Star Trek’s Forgotten Sequel Most Fans Don’t Know About Returns in New Video

A fresh documentary titled “Star Trek: Phase II – The Lost Series” has been unveiled, offering a glimpse into a lesser-known Star Trek TV series that might be unfamiliar to many fans. This intriguing video, accessible in its entirety on YouTube, delves into the challenging production of Star Trek: Phase II. This series was intended as a direct continuation of the original show, featuring many familiar faces returning. The project was conceived following failed attempts to produce a live-action film and would have served as the flagship program for a proposed Paramount Television Service.

Titled “Lost Voyages: Phase II and the Resurgence of Star Trek,” this 30-minute documentary offers insights from key individuals involved in the project before it was temporarily halted, along with other influential Star Trek personalities and researchers. This group comprises set designer Daren Dochterman, writer Jon Povill, and Star Trek historians Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. They share their experiences with the hurdles the series encountered, and discuss how it eventually came to life after two revival scripts penned by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry- “The God Thing” and “Planet of the Titans”-that were never brought to fruition. The documentary also includes virtual tours of some sets that were conceptualized and partially constructed during pre-production.

The documentary indicates that Star Trek: Phase II was terminated due to multiple reasons, with the primary cause being Paramount abandoning their concept for a new network, which meant they no longer required a lead television series. At the same time, the box office success of both Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind demonstrated that science fiction movies could be financially successful. Consequently, Star Trek was reintroduced as Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Some key ideas and characters initially planned for Phase II were later utilized in the franchise’s first film.

It’s important to note that working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t a leisurely stroll for those involved. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook, visual effects legend Douglas Trumbull reminisced about the film, sharing that by the time he completed his work, he had been hospitalized due to multiple ulcers and was also battling exhaustion.

Various Star Trek productions have faced challenges throughout their history. Notably, the production of Star Trek 4 has been stalled for quite some time, with reports circulating since 2016. During this period, multiple actors, writers, and directors such as Matt Shakman from The Fantastic Four: First Steps have been linked to the project.

The announcement of Star Trek: Phase II was swiftly put on hold only a month after, leaving many franchise enthusiasts unaware of its existence. Even those in the know might not fully grasp how far along production had progressed before its sudden cancellation. This documentary serves as a valuable preservation of a significant piece of the series’ history, while also dispelling some long-standing myths that have circulated for years.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/star-trek-starfleet-academy-klingon-jem-hadar-hybrid/embed/#

Read More

2025-08-06 23:45