Star Trek actor Robert Picardo has claimed that spin-off series Starfleet Academy was canceled after being undermined by online comments from Elon Musk and Trump aide Stephen Miller.
The Paramount+ show starred Holly Hunter and saw Picardo, 72, reprise his role as the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), known as The Doctor.
The series debuted earlier this year and a second season is set to air next year. However, Paramount+ have already announced that the show will not return after that.
It was criticized as “woke” on social media, with Miller calling a clip from the show “tragic”.
Musk also passed judgement on a video showing Hunter’s character Captain Nahla Ake wearing glasses and speaking to first officer Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) and Lt. Rork (Tricia Black), writing on X: “Turns out they banned Ozempic and LASIK in the future lol.”
In a new interview with The Guardian, Picardo said: “Let’s face it: when someone that high up in the administration and also Elon Musk piled on the same day, do I think it’s a coincidence that the new owners of Paramount cancelled our show the first moment they could have? We did not get a fair shake. We were killed in the cradle.”
Picardo went on to address suggestions that the series was “woke”, saying: “Yes, there was the fact that we had a gay Klingon. Did a lot of people get over-exercised about that? My feeling is, get over yourself! There seems to be a movement to drive us back to the 1950s. Star Trek is all about the future, not about returning.”
He continued: “In that climate the core values of Star Trek – science and also diversity and inclusion – are going to get lumped in with what is under attack. Some people say, do you feel that it was at all current politics that had to do with your cancellation? If we caught the same flu that Stephen Colbert and the editorial freedom of CBS 60 Minutes caught then we’re in excellent company.”
The Independent has approached Paramount+ for comment.
The streaming service did not give an official reason for the show’s cancellation when it was announced in March, but Variety speculated at the time that it was due to low viewership. The trade publication noted that none of the first ten episodes ranked on the Nielsen Top 10 streaming viewership charts.
William Shatner, who made his name as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, also responded to Miller’s criticisms of Starfleet Academy.
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“Can you imagine they’re watching TV, criticizing TV,” said Shatner, 95. “I mean, it’s bizarre! I don’t understand it. I don’t know why they don’t – I don’t want to be political. I’m Canadian in America but it’s enthralling.”
Shatner went on to reject the idea that inclusiveness on Star Trek had gone “too far”, saying: “I don’t know what going too far is. Where’s the demarcation line? Who drew that line? ‘Now you’ve gone too far.’ Excuse me, I didn’t realize that. Where should I have stopped? And by the way, what is ‘woke’?”