Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is getting a lot of praise from critics, and one standout part of the series is the Academy itself. The franchise is known for constructing intricate sets that give the actors a true sense of space and objects to interact with. From the atrium to the classrooms, it looks amazing on screen, and listening to actors Oded Fehr and Robert Picardo praise the sets compared to their previous shows really drove home how impressive it is.
I had a chance to speak to Fehr and Picardo recently, both of whom reprise their respective roles of Admiral Vance and The Doctor, having appeared on previous Trek shows. Given that, I had to know how the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy set measured up to Discovery and Voyager, and both men had a lot to say on the matter.
Oded Fehr Had Nothing But Positive Praise For Starfleet Academy’s Set
The set for the actual college, the atrium, is insane. One of the, if not the biggest, sets I’ve ever worked on. And it’s so complex, all the classrooms are there. Everything that you see is there, and I think it goes 3 stories high. It’s an incredible set to work on, incredible.
I’d heard before it premiered that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy built a school to serve as its set, and it appears that was not a complete exaggeration. While it may not be a full-blown facility, a three-story set for the Academy is pretty damn impressive, and something I’d love to see brought to a convention, or even one of the Universal Parks Fan Nights. I doubt it’ll happen, but I’d love to walk through it!
The Admiral Vance actor added that he also enjoyed seeing the Athena bridge, where Captain Ake holds dominion, and compared it to the Discovery bridge. Even as a Trekkie, I never thought to compare the two, so I was fascinated by the ways he spoke about how they differed:
The Discovery Bridge was very much a bridge that felt that like it was built for action It’s a, it’s a little darker, kind of more dangerous. The Athena Bridge is a little warmer, a little more what you would feel a college would be. It’s kind of circular, all encompassing, everybody gets to play. A lot of fun.
It’s nice to hear someone point out the differences in a constructive way, rather than the current discourse surrounding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which even encouraged Whoopi Goldberg to speak out. Those who want more of the same can always revisit old shows with a Paramount+ subscription. We should embrace the differences the new shows give us.
Robert Picardo Believes The Entire Voyager Set Could Fit In The College Set
Of course, I had to ask the most-veteran Star Trek actor on the cast about Starfleet Academy, and how it measured up to the sets he worked on during Voyager. Robert Picardo had previously spoken about some of the changes he made for this series in his return, but he seemed pleased overall with what he saw of the set. So much so that he had a suggestion for fans who watch, if they truly want to embrace just how great the school looks:
The Voyager sets were wonderful, they had great detail and were very solid, but they were small by comparison. You could probably collect all of them and fit them inside the one big Starfleet Academy Atrium set, or massive main set, which is just awe-inspiring when you step onto it…I encourage everyone to watch the pilot twice. Watch it first with the sound on, and the second time turn the sound off and just watch the set and look at all the detail in it.
It’s a lot to take in, and there are certainly points where I forgot these students aren’t in an actual building, but a massive set on one of the biggest soundstages. Creating a ship like Voyager, or Discovery, or even the Enterprise, is a big deal, butI think making an academy is an entirely different feat we should all appreciate.
Catch new episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Thursdays on Paramount+. As someone who saw the first six episodes in advance, I can promise that there are some pretty big stories on the way that fans won’t want to miss!
