can the star trek animated series be reanimated?

[mb22]

milo bloom wrote:

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I say leave it and, in fact, I actually wouldn't mind seeing new episodes animated in exactly the same style (sans true animation errors, of course), but with the same limited movement and designs.

My five year old loves it, we have all the Trek shows in our instant queue on Netflix and he asks for the Trek "with the monsters" (since they have more aliens).

http://www.danhausertrek.com/AnimatedSeries/NewEps.html

[Christopher]

BoredShipCapt'n wrote:

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If anything, I'd rather have the incidental music redone than the animation. There seemed to be so few cues they had to choose from.

I love that music, but I wouldn't mind hearing it supplemented with music the same composers did for later Filmation shows like Space Academy, Jason of Star Command, Flash Gordon, and Blackstar.

Sometimes I wish that Filmation had gotten the rights to do a second animated Trek series in 1980, something following up on TMP and using its designs. It wouldn't be the first time Filmation had revisited the same franchise; they did one Batman series in '67 and another one a decade later (this time with Adam West and Burt Ward), and in the '80s they made some lame attempts at reviving their live-action superhero shows Shazam and Isis in animated form. But generally the quality of their animation in the late '70s and early '80s was considerably better than it had been when they'd made TAS in '73-'74, and the music had gotten richer and more impressive. And it would've been nice to get some more TMP-era adventures. An animated show could've done a lot with the alien crew members only glimpsed in the movie.

[BoredShipCapt'n]

Christopher wrote:

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I love that music, but I wouldn't mind hearing it supplemented with music the same composers did for later Filmation shows like Space Academy, Jason of Star Command, Flash Gordon, and Blackstar.

Sometimes I wish that Filmation had gotten the rights to do a second animated Trek series in 1980, something following up on TMP and using its designs. It wouldn't be the first time Filmation had revisited the same franchise; they did one Batman series in '67 and another one a decade later (this time with Adam West and Burt Ward), and in the '80s they made some lame attempts at reviving their live-action superhero shows Shazam and Isis in animated form. But generally the quality of their animation in the late '70s and early '80s was considerably better than it had been when they'd made TAS in '73-'74, and the music had gotten richer and more impressive. And it would've been nice to get some more TMP-era adventures. An animated show could've done a lot with the alien crew members only glimpsed in the movie.

I think I remember their Lone Ranger and Tarzan series from around 1980, if those were indeed by Filmation. Pretty good animation by the standards of the time.

[Christopher]

BoredShipCapt'n wrote:

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I think I remember their Lone Ranger and Tarzan series from around 1980, if those were indeed by Filmation. Pretty good animation by the standards of the time.

Yes, those were Filmation's work. Tarzan was from a few years earlier, but was still on the air as part of the same block as The Lone Ranger in '80 plus Zorro in '81. By that time, Filmation was using more elaborate techniques like rotoscoping; instead of just reusing static poses, they had more dynamic action sequences that they reused over and over. This was still the case when He-Man and She-Ra came along a few years later, though by that point the original Filmation composers had left.

Most Filmation shows are on DVD now, but unfortunately their Tarzan isn't, because Disney holds the DVD rights to Tarzan in animation and they didn't want the Filmation show competing with theirs, or something. Which is a shame, because Filmation's Tarzan was one of the most authentic adaptations of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels that's ever been done -- quite possibly the most authentic one ever done for television, aside from the toned-down violence.

[Redfern]

Didn't Filmation produce an earlier verson of "The Lone Ranger", one that aired in the latter 60s making it one of Filmation's earliest efforts? Or was that another studio?

Sincerely,

Bill

[Navigator_NCC2120]

Redfern wrote:

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Ah, here's the thread in question!

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=35124

Yeah, I threw in my two cents on occasion.

Sincerely,

Bill

Thanks for posting the link. I feel sorry for all of the work Ptrope put into TAS Project and lost, but at the very least he should have been copying those files from his disk drive to either a CD or DVD on a weekly basis. So that when his disk drive crashed he would have only lost 1 week's worth of work.


Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

[T'Bonz]

I didn't mind the animation in TAS, but I'd love to see the music redone. I really felt at the time I first saw it (first run as a young teen) and even today, that the music just didn't do anything for the show and took away from it.

Also - I'd have someone else do young Spock in Yesterday. The kid who voiced it did so with a whiny voice.

Some of TAS (like Yesteryear and the Tribble ep) was really good and holds up pretty well. I wish some of it could be converted to live Trek.

[Ovation]

And I liked a lot of the music and wouldn't want to see it changed. Just goes to show how difficult a revamping would be in terms of pleasing the fans.

[Christopher]

Redfern wrote:

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Didn't Filmation produce an earlier verson of "The Lone Ranger", one that aired in the latter 60s making it one of Filmation's earliest efforts? Or was that another studio?

That was another studio, Format Productions. Here's Wikipedia's entry on the show itself, which apparently took a Wild Wild West sci-fi/steampunk approach on occasion.

[ssosmcin]

I Like it as is. The only real hang up I have over it is the voice work. The actors were tracked down and did their line readings into a tape recorder and put together later. Now, I know it's petty standard to no have everyone in the booth, but a lot of the readings were pretty flat and their tones didn't always match. Oh and some of the actors they reused to cover multiple characters in order to save money. This is fine if they're talented like Jimmy Doohan. But Takei, Nichelle and Majel just couldn't handle the changes and you can spot them a mile away.

Aside from that, Christopher is right: the animation is above standard for 1974 Saturday morning TV fare (don't look at it with today's eyes). The stories were really good considering the time slot and the audience. It DID win a daytime Emmy after all. Credit to DC Fontana, since she was story editor. And the music was great, something I'd love on CD - impossible as it is really.

So no, please don't touch it.

[Warped9]

Yeah, I too, would love the music on CD.

[Christopher]

ssosmcin wrote:

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I Like it as is. The only real hang up I have over it is the voice work. The actors were tracked down and did their line readings into a tape recorder and put together later.

Not exactly. They all went to whatever recording studios were convenient to do their lines. But they didn't have anyone to give them any real direction, and most of them weren't experienced at voice acting, so their performances tended to be flat.

Oh and some of the actors they reused to cover multiple characters in order to save money. This is fine if they're talented like Jimmy Doohan. But Takei, Nichelle and Majel just couldn't handle the changes and you can spot them a mile away.

I think Nichols did pretty well, and Takei did a fair job. It was actually pretty common for Filmation shows to rely on a small ensemble of actors, with producer Lou Scheimer usually doing uncredited (or pseudonymous in the '80s) work as a lot of background characters, though Scheimer's voice is rarely heard in TAS. It's actually kind of impressive that TAS used as much of the original cast as it did.

Aside from that, Christopher is right: the animation is above standard for 1974 Saturday morning TV fare (don't look at it with today's eyes).

In some ways, yes -- it's better-looking, cleaner, more elegant than what Hanna-Barbera was doing at the time. But TAS's first season wasn't quite up to Filmation's usual standard, because its production was extremely rushed -- the network only gave them 6 months to produce 16 episodes, which for animation is an insanely tight deadline. The last 6 episodes which constitute the second season are more polished because they had more time with them.

The stories were really good considering the time slot and the audience. It DID win a daytime Emmy after all.

Right -- making it the first Emmy-winning Trek show, and the only Trek show that's ever won an Emmy in a non-technical category.

[Melakon]

George Takei had done voice dubbing work early in his career. He did American dubs on the Japanese films 'Godzilla Raids Again' (aka 'Gigantis the Fire Monster'), and I was able to recognize his voice in 'Rodan'.

[ssosmcin]

Christopher wrote:

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Not exactly. They all went to whatever recording studios were convenient to do their lines. But they didn't have anyone to give them any real direction, and most of them weren't experienced at voice acting, so their performances tended to be flat.

I had read that they got Shatner in his dressing room during a stage play to do his lines at some point. Granted, this may or may not be the solid truth.

I think Nichols did pretty well, and Takei did a fair job.

George's deep tones were way too recognizable. In Magicks of Megus Tu, when his voices blasts in as one of the spirits, it yanks me right out of it. Nichelle in BEM....way obvious to me. I'll give Majel credt for M'Ress. She did put a nice feline quality to the character. But when they stretched two actresses into the female population in Lorelei Signal, it was pretty blatant.

It was actually pretty common for Filmation shows to rely on a small ensemble of actors, with producer Lou Scheimer usually doing uncredited (or pseudonymous in the '80s)

It wasn't until I watched him on a making of documentary that I placed the voice. He was all over his shows. Actually, I didn't mind that and he had a great voice for certain things. His opening narration for SHAZAM was outstanding.

It's actually kind of impressive that TAS used as much of the original cast as it did.

Agreed, but I wonder if they got paid for the extra work. If not, wotta rip-off. If so, why not hire Walter Koenig? They had Ed Bishop on and a couple of voices I couldn't recognize, too bad they couldn't get Chekov for one or two in that case.

In some ways, yes -- it's better-looking, cleaner, more elegant than what Hanna-Barbera was doing at the time. But TAS's first season wasn't quite up to Filmation's usual standard, because its production was extremely rushed -- the network only gave them 6 months to produce 16 episodes, which for animation is an insanely tight deadline. The last 6 episodes which constitute the second season are more polished because they had more time with them.

I'll still take it over The Funky Phantom and the Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan.

Right -- making it the first Emmy-winning Trek show, and the only Trek show that's ever won an Emmy in a non-technical category.

Well deserved, IMO. I was crushed as a kid when the show was cancelled. I'll never forget this voiceover coming on at 11:00:

"Star Trek will no longer be seen at this time. Now stay tuned for Westwind." A show I never even tried....

[Christopher]

ssosmcin wrote:

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George's deep tones were way too recognizable. In Magicks of Megus Tu, when his voices blasts in as one of the spirits, it yanks me right out of it. Nichelle in BEM....way obvious to me. I'll give Majel credt for M'Ress. She did put a nice feline quality to the character. But when they stretched two actresses into the female population in Lorelei Signal, it was pretty blatant.

Well, like I said, lots of Filmation shows had the same few people doing all the voices -- and then of course there were the older cinematic and early TV cartoons that had even smaller casts, like Mel Blanc doing virtually every voice for Warner Bros., Daws Butler & Don Messick being nearly the entire ensemble of Hanna-Barbera's early shows, etc. So recognizability isn't a deal-breaker for me, since it's what I grew up with.

It wasn't until I watched him on a making of documentary that I placed the voice. He was all over his shows. Actually, I didn't mind that and he had a great voice for certain things. His opening narration for SHAZAM was outstanding.

Scheimer was the announcer for most Filmation shows, and he also did lots of comic-relief characters, from Dumb Donald on Fat Albert to Bat-Mite on The New Adventures of Batman to Orko on He-Man (who was essentially the same character as Bat-Mite). He also usually did robots and computers, such as the bizarrely sentient Batcomputer of Batman and Peepo on Space Academy.

Scheimer had a moderately good range of voices, but there were times when it was stretched past its limits. The '80 Lone Ranger series, which I recently rewatched on DVD, has a lot of episodes where aside from the two leads (a pseudonymous William Conrad as the Lone Ranger and Ivan Naranjo as Tonto), every other male voice was done by Scheimer, and it got pretty tiresome. Fortunately there were other episodes where the supporting voices were done by Frank Welker (who, surprisingly, did very little work for Filmation except in the very early '80s, even though he was ubiquitous everywhere else in TV animation for decades).

Agreed, but I wonder if they got paid for the extra work. If not, wotta rip-off. If so, why not hire Walter Koenig? They had Ed Bishop on and a couple of voices I couldn't recognize, too bad they couldn't get Chekov for one or two in that case.

From what I can gather, an actor may be paid more for multiple roles, but it costs less to pay one person to do 3 or 4 roles than to pay 3 or 4 people to do one role each. And hiring Koenig as a series regular would probably have cost more than bringing in the occasional guest star like Bishop, Ted Knight, Mark Lenard, Roger C. Carmel, or Stanley Adams.

They did have some uncredited voice actors beyond the regular cast, though. A lot of the voices that are incorrectly credited to James Doohan in modern references were really played by a different actor who worked on several '70s Filmation shows -- I think it may have been Lennie Weinrib, who did all the male voices in New Adventures of Batman other than Batman & Robin themselves (who were Adam West and Burt Ward).