Why Kate Mulgrew Remains Absolutely Livid Over Star Trek: Prodigy's Cancellation

"Star Trek: Prodigy" lived an unusual life. The first half of its first season was released somewhat sporadically from October 2021 to January 2022, while its second half didn't drop until October 2022. This was frustrating, as season 1 told a singular, overarching story. Without regularity, it felt disjointed.

Then, after season 2 was completed, but before it premiered, Paramount callously and abruptly canceled "Prodigy." The series was then removed from Paramount+ completely as part of a massive cost-cutting bonanza by the studio. Eventually, though, it was picked up by Netflix, which unveiled season 2 in July 2024. Clearly, Paramount had no faith in the series and was happy to let it slip through the cracks.

That's a pity, as "Prodigy" is a sweet and ambitious show. It follows a group of teenage aliens from a part of that galaxy so distant they've never heard of Starfleet or the Federation. While fleeing a slavery camp, the teens find the U.S.S. Protostar, an abandoned Starfleet vessel with a Emergency Command Hologram that's been programmed to look and sound like Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from "Star Trek: Voyager." This hologram teaches the teens to behave like a team and extol the virtues of Starfleet's egalitarian philosophy.

When "Prodigy" was axed, fans were incensed — and no one was angrier than Mulgrew herself, who expressed her frustration at 2025's Trek to New Jersey convention (via TrekMovie). As she explained at the event:

"I love the privacy of the booth, which is why I love doing 'Prodigy.' I love 'Prodigy.' Sitting on somebody's desk in Netflix on the bubble, on the bubble, on what bubble, on your bubble? Because this is genius stuff, 'Prodigy.' Kevin and Dan Hageman created something that's never been seen before and for an audience made for 'Star Trek': children."

Mulgrew, it should be noted, played two roles on "Prodigy." Not only was she the helpful, teacher-like holographic Janeway, but she also portrayed the grumpier, real-life Admiral Janeway after the series eventually made its way back to the Alpha Quadrant. There was even an episode where Janeway and series lead Dal R'El (Brett Gray) psychically swapped places with Janeway, technically giving Mulgrew a third role to play (that of a teen boy). The series was put out by Nickelodeon, and it certainly holds appeal for younger viewers (say, 10 to 12), but adults could watch it, too. It managed to be unique while simultaneously honoring the larger "Star Trek" franchise with many respectful references.

Because "Prodigy" was animated, Mulgrew could play these roles without too much physical preparation, simply having to record her lines in an enclosed booth. Mind you, the actor had previously played Captain Janeway in live-action for seven seasons on "Voyager," and she certainly appreciated the experience. Still, it seems she had a special fondness for "Prodigy." It was intended for kids, of course, and she appreciated that it could teach younger viewers about topics such as science, tenacity, peace, and the power of working together. Hence, whenever she thinks about its cancellation, it just makes her upset.

"What do they do? They pulled it. I'm really furious about that," she added. "[...] When you pour your heart and soul into something, and they call it like that in this industry, I don't like it."

"Because it doesn't make any sense," Mulgrew continued. "The whole world loved 'Prodigy.' Why do they have it in stasis? To what end? When thousands, millions of young minds could be learning what we know and sharing it with their mothers, and their mothers with their mothers? The whole thing is just, I suppose, too elegant. The universe is just too elegant that way. I suppose. Mad."

Indeed, Mulgrew has a point. The "Star Trek" franchise takes place in a largely elegant future where the Federation has gathered together to rid the galaxy of want. Starships go on missions of peace, exploration, and research. They don't go out with guns blazing. Of the streaming-era "Star Trek" series to date, "Prodigy" may represent this philosophy the best, showing that one can indeed start from a place of anger or ignorance or desperation and still become a caring, egalitarian student. Other "Star Trek" streaming shows ("Discovery" and "Picard" in particular) tend toward darker stories about violence and warlike conflict. That tone doesn't match the elegance that Mulgrew referred to.

That Paramount would single out and cancel "Prodigy" when it's the most innocent of the "Star Trek" shows that've premiered on Paramount+? Well, it's certainly maddening. Had the series continued beyond season 2, Mulgrew said she would've liked to see its characters learn about the importance of the Prime Directive. Really, there's so much more that could've been done.

If you're a "Prodigy" fan, buy it on Blu-ray as soon as you can. Who is to say where it may end up, if anywhere?