'Star Trek: Discovery' News: CBS Will Not Be Screening Upcoming Series for Critics
CBS is taking great pains to make details about the "Star Trek: Discovery" premiere will not be leaked.
The network is putting its upcoming sci-fi reboot under a cloaking device until its official premiere, according to reports. In an unexpected move, the company is not sending screeners to critics prior to the show's launch later this month. This means CBS will not be taking reviews from its Los Angeles and New York premiere events until after "Star Trek: Discovery" hits the small screen.
CBS' plan for its anticipated drama is similar to how HBO kept details about the summer 2017 return of "Game of Thrones" — only one press screening was held and no screeners were released. Reviews with any important information were embargoed as well. It was also how David Lynch insisted Showtime handle the "Twin Peaks" revival.
However, Screen Rant notes those were different situations. "Game of Thrones" is the most popular program on TV right now, while "Twin Peaks" was returning to the small screen to presumably resolve a 27-year-old cliffhanger.
While CBS might just be trying to keep fans excited, many believe the network is just bracing for a wave of negative comments. Gizmodo points out that embargoing any reviews from critics is usually a bad sign. In the movie industry, this is a well-known strategy that is often done to keep critics from slamming a bad film before its launch, in hopes the audience will watch it since they will not read the reviews.
It's worth noting that this is by no means a guarantee that "Star Trek: Discovery" will be a flop. Most horror flicks do not offer screenings as well but even though they traditionally do not receive good reviews, viewers still patronize them.
"Star Trek: Discovery" premieres Sunday, Sept. 24, on CBS. The remaining episodes will be available for streaming on CBS All Access.
