I’m excited about Tawny Newsome’s new live-action Star Trek workplace comedy, because it could follow in the footsteps of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I’ve always loved DS9 because it expanded the Star Trek universe beyond the traditional perspective of Starfleet and its officers. Set aboard a space station on the fringes of Federation space, DS9‘s cast of characters comprised Starfleet officers, members of the Bajoran Militia, a Ferengi bartender and a Cardassian tailor. This ensemble represented Deep Space Nine’s position as a cultural and commercial hub, or as Marina Sirtis once described it, “a hotel in space“.

While Marina Sirtis’ derogatory description of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine bears little resemblance to the show, it does describe Tawny Newsome’s new Star Trek comedy. It was announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Newsome is developing a new comedy series with Dear White People creator Justin Simien and Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman. Set on a “gleaming resort planet“, the Parks and Recreation-style Star Trek comedy will focus on a group of “Federation outsiders“. You can read the announcement via Star Trek‘s Instagram page below:

Why I’m Excited About Tawny Newsome’s Star Trek Live-Action Holiday Resort Comedy

Initially, the decision to end Star Trek: Lower Decks with season 5, only to develop a different, live-action, workplace comedy felt like a bizarre choice. However, while the in-development series will have Tawny Newsome’s considerable wit and humor running through it, it’s still a very different prospect to Lower Decks. With the decision to focus on non-Federation citizens waiting on pampered resort guests, Tawny Newsome’s new Star Trek comedy sounds less like Lower Decks, and more like the luxury mega yacht docusoap Below Deck. That might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it will expand the definitions of what Star Trek can be.

By shifting the focus from Starfleet officers to everyday citizens working in a holiday resort, Tawny Newsome and Eric Simien’s new comedy will push the boundaries of what constitutes a Star Trek show. That excites me, because it will shed light on a rarely-seen aspect of life in the Star Trek universe. Obviously, we’re used to seeing our Star Trek heroes holiday on pleasure planets like Risa. However, we rarely see how stressful it can be to wait on these people hand and foot, as well as having to deal with things when they inadvertently bring their Starfleet business on holiday with them.

Tawny Newsome’s New Star Trek Show Can Be A Great Successor To DS9

While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is best known for its Dominion War storyline, it’s also one of the funniest Trek shows. Some of Deep Space Nine‘s funniest episodes were about their non-Federation characters like Quark (Armin Shimerman), Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd). Quark could have very easily led a DS9 spin-off series, not dissimilar from the upcoming holiday resort sitcom. A Quark sitcom where he runs a holiday resort or bar that serves Federation and non-Federation citizens alike would have been enormous fun, so it’s easy to see how Tawny Newsome and Eric Simien’s show could work.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine enriched the wider franchise by providing some of its funniest ever episodes, and showing how Starfleet and non-Federation worlds worked together, despite differing viewpoints. Through the eyes of those characters, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine provided a glimpse into these other non-Federation societies. Decades later, Tawny Newsome and Eric Simien’s in-development comedy show can now do something similar; providing a glimpse into how the resort and entertainment industries work in the Star Trek universe, and exploring how that aligns with Starfleet and the Federation’s ongoing mission.