Rumors have circulated for awhile that Viacom is mulling a re-merger, which would put all of Star Trek back under one corporate umbrella.
Star Trek Discovery’s version of the legendary USS Enterprise – which made a surprise appearance at the end of the show’s first season finale – was slightly redesigned for legal purposes, according to show designer John Eaves.
Eaves suggests Discovery couldn’t use the original Enterprise design for the same reasons Abrams’ films couldn’t…but Discovery is produced by CBS, which controls Star Trek’s television back catalog.
When Viacom split up in 2005, CBS Television ended up with the TV rights to Star Trek, and Paramount Pictures ended up with the rights to the movies.