This week the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Star Trek franchise kick into high gear with the two-episode premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Each week we’ll be bringing you episode stills and commentary on the ten episode season which kicks off on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026.
First up is the series premiere episode, “Kids These Days”, written by series creator Gaia Viola, and directed by co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman. But before we dive in to the stills, let’s take a look at the synopsis for the episode:
After being on the run since age 6, 21-year-old Caleb, a brilliant street kid, is offered the chance of a lifetime: to join the first new Starfleet Academy class in San Francisco in over a century. There’s just one problem – the person offering him the spot is newly-minted Chancellor Nahla Ake, the Starfleet captain who sentenced his mother to Federation prison 15 years ago…
In our four-star first impressions of the season Neil says “Starfleet Academy successfully bridges Trek’s storied past with a bold vision for its future, even if the teenage drama elements won’t convince everyone. The stellar adult cast anchors the show while the cadets grow into their roles, with standout episode “Series Acclimation Mil” proving the series understands what makes Trek special. It’s an ambitious, hopeful addition to the franchise that earns its place at the table.”
Take a look at all 21 officially released images from “Kids These Days” below:
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy stars Holly Hunter as the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, the Starfleet cadets played by Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins and Bella Shepard, plus Zoë Steiner, Tig Notaro, Robert Picardo, and guest stars Oded Fehr, Mary Wiseman, as well as recurring guest stars Gina Yashere and Paul Giamatti.
Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber. The series’ premiere episode is written by Gaia Violo and directed by Alex Kurtzman. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Japan. The series is also available on Paramount+ in Canada. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
