Everything Bryan Fuller revealed about Star Trek Discovery yesterday

For a man who couldn't talk too much about his upcoming show, Star Trek Discovery, Bryan Fuller managed to divulge quite a bit of information.

During CBS' session at the Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Fuller spoke at length about when the new series would be set, the new lead for his show and what fans should expect. To make it easier for Trek fans, we've compiled a list of the biggest takeaways from Fuller's talk.

Who's the main character?

While we don't know the main character's name, or who's playing her, we do know that she will be a woman, human and a lieutenant. It's the first time that Star Trek will be viewed through the eyes of a character who is not a captain, and Fuller said that the heart of the show will be in her journey through the universe and the people she meets. Fuller said she's on a mission to discover herself and better understand the universe she's a part of, and the 13 episodes will focus on that struggle to reach out of her safety zone.

When does the show take place?

According to Fuller, Discovery will take place 10 years before Captain James T. Kirk begins his five-year mission in the original series. Because of that, Fuller said there's a chance that older characters that are referenced in the original series could make an appearance in the first season. Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson, for example, isn't out of the realm of possibility.

What's the main plot in the show?

This is the first serialized, non-episodic Star Trek series, according to Fuller. As such, it gave the writers room to really build a story and explore that potential. Fuller couldn't get into details about the main story arc, but said it's an event that was referenced in the original series but never properly explored. He added that it was an event most Trek fans would know and that it was canonical with the original series.

What about aliens? There will be aliens, right?

Oh, there will be aliens. In fact, according to Fuller, there will be more aliens than most Star Trek series' had. Fuller said he was committed to exploring diversity within the show and that included the amount of alien species people saw. Fuller said that previously, there was one clear alien character and then seven or eight aliens that looked like humans. He wanted to diversify the alien races that people were introduced to with Discovery.

What about other traditional sci-fi characters?

There will be robots! Fuller didn't say anything else about those robots, but there will definitely be robots. One could say there may even be a Mr. Robot.

Did you really just...?

I make no apologies and I regret nothing.

Getting back to business, is there a possibility for more than 13 episodes in the future?

Probably not, unfortunately. Because the series is serialized and not as episodic or procedural in nature, it's harder for Fuller to stretch something like this over 22 episodes. The showrunner could do it, which he proved with Hannibal, but he said that both he and CBS executives thought the 13 episode length was perfect for what they were trying to accomplish.

What will the show look like?

It's going to be very '70s but with a futuristic flair, from the sounds of it. Fuller said that when they were coming up with the aesthetic — an element that Fuller is particularly interested in — they studied old '70s James Bond-inspired cars and '70s art.

Will other Star Trek characters make an appearance?

In future seasons, Fuller thinks so. Now? Definitely not. Right now, Fuller and his team want to focus on the original characters they've written and introduce new fans to them. Fuller said they already have their hands full with these new characters, and they couldn't possibly bring in any original characters this season.

When can we expect more information?

In October! Fuller said there's more information coming in October, so keep an eye out for a date around that time.

Does that mean we'll get a trailer around then?

Maybe? We didn't get any information on that. But I can make you a trailer, if you want. Just give me a couple of days.

When does this premiere again?

There's no set date yet, but we do know it will be in January next year. The show will have its premiere on CBS' regular television channel and then it will air weekly on the network's streaming service All Access in both Canada and the United States. For people who don't live in either country, the show will be made available the day after it airs on Netflix.