Okay, lets give the animated series some slack. The episodes were only 30 minutes long, so character development could only be rudimentary at best. And I'm sure the producers aimed this at young Trek fans, so the plots were generally simplified. Also, Roddenberry made the mistake of working with Filmation who, in my opinion, are the absolute worst animation in the history of cartoons (next to Filmation's works, "Clutch Cargo" looks like Walt Disney).

Whew! That's a lot of handicaps. Still, there were a few minor gems. I rather liked the episode with Spock helping his younger self; it added a nice layer to his character development.

The animators were very faithful to the look of all of the Trek ships; I thought they did an above average job drawing the Enterprise.

Who the Hell is that guy with an arm growing out of his chest?

Mr. Arex. He's a taste of what *COULD* have been done if only the animation had been better. They could have had more non-humanoid aliens.

Oh dear me. Don't defend this poor excuse for a show. Morons.

Digger, we know you think the show sucks. Now go away and let us discuss it intelligently.

Incidentally, Digger, you ad hominem attacks on those who don't agree with you show that the arguments in favor of your POV perhaps are not too strong.

For those who don't know: ad hominem attacks are those attacking the messenger, not the message.

Digger, I have to ask: if you don't like the show, why do visit this site? Is it some sort of compulsive twitch? You're being forced to at gunpoint? Or is it because you're such a pathetic loser you have to deliberately seek out ways to antagonize others?

I've never met you, or done anything to you. Does it make you feel big and powerful to insult me and my fellow nitpickers?

I'm sure you think you're pretty clever. Well, here's a challenge--post a rational, thought-out comment about the show, one that doesn't rely on overuse of the word "stupid" or call others bad names. It'll be a chance for you to grow as a person.

I won't delete that message, Digger, but next time it's scorched earth. There's a difference between unsupporting bashing and a well-thought through criticique of a show. Be warned.

For trying to compress Star Trek into thirty minutes, the scripts weren't too bad.

The animation could have been worse. At least all the characters were recognizable.

For a thirty minute show, the storylines weren't too bad.

For just being voices attached to cartoons on a thirty minute show, the acting was fairly good.

Given all the limitations that the show had to work around, it was pretty good. It could have been better, of course, but then, hindsight is always 20/20.

I liked it! So there! Nyaah, nyaah, nyaah!

I liked it too. Even with all the afore mentioned handi-caps, I still find the show entertaining. Light-years beyond other sat. morning fare of that time.

I do not like this show at all. I watched
most of them when their aired on TeleToon.
It was terrible. I'm sorry, but terrible animation, weird plots, etc...made this
show aweful!

Rene--I have to ask. What's a TeleToon? Is that like Cartoon Network?

Yes, it's a Canadian channel..plays cartoons
24 hours a day. I only watch it now for
the Simpsons.

Does Canada have a duplicate of all the American cable stations? I've seen Much Music/Musique Plus, Space, and YTV, which sort of match MTV, Sci-Fi Channel, and Nickelodeon.

Which reminds me of a funny commercial done on Cartoon Network. They had a cartoon parody of the hamburger scene in "Pulp Fiction", only it was Shaggy (from "Scooby Doo") and Droopy Dog discussing cartoon names in other countries (Smurfs in Spain were "les Smurfs", and Pound Puppies were "le Puppies Royale" in France (metric system, you see). Oh, and in Morocco, Morocco Mole is just called Mole).

I saw that one! It was fun. Also there is my favorite scene in Space Jam...

Wiley Coyote has just blown up a Mon-Star, and is about to get smashed, when Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam shoot out the Mon-Star's teeth. The view cuts to Elmer and Sam, and they are dressed in "Pulp Fiction" suits and shades, and the music cuts temporarily to the theme from Pulp Fiction... Just great!

Yes, I know that was off-topic. So there!

And I wish Sci-Fi (yes, you MST3K'ers, I know) or the Cartoon Network would rerun the Animated Series...

To Mike K. I have seen this commercial(I have kids) and there were two endings. Now considering I have seen 'Pulp Fiction' and this commercial, it was funny! The first ending had them stopping at the Cartoon network sign with shaggy going "will you look at that!" And Droopy says something like(he was driving remember) "I can't see above the wheel!) and the second ending,I can't remember what was said, but it wasn't as funny enough. it made me miss the first ending.
Now I liked some of the episodes, like the one that Spock is helping his younger self. I saw years ago, and still think about it today. I thought the animation was not that bad! In fact, in that very Spock episode, I liked how they drew the sister planet of Vulcan,(T'Kult) in closely on the horizen of Vulcan. My second favorite episode, sorry i can't remember the title, was the one where Uhura, Christine, and the rest of the crewwomen had to take over, because the men were taken under control of some alien women. It should Uhura and the rest, didn't fumbled and were just as capable to take over the responsiblity of running the ship. and thus saving the day!

Why can't they let Uhura command the Enterprise? Why? They won't promote her to captian because she's a woman. (Turnabout Intuder) But they let every male run the ship any time he pleases. Dr. McCoy even got command for a few miutes in one episode (Menagerie) and he turned it over to Lt. Hanson! Hanson isn't even a regular and McCoy isn't even a bridge officer. Why couldn't they let Uhura run the ship?

Unfortunately Heather, Uhura was a victim of the, women can't drive, additude at the time. I'm in full agreement with you there!!! Of course, In that era, we did get to see a woman have command of a ship, an African woman at that, that was in "The Voyage Home" I quess, Uhura was very loyal to Kirk, so she'd rather follow him, then follow her own ambitions. I quess Sulu was the only survivor. Got his own ship in "The Undiscovered Country
Of couse, we now have Janeway, and both character and actress(in my mind) is doing great!! Goodby glass ceiling!!!!!
So that is why I'm praising the episode of Uhura taking command. And it was not because she wanted to, she knew she had to. She had the qualifications and experience to do so. I don't think she was nervouse either, she was very self assured!! This character was very underused!!!

It wasn't the same era. "The Voyage Home" was made in 1986. The series was made in the 1960's! I wouldn't consider the 60's and the 80's to be part of the same era :-)

Just one more example of The animated series breaking new Trek ground. Uhura actually took command several times during this shows run.

It's possible that Uhura never wanted her own command. This has nothing to do with her abilities, just her preference. I think in "The Search for Spock" that she said she was quite content with her quiet job at Starbase.

Of course, just because we never saw Uhura in command of a star ship doesn't mean it didn't happen off screen.;)

Two good points Mike.....I never even thought of that. But it does go to show, that if she had to (Take command) she can do a good job in a heartbeat!!
Your right Lord Garth, not the same era! Sorry! I get too excited sometimes!! :-)

I thought that scene in "Space Jam" with Elmer and Yosemite Sam was a take off from "Men in Black".

DK Henderson, listen to the music... It's the "Pulp Fiction" theme. I guess Elmer and Sam decided it was time to get "medieval" on the Monstars!

I haven't seen Pulp Fiction...either way you look at it, it was an hysterical scene.

If you want to hear the entire episode 'Yesteryear', in which Spock goes back in time to save his young self, there is a RealAudio file of it on my featured episode page.
http://www.mainengineering.simplenet.com/tas_main.html

Kail...You're page is one of the most awesome pages on the net!!!Great work!!!
Do you have any ST,NEXTGEN,DS9, or VOY pages?

Thanks Mike. I appreciate your kind words. I don't have any other Trek sites, there are thousands of sites devoted to all the other Trek shows, thats why I picked TAS, it had been almost totally ignored.

That's definitely true. I consider myself one of Trek's biggest fans, and I didn't even know there WAS an animated series until about a few years ago. Thanks for bringing it back so people like me could see what it was like...

Anyway, you did great work on your site! Talk to you later :)

Those of you who get Nickelodeon's "TV Land" can also see the animated series every Saturday morning, currently.

Then you can all get nitpicking!

Greetings fellow Trek fans! My Animated Trek site has just gotten it's first major update. Our new featured episode is 'Beyond the Farthest Star'. You can hear the entire episode in RealAudio. If you don't have a real player, you can get one right on the featured ep page. We also have new pictures, wallpaper, gifs, postcards, sound and video clips. Please stop by and let me know what you think. Thanks!

http://mainengineering.simplenet.com/tas_main.html

How can Space Jam take off Men In Black when it came out about 6 months earlier? (At least in the UK). Also we had Top Cat renamed as Boss Cat for 30 odd years because Top Cat was a brand of cat food at in the mid 60's & the BBC didn't want to be seen to be plugging it. The are many cases of "Export" names for series, too many for me to think up at the moment.

Richard, that scene (Sam & Elmer) wasn't taking off on MIB, it was taking off on Pulp Fiction (listen to the music for that clip). They were getting medieval on the Mon-star's buttocks.

Kail, how do you do it?
Once again your web site rocks...

I would like to see an episode of TAS sometime, does anyone know if its reruns are on (I mean on regular cable like Cartoon Network or something)?

TV Land on Saturdy mornings.

Thanks Mike! I felt the animated series had been ignored for to long, with all it's flaws it's still a great show. Our newest featured episode is "The Ambergris Element". Please visit, and check out the new multifarious section where you'll find the TAS stationary and calendars I have created. Please let me know what you think! Live long!

http://mainengineering.simplenet.com/tas_main.html

Who did the voices for the aliens and other non-regular Trek crew in the series? At some points it sounds like the regulars are putting on weird voices for aliens and so on... a cost-cutting measure, perhaps?

Yeah. A lot of the voices were done by James Doohan and Majel Barrett.

I think TAS could easily compete with Saturday morning cartoons of today's era which now thrives on sight and sound gags like burps, farts, poop, boogers and vomit.
If Batman could get a decent animated series for the 90's why can't Star Trek get for the NEXT CENTURY?

The Animated Series had;
1. Harry Mudd
2. Cyrano Jones
3. Tribbles
4. Orions
5.Tellarites
6. A Gorn
7.Captain Robert April
8 A retired Bob Wesley
9. The Guardian Of Forever
10. Sarek
11. Amanda
12. Mr.Kyle
13. Koloth
14. The original cast
15. The original Enterprise, in all her glory
That's more than alot of the later versions had, so it gets my vote as the most Star Trek-like of any series or movie that followed. It paid homage to its origins, and built upon them, rather than destroying them like Next Gen did;

I'm curious, how do you feel TNG destroyed it's origins?

The Animated Series is important in the history of Trek also because it completes the 5-year mission of TOS. The only thing I didn't care for were some of the aliens' high-pitched voices (James Doohan and Majel Barrett disguising their voices). A little more money to hire any unknown actor would have helped.

Where in "Turnabout Intruder" did someone officially say you couldn't be a captain in the Federation if you're a woman? That was just Janice Lester's deranged opinion.

What Janice Lester was saying is that a starship captain, with all his responsibilities, doesn't have time for a relationship. The misinterpretation of this line is something TOS has had to live down.

Perhaps 'destroyed' was a bit of an overstatement, but thanks to TNG;
1. Kirk is dead
2. Sarek is dead.
3. The original series is action-adeventure, while TNG is politically correct and sometimes has no climax.
3. Certain things contradict the original, such as in 'The Naked Now', there's no such thing as a tractor beam that can be set on repulse, until Wesley figures out how to do this, even though Captain Christopher's jet was held back by such a device.
4. For some reason I can't figure out, the movie-style Enterprise cruiser is no longer in use, but Excelsior-class and Reliant-class ships are, even though they'd be nearly 80-years old.
5. There are no science officers on the bridge of these supposedly peaceful, exploration starships.
6. Barclay is terrified of being transported, and we see him in transit, intact, within the beam; this isn't how transporters work, thus making the episode inaccurate and a waste.
7. The Enterprise visited strange NEW worlds quite often. The Enterprise-D kept visiting Federation planets, starbases, and known territories too often, and far too many episodes took place of that defective holodeck.
8. The maximum speed in TNG and Voyager is now warp 10, when we know that the Enterprise travelled at over warp 13 during 'That Which Survives'.
9. Remeber Samuel Cogley's statement about '...elevating the machine above humanity'? The TNG series as a whole seemed too dependant on machines and computers. I never felt they were human enough. Likeable, but not down-to-earth.
The Animated Series also had in its favor;
1. The same uniforms from the original series.
2. Some of the same writers and directors writing episodes.
3. Many of the same sound effects
4. Many of the same rooms (the bridge, sickbay, the crews quarters) designed the way we saw them on the original series.
5. The Shore Leave Planet
6. Captain Kor

Don't get me wrong, I love the Animated Series at least as much as TNG, but some of the above points should be addressed/clarified.

First off, the six compliments for the Animated Series are a little unfair. Bear in mind, it was written only a few years after the original went off the air. NextGen came at least a decade later. So, of course the cartoon shared a lot with the Original Series, it HAD to, that was the point. People didn't want an entirely new, unfamiliar setup (although the new bridge aliens were a GREAT idea!), and if it had been tried, it might have gone off the air even earlier. To say that NextGen, by using new sets, sound effects, and writers, is somehow inferior, disallows ANY change. And lack of change kills an idea, limits its lifespan, as quickly as too much change (Voyager?) does.

Maximum speed of Warp 10. This has been addressed several times, at least in print. As newer warp engines were designed, the scale was adjusted upwards to reflect this. Until Voyager screwed it up, Warp 10 was the absolute in this universe. To travel at Warp 10 was to be in all places, everywhere, at once! The "old" Warp 13 was still considered to be under the "new" Warp 10 -- now, don't ask me to explain "All Good Things ..." because I can't, except to guess at another scale adjustment.

Wasn't Data supposed to be the Science Officer? Maybe I'm off on this one, but I thought that was his title waaay back in the first season somewhere. On a related note, it's a shame there's no Communications Specialist position anymore.

While I understand that Kirk and Sarek's deaths are brought up because we "saw" them, wouldn't they most likely have been dead anyway (except possibly Sarek)? I mean, aside from McCoy, Spock, and Scott, who's left from the original that should be alive?

Now, all that being said, I do hold the Animated Series in very high regard -- but I don't think that being new and different, as NextGen was, is a BAD thing. Just different.

Just my $.02 worth ...

Can't argue with your points, I must admit. I like TNG at times, and others not. Another reason I consider TNG adjusting known-Trek facts are the Romulan's foreheads; as an offshoot of the Vulcan race from centuries or even millenia ago, they couldn't have developed such a genetic trait in so short a time. It's just that I've always considered the four shows nearly separate entities, and consider 'Star Trek' as Kirk and crew, but TNG, DS9, and Voyager not Trek, because of the way they're distant extensions of what happened 80 years earlier. Moreso for DS9 and Voyager, as neither have anything to do with the Enterprise, while one is a starbase and another isn't even set within Federation space. Fun shows to watch, but not 'true' Trek, to me.

I'm sorry, and I can't think of any better way to put this, but that is just wrong. Rodenberry himself made a lot of the changes that you don't like in TNG. So clearly at least one man considered to be true Trek. And do they or do they not have the words STAR TREK in huge letters before the title of each series?

I spent numerous pages on various boards comparing the differences between Rodenberry's Trek and Berman's Trek. Since there's an ongoing debate here, I'll try to summarize and settle the score. As much as I don't like what Berman has done with Trek, I must admit he ain't entirely stupid. He knows how tap into the ratings, create conflict, drama, whatever. Some of his best work is 180-degrees removed from Gene. Whereas Gene cared about good human issues and half-naked women.
In a nutshell, Rodenberry's Trek is the old testament and Berman's Trek is the new testament.

I liked TNG, I thought it
was a worthy follow-up to TOS. Was it different, yes. But I think it had to be. You have to change
with the times. Also, TNG focused more on drama, as apposed to the action format of TOS.
Which I thought was fine. Some great stories, characters,and acting made TNG what it was, a
show unto itself, not just a copy of the original. TOS was a show of the 60's, TNG was a show of
the 80's, and they both very much reflect the times in which they were produced. In some ways I
feel TNG was superior to TOS, but TOS started it all. I also liked DS9 alot, but was it "true Trek",
no. It was merely set in the Trek universe, and Voyager has had some very good shows, but on
the whole it's just plain dumb. I too feel TAS should be canon. It had it's faults, to be sure, but it
was 'Trek'. And BTW, just cause it says Trek on the package don't make it Trek

Wait a minute, why should a non starship-based show not be considered true Trek? I think there's something silly about the whole thing. What is the difference between true Trek and "merely set in the Trek universe?" As far as I am concerned, anything that is set in the Trek universe and follows the established canon of both itself and the previous series while at the same time adding something valuable and unique is true Trek. (Voyager fails all of these qualifications.)

Voyager isn't in the Trek Universe? What Universe is it in? How many universes are there?

Deep Space 9 and Voyager have the words 'Star Trek' before their title because Paramount and Rick Berman put them there. They could just as easily have created both shows without the need to adhere to Star Trek continuity, and I would still watch them. Gene Roddenberry, and while we're at it, 99% of those people that worked on the original series and movies, have absolutely nothing to do with DS9 and Voyager, two shows that have nothing to do with Kirk, Spock, the Enterprise, and her exploits. I like them, and I watch them, but I recognize them as Paramount's way of getting me to buy their books, and toys. I think we're getting off topic here, as this is the Animated Trek Kitchen Sink.

Wiseguy- I refuse to believe that it is part of the normal Trek universe, becuase if it is, then someone has screwed up their historical database royally. Examples include the incorrect meeting time with the Borg and the use of sleeper ships well into the twenty-third century.

Steve- They did create Voyager without the need to adhere to the Star Trek continuity. And that's why I don't watch it.

Continuity as in 'Starfleet', 'phasers', 'photon torpedoes', 'Klingon-human hybrid', 'holodeck',
'Vulcans'. 'Ferengi'', 'Starfleet Academy', 'Prime Directive'; they use these phrases as their link to the other series, but could just as easily have created other terms to be a different show, rather than taking the easy way out and slapping 'Star Trek' in the title, so fans would watch it. I wonder; if it wasn't nominally related to the Star Trek universe, would it have lasted?

You're not following here. Continuity as in "what happens in all the shows has an effect on the shows that follow it." This includes episodes of all the previous series. Voyager acts as if each episode was a standalone.

This is a follow-up to Steve McKinnon's thought above. I repeat from another board:
Section 31: Anti-Roddenberry or Much needed element
By BrianB on Thursday, June 10, 1999 - 07:01 am:
As much as I don't like Rick Berman, I can't deny these plot threads like S31 do make interesting TV. And that's really the bottom line -- ratings. As much as we loved TOS, what if it never ended? 30 years of one episode after another of "our world is perfect, yours isn't, let us interfere and make you hicks just like us"... But on DS9, one episode leads to the next, like a soap opera. The only mistake on Rick's spin-offs is putting the Star Trek name in front of DS9 and Voyager. He probably should've called it Rick Berman Presents: Deep Space Nine: Any similarity between this spin-off series and Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry is purely coincidental.

The biggest difference, IMHO, between TOS (with TAS) and everything that came afterward is the spirit of adventure is gone. I would say the Gregory Peck Horatio Hornblower movie is much more in keeping with the spirit of Trek than DS9, Voy, or even TNG. Somehow the strange and new disappeared from Trek, leaving just the same old world(s). TNG tried at first, when Fontana & co. were involved. Look at the first incarnation of Ferengi. Now *that* was alien.
TOS was only incidentally about it's characters (as a weekly adventure series it had to be). It was much more about the adventures/aliens they met. A lot of TNG was soap opera.

I agree mf. TNG gave up on 'seeking out new life'. How much actual 'exploring' did Picard and crew do? Not much. The new shows have gone far astray from Gene's original concept.

The animation on this show reminds me of the ancient Hercules show, only with more colour. You remember that show, right? ("Herculues, here of song and story" and "Hey Toot!")

From back in the '60's? Yeah, I remember it. Dimly. Along with Tobor the 8th Man, Luno, and Rocket Robin Hood. God I'm old.

Clutch Cargo is a classic.....the living lips!
Along with "Space Angel"

Perhaps they should have used this approach
to "The Animated Series" (?????)

I thought the "Counter-Clock Incident"
was by far the best episode I remember seeing.

I caught a few episodes on video a few weeks ago...what the HECK was that talking-plant giant- Spock thing all about, anyway? But 'The Practical Joker' and 'Pirates of Orion' can stay. (Great McCoy line in the latter: 'That's the last time I waste my bedside manner on a Vulcan!')
As for the animation...Filmation is also the crew responsible for 'He-Man: Master of the Universe'. 'Nuff said.
Would it REALLY have blown the budget to hire a few new voice actors? Nothing spoils the scary-alien effect (well, nothing besides crummy animation) more than realizing 'Hey, that's really Scotty with a head cold!'
I liked M'Ress (sp?) a lot.
And finally...anyone who cares about TAS should check out Alan Dean Foster's novelizations first thing. As someone mentioned earlier, he picks up and fleshes out the plots and characters with care and originality -- not to mention a lovely, fluid grasp of the Trek universe that makes me wish he'd try an original story.

Foster did try a few original Trek stories . . . albeit in a juvenile medium. And the embellishments he made to logs seven through ten qualify as original stories in themselves.

Very true. I was thinking about the shorter stories and forgot the nifty additions to 'BEM' and 'Slaver Weapon' (especially the body-switching part in the latter). 'Beyond the Farthest Star', 'Yesteryear', 'The Practical Joker' and 'More Tribbles, More Troubles' aren't expanded as far but are also terrific.
Incidentally, in all the visuals i've seen of the 'Tribbles' episode, it looks like somebody -- probably trying to save time -- coloured ALL the furballs kind of a sickly pink! Man, i wish they could redo this show with a top budget and full animation...in the style of the new 'Superman' series, maybe?

Does anyone know of a TV station re-running TAS in southern Connecticut? I've looked all over, but I just can't find it. Is it on the SciFi Channel, or Cartoon Network?

For a while it was showing on TV LAND, but I'm not sure its still going...

TV LAND isn't showing TAS anymore AFAIK, it's not on their site. Anybody know if TAS is anywhere at all on the cable spectrum?

Maybe we should get a letterwriting campaing to TVLAND, SciFi, or CartoonNetwork to bring it back?

Only problem I can see is that there were only a handful of episodes...

The current issue of Cinescape (out on the newstand now) has an article on TAS.

Even though TAS has its flaws, it is still BETTER than Voyager.

A nice article, or a blurb. Is it worth going out and looking for?

One of the "cheap animation shots" that happens quite frequently in TAS is a REAL TIGHT closeup of somebody (showing just their eye & nose) but not the mouth..yet you hear that individual talking. It sure saved money not animating the mouth.

Other interesting problems:

1. Running silhouettes.--- In order to save $$$ on ink, the creators used running silhouettes to depict people running

2. Reuse of stock footage.--- Same as TOS.

3. Sound effects---Some of the sound effects were variations of the original---played at 45 RPM.

4. Music---Some of it was rehashed from Filmation's other cartoons.

5. Sloppy Cels--When you see the ships move, the stars in the background stay still...but the stars surrounding the immediate area around the ship MOVE!
Then there's that Klingon ON THE BRIDGE in "More Tribbles, More Troubles" when he's supposed to be on the screen! Then there's those fly-bys in the opening credits...UGH! It does appear the ship is flying sideways.

NANJAO... I just saw my first animated episode in over a decade and a half (thanks, Benn!) and noticed something... the credits didn't have a Scpipt Supervisor!
John, I wasn't paying the closest attention, but regarding your point 5 above (April 7, 2003), could the "stars" around the ships have been dust or spots on the animation cells?

Could be. I never thought of it that way...but then again, I could be right.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting you were wrong. I was just wondering about the possibility of dirty and/or poorly filmed cels. Obviously, they look like stars, and so wreck the effect of a ship flying past the background.

No offense taken. It'd be interesting what the real story was bedind those cels.

I just got my first animated show to view. I collected all of the TOS DVDs and could not wait to start viewing the TAS. I did not see many of the TAS when they originally aired because they were on Saturday mornings and I was in high school sports and always practiced on saturday mornings, I would only get to see those that aired during the holidays. For those of you under 30, there was a time when we had no VCRs or TIVO and only had one chance to watch TV shows. Much like watching the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits, they came on at night, when it was dark, and scared the bejesus out of us,now you can view them during the daytime and they lose some of that impact, but I digress, the TAS should be canonical, were the last two years of the five year mission, and will always have a special place in my heart. Live Long and Prosper

Which shows did you get, and did you enjoy them?

I started from the beginning, production episode #1, More Trouble with Tribbles, I am still savoring it. 30 years is a long time to wait. but it was worth it. the memories flood back, I thought the animation was terrific, except for some nits that were pointed out on this site(the one with Koloth in front of the viewscreen is a scream) but all in all I think it would even stand up to todays youth. Of course they would probably want to know why there wasn't much blood and not much killing and not more violence, but as we know, star trek wasn't like that(Gene wouldn't allow that)it taught us lessons with minimal violence,and only used that violence to make its point, which I feel is Star Treks greatest legacy. On to episode two now, The Infinite Vulcan(written by Walter Koenig)(how great is that) If I had any kids, I would want them to watch stuff like this. It teaches us things, thing we need to know, things that will make this world a better place to live, and eventually we will get to those stars. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wrights first flight at Kitty Hawk this week, Imagine that in one persons lifetime, we went from that glider, to the moon, sent a probe to the edge of the galaxy, and have a permanent presence in space. Imagine what the next 100 years will bring. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

and thanks Kail, your site is awsome

glenn of nas, the episode title is, "More Tribbles, More Troubles".

Glad you liked the site Glenn. I hope you'll keep buying TAS videos, the best is yet to come!!

The idea of Romulans could not develop forehead ridges during their separation from Vulcans may be absurd. How long ago would my appendix work? How long ago did humans have tails?

What is absurd is all the half breeds running around. Even if some aliens billions of years ago seeded the primordial ooze, Amanda has a better chance of mating an oak than Sarek.

That nit never was addressed by TAS, or anything outside of Larry Niven. (Spock was a test tube baby.) TNG and DS9 and even VOY at least mention how doctors must be a large part of the hybridization. TAS, despite having a golden opportunity (and Larry Niven as a writer!) did not.

TAS did not, even perfunctorily address one of the largest nit in the show to that point.

I agree it is better fare than most Saturday morning cartoons and was full of potential. It never overcame it's many handicaps, however, and I personally will not cry when TAS is ignored.

I have about 7 of the VHS tapes now of TAS and I noticed that they are in production order. But there are 23 produced but only 22 aired. Production number 12 is skipped. This would have been in the first season. Wonder what it was? does anyone know? I think it was probably "Return to Eden". or "McCoys Brain". Any other Ideas?

"Janice Rand: Mistress of Leather"

John,

Sorry, but I'd have remembered that.

It was Mistress Uhura and planet of Domanatrixes.

There was no episode 12. No one knows why. I think someone just goofed up at the production company (Filmation?).

They were double MP fans? "There is NOOOOOO episode 12, Bruce!"

By Blue Berry: ". . . Amanda has a better chance of mating an oak than Sarek. / That nit never was addressed by TAS, or anything outside of Larry Niven. (Spock was a test tube baby.)"

Well not entirely. We saw him being born alive of Amanda in ST V . . .

Test tube baby in the sense of in vitro fertilization. Spock was conceived in a test tube.

Conceived in a test tube in a Larry Niven work? I don't remember anything from the TV or film episodes that mentioned anything other than natural conception in Spock's backstory.

In Nimoy's autobio. (He should know )

I remember that on the Inside STAR TREK l.p., back in the Seventies, Mark Lenard, as Sarek, stated that Spock was conceived in a test tube.

Live long and prosper.

Unfortunately, the Website mentioned in this thread is now a broken link. Therefore, please visit the official Website for the cartoon series.

My website is now at http://startrekanimated.com

Statistically speaking, TAS ranks LOWEST of "favorite Star Trek series".

Thanks for sharing John. You present a compelling argument.

And just where are you getting these statistics, John?

Live long and prosper.

RE: BENN: There was a statistics expert at the Star Trek Con who did a demographic poll of all the Star Trek franchises.

Okay, so where did he get his numbers? What were they based on?

Re: Benn: I don't know. The guy only had 20 - 25 minutes to run through his presentation due to upcoming events. Therefore, he didn't have enough time to get into a lot of details. I'm sorry. If there was an opportunity, I'd ask for a recount.

PS. You might want to surf the web and see if the survey is on-line. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a link.

I might. The reason I'm wondering all this, John, is that statistics can be made to say pretty much anything. Knowing how he arrived at his numbers would let me just much I can trust his conclusions, if at all.

Live long and prosper.

If I recall correctly, the statistics guy was from California.

No one will dispute that the animation for the show was far from sensational.I believe that it wasn't any worse than any of the other animated television series that were being produced at that time with their meager budgets & tight shooting schedules.But I would dispute that all of their stories were inferior as they had several good scripts.But we also have to be realistic as some other comments have pointed out.It was a Saturday morning TV show,so the scripts were going to be tailored for children as well as older fans.That's not an easy task from a writing perspective. Also,they had to create an entire story & do it in 22-minutes after you factor in commercials & credits,again,not easy.The animation lacked the sophisticated techniques we now have,as well as the money they are putting into the cartoons of today.So all-in-all,Roddenberry & company didn't do so badly when you consider all of those limitations.Should he have done an animated show to begin with,perhaps not? What I'd like to see is a revival of this show as they pick up on year 4 of their 5-year mission.They should do it via CGI just as was done for the terrific CGI Starship Troopers or MTV's Spider-Man TV series from a few years ago.The look for Trek would be marvelous & there would be no limitations on the types of episodes that they'd be able to do with CGI for the show.Also,in this day & age it is now more common to do animated series with sophisticated scripts.So as not to bore we fans visually they could upgrade aspects of the Enterprise for a CGI animated show.This would be realistic,technology is evolving at a rapid pace in our day & age,it will certainly be doing it even more so by the time of when ST is supposed to take place.On a refitted Enterprise,Kirk could now have a Ready Room just like Piccard does in ST:TNG,Scotty's beloved Engine Room could be bigger,Sickbay could have a large ward,we could see the gym,there'd be no lack of what you could now include via CGI.Some anchors that would connect us to the first 3 years of the mission of the Enterprise would be nice to see that would give us a continuity & comfort.Leave the uniforms unchanged,& keep the same look for the Tricorders,Phasers & Communicators.This could be one of the most exciting Star Trek's ever!

Found this portion of a 1975 interview with Leonard Nimoy at a Trek website called Fastcopyinc/orionpress:
"Leonard Nimoy, in a talk at Georgia Tech in 1975, said that he feels pretty good about the animateds. "We didn’t get terribly involved in it as actors because there was no communal effort involved--the scripts were done and all we did was read the lines. They’d then draw the pictures after we’d done that--they did the soundtrack first. And we were together very rarely to do that--in fact, it wasn’t really necessary. If I were traveling as I am now and there is a script ready, they’d simply mail me a script and I would go to a local radio station like WREK or something, rent some time and record my dialogue and literally mail in my performance. So there was really no involvement--you couldn’t get involved with changing, rewriting or building character structure because it would affect everyone else’s lines, everyone was scattered--it was just too complicated. Now, I was very concerned when they first started to do it because I’m sure that none of us wanted to be involved in doing a Mickey Mouse version of Star Trek and Saturday morning shows being what they are--there was that danger. But I think in retrospect that they came off quite well."

So for all those people that poo-poo the series because Roddenberry doesn't consider it canon, there's the opinion of one of the stars on the positive side.

There is one thing about TAS that I can't understand. Why did they give the directing job to someone who was colour blind?