The news on the new Star Trek television series — which is set to premiere in January of next year on the CBS All Access digital platform — just keeps getting better and better. First we found out that Bryan Fuller, former executive producer and creator of such beloved shows as Hannibal, Pushing Daisies  and Wonderfalls, had come onboard as the showrunner for the latest TV incarnation of Trek. This was viewed as great news, because not only does Fuller make great TV, but he got his start professionally as a writer on Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and is himself a lifelong Trekker.

But now things are even better, as CBS has just announced that joining Fuller on the new series would be writer/director Nicholas Meyer as a consulting producer and staff writer. Meyer is hugely important to Trek fans, as he’s the man who directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, easily considered the greatest of all the Star Trek films. He also co-wrote Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and wrote and directed Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Basically, he had a hand in the very best chapters of the original Star Trek film series, and has a firm grasp on what makes Star Trek STAR TREK. 

CBS and Bryan Fuller touted this news via a press releases, where Fuller stated, “Nicholas Meyer chased Kirk and Khan ’round the Mutara Nebula and ’round Genesis’ flames, he saved the whales with the Enterprise and its crew, and waged war and peace between Klingons and the Federation. We are thrilled announce that one of Star Trek’s greatest storytellers will be boldly returning as Nicholas Meyer beams aboard the new Trek writing staff.”

Meyer’s contributions to Trek really can’t be downplayed; after the critical and fan backlash towards the first Star Trek movie, Meyer found a way to recapture the essence of what made Trek so beloved with Wrath of Khan, effectively saving the film franchise. If he hadn’t done that, there would likely have been no Next Generation, much less Deep Space Nine or the other series. I realize this is a Star Wars quote, but if you’re a Trek fan, then “today will be a day long remembered.”

What do you think of Nicholas Meyer joining the newest Trek incarnation? Is it enough to get you to pay the money for CBS All Access? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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IMAGE: Paramount Studios

While we’re here, let’s look at what JJ Abrams had to say about Star Trek: