Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? - Page 2

Jeff O'Connor · July 25 2012, 03:03 AM

Huh, Star Trek on Adult Swim. Now there's something I never considered.

Temis the Vorta · July 25 2012, 03:05 AM

It would have to be a lead in because adultswim airs so late, but 10 or 10:30 seems right. In that case, it's past the kids bedtime anyway.

The Overlord · July 25 2012, 03:07 AM

C.E. Evans wrote:

The Overlord wrote:

Now Star Trek is not some super dark series and I do think most of the Star Trek episodes are fit for whole family, not being said I would hope some greedy exec wouldn't try to use a Star Trek cartoon to talk down to kids and try to sell them toys.

I think a Trek cartoon aimed at kids should indeed sell toys and a whole slew of related merchandise. Why should it be limited only to (mostly adult) collectors?

As far as talking down to kids, there are very few cartoons that do that anymore (and frankly, I can't think of any currently on the air really). Most shows are either target age-appropriate or tend to appeal to both kids and adults in some fashion. I'm still amazed at how many adults tune in to watch My Little Pony.

I would say the new Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon really talks down to kids, especially when the previous Spectacular Spider-Man did excellent job of telling the story of Spider-Man, while making the show still accessible to kids. There are still cartoon shows that talk down to kids.

I don't mind selling merchandise related to the show to kids, I just wouldn't story lines to determined solely by merchandising concerns. In the 80s there were tons of cartoons, where irrelevant characters were on the show just to sell extra toys, where characters would get new powers and new costumes just to sell toys. In those shows selling toys was more important then stories. That's what I want to avoid.

Temis the Vorta wrote:

If its animated, it'll go on The Cartoon Network. FOX also does animation, but I can't see it fitting in with Family Guy. The Cartoon Network largely programs for kids, but they do have AdultSwim, aimed at young adults, so Star Trek could fit there, in an adjacent timeslot, and not be aimed primarily at kids.

Except Adult Swim doesn't make original content action cartoons. Any action show on Adult Swim is an anime series dubbed into English, Adult swim themselves only makes comedy cartoons. There is not enough of a market for non comedic cartoons aimed at adults.

Sindatur · July 25 2012, 04:45 PM

Temis the Vorta wrote:

If its animated, it'll go on The Cartoon Network. FOX also does animation, but I can't see it fitting in with Family Guy. The Cartoon Network largely programs for kids, but they do have AdultSwim, aimed at young adults, so Star Trek could fit there, in an adjacent timeslot, and not be aimed primarily at kids.

I think an Animated Trek could fit on Nickelodeon as well.

Temis the Vorta · July 25 2012, 07:11 PM

I don't mean Star Trek should be on AdultSwim, only that it's timeslot should be right before it, so that it can share that audience and therefore not be like The Clone Wars, made primarily to appeal to kids.

There probably isn't much of a market for a non comedic cartoon aimed at adults, but unless an animated Star Trek is going to be made for kids, they need to build that audience, and piggybacking on the AdultSwim audience is one way to do that.

C.E. Evans · July 25 2012, 07:52 PM

The Overlord wrote:

C.E. Evans wrote:

The Overlord wrote:

Now Star Trek is not some super dark series and I do think most of the Star Trek episodes are fit for whole family, not being said I would hope some greedy exec wouldn't try to use a Star Trek cartoon to talk down to kids and try to sell them toys.

I think a Trek cartoon aimed at kids should indeed sell toys and a whole slew of related merchandise. Why should it be limited only to (mostly adult) collectors?

As far as talking down to kids, there are very few cartoons that do that anymore (and frankly, I can't think of any currently on the air really). Most shows are either target age-appropriate or tend to appeal to both kids and adults in some fashion. I'm still amazed at how many adults tune in to watch My Little Pony.

I would say the new Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon really talks down to kids, especially when the previous Spectacular Spider-Man did excellent job of telling the story of Spider-Man, while making the show still accessible to kids. There are still cartoon shows that talk down to kids.

Ultimate Spider-Man doesn't really talk down to kids, but it does talk to kids. From the start, though, the show was intended more for the 6-11 age group (the audience Disney XD wants the most) than anyone older. And the strategy appears to be working very well in that regard for the network.

I don't mind selling merchandise related to the show to kids, I just wouldn't story lines to determined solely by merchandising concerns. In the 80s there were tons of cartoons, where irrelevant characters were on the show just to sell extra toys, where characters would get new powers and new costumes just to sell toys. In those shows selling toys was more important then stories. That's what I want to avoid.

The only cartoons that really do that anymore are shows mostly backed by toy companies like Pokemon, Beyblade, Bakugan, etc. For other cartoons like The Clone Wars and Young Justice, the toylines are a by-product because they're studio-backed properties. The same would be true for a new Star Trek cartoon.

RandyS · July 29 2012, 02:41 AM

I'd watch either at least once.

R. Star · July 29 2012, 03:19 AM

A cartoon doesn't always have to be aimed at children. Sure it can be inclusive, but take say... Gargoyles. That's a show I'd rewatch right now these days.

Sumghai · July 29 2012, 03:31 AM

I personally would prefer a live-action Trek TV series, probably because that's what I'm used to.

Would digital set extensions be of any help in alleviating the heavy budgets of typical sci-fi shows like Trek/BSG, or would any potential "savings" be gobbled up by the cost of rendering the sets in CGI?

Jeff O'Connor · July 29 2012, 05:27 AM

Digital sets are much cheaper.

LtChange · July 29 2012, 11:48 AM

Live Action. And Clone Wars is a bad example. I really hate all those droid, Jar-jar and Amidala the hero episodes and sadly these are more than half of the season. I must admit I never finished season 4 ... I just couldn't take anymore. If animation automatically there will do a kid friendly series wich will simply destroy better stories. Better stories in an animation series will be mediocre at best compared to any other previous live action episodes...

C.E. Evans · July 29 2012, 05:15 PM

R. Star wrote:

A cartoon doesn't always have to be aimed at children. Sure it can be inclusive, but take say... Gargoyles. That's a show I'd rewatch right now these days.

Gargoyles was still considered a cartoon aimed at kids. Such shows can have U.S. television ratings that range from TV-Y (safe for pre-schoolers) to TV-PG (containing mild language, moderate violence, or even light sexual content).

It's when you start getting into the TV-14 range that a show is considered inappropriate viewing for kids under the age of 14.

LtChange wrote:

If animation automatically there will do a kid friendly series wich will simply destroy better stories. Better stories in an animation series will be mediocre at best compared to any other previous live action episodes...

Which is untrue. There are animated shows out there that can blow away live-action fare. Not all animated shows have simplistic stories and characters. Quite a few anime shows--of the non Saturday-morning toy-based variety, IMO--are frequently very complex.

SillyTilly · July 30 2012, 06:23 PM

I'd prefer Live Action but I would give an animated series a go. I just don't think it would hook me in as much as a live action series.

Use of Time · July 31 2012, 04:07 PM

The most notable scenes in Star Trek to me involve moving dialogue pertaining to a heavy emotional topic. I don't think that can be captured as effectively (my opinion) with a cartoon. I like to see actors...act. I would prefer live action.

C.E. Evans · July 31 2012, 04:56 PM

Use of Time wrote:

The most notable scenes in Star Trek to me involve moving dialogue pertaining to a heavy emotional topic. I don't think that can be captured as effectively (my opinion) with a cartoon.

I've seen it done powerfully several times in a cartoon (or rather, an anime).

July 25 2012, 03:03 AM	#16
Jeff O'Connor Commodore Location: Tampa, FL	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? Huh, Star Trek on Adult Swim. Now there's something I never considered. __________________ Star Trek 1966-

July 25 2012, 03:05 AM	#17
Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Location: Tatoinne	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? It would have to be a lead in because adultswim airs so late, but 10 or 10:30 seems right. In that case, it's past the kids bedtime anyway.

July 25 2012, 07:11 PM	#20
Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Location: Tatoinne	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? I don't mean Star Trek should be on AdultSwim, only that it's timeslot should be right before it, so that it can share that audience and therefore not be like The Clone Wars, made primarily to appeal to kids. There probably isn't much of a market for a non comedic cartoon aimed at adults, but unless an animated Star Trek is going to be made for kids, they need to build that audience, and piggybacking on the AdultSwim audience is one way to do that.

July 29 2012, 02:41 AM	#22
RandyS Vice Admiral Location: Randyland	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? I'd watch either at least once.

July 29 2012, 03:19 AM	#23
R. Star Commodore Location: Terra 3	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? A cartoon doesn't always have to be aimed at children. Sure it can be inclusive, but take say... Gargoyles. That's a show I'd rewatch right now these days. __________________ "I was never a Star Trek fan." J.J. Abrams

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July 29 2012, 03:31 AM	#24
Sumghai Lieutenant Location: Melbourne, Australia	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? I personally would prefer a live-action Trek TV series, probably because that's what I'm used to. Would digital set extensions be of any help in alleviating the heavy budgets of typical sci-fi shows like Trek/BSG, or would any potential "savings" be gobbled up by the cost of rendering the sets in CGI? __________________ Laws of thermodynamics as applied to life: 0 - You must play the game. 1 - You can't win. 2 - You can't break even. 3 - You can't quit.

July 29 2012, 05:27 AM	#25
Jeff O'Connor Commodore Location: Tampa, FL	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? Digital sets are much cheaper. __________________ Star Trek 1966-

July 29 2012, 11:48 AM	#26
LtChange Commander Location: Aboard the Destiny	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? Live Action. And Clone Wars is a bad example. I really hate all those droid, Jar-jar and Amidala the hero episodes and sadly these are more than half of the season. I must admit I never finished season 4 ... I just couldn't take anymore. If animation automatically there will do a kid friendly series wich will simply destroy better stories. Better stories in an animation series will be mediocre at best compared to any other previous live action episodes...

July 30 2012, 06:23 PM	#28
SillyTilly Lieutenant Junior Grade Location: Staffordshire, England	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? I'd prefer Live Action but I would give an animated series a go. I just don't think it would hook me in as much as a live action series.

July 31 2012, 04:07 PM	#29
Use of Time Fleet Captain Location: Va. Beach, VA	Re: Should a new Star Trek show be live action or animated? The most notable scenes in Star Trek to me involve moving dialogue pertaining to a heavy emotional topic. I don't think that can be captured as effectively (my opinion) with a cartoon. I like to see actors...act. I would prefer live action.