---
title: "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy"
year: 2026
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy"
fi1m_id: "star-trek-starfleet-academy"
imdb_id: "tt8622160"
tmdb_id: 223530
wikidata_id: "Q117350388"
fi1m_score: 76
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-09-17T20:57:22.353305+00:00"
region: "TH"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026)

Created by Gaia Violo · Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

## Identity

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** star-trek-starfleet-academy
- **IMDb ID:** tt8622160
- **TMDB ID:** 223530
- **Wikidata ID:** Q117350388
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8622160/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/223530, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117350388

**Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 71 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Holly Hunter runs the academy as though teenagers are a manageable form of intelligent life

> Holly Hunter steadies a warm, occasionally awkward *Star Trek* school drama whose young ensemble deserves more equal attention. The familiar adolescent troubles mostly earn their place beside the diplomacy, though some visual effects need work.

## Synopsis

At Starfleet’s training academy, young cadets negotiate friendships and romance while preparing for responsibilities beyond the campus. Holly Hunter plays Chancellor Nahla Ake, whose free-spirited approach puts her in charge of students still testing their limits. The ensemble includes Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diane as Jay-Den Kraag and Kerrice Brooks as Sam. Their coming-of-age troubles sit alongside questions of teamwork, interstellar diplomacy and ethical judgement. Gina Yashere plays Lura Thok, Robert Picardo appears as the Doctor, and Tig Notaro plays Jett Reno in a series that combines continuing stories with individual adventures.

## Review

*Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* makes a sensible bet: people learning how to behave might be worth following before anyone trusts them with a command. We think it largely pays off, with a warm, sometimes clumsy coming-of-age series that makes room for embarrassment alongside interstellar diplomacy. The academy setting gives the ethical questions a practical use, because these cadets are still working out how to treat one another. The trouble is how often the programme favours one young lead when it has a whole intake to explore.

Holly Hunter’s Nahla Ake is the strongest reason to persist through the more familiar school-drama business. Her free-spirited chancellor can take charge without behaving as though enjoying herself would undermine her position. Hunter makes the cadets’ boundary-testing feel like something an experienced adult could handle, which helps keep the adolescent drama in proportion. It is an assured performance in a part that could easily have become the person who appears whenever the younger cast needs a lecture.

Sandro Rosta plays Caleb Mir, alongside Karim Diane as Jay-Den Kraag and Kerrice Brooks as Sam. The opening spends too much time on a single, not especially sympathetic lead, leaving the broader ensemble with less room than it needs. That is a significant weakness in a series whose setting promises different kinds of people learning to live and work together. We want more time with the group, and more sense of how the academy itself operates.

Kirsten Beyer and Tawny Newsome are among the writers, and the material is strongest when it puts the cadets to work together. We were more touched than we expected by their attempts at teamwork, because their willingness to help one another makes the programme’s optimism credible. Adolescent awkwardness is a useful complication for stories about diplomacy and ethical judgement: these are people who still have trouble managing their own feelings. The familiar coming-of-age plotting is easier to forgive when cooperation becomes something the characters have to practise.

The comedy gives the earnestness some breathing room, and the romantic subplots belong in a series about young people discovering themselves. There is something appealing about science fiction prepared to take youthful affection seriously, even when it risks being cheesy. The familiar [*Star Trek*](https://film.one/film/star-trek) references are there, but recognising them need not be the main entertainment. A mixture of self-contained stories and continuing relationships gives the students problems to address without demanding that they grow up all at once.

The directors, including Alex Kurtzman, have a promising setting to explore, though the visual effects do not always persuade us. Some of the computer-generated imagery is unconvincing, an irritation in science fiction that asks us to accept an unfamiliar place. The cast gives us enough to watch when the spectacle falters, so the weakness rarely spoils a scene altogether. Giving the students more equal attention would do more for the programme than polishing every effect.

We recommend it to anyone who likes hopeful science fiction and has patience for familiar school-drama plotting. Expect an uneven introduction to the ensemble, and do not expect Hunter’s assurance from every part of the programme. Anyone allergic to adolescent awkwardness should take the academy in the title seriously.

*Fi1m score 76, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it, and for the same reasons. The reviews agree that setting Star Trek in a high school is a cheerful idea rather than a cynical one, and that the show’s sincerity suits a franchise built on hope. Holly Hunter’s Chancellor Ake is praised in nearly every notice as a commanding presence unlike any previous Trek captain. Several also welcome the mix of standalone episodes and a running story, and Paul Giamatti’s guest turn gets warm mentions.

The reservations are about execution. Pacing comes up repeatedly, along with filler episodes, heavy jargon and some shaky effects, and more than one review calls the series uneven or messy. The spread is wide. Collider ranks it above every other Star Trek series of the modern era, while Den of Geek, reviewing only the two-episode premiere, finds it fixated on a single unsympathetic lead at the expense of the ensemble. Radio Times sits nearer the middle, unconvinced by the characters and the sweetness.

## Straight answers

**Is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy worth watching?**

*Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* is worth watching for anyone who likes hopeful science fiction and can forgive familiar school-drama plotting, and we scored it 76. Holly Hunter's chancellor is the strongest reason to persist through an uneven introduction that favours one young lead over the wider ensemble. Some of the computer-generated imagery is unconvincing, though the cast usually carries the scene.

**Where can I watch Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in Thailand?**

*Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* is not on any streaming or rental service in Thailand at the moment. It is available in 35 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and is it suitable for children?**

*Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* carries a UK 12 certificate, which suits older children and teenagers rather than the very young. The drama is about cadets managing friendships, romance and ethical judgement, not sustained violence or horror, and our review found nothing frightening to warn about. Adolescent awkwardness and romantic subplots are the main adult content, and they are gentle.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Variety**, Aramide Tinubu (80/100, inferred): The critic praises it as a joyous, earnest, and fun YA entry that pays homage to the franchise while appealing to new viewers, highlighting the strong cast and episodic structure with overarching themes. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-paramount-plus-1236629682/)
- **Empire**, David Opie (75/100, inferred): The critic praises the series for embracing imperfection and trying something new in the Star Trek universe, highlighting Holly Hunter's commanding performance as Chancellor Ake and the fresh take on the academy setting. They note some CGI issues and cast juggling but see potential for growth. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/star-trek-starfleet-academy-season-1/)
- **The Guardian** (75/100, inferred): The series is great fun as a hormone-fuelled high-school spinoff set at the Starfleet training campus, with Holly Hunter's free-spirited chancellor standing out as unlike any previous Trek captain. It is earnest, formulaic and cheesy in the classic Trek manner, but the impulsive young cadets and their boundary-testing make it surprisingly moreish. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/15/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-holly-hunter-is-a-transgressive-thrill-in-this-horny-high-school-spinoff)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (70/100, inferred): The review notes the show is uneven and messy in execution but charming with a talented cast, especially Holly Hunter, and full of promise despite shortcomings in pacing and jargon. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-holly-hunter-paramount-1236473724/)
- **Radio Times**, Louise Griffin (3/5): The critic finds the series has potential in its setup and guest stars like Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, but criticizes the slow pace, filler episodes, uninteresting characters, and overly sweet tone. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/)
- **Collider**, Samantha Coley (9/10): The critic calls Starfleet Academy the best Star Trek series of the modern era and a bold new chapter for the franchise. They single out its perfect blend of episodic and narrative storytelling, magnetic lead performance by Holly Hunter, talented young ensemble, and writing that feels like a breath of fresh air while honoring the franchise. [Read](https://collider.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/)
- **/Film**, Jacob Hall (8/10): The critic finds the YA-flavored series delightful and recommends it to skeptical Trek fans, noting it turns elements from the divisive Discovery into sweet lemonade. They single out the comedic swings, queer romantic subplots, Paul Giamatti's guest performance, fresh approaches to the universe, and frequent Easter eggs and callbacks. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2069394/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/)
- **Paste** (B): The critic found the series a surprisingly entertaining mix of teen drama and sci-fi, noting it successfully combines adolescent awkwardness with interstellar diplomacy and ethical dilemmas. They praised its sincere coming-of-age approach as a good match for the franchise's hopeful outlook. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-tv-paramount-plus)
- **Den of Geek**, Lacy Baugher (3 out of 5): The two-episode premiere has plenty of potential in its visuals, eclectic cast, and moments of classic Trek teamwork among the cadets, but struggles to find its footing amid too much focus on a single unsympathetic lead character and insufficient attention to the broader ensemble or institution. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy-premiere-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Gaia Violo
- **Creator:** Gaia Violo
- **Director:** Douglas Aarniokoski, Andi Armaganian, Larry Teng, Alex Kurtzman, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jonathan Frakes
- **Writer:** Gaia Violo, Kirsten Beyer, Kiley Rossetter, Jane Maggs, Alex Taub, Noga Landau, Eric Anthony Glover, Kenneth Lin, Tawny Newsome
- **Teleplay:** Kirsten Beyer, Alex Kurtzman
- **Cast:** Holly Hunter as Nahla Ake; Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir; Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag; Kerrice Brooks as Series Acclimation Mil 'Sam'; George Hawkins as Darem Reymi; Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe; Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal; Gina Yashere as Lura Thok
- **Release (Thailand):** 15 January 2026
- **Genres:** Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHDDzcyNWGs

## Where to watch in Thailand

Not streaming, renting or buying in Thailand at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IT, MX, NL, NO, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Star Trek: Prodigy* (2021): Another young crew learns cooperation, with enough curiosity to make the lessons enjoyable
- *SpaceCamp* (1986): Teenage astronaut training with an earnest belief that the difficult recruits can cooperate
- *Planetes* (2003): Workplace science fiction where difficult colleagues make the future feel inhabited
- *The Class* (2008): A tougher classroom drama about authority, belonging and the limits of good intentions
- *Doctor Who* (2005): Hopeful science fiction that finds room for awkward companions and difficult moral choices

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy