'Star Trek: Discovery' Coming To CBS This Fall Thanks To A Lack Of New Original Programming

Star Trek: Discovery kicked off the new era of the final frontier as the first Trek-related series on the CBS All Access streaming service back in 2017. Not only is a third season on the way, but there's the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds spin-off coming, too. But if you've missed out on Star Trek: Discovery because you haven't felt like signing up for CBS All Access, this fall will give you an opportunity to start catching up, because the first season will be airing on CBS as part of the network's fall schedule.

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of new shows coming to network television this fall is far fewer than normal. Many networks are opting to air shows produced for streaming outlets or sister channels, and there's a lot of cheap, comparatively easy-to-produce unscripted programming on the way. CBS is using Star Trek: Discovery to fill in the gaps starting on September 24, hoping that it will drive viewers to a CBS All Access subscription before the third season premieres on October 15.

If you haven't paid much attention to Star Trek: Discovery, here's the first season trailer and official synopsis:

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship and new characters while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Star Trek: Discovery sparked a renewed interest in Star Trek on TV, which now includes the Star Trek: The Next Generation sequel series Star Trek: Picard, as well as the recently premiered animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks. It's a good time to be a Star Trek fan, even though it means you have to subscribe to CBS All Access to truly enjoy it.Discovery isn't the only show getting replayed on CBS. The network also announced that the fourth season of One Day at a Time, the canceled Netflix sitcom picked up by Pop TV, will be airing on CBS as well. It doesn't sound like the rest of the seasons will be airing on CBS, but maybe this will help bolster the show's ratings reach. However, don't expect the show to stick around CBS for long, because it's just one of several placeholders until CBS has their new shows ready to air.

CBS president Kelly Kahl said in a statement, "This is hardly a traditional fall season, but we are prepared with a strong slate of original content while our regular scripted series begin production. Based on our current timeline, we hope to start rolling out our previously announced fall series as they become available in November."

Below you can check out the full fall schedule for CBS, including all the "new" shows and unscripted programming:

Wednesday, September 9

8-9 PM: "Big Brother"

9-10 PM: "Love Island"

10-11 PM: "48 Hours: Suspicion" (Special Wednesday edition)

Saturday, September 12

9-10 PM: "Love Island: More to Love"

10-11 PM: "48 Hours" (Season 34 premiere)

Sunday, September 20 (NFL doubleheader)

7:30-8:30 PM ET/7-8 PM PT: "60 Minutes" (Season 53 premiere)

8:30-9:30 PM ET/8-9 PM PT: "Big Brother"

9:30-10:30 PM ET/9-10 PM PT: "Love Island"

Monday, September 21

9-10 PM: "Love Island"

10-11 PM: "Manhunt: Deadly Games" (Broadcast premiere)

Thursday, September 24

8-9 PM: "Big Brother"

9-10 PM: "Love Island"

10-11 PM: "Star Trek: Discovery" (Season 1, broadcast premiere)

Friday, September 25

8-9 PM: "The Greatest #AtHome Videos"

9-10 PM: "Love Island"

Tuesday, September 29

8-9 PM: "Love Island" (Season 2 finale)

Friday, October 2

8-9 PM: "The Greatest #AtHome Videos"

9-10 PM: "Undercover Boss" (Season 10 premiere)

Monday, October 12, 19, 26

9-10 PM: "One Day at a Time" (Season 4 broadcast premiere)

10-11 PM: "Manhunt: Deadly Games"

Tuesday, October 13

10-11 PM: "The FBI Declassified" (Season premiere)

Wednesday, October 14

8-9 PM: "Big Brother"

9-10 PM: "The Amazing Race" (Season 32 premiere)

Wednesday, October 28

8-9 PM: "The Amazing Race" (NTP)

9-11 PM: "Big Brother" (Season 22 finale)