TODAY IN STAR TREK HISTORY: The Ready Room Premieres

Episode one title card of THE READY ROOM. Image: CBS All Access.

JANUARY 25, 2023 – While this writer first became aware of the idea of an aftershow with Talking Dead, which followed The Walking Dead, aftershows have been around for longer than that one. Today we’re celebrating one of Star Trek’s versions of the aftershow, The Ready Room, which premiered on this date in 2019.

Aftershows are, of course, the talk shows that follow new episodes of a television series and involve discussions of that episode and series. According to Wikipedia, the idea has been around, at least in North America, since MTV Canada’s The After Show. Other earlier aftershows include Doctor Who Confidential, which first aired in 2005, and Thronecast, beginning in 2011.

In 2019, though, season two of Star Trek: Discovery was underway. On January 25, a new aftershow premiered on Facebook Live following the airing of the first two episodes of Discovery, “Brother” and “New Eden.” The Ready Room was hosted by Naomi Kyle, and her guests were executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. Kyle had been known previously as the host of The Daily Fix for IGN. She also has a number of acting credits, including Ranger Kelly in Mad Families and Apollyon in The Strange Adventures of Gravemind the Warlock. She hosted thirteen episodes of The Ready Room.

Prior to The Ready Room, After Trek, hosted by Matt Mira, had been the Discovery aftershow.  

Following Naomi Kyle’s tenure on the show, Wil Wheaton took over as host, beginning in January of 2020 to coincide with season one of Star Trek: Picard. The show has gone on to partially cover Star Trek: Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds as well. It is currently up to four seasons consisting of 75 episodes.

Season one of The Ready Room with Naomi Kyle can be seen on YouTube, including episode one. Season two with Wil Wheaton is available as well, on the Paramount Plus YouTube channel.