News surrounding Star Trek Discovery has remained steady since it was confirmed that the first new Star Trek television series in over a decade had finally begun filming. The main cast -- led by The Walking Dead's Sonequa Martin-Green -- was locked in last December, but Discovery continues adding to Starfleet's ranks and have even cast (or re-cast, if you will) Spock's father, Sarek. There have also been the usual and often unavoidable set leaks, leading to our first (though unconfirmed) look at a potential new Klingon design.

With production on the series moving along at such a steady pace, it was only a matter time before a new premiere date for Star Trek Discovery would be announced.

During a presentation at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves did just that, telling those gathered (via The Wrap) that Discovery will be premiering in "late summer/early fall"; later adding the mildly ominous qualifier: "Probably."

Star Trek Discovery ship design

Though Moonves seems unwilling to be certain in his statement concerning Star Trek Discovery's premiere date, fans shouldn't worry too much over his uncommitted tone. The series' premiere has already been twice delayed, so there's no need to promise a hard date for that premiere only to need to delay it again. Plus, as Moonves reiterates, CBS is committed to getting Star Trek Discovery "right" -- just as strongly as they are to their new streaming service, CBS All-Access, on which Discovery will regularly air (after an initial network premiere).

Moonves went on to call Star Trek Discovery "the family jewels" of CBS All-Access, and as The Wrap clarifies, he probably meant "crown jewel", speaking of the series' importance to the streaming network. CBS All-Access currently has more than a million subscribers but it isn't yet a threat to services like Netflix or Amazon. However, a high-profile property like Star Trek could change all that -- especially if Discovery proves a hit with fans of Star Trek new and old, bridging the generations and capturing the largest possible audience.

In order for CBS All-Access to become more than a glorified CBS on-demand, it needs a show that forces viewers to take notice (and be willing to part with another monthly subscription fee). They're banking on Star Trek Discovery being that show, and it seems they're putting a lot of effort -- and time -- into making sure it will be.

Next: Can Star Trek: Discovery Save the Star Trek Franchise

Star Trek Discovery is expected to premiere on CBS and CBS All-Access in late summer/early fall of 2017.

Source: The Wrap