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Actually while I'm thinking of it the same question could apply to the animate series they made for Star Wars. Clone wars or something like that I think.

A follow up question would be if they're any good.

I saw Star Trek The Animated Series (TAS) a long time ago, but from what I can remember, there were just a few duds among the episodes. Most of them were good enough and not necessarily for kids. The episode 'Yesteryear' was particularly appreciated by viewers. I would recommend the series.

I can't say anything about the Star Wars animated series, which I did not see. But I can tell you to avoid the Stargate animated series (called the Infinity) which is definitely for young teenagers and has almost nothing to do with the live action series. TAS on the other hand tried to keep in line with everything viewers knew from TOS.

John Wain wrote:I saw Star Trek The Animated Series (TAS) a long time ago, but from what I can remember, there were just a few duds among the episodes. Most of them were good enough and not necessarily for kids. The episode 'Yesteryear' was particularly appreciated by viewers. I would recommend the series.

I can't say anything about the Star Wars animated series, which I did not see. But I can tell you to avoid the Stargate animated series (called the Infinity) which is definitely for young teenagers and has almost nothing to do with the live action series. TAS on the other hand tried to keep in line with everything viewers knew from TOS.

Thanks for the feedback.

Though it appears it isn't on StarTrek.com anymore. Or maybe I was mistaken that it was there. Hopefully they'll put it up. It seems like they're working to put up every episode from all the series.

Which is pretty cool in and of itself.

It was... different. Cool concept, not the 'best' execution. I honestly can't tell if it was intended for adults or kids, but considering when it was made? I'm leaning to kids.

I just did a very quick search on YouTube and I found one complete episode at random.

The Slaver Weapon

I don't remember the episode and I don't have time to watch it, but you'll make an idea about the animation and other stuff.

If you want a good episode, I'd recommend a different one. That one is far from the best. Yesteryear is widely considered the best episode.

Oh well, I said previously that 'Yesteryear' is a highlight of the series, but I couldn't find it on YouTube and I only wanted to provide some sort of reference that is free to view and evaluate.

But I am sure a more thorough search on the web is in order if one wants to find TAS online for free, short of downloading a torrent.

The Slaver Weapon is an interesting one, as it was written by Larry Niven and uses concepts directly from his "Known Space" universe - the Kzin species, the concept of the Slavers and their stasis boxes. Indeed IIRC, the episode is a Trekkified rewrite of a short story of his.

As far as the original question goes, I'd like to quote D.C. Fontana:

"For whatever reason, Gene Roddenberry apparently didn’t take the animated series seriously (no pun intended), although we (the writers) worked very hard to do original STAR TREK stories and concepts at all times in the animated series."

So, I'd like to think that the animated series remained targeted for, but maybe not officially, the same kind of audience as TOS was.

That being said, as far as watching any of the Star Trek's go, if there wasn't still a bit of a kid remaining in any adult viewer, or a future adult lurking inside any kid viewer, then the viewer just wouldn't 'get it' at all, and switch to only watching "Reality" TV Shows, Barney, or other such trash.

The animated series also allowed more interesting aliens to be introduced, without expensive special effects and make-up.

M'Ress, a Caitian. A race which we also briefly see in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

Arex, an Edosian. Edosian eel's and other creatures are mentioned and used by Dr. Phlox in the ST: Ent. series. As well as their tri-pedal nature reminds one of species 8472.

Graham Kennedy wrote:The Slaver Weapon is an interesting one, as it was written by Larry Niven and uses concepts directly from his "Known Space" universe - the Kzin species, the concept of the Slavers and their stasis boxes. Indeed IIRC, the episode is a Trekkified rewrite of a short story of his.

Niven's Kzinti and their (Romulian/Vulcan-like relationship) cousins, Lyrans, feature prominently in the game series Star Fleet Battles/Universe/Command (although any suggestion of such a kinship in presence of a member of either race, is violently offensive!), and the planet "Kzin" has appeared several times in star maps during ST: TNG (I love the Catamaran/Trimaran design of those Lyran ships!)

To summarize, I'd say that the animated series was a serious effort by the working-class people behind the whole 'Star Trek' movement to carry on with what TOS created, but limited by the only media available at the time.

Well worth watching!

Admiral Dunsel wrote:As far as the original question goes, I'd like to quote D.C. Fontana:

"For whatever reason, Gene Roddenberry apparently didn’t take the animated series seriously (no pun intended), although we (the writers) worked very hard to do original STAR TREK stories and concepts at all times in the animated series."

So, I'd like to think that the animated series remained targeted for, but maybe not officially, the same kind of audience as TOS was.

That being said, as far as watching any of the Star Trek's go, if there wasn't still a bit of a kid remaining in any adult viewer, or a future adult lurking inside any kid viewer, then the viewer just wouldn't 'get it' at all, and switch to only watching "Reality" TV Shows, Barney, or other such trash.

The animated series also allowed more interesting aliens to be introduced, without expensive special effects and make-up.

M'Ress, a Caitian. A race which we also briefly see in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

Arex, an Edosian. Edosian eel's and other creatures are mentioned and used by Dr. Phlox in the ST: Ent. series. As well as their tri-pedal nature reminds one of species 8472.

Graham Kennedy wrote:The Slaver Weapon is an interesting one, as it was written by Larry Niven and uses concepts directly from his "Known Space" universe - the Kzin species, the concept of the Slavers and their stasis boxes. Indeed IIRC, the episode is a Trekkified rewrite of a short story of his.

Niven's Kzinti and their (Romulian/Vulcan-like relationship) cousins, Lyrans, feature prominently in the game series Star Fleet Battles/Universe/Command (although any suggestion of such a kinship in presence of a member of either race, is violently offensive!), and the planet "Kzin" has appeared several times in star maps during ST: TNG (I love the Catamaran/Trimaran design of those Lyran ships!)

To summarize, I'd say that the animated series was a serious effort by the working-class people behind the whole 'Star Trek' movement to carry on with what TOS created, but limited by the only media available at the time.

Well worth watching!

Welcome to the forum and thanks!

I'd say TAS, and it's intent regarding audience, was a classic and total example of execution completely failing to match up with ideation.

It would have been hard to sell a cartoon that was a direct translation from live action. After all cartoons are for "kids" and must therefore be simple to understand, the adult themes of TOS would be beyond a child's comprehension.
Trying to balance that with keeping it TOS would be difficult to do on a steady basis, and it shows in the execution.

I didn't mean that they succeeded, just that they tried.

Mikey wrote:I'd say TAS, and it's intent regarding audience, was a classic and total example of execution completely failing to match up with ideation.

Although I think I'll steal 'ideation'.