonderful metaphors for the human condition," Fuller said.
Expect the new Star Trek series to land on CBS' All Access in January 2017.
