The latest launch from Starfleet's spacedock, Star Trek: Discovery, has been fraught with controversy since its inception. Between production delays, a showrunner change-up, the contentious Prime timeline setting, and its location within series continuity (before Star Trek: The Original Series), the show already took a good deal of flack. And CBS suffered the greatest fan ire over its choice of venue: their monthly pay streaming service, CBS All Access. Nine episodes later, the show continues to vex some fans but has garnered enough critical and fan support to land another season. It's launch also netted All Access an infusion of subscribers, securing the show a second season.Now, during the program's mid-season break, is an excellent time to explore the viability of the streaming service that Discovery breathed new life into. The power of the show is undeniable, as it drove the 2014-launched subscriber voice-over-data service a record number of new subscriptions, likely keeping the execs happy and the fledgling streaming service trucking along. While All Access is the only place fans can enjoy the modern, darker version of Trek, the popular show remains one of the service's few draws.

Could a handful of other original shows and a back catalog of CBS reruns fuel the streaming network without its "star" player?

Crunching the (Available) Numbers

While the numbers aren't readily available, network bigwigs already cleared Discovery for a second voyage, suggesting it's working hard for its budget. In fact, CBS Interactive COO Marc DeBevoise proclaimed the show is œabsolutely a success. The accompanying Engadget article also pointed out that All Access (combined with their heavy-lifting streaming sibling, Showtime) expects to clear 4 million subscribers by year's end which is halfway to the network's goal of 8 million patrons by 2020 largely thanks to the Star Trek spike. However, it's difficult to tell how many audience members left the service since Discovery's launch.

At the beginning of 2017, Variety reported that All Access had rounded 1.5 million subscribers roughly equivalent to Showtime's headcount at the time. Initial downloads of the CBS mobile app nearly doubled on Discovery's launch, climbing 64% and spiking at roughly 46,000 downloads although it's unclear how many downloaders became long-term customers. In contrast, HBO's mobile app scored 171,000 fresh downloads when their juggernaut series Game of Thrones rolled out its seventh season. But you have to start somewhere: the more aplomb Discovery earns, the more fans will pony up the dosh and stick around for each new development.

Clearly, the new Trek boosted All Access in a big way. Unfortunately, the channel hasn't divulged how many viewers stuck around through the first half of the series' run, much less how many will drop and re-subscribe during the midseason break, and likely won't note the change between seasons. In the meanwhile, CBS is banking on our love of reruns and a few current and upcoming new offerings. It's a big gamble, but it's sort-of paid off thus far, at least for a service initially meant to supplement their network broadcast.

So, what does All Access have on the docket?

News and Nostalgia

All Access

The All Access package also includes access to CBSN, a 24-hour news service akin to MSNBC or CNN. Their live current events œchannel has been running since 2014. However, cable subscribers already have their pick of the litter, as far as live coverage goes. Plus, the news channel is available at CBS.com, at least to a lesser degree, hence not exclusive content. Unless you're a dedicated newshound, 24/7 CBSN probably won't sell you on another $6-10 bucks a month. Of course, All Access also throws in the kitchen sink: their extensive back catalog.

A must for nostalgia nuts, their classic TV inventory includes many enjoyable, once-run series like Cheers, NCIS(s) to their heart's content, 48 Hours and 60 Minutes investigations, and a catalog of Golden Age classics like Perry Mason and I Love Lucy. Yet certain popular favorites, such as The Big Bang Theory, are only available in brief, due to the off-company licensing. In addition, current-run programs like Young Sheldon or Scorpion are really only enticing if you can't stand weekly TV and prefer to binge network shows later. And, while the decades worth of Star Trek is a great way to escape into the sci-fi world between episodes of Discovery, most of the episodes are, more or less, available on Hulu, Netflix, and BBC America for the moment.

Yes, there's also NFL football or at least a selection of live-streaming regional games, but CBS already broadcasts a similar spread on the network. If the back catalog, news, and football aren't enough to coax yet another streaming fee, then All Access might have to depend on their scant run of online-only content.

Good Fight

Upcoming Original Content

As far as new series go, All Access' offering remains fairly slender at present. Reality TV bludgeoner Big Brother landed a web-exclusive standalone, which kicked off in October and received an unsurprisingly so-so response. CBS also recently launched the Will Ferrell/Funny or Die-produced cop-edy, No Activity. Based on the eponymous Australian sitcom, the series premiered to positive if underwhelming acclaim. Yet one funny cop show and a bonus houseful of drama aren't enough to sustain a subscription fee.

Legal eagles who loved The Good Wife, which was cynically (or realistically) hailed as one of TV's last great dramas, can crash through the first ten episodes of Diane Lockhart's (Christine Baranski) spin-off, The Good Fight. Rating high with critics and fans, CBS didn't divulge whether its presence punched up their subscribers, although they alluded to a user bump after the premiere shifted the show from broadcast to streaming models. The second series won't premiere until some point in 2018, though, so All Access won't know how much clout it has to keep the home fires burning on the tablets and laptops of holiday viewers.

In addition to their traditional fare, the service is playing with nontraditional programs and toying with more of a mature vibe. Strange Angel, to be scripted by Mark Heyman (Black Swan), explores the true-story-based double life of John Parsons: rocket scientist-by-day; Aleister Crowley acolyte and sex magick occultist by-night (based off the 2006 George Pendle book). Another new series, $1, plays up the arthouse possibilities of the less-restrictive format, something which might hold audience attention if it's high-concept the show will follow a dollar bill as it changes hands around a murderous town pans out.

Most significantly, especially for retaining a sci-fi crossover audience, All Access is working on yet another Twilight Zone revival. The series will be bolstered by the involvement of horror/comedy maestro Jordan Peele (Get Out), along with Daredevil showrunner Marco Ramirez. While an anthology series is less likely to hit fandom red zones than a continuity-dicing Star Trek, turning the third reboot of Rod Serling's beloved series into an SVOD tentpole will take impressive reviews, a major dose of nostalgia, and an incredibly fresh look which Peele and Ramirez might be able to deliver.

Life After Star Trek?

The Twilight Zone Rod Serling

Prior to September 24, CBS All Access was surviving if not thriving. A cool million and a half viewers are solid numbers, but the service could seriously drop off between season 1 and 2 of Discovery. Unfortunately, unless CBS releases hard user data, there's no way to know for certain whether their streaming service is staying the course or dipping off. Still, if the channel can land a few engrossing series beyond Star Trek, they'll put themselves in a heartier territory. But it won't be easy: the competition has a serious head start.

The high-profile presence of the Peele and Ramirez's Twilight Zone reboot, as well as Will Ferrell's quirky comedy (presuming it builds acclaim and solid word-of-mouth), in addition to some well-received dramas, might be enough to bolster the fledgling streamer during the lean months. However, one acclaimed drama, a famous comedian vanity show, as well as guilty pleasures like Big Brother, must make up the difference between Discovery's high profile viewership.

To truly thrive, though, All Access has to shine beyond Discovery's shadow. Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu suck in eyes with gripping original dramas like The Handmaiden's Tale, Stranger Things, and The Man in the High Castle., as well as high-profile comedies. A handful of shows won't keep All Access afloat for years to come, but buzzworthy TV made for binge-watching will. They'll also want to streamline their service to avoid frustrating glitches, such as what happened during Star Trek's all-important sixth episode, "Lethe." Upgrading their video and sound quality to match their competitors wouldn't hurt either.

Either way, CBS is nearing a crux. Given the power of Discovery and its fan base, they can use it as a springboard to expand their streaming clout and add noteworthy shows. Or, they can play it safe and watch Star Trek carry the service until its eventual end, without growing its reach or giving viewers a reason to stay loyal after the final frontier fades into the horizon. The jury is still out on All Access' chances to shine.

Next: Star Trek: Discovery May Determine the Future of CBS Streaming Service

Star Trek: Discovery chapter two kicks off on Sunday, January 7, 2018 on CBS All Access.

Source: Engadget, Variety, Deadline