Why we need Star Trek!

Star Trek is undergoing an exciting transition: Starfleet Academy tells new stories, Strange New Worlds maintains the bridge to the classic DNA – and at the same time, the big picture is changing in the background. But instead of industry news or mere speculation about the future, the Discovery Panel asks a different, deliberately more fundamental question: Why do we actually need Star Trek – especially now?

This interactive live podcast is about more than just new series. It’s about values, storytelling, character portrayals, and what has made Star Trek so special for decades – and why these ideas are still relevant today. With clear positions, different perspectives, and plenty of humor, the Discovery Panel discusses what Star Trek is currently achieving, where it challenges, where it comforts – and why the franchise is much more than nostalgia or escapism.

The audience is an explicit part of the podcast: opinions, questions, and objections are welcome. Together, we explore the role Star Trek can play in a time of change – culturally, narratively, and on a personal level.

A live podcast for everyone who loves, likes, or is perhaps just discovering Star Trek-smart, entertaining, warm, and with genuine enthusiasm for the universe that has accompanied us for decades.

About the speaker:

The Discovery Panel is the German-language podcast for everyone who not only watches Star Trek, but also likes to delve a little deeper into it. Since 2017, hosts Andreas Dohm and Sebastian Sonntag have been talking about the franchise with an analytical eye, a lot of humor, and genuine enthusiasm – following the modern timeline: from Star Trek: Discovery to Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy to Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy.

The focus is never just on new episodes, but always on the bigger picture: characters, values, and the question of why Star Trek has been successful for decades. One example of this is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, to which the Discovery Panel has dedicated its own podcast series – because the film shows like no other how political, playful, and surprisingly relevant Star Trek can be.

With over 600 episodes to date, the Discovery Panel has built up a loyal audience. Where others summarize, here they discuss, sharpen their arguments, and sometimes even disagree – with attitude, heart, and an audible desire to think together.