The Star Trek fandom will get to enjoy plenty of Star Trek themed panels this summer! San Diego Comic-Con 2020 will now be a virtual event. We’ve listed the Star Trek oriented panels that you do not want to miss!
What is Comic-Con @Home
San Diego Comic (Comic-Con International) is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for charitable purposes and dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, including participation in and support of public presentations, conventions, exhibits, museums and other public outreach activities which celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. Due to the current global pandemic, Comic-Con International has made the decision to go online! This year’s event will now be known as Comic-Con @Home. Comic-Con @Home 2020 will feature over 350 separate panels spread out over all five days of the event. Comic-Con @Home will take place this summer from Wednesday, July 22nd until Sunday, July 26th. There will be something for everyone! All the panels will also be available on the Comic-Con YouTube channel, so you can also access them there.
How to tune into Comic-Con @Home
You can create your own MySCHED account on SCHED.com, and mark which panels you’d like to view. This list is subject to change. Please check for updateshttps://www.comic-con.org/cciathome/2020/programming-schedule.
You can view Sched.com via the Comic-Con@Home website on the specific Program pages, plus on the Anime, Films, and Games pages. You can also log into Sched.com via your personal computer, mobile phone browser, or download the Sched app for quick access on your phone.
With MySCHED, you can share your Comic-Con @Home schedule with your friends, see your favorites on your mobile devices, and synch across platforms and devices as well.
This list will be updated as more information is available but your best place to get the latest information is in the programming schedule.
Star Trek Panels
Star Trek Universe Virtual Panel
Thursday July 23, 2020 10:00am – 11:00am
Star Trek broke barriers when it first premiered more than 50 years ago, inspiring people of all walks of life by championing cultural diversity, scientific advancement, and the exploration of new frontiers. Today, this legacy carries on through the Star Trek series on CBS All Access, where Starfleet and new characters alike take on exciting missions and explore uncharted areas of the universe while keeping true to the ideals of “Star Trek” that society needs now more than ever. Join us as we virtually bring together the casts and producers from Star Trek: Discovery, new animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard.
Dominic Patten, Deadline’s senior editor, moderates the overall “Star Trek Universe” panels with an introduction and discussion with Secret Hideout Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin who give a glimpse of what’s ahead in the ever-expanding franchise.
The cast of Star Trek: Discovery reprises their roles in a virtual table read of the season two finale “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2.” Cast scheduled to appear, include Sonequa Martin-Green (Commander Michael Burnham), Michelle Yeoh (Philippa Georgiou), Doug Jones (Commander Saru), Anthony Rapp (Lt. Commander Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), Mary Chieffo (L’Rell), Tig Notaro (Commander Jett Reno), Alan Van Sprang (Captain Leland), Jayne Brook (Admiral Katrina Cornwall), and the Discovery Bridge crew Emily Coutts (Lt. Detmer), Oyin Oladejo (Lt. J.G. Owosekun), Patrick Kwok-Choon (Lt. Rhys), Ronnie Rowe Jr. (Lt. J.G. Bryce), Sara Mitich (Lt. Nilsson), and upcoming Start Trek: Strange New World stars Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Rebecca Romijn (Number One), and Ethan Peck (Spock), alongside Star Trek: Discovery executive producer and co-showrunner Michelle Paradise and executive producer Olatunde Osunsanmi, who also directed the season two finale. Act one of the table read will make its world premiere at Comic-Con@Home followed by a brief cast Q&A.
Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the upcoming animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks, which premieres Thursday, August 6 on CBS All Access, will debut an exclusive extended first look from the premiere episode. McMahan also moderates a fun discussion with the Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos, including “Ensign Beckett Mariner” voiced by Tawny Newsome, “Ensign Brad Boimler” voiced by Jack Quaid, “Ensign Tendi” voiced by Noël Wells, and “Ensign Rutherford” voiced by Eugene Cordero and the ship’s bridge crew including “Captain Carol Freeman” voiced by Dawnn Lewis, “Commander Jack Ransom” voiced by Jerry O’Connell, “Lieutenant Shaxs” voiced by Fred Tatasciore, and “Doctor T’Ana” voiced by Gillian Vigman.
Patrick Stewart and the lively cast of the hit original series Star Trek: Picard, come together (virtually) for the first time post-finale to discuss the critically acclaimed first season. Cast members scheduled to appear includes Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Isa Briones (Dahj/Soji), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), and Santiago Cabrera (Cristobal Rios) along with special guest stars Brent Spiner (Data/Dr. Soong), Jonathan Del Arco (Hugh), Jonathan Frakes (William Riker), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi).
All the Starfleet Ladies: Then and Now
Thursday July 23, 2020 12:00pm – 1:00pm
From Uhura to Janeway to Burnham, Star Trek has a rich history of portraying complex, powerful female-identifying characters. How do Star Trek authors perceive their role in continuing this legacy in their Star Trek novels? Join Una McCormack (author of Picard: The Last Best Hope), Swapna Krishna (space, tech, and pop culture journalist), author Cassandra Rose Clarke, LJ Jackson (publicity manager at Saga Press), and moderator Kendra James (editor at StarTrek.com), as they examine the ladies of Star Trek from its inception to the present.
LGBTQ Characters on Television – What’s Next?
Thursday July 23, 2020 5:00pm – 6:00pm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xe86B_9TF2g
Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time), Jamie Clayton (Roswell: New Mexico), Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery), Tatiana Maslany (Perry Mason), Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery), J. August Richards (Council of Dads), Harry Shum, Jr. (Shadowhunters), Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1: Lone Star) discuss the past, present, and future of representation of LGBTQ characters on television in a Q&A session moderated by Jim Halterman (TV Guide magazine).
The Science of Star Trek: Three Generations of Advice
Thursday July 23, 2020 5:00pm – 6:00pm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/XW07eXULxUc
From transporters to “tech the tech” to spore drives, Star Trek led in filmed TV sci-fi from its very birth DNA through its sequels with real and projected science, inspiring generations of astronauts and futurists like no other space franchise. And now, every titled science advisor for the Trek TV series since 1991 (season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation) joins “Dr. Trek” Larry Nemecek (Portal 47) to examine that legacy today: Has the old science-vs.-story-tension evolved with savvier audiences? Zoom-ing in with answers and anecdotes are scientists-turned-writers Naren Shankar, advising seasons five and six of Star Trek: The Next Generation (now showrunner/executive producer on The Expanse), André Bormanis and his 19 total Trek seasons after that (now co-executive producer, The Orville), and Dr. Erin Macdonald (all six current Star Trek series shooting/in development).
The Psychology of Star Trek vs. Star Wars
Friday July 24, 2020 2:00pm – 3:00pm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/aFbQAJsNobk
Back by popular demand, the Trek vs Wars discussion returns to Comic-Con in Episode VI, with examinations of Discovery, Picard, and, of course, Rise of Skywalker! Designed to engage the audience in a healthy–but fun–debate, this panel explores meaningful topics of psychology prominent in Star Trek & Star Wars. Who’s more emotionally intelligent, Picard or Luke? How do hero characters Rey and Burnham show us healthy coping and self-care? And what’s the importance of legacy when it comes to saving the universe? Join pop culture psychologists Dr. Drea Letamendi (Lattes with Leia) and Dr. Ali Mattu (The Psych Show) as they enlist the persuasive viewpoints of special guests Todd Stashwick (Star Trek: Enterprise), and Jennifer Muro (Star Wars: Forces of Destiny). Moderated by Brian Ward (The Arkham Sessions).
UnMasked: Rhapsody PR’s Behind-the-Music panel
Friday July 24, 2020 2:00pm – 3:00pm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/kKX0Qh049ds
Music creatives Sean Callery (Homeland), Jeff Russo (Star Trek: Picard), Maggie Phillips (Fargo), Torin Borrowdale (Locke & Key), Amanda Jones (Twenties), and Nathaniel Blume (Prodigal Son) reveal the secrets behind creating music for TV’s most groundbreaking and thrilling programs. Moderated by actress Mary Chieffo (Star Trek: Discovery).
TV Guide Magazine Fan Favorites
Friday July 24, 2020 6:00pm – 7:00pm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/x4X505oQZpE
The magazine entirely devoted to TV hosts its 11th annual gathering of stars we adore from across the television galaxy to trade stories of fan encounters, backstage tales, and the importance of representation for fans of every walk of life. This year’s don’t-miss lineup, moderated by TVGM senior writer Damian Holbrook, includes Hale Appleman (The Magicians), Lindsey Morgan and Richard Harmon (The 100), Robbie Amell (Upload), Kennedy McMann (Nancy Drew), Alex Newell (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Picard), Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), and Ashleigh Murray (Riverdale, Katy Keene).
Inglorious Treksperts: 30 Years of Best of Both Worlds
Saturday July 25, 2020 10:00am – 11:00am
YouTube: https://youtu.be/2BqxKFkRnQU
The hosts of the hit Star Trek podcast, Inglorious Treksperts, are joined by actress Elizabeth Dennehy (“Commander Shelby”) to discuss the making of one of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s most beloved episodes, “The Best of Both Worlds” which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Join the celebration of the cybernetic super baddies and the episode that changed Star Trek forever with co-hosts Mark A. Altman (author, The Fifty-Year Mission, Free Enterprise), Daren Dochterman (VFX Supervisor, Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition) and Ashley E. Miller (writer, Thor, X-Men: First Class).
Picard 2020: A Literary Retrospective
Saturday July 25, 2020 1:00pm – 2:00pm
With the excitement surrounding the new Star Trek series, let’s take a look back at the most bookish captain in Starfleet. How did he evolve on the page and the screen? What do his favorite books and plays say about him as a character and as a leader? Take a deep dive into Picard’s bookshelf with Una McCormack (author of Picard: The Last Best Hope), David Mack (author of Star Trek: More Beautiful Than Death), Stephen Graham Jones (author of The Only Good Indians), Alex White (author of The Big Ship at the End of the Universe), and moderator Lauren Jackson (marketing/publicity manager at Saga Press).
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