Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation take heart! Patrick Stewart is returning to the Star Trek universe after nearly two decades on shore leave, with his iconic Captain Picard set to star in a new spin-off series that will imagine his later years.

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Here’s what we know about Star Trek: Picard...

When are new episodes of Star Trek: Picard on Amazon?

Star Trek: Picard came fairly quickly following its announcement in August 2018, with the series arriving in the US on streaming service CBS All Access – and in Canada on cable networks Space and Z and OTT service Crave – on January 23rd 2020.

Outside of North America, the ten-part series will be available around the world on Amazon Prime, launching on Friday 24th January, with new episodes dropping each Friday after that.

Despite the fact that Star Trek: Picard season one hasn't aired yet, season two has already been confirmed.

Will Star Trek: Picard air in the UK?

Yes, the UK is one of the 200 territories outside North America where the Star Trek: Picard series will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, with each episode dropping every Friday from 24th January 2020, within 24 hours of its premiere in the US.

What will the Picard series look like?

An extended trailer unveiled at New York Comic Con in October gives us the best idea yet of what to expect, introducing us to new characters, giving us a taster of the drama to come in the post-Starfleet chapter of Picard's life and ticking a lot of boxes for Next Generation fans with reunions with several beloved characters...

The official Star Trek Twitter page also recently gave a sneak peek at Picard's new admiral's uniform.

Is Star Trek: Picard good?

Star Trek: Picard (Patrick Stewart)
CBS

We thought so! Check out our five star review of Picard's first three episodes here.

What's the deal with Picard's new dog?

Famed dog-lover Patrick Stewart appears to have managed to cast a furry friend in the new series, and given their prominence on the poster it could be that they plays a pretty important part in the series.

After all, why else would Picard name the dog after his trusty first officer Riker, or at least his nickname - look closely at the dog's tag, and you can see it reads "No. 1"...

Is there a trailer for Star Trek: Picard?

Here's an earlier trailer for you (read our breakdown of it here)...

And this longer one was released at San Diego Comic-Con...

A further teaser was also aired in December during the NFL over in the US, with brand new footage of our hero. "I'm in over my head... the girl's life is still in danger," he says, appearing to refer to Dahj (played by Isa Briones), before adding ominously: "I will do what needs to be done".

What will happen in Patrick Stewart’s Star Trek spin-off?

The spin-off begins with Picard in retirement many years after leaving Starfleet.

“This is going to be a very thoughtful, psychological portrait in a lot of ways," creator Alex Kurtzman said." We all know what Picard means to the world and why he, like so many legendary characters on Star Trek, has endured and what he’s represented. He in some ways has to go through a gauntlet to find that again.

"Things have changed for him and changed him in some ways, and yet he is so deeply and fundamentally still Picard. We’re thrilled at what we’re going to deliver. I know Patrick is really excited. The cast is coming together beautifully. And I will give you nothing else.”

The Borg

The second trailer for the series suggests that old baddie The Borg may have a huge part in the series. Not only do we see a Borg cube ship, but there's also a very interesting shot of what looks like Romulans patrolling a prison featuring a sign stating “This facility has gone 5843 days without an assimilation.”

For our part, this is where we think the series should go...

Will any of The Next Generation cast appear in Picard's spin-off?

Stewart’s old Star Trek: TNG co-star Jonathan Frakes (far left) is reportedly directing a few episodes of the series, having previously taken the captain’s chair for episodes of Discovery, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and even multiple episodes of TNG while he was still acting on it. As we've now seen from the latest trailer he will reprise his role of William Riker, alongside another fan favourite Marini Sirtis, who plays his partner Deanna Troi.

The trailer also reveals that Brent Spiner will feature in some form as android Data and Jeri Ryan will blast her way back into the action as former Borg drone Seven of Nine ( a character from Star Trek: Voyager). Jonathan Del Arco will also return as Borg drone Hugh.

At the moment, it’s unclear if any more TNG characters will have a role in the series.

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Authors

Huw FullertonCommissioning Editor

Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.

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