Television: 'Star Trek: The Animated Series' (1973-1974)

(Prepared long in advance for holiday cover)

This will probably be the last 'Star Trek' post for a while, the classic cast movies being well recognised for their strengths, and the spin-off series being their own little worlds. It's very fitting to finish on something nice, after the under-appreciated third season of the show, with its immense variability.

The animated 'Star Trek' is fun, a departure from every other incarnation of the series, but still intensely connected to the original show. It's limited animation, so don't expect anything like a masterpiece, but it's still well done. Gene Roddenberry rubber stamped the show, DC Fontana returned as story editor, and all the voice cast but Walter Koenig returned, apparently due to budgetary reasons and Majel Barrett adding a second set of female voice options in addition to being Mrs Roddenberry. Bad luck, Walter. At least you got to write one.

These twenty two episodes were very much a welcome bonus at the time. The original series was cancelled, with added spite, and the cast disbanded back into obscurity. According to 'Star Trek Memories', William Shatner spent the next few years in touring theatre companies, camping out in a space age collapsible hut, and the other cast seemed to have suffered similar fates. Nimoy got two years on 'Mission: Impossible', and was the sole person to stay in the spotlight, possibly working off the remainder of his Desilu contract. Meanwhile, the original show took off in syndication and fans desperately wanted more. They got twenty two half hours, with wilder and crazier aliens, but slightly less interesting 'Saturday morning' plotlines. Despite all that, it was a welcome bonus.

Viewed in context, 'Star Trek: The Animated Series' was a remarkable show for a family cartoon. It broke some of the same barriers as its predecessor. There weren't often outright villains, the antagonists turned out to be misunderstood some of the time, and the same good natured optimism carried over from the second season of the live action show. (The third season's flaws included an absence of that positivity.) Also, Kirk's action roll was often a welcome sight, and the lack of outrageous violence is incredibly refreshing now. On the other hand, some of the stories are weak, but often have fascinating little throwaway bits that catch you off guard.

Yes, the animated series is the little Easter egg that sits between the original series and the movies. A cool little curio. An extra year of the five year mission, of sometimes disputed canonicity. Now, it seems to be accepted as part of the whole, but it wasn't always like that. A little more classic cast 'Star Trek' couldn't be a bad thing, right?

O.