A ‘New’ Kirk: ‘Vampire Diaries’ actor cast as Paramount+’s Captain Kirk
A ‘New’ Kirk: We’re just a few weeks away from the May 5 premiere of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” and already everyone is talking about Season 2.
A spinoff of “Star Trek: Discovery,” Paramount+’s “Strange New Worlds” follows Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount, “Hell On Wheels”), Number One (Rebecca Romijn, “The Punisher,” 2004), Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck, “In Time,” 2011) and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the years before James T. Kirk assumed the captain’s chair. It’s been billed as a return to the adventure-of-the-week format of “The Original Series,” instead of the serial format of “Discovery” and “Picard.”
And in a move that suggests executives have a lot of faith in this show, Paramount renewed the series for a second season before the first one had even debuted. Season 2 is currently in production in Toronto, but it’s the surprise announcement of one key casting that has had everyone buzzing.
“The Vampire Diaries” actor Paul Wesley has been officially cast as Paramount+’s James T. Kirk, a role originated by Canadian actor William Shatner in “TOS” and played by Chris Pine in the Kelvin Timeline franchise (the J.J. Abrams-produced films). The casting announcement was accompanied by the first images of Wesley in character, and fans were quick to pick up on a few unusual details — including the fact that Wesley’s Kirk appears to be seated in the captain’s chair and wears a captain’s designation on his uniform.
Mount is confirmed as a series regular in Season 2, but we also know from both “TOS” and Season 2 of “Discovery” that Pike eventually suffers horrific injuries during a rescue, and that Kirk replaces him as the Enterprise’s captain. Will we see that incident play out in “Strange New Worlds”?
An overlap with “TOS”
storylines, especially so early in the series, seems unlikely, though creator/executive producer
Akiva Goldsman (“Fringe”) did hint that infamous villain Khan Noonien-Singh may make an appearance at some point.
‘Maury’ to end: “Maury,” the long-running daytime talk show hosted and executive produced by Maury Povich, is calling it quits.
The syndicated show, which was first launched in 1991 as “The Maury Povich Show” before rebranding to “Maury” in 1998, will wrap production at the end of the 2021-22 season. New episodes will air through September, and you can expect to see reruns after that.
According to NBCUniversal, the studio that produces the show, the decision to end the show’s run in 2022 can be traced back to renewal negotiations in 2020. But Povich’s statement suggests he’s been thinking about this moment for quite some time.
“Six years ago, when I was ready to retire, my NBCUniversal family asked me to continue the show,” Povich said. “Even though I told them I was ready for assisted living, out of loyalty to NBCUniversal and my more than 100 staff and crew members, [NBCUniversal executive vice-president] Tracie Wilson and I agreed to one more deal. I’m so proud of my relationship with NBCUniversal and all those who worked on the ‘Maury’ show, but as I occasionally tell my guests on ‘Maury,’ ‘Enough, already!’”
Round Two: And just like that, HBO Max has shrugged off the criticism and is bringing Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte back for a second season.
The streamer has officially renewed “And Just Like That…” for a second season, meaning stars/ executive producers Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis will reprise their “Sex and the City” roles once more.
Critics of the show have voiced their displeasure over the tone of the first few episodes (Season 1 has an audience score of 30 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), though comments were a little kinder about the season’s back half. Regardless, executives and producers feel there’s still a lot more story to tell.
Shortly after the season finale aired, Casey Bloys, HBO/HBO Max’s chief content officer, told The Hollywood Reporter that he’d be “thrilled” to see “And Just Like That…” renewed, and added, “I feel good about the chances of doing more.”
In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Michael Patrick King (“Sex and the City”) indicated that he wanted to “know more about all the new characters. I want lots more. We have no answers, but we have a lot of questions.”
And it seems King got his wish: “I am delighted and excited to tell more stories about these vibrant, bold characters — played by these powerful, amazing actors,” King said in an official statement.
Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, added, “We have been delighted by the cultural conversation generated by these characters and their stories, set in a world we already know and love so much. We are proud of the work Michael Patrick King and our wonderful writers, producers, cast and crew have done to bring these stories to the screen. We can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store for Season 2”