History Trivia / StarTrekDiscovery

** Season Two introduces Lieutenant Commander Jet Reno, who mentions that her wife died during the war with the Klingons the previous season. Reno is played by Creator/TigNotaro, who is also gay.

* BadExportForYou: Inverted. In all countries ''besides'' the United States and Canada, the show is available on Netflix, updating weekly. American viewers must buy a subscription to CBS All Access to watch, while Canadians have the good fortune of the show actually airing on television (on [[Creator/SpaceChannel Space]], soon to be rebranded as CTV Sci-Fi).

* OlderThanTheyThink:
** The spore drive uses tardigrades for space travel like in the adventure game ''Tardigrades''.
** Michael Burnham wears a suit and helmet with a heads up display much like the suit in ''Film/IronMan2''.
** Control being a villainous AI related to Section 31 was the plot of ''Literature/StarTrekSection31Control''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Ex-showrunner Bryan Fuller has claimed that he intended for the uniforms to be more reminiscent of the original series and wanted to make each season as some kind of anthology, but Creator/{{CBS}} pushed for a new uniform design and a serialized storyline.

** Unsurprisingly, within weeks, new subscriptions to All Access weren't anywhere near CBS's targets. Netflix, feeling it had been had, told CBS that they would be greatly reducing their offer for the overseas rights for the next season.

** The show lost its biggest supporter in the executive suite when CBS president Leslie Moonves was forced to step down after some serious sexual harassment and assault allegations. Viacom has not had much luck selling the overseas rights for the second season outside Canada, so it made a series of 20-minute shorts focusing on an individual character from the show (including one who hasn't yet otherwise been introduced) as a way of stirring interest from those buyers.

** The original showrunners had envisioned the show relying entirely on its own characters, needing little reference to the original series beyond Surak. CBS, panicking, fired them after six episodes, replacing them with Robert Orci, whose success with the rebooted ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' had made the network trust his ability to revive an old show. Shortly afterwards, Creator/RainnWilson was written into the show as a younger Harry Mudd, along with his wife Stella.
** Orci then lost the show's biggest supporter in the executive suite when CBS president Leslie Moonves was forced to step down after some serious sexual harassment and assault allegations. Viacom has not had much luck selling the overseas rights for the second season outside Canada, so it made a series of 20-minute shorts focusing on an individual character from the show (including one who hasn't yet otherwise been introduced) as a way of stirring interest from those buyers.

** Season Two introduces Lieutenant Commander Jet Reno, who mentions that her wife died during the war with the Klingons the previous season. Reno is played by Creator/TigNotaro.

* DuelingShows: With ''Series/TheOrville''. One is an AffectionateParody of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' that is said to be a [[LighterAndSofter reaction to the trend of dark and dramatic science fiction shows]], and one plays it completely straight with a show that is DarkerAndEdgier than even ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Both feature a cast of veteran character actors (including one series regular on ''Orville'', Penny Johnson Jerald, who was a {{recurrer}} on ''[=DS9=]''), and both have vastly superior special effects to any previous ''Star Trek'' series.
** For their first seasons, the two shows also debuted within a couple of weeks of each other due to ''Discovery'''s ScheduleSlip, though the first season of ''The Orville'' was shorter in length than ''Discovery''.
** For the second season, ''Discovery'' episodes shifted to being released at 8:30 PM on Thursdays, which not-so-coincidentally is the day of the week that ''The Orville'' airs on {{Creator/Fox}} at 9:00 PM.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Ex-showrunner Bryan Fuller has claimed that he intended for the uniforms to be more reminiscent of the original series and wanted to make each season as some kind of anthology, but Creator/{{CBS}} pushed for a new uniform design and a serialized storyline. While Fuller has worked in ''Star Trek'' shows previously, his collaborator Aaron Harberts has since become showrunner and is relatively fresh, and has made a few misstatements (see below) about the show's history.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/JasonIsaacs as heroic (if slightly grey and potentially PTSD-ridden) Starfleet Captain Gabriel Lorca. [[spoiler:Subverted when it's revealed his character is actually the MirrorUniverse Lorca, and as evil as they come. DoubleSubverted as Jason Isaacs voices Prime!Lorca in ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'', who is an exemplary Starfleet captain, and would almost certainly play the character should Prime!Lorca appear in any future episodes of ''Discovery''.]]

* LyingCreator: Much like the whole [[spoiler:John Harrison/Khan Noonien Singh]] thing in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', the showrunners, actors, and studio keep going to crazy lengths to [[TheUntwist obfuscate plot twists in the face of viewers' eagerness to crowdsource theories]] from the show's ChekhovsArmory, including creating a fake [=IMDb=] profile for [[spoiler:Javid Iqbal as a pseudonym for Shazad Latif (Voq and Ash Tyler)]]. So much so that they're actually starting to [[https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-trek-discoverys-horrible-new-twist-made-a-great-c-1822293414 take flak for it]] from [[https://geekdad.com/2018/01/star-trek-discovery-episode-12-recap-reactions-ruminations-vaulting-ambition-whatever/ professional and semipro critics.]]
* NoNameGiven: Uniquely for a ''Star Trek'' series, several of the ongoing regular bridge crewmembers don't get referred to by any name name until midway through the first season, and several others remain unidentified as of the end of the first season.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Many viewers heartily approved that Mia Kirschner, who plays Amanda Grayson, is basically a younger version of Jane Wyatt, Amanda's original actress. She also has a similar appearance to Creator/WinonaRyder, who played Amanda in the 2009 film.

** Creator/TonyTodd expressed interest about working on the new series and even confirmed he was on a casting list of the studio.

** [[Film/DevilInABlueDress WalterMosley]] was hired as a writer for Season 3, but quit after less than a month over feeling the writer's room was overly hostile, including reporting him to HR for using the N-word in a story about how a cop said it to him.

** Creator/WalterMoseley was hired as a writer for Season 3, but quit after less than a month over feeling the writer's room was overly hostile, including reporting him to HR for using the N-word in a story about how a cop said it to him.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/JasonIsaacs as heroic (if slightly grey and potentially PTSD-ridden) Starfleet Captain Gabriel Lorca. [[spoiler:Subverted when it's revealed his character is actually the MirrorUniverse Lorca, and as evil as they come.]]

* AscendedFanon: Although the existence of Capt. Robert April, the very first captain of the ''Enterprise'' (pre-dating Pike) was first revealed in ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'', and later referenced in many novels and comics, for a long time the owners of the ''Trek'' franchise did not recognize April as canon, due to having originated in the animated series, which was not considered canon, either. An on-screen reference to April in an early episode of ''Discovery'' marks the first time the live-action franchise has acknowledged his existence. In the second season, another on-screen reference explicitly named him as Pike's predecessor as the captain of the ''Enterprise''.
** in the second part of “Such Sweet Sorrow,” Pike at one point refers to Number One as Una, a name used in the Literature/StarTrekLegacies trilogy to refer to her, given that she was no longer a first officer by the time of the novels.

* DawsonCasting: As a fourth-year cadet [[spoiler:(eventually comissioned and holding the rank of ensign in the Season 1 finale)]], the character of Sylvia Tilly is supposed to be in her early twenties (most likely 22 or 23 by the end of the first season), whereas the actress portraying her, Mary Wiseman, was actually 32 (the same age as ''Burnham''-actress Sonequa Martin-Green) when the season was shot.

* FunWithSubtitles: The subtitle options include Klingon. (On Netflix in some countries, but not on CBS in the United States.)

* KillerApp: {{Invoked|Trope}}. CBS are hoping to push (American) membership in their premium streaming service, "CBS All Access," by making it the only way to get at this show. In fairness, this has been an effective tactic for Creator/{{Netflix}} (''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''), and Creator/{{HBO}} has been doing it for years (''Series/GameOfThrones'', ''Series/TheSopranos'', etc).
* TheOtherDarrin: Due to being a prequel and thus a case of TimeShiftedActor for both roles (as well as the original actors being dead), James Frain and Creator/RainnWilson respectively replace Mark Lenard as Sarek and Roger C. Carmel as Harry Mudd.

** More traditionally, Hannah Cheesman replaces Sara Mitich as Lt. Cdr. Airiam for season 2.

* NotScreenedForCritics: In mid-September 2017, CBS embargoed any reviews of the new series being released before its premiere, normally a bad sign for any production. However, [[http://nerdist.com/star-trek-discovery-first-reactions-positive/ early reactions turned out to be quite positive.]]

* QueerCharacterQueerActor: Stamets and Culber are gay. So are Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, the men who play them.

** According to several sources, the series was going to be more in line with the Original Series' aesthetics, but rights issues put those plans in the can. For specifics, the series was made by an affiliate of Paramount under an "alternative license" (as CBS is the current owner of the ''Star Trek'' franchise), and everything made with that license has to be different enough from all ''Star Trek'' media prior to the 2009 reboot to keep both ''Star Trek'' franchises apart for merchandise licensing.

** Creator/AngelaBassett was an early casting favourite, but she was busy with ''Series/AnAmericanHorrorStory''.

* ActingForTwo: Several actors portray the [[spoiler:Mirror Universe counterparts of their usual characters]] during the latter half of the first season.

** As mentioned below under TroubledProduction, ''Discovery'' is bound by what is referred to as the 25% rule, which requires at least a 25% difference of anything from previous elements of televised ''Trek'', due to complicated rights issues.

* IKnewIt: A number of fan theories were proven correct throughout the first season:
** That [[spoiler:''Discovery'' and her crew emerged into the MirrorUniverse at the end of "Into The Forest I Go"]].
** That [[spoiler:Ash Tyler turned out to be Voq, surgically altered and turned into a ManchurianAgent]].
** That [[spoiler:Captain Lorca was from the mirror universe all along]].
** That [[spoiler:Captain Georgiou would return in some fashion]].
** That [[spoiler:the Captain Pike-era U.S.S. ''Enterprise'' would appear]].

* SpoiledByTheCastList: [[spoiler:The series unsuccessfully attempted to avert this. Voq subsequently infiltrates the ''Discovery'' crew as a human named Ash Tyler, with both "characters" played by the same actor, Shazad Latif. In the early episodes of the series, Voq was credited on-screen and in media cast lists as being played by a fictitious actor, "Javid Iqbal". Unfortunately, in the age of the internet, it didn't take long for fans to notice that "Iqbal" had no other film or TV credits and no other internet or social media footprint, leading almost all of them to guess the twist. After the on-screen twist reveal, Latif confirmed that "Javid Iqbal" had been his father's name.]]

* AscendedFanon: Although the existence of Capt. Robert April, the very first captain of the ''Enterprise'' (predating Pike) was first revealed in ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'', and later referenced in many novels and comics, for a long time the owners of the Trek franchise did not recognize April as canon due to having originated in the animated series, which was not considered canon either. An on-screen reference to April in an early episode of ''Discovery'' marks the first time the live-action franchise has acknowledged his existence. In the second season, another on-screen reference explicitly named him as Pike's predecessor as the captain of the ''Enterprise''.

** As mentioned below under TroubledProduction, Discovery is bound by what is referred to as the 25% rule, which requires at least a 25% difference of anything from previous elements of televised Trek, due to complicated rights issues.

** That [[spoiler: Captain Lorca was from the mirror universe all along]].
** That [[spoiler: Captain Georgiou would return in some fashion]].
** That [[spoiler: the Captain Pike-era U.S.S. ''Enterprise'' would appear]].
* KillerApp: {{Invoked}}. CBS are hoping to push (American) membership in their premium streaming service, "CBS All Access," by making it the only way to get at this show. In fairness, this has been an effective tactic for Creator/{{Netflix}} (''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''), and Creator/{{HBO}} has been doing it for years (''Series/GameOfThrones'', ''Series/TheSopranos'', etc).

** After it was revealed that Captain Georgiou would be seen on the show in some capacity after [[spoiler: the character's death]], a handful of fans were hoping that it meant the character would be [[spoiler:brought back to life in some way]]. With the revelation in "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS1E04TheButchersKnifeCaresNotForTheLambsCry The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry]]" that [[spoiler:the remaining Klingons on T'kuvma's ship ''ate her corpse during a food shortage'']], the theory was quickly shut down: her subsequent appearances are all {{flashback}}s and a recording made before her death. [[spoiler:Well, and her MirrorUniverse counterpart, the ''Terran Emperor''.]]
* LyingCreator: Much like the whole [[spoiler:John Harrison/Khan Noonien Singh]] thing in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', the showrunners, actors, and studio keep going to crazy lengths to [[TheUntwist obfuscate plot twists in the face of viewers' eagerness to crowdsource theories]] from the show's ChekhovsArmory, including creating a fake IMDB profile for [[spoiler:Javid Iqbal as a pseudonym for Shazad Latif (Voq and Ash Tyler)]]. So much so that they're actually starting to [[https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-trek-discoverys-horrible-new-twist-made-a-great-c-1822293414 take flak for it]] from [[https://geekdad.com/2018/01/star-trek-discovery-episode-12-recap-reactions-ruminations-vaulting-ambition-whatever/ professional and semipro critics]].

* NotScreenedForCritics: In mid-September 2017, CBS embargoed any reviews of the new series being released before its premiere, normally a bad sign for any production. However, [[http://nerdist.com/star-trek-discovery-first-reactions-positive/ early reactions turned out to be quite positive]].

* RefittedForSequel: The ''Discovery'''s design is based on [[https://static.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/51ce6099e4b0d911b4489b79/51ce61d6e4b0d911b44a2ff6/1293834330317/1000w/phaseIIenterprise.jpeg Ralph [=McQuarrie=]'s concept art]] for the refit ''Enterprise'' from ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''.
* ScheduleSlip: The first episode was supposed to premiere in January 2017 but this was later pushed back to May. January 24 brought news that they had finally started filming the pilot. Les Moonves, the head of CBS, later stated that the series would start airing in the "late summer or fall" of 2017. The delays led to ''Series/TheGoodFight'' being moved up to take its place as the debut series for CBS All Access. Its official premiere date ended up on September 24, 2017, resulting in an unplanned DuelingShows scenario with the Trek homage, ''Series/TheOrville''.

* SerendipityWritesThePlot: It's widely assumed that part of the reason for the drastically redesigned Klingon makeup was the need to make [[spoiler: actor Shazid Latif, who plays Ash Tyler, completely unrecognizable when in makeup as Voq]], although many fans [[IKnewIt figured it out anyway.]]

** CBS's major idea was to use ''Discovery'' to entice viewers to sign up for the CBS All Access app. To do this they sold the overseas distribution rights to Netflix, in return getting a price so high it practically paid for the entire production cost. However, this meant that in the US, after the first part of the pilot aired on broadcast, anyone wanting to watch the series ''had'' to subscribe to CBS All Access, alienating and angering many viewers[[note]]who often learned this the hard way[[/note]] who didn't want to pay $6 a month for the privilege of watching ''Discovery'' and, for them, nothing else they weren't getting anywhere else.

** According to several sources, the series was going to be more in line with the Original Series' aesthetics, but rights issues put those plans in the can. For specifics, the series was made by an affiliate of Paramount under an "alternative license" (as CBS is the current owner of the Star Trek franchise) and everything made with that license has to be different enough from all Star Trek media prior to the 2009 reboot to keep both Star Trek franchises apart for merchandise licensing.

** According to several sources, the series was going to be more in line with the Original Series' aesthetics, but rights issues put those plans in the can. For specifics, the series was made by an affiliate of Paramount under an "alternative license" (as CBS is the current owner of the Star Trek franchise) and everything made with that license has to be (%25) visually and tonally different from all Star Trek media prior to the 2009 reboot to keep both Star Trek franchises apart for merchandise licensing.

** Season Two introduces Lieutenant Commander Jet Reno, who mentions that her wife died during the war with the Klingons the previous season. Reno is played by TigNotaro.

** As of season two, we can add Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn as Christopher Pike, Spock, and Number One to the list as well, whose original portrayers (Jeffery Hunter, Creator/LeonardNimoy, and Creator/MajelBarrett, respectively) have all passed as well.

** According to several sources, the series was going to be more in line with the Original Series' estetics, but rights issues put those plans in the can. For specifics, the series was made by an affiliate of Paramount under an "alternative license" (as CBS is the current owner of the Star Trek franchise) and everything made with that license has to be (%25) visually and tonally different from all Star Trek media prior to the 2009 reboot to keep both Star Trek franchises apart for merchandise licensing.