William Riker is finally sitting in the big chair–but for the upcoming Picard-centric Star Trek series on CBS All-Access, it’s the director’s chair! Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, recently confirmed in a podcast that he’s directing a few episodes of the upcoming series.
While we don’t know too much about the currently untitled Star Trek series other than it focuses on Jean-Luc Picard, that’s basically all we need to know to tune in. Sir Patrick Stewart announced the series himself last summer saying simply, “Jean-Luc Picard is back.”
The series will center on Picard, whom we last saw twenty years ago during the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. The only tease of the story so far has come from CBS’s Julie McNamara, who revealed, “Picard was radically affected by the dissolution of the [anti-Federation] Romulan Empire, and this series will explore a different chapter [of his life.] We aim to debut the show toward the end of the year.”
While a release date beyond that hasn’t been officially announced, Stewart shares glimpses here and there at the writers room and the series in progress, so be sure to follow him on social media for updates. (And just because he’s an all-around amazing human being.) And according to TrekMovie.com, Stewart expects the show to take up at least the next three years of his time, comparing it to a “10 hour movie” or serialized series.
If you’re looking for compelling Star Trek adventures to tide you over while you wait for the series, you can binge Shield of Tomorrow, our Trek-themed RPG show! Meet the crew of the USS Sally Ride as they navigate the stars in a time of cold war with the Dominion.
Are you excited to see Picard return? Tell us why in the comments.
[via Digital Spy]
All Images: Star Trek / Paramount