William Shatner Ready to “Assume Command” of Divisive ‘Star Trek’ Spin-off

William Shatner playfully threw his hat in the ring to take over an all-new Star Trek spin-off after the first two episodes earned polarizing reviews.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy centers around a group of young cadets who try to juggle their career aspirations with friendship, romance, and a looming threat against the federation. The series premiered on Paramount+ on Thursday, Jan. 15, and quickly drew divided opinions. It’s currently Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving an impressive 87% score from critics, who praised it for its humor and intriguing characters. However, it didn’t fare so well with the general audience, who ranked the first two episodes at an abysmal 43%.

Earlier this month, Stephen Miller — yes, that Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and homeland security advisor — took to social media to dub the series “tragic” and called for Paramount to give Shatner “total creative control” in order to supposedly “save the franchise.”

On Monday, Jan. 19, Shatner seemingly teasingly replied that he was “so on the same page” with Miller on that subject.

“The fact that they have not cure[d] Hyperopia by the 32[nd] Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers!” he continued. “Also, [Paramount] needs to up the budget because I’m sure that a well-oiled organization like Starfleet in the distant future could afford more than one pair of glasses for at least this hyperopic bridge crew. Do they pass the glasses around while piloting the ship? Shame on the line producers!”

“That is what you meant, right?” Shatner quipped to Miller, before adding, “I am ready to assume command of the series! Call me!”

‘Starfleet Academy’ Actor Suggests Spin-Off Could Invite New Era of ‘Trek’ Fans

Paramount+

While some Trek fans weren’t happy with the series premiere, a longtime Star Trek alum suggested Starfleet Academy could serve a distinct purpose — to draw in younger fans who aren’t as familiar with the franchise.

Robert Picardo — who famously played The Doctor in Voyager, Deep Space Nine, Prodigy, First Contact, and more — exclusively told MovieWeb, “If you are a young person who never saw Star Trek, or wasn’t interested before, this is a show about people your age who are at the beginning of their life journey.”

“They’re out of high school … and their life journey happens to be a space explorer. What could be cooler than that? But they’re still going through all the interpersonal issues, the self-doubts, the ‘Who am I really and … what do I want?’ All of those things that you know kids go through in high school and college are so relatable.”

Picardo also noted changing the “mid-galactic speech from the old Star Trek days” to something more “contemporary” made it more “accessible” to newer audiences.

“You don’t need to be a ‘Star Trek’ fan to start the show. And yet, it has a lot of blessings for older fans, too, right? So I think it’s really a great show to sit down and watch with all generations.”