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Even Star Trek: Discovery's cast wants Patrick Stewart on the show

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, unfortunately, is busy with his own project.

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Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Picard Day

Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) with the Picard Day banner on board the Enterprise.

 Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET

Ask Mary Wiseman, who plays Cadet Sylvia Tilly on Star Trek : Discovery, which Star Trek alumni she wants on the show, and she doesn't hesitate.

"Patrick Stewart," she spits out.

Watch this: What Star Trek character would you like to see on Discovery?

She may not even need Capt. Jean-Luc Picard to show up -- just the man who plays him would be fine. Stewart is "my favorite actor," she said.

She's not alone. Wilson Cruz, who plays Dr. Hugh Culber, says the cast was "out of our minds excited" about Picard getting his own series.

Even co-executive producer Heather Kaden is a fan of the idea of bringing Picard to Discovery.

Unfortunately, both Kaden and fellow executive producer Alex Kurtzman shot down the possibility, noting that Picard is in a different timeline. Still, having Stewart back in the Star Trek fold could make it a lot easier. And it's not like time travel doesn't exist in Star Trek, right?

Who else do the cast members want to see somehow appear on Discovery? Sonequa Martin-Green, who leads the show as Michael Burnham, said she wanted to meet Capt. Benjamin Sisko from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Capt. Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager.

Anthony Rapp, who plays Paul Stamets, said he wants to see Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

Doug Jones, who plays Saru, said Spock was his favorite character.

"He was the tall skinny one who doesn't look like anyone in the bridge, and I get that," he quipped. But with new cast member Ethan Peck taking on the role of Spock, Jones suggested a villain like Khan Noonien Singh.

"What would Khan have been like back then?" he asked. "Maybe a teenager who hadn't found himself yet?"

Discovery returns Jan. 17 on CBS All Access. (Disclosure: CBS All Access is owned by CBS, the parent company of CNET.) 

Star Trek: Discovery: Everything we know about the upcoming season.

Mary Wiseman on Short Treks: A chat with Ensign Tilly as the show returns with online mini episodes.