Actually, I wonder if this show was greenlit in some way because of Prodigy’s cancellation. They’re trying to draw in a younger audience for the sake of the franchise’s long term prospects, but Prodigy didn’t get as many views on Paramount+ as they hoped (and is now on a different service), so they wanted to make a version of that which is better suited to streaming, without the awkward concessions to Nickelodeon’s release schedule.

Though, I think the problem is really Paramount+. A streaming service that is best known for Star Trek and a bunch of dramas that old people watch is unlikely to get anyone under 30 into Star Trek.