Don't take it personally...you're not the only one.
The TAS discussion thread
- Thread starter Kor
- Start date
Don't take it personally...you're not the only one.
I love TAS! Paramount's considering it non-canon notwithstanding, I always considered it to be years 4 and 5 of the Enterprise' s five year mission. Yesteryear and the ep that puts Uhura in command of the big E are two of my favorite eps.
Also, in short, I'll just +1 Christopher's sentiments.
Also, in short, I'll just +1 Christopher's sentiments.
Indeed. I believe is maternal grandfather is a Vulcan.
Anyway... it was nice to see "More Tribbles, More Troubles" in 1080p included with TOS-R Season 2.
There are some great interviews with David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana that show how much hard work went into TAS. It deserves to be remembered.
On a related note, I've always enjoyed the TAS-inspired comics on Kail Tescar's web site: http://www.startrekanimated.com/tas_comic_main.html
Kor
There are some great interviews with David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana that show how much hard work went into TAS. It deserves to be remembered.
On a related note, I've always enjoyed the TAS-inspired comics on Kail Tescar's web site: http://www.startrekanimated.com/tas_comic_main.html
Kor
I loved TAS. Some of you guys are tough.
TMP made me a Trek fan, but my previous exposure to Trek was TAS! (I was probably the right age to see TOS in first run, but we were always in bed by 8.30pm.)
Australia didn't get colour TV till 1975, so TAS was in b/w on Saturday mornings, but it ended up in daily repeat - in colour! - when the popularity of kids' breakfast television really took off. I was in high school, but I had several episodes I was dying to see in colour as I dressed for school, including the chance to satisfy my curiosity as to what colour Arex was and what colours the crewmembers turned during the Auroral Plague!
M'Ress and Arex landing party by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
I also remember my exciting quest to re-find the vaguely-remembered View-Master reels of "Mr Spock's Time Trek" ("Yesteryear") in the early 80s, and the weird challenges to what I thought I remembered when I read Alan Dean Foster's "Log" series (all those extra scenes with M'Ress's family, and the undoing of some of the plot in the aftermath of "The Counter-clock Incident") - and then the Tuttle & Bailey licensed cels that added Arex and M'Ress to episodes they weren't actually in!
The Jihad interlopers by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
Kzin, M'Ress and Arex by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
Australia didn't get colour TV till 1975, so TAS was in b/w on Saturday mornings, but it ended up in daily repeat - in colour! - when the popularity of kids' breakfast television really took off. I was in high school, but I had several episodes I was dying to see in colour as I dressed for school, including the chance to satisfy my curiosity as to what colour Arex was and what colours the crewmembers turned during the Auroral Plague!
M'Ress and Arex landing party by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
I also remember my exciting quest to re-find the vaguely-remembered View-Master reels of "Mr Spock's Time Trek" ("Yesteryear") in the early 80s, and the weird challenges to what I thought I remembered when I read Alan Dean Foster's "Log" series (all those extra scenes with M'Ress's family, and the undoing of some of the plot in the aftermath of "The Counter-clock Incident") - and then the Tuttle & Bailey licensed cels that added Arex and M'Ress to episodes they weren't actually in!
The Jihad interlopers by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
Kzin, M'Ress and Arex by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
You mean that look isn't saying "If I ever find the guy that put that red garage rag in the laundry..."
^ Exactly! 
I think there were some promotional materials or something (maybe Alan Dean Fosters novelization) that posited that M'Ress's race was related to the Kzinti.
It would have been interesting to involve the Kzinti more in Trek, bringing in background from Larry Niven's "Known Space" writings. In "The Slaver Weapon," Sulu says humans fought four wars with the Kzinti (and of course they did in Known Space). That's a little hard to fit into the chronology we know from live-action Trek (unless you ignore all the spinoffs).
Kor
I think there were some promotional materials or something (maybe Alan Dean Fosters novelization) that posited that M'Ress's race was related to the Kzinti.
It would have been interesting to involve the Kzinti more in Trek, bringing in background from Larry Niven's "Known Space" writings. In "The Slaver Weapon," Sulu says humans fought four wars with the Kzinti (and of course they did in Known Space). That's a little hard to fit into the chronology we know from live-action Trek (unless you ignore all the spinoffs).
Kor
TAS has some of the best storylines. It stands to reason as they were no longer limited by budget constraints so they could really get imaginative with setting and character.
This has got me to thinking. Seeing as reboots have been and continue to be all of the rage, wouldn't it be nice to bring back TAS but as a live action series?
I'm normally not a CGI fan, but I could see it working well for this.
This has got me to thinking. Seeing as reboots have been and continue to be all of the rage, wouldn't it be nice to bring back TAS but as a live action series?
I'm normally not a CGI fan, but I could see it working well for this.
I loved it too, Kail! 10/10! 
JB
JB
Agree.
TAS is part of the five year mission that takes place after TOS and before the events of TMP. So, yes TAS has always been important to me ever since I watched it first-run as a very young boy in '73-'74 along with reruns of TOS.I think TAS was a product of its time, good for a 70s cartoons, but doesn't stand up to some the better cartoons made in the last 25 years.
I would rather create a new Star Trek cartoon then try to recreate the old one in live action.
^ If there was ever another live-action Trek series reboot using the original characters though, I'd be happy to see M'Ress and Arex migrated over as regular characters.
Heck, if Simon Pegg or anyone else involved in making nuTrek movie 3 is reading this, feel free to write them into the script. I'll endorse it!
Heck, if Simon Pegg or anyone else involved in making nuTrek movie 3 is reading this, feel free to write them into the script. I'll endorse it!
I *finally* saw TAS completely last year after many, many, many, MANY years imagining what it was like.
Ironically, I suspect the stories would play better in novelization form because, even though it's great to hear the actors, the stories are hindered by the animation, repetitive music, and the cast's inexperience with animation (at least initially since I felt the performancs get better over time).
Now, I get that the animation was good for its time, but even after excusing that, the fact remains that the animation (good as it may have been for the era) could not capture the energy of TOS.
TOS was thoughtful, creative, socially relevant, and TAS had all that, but TAS was also missing one of the key ingredients of TOS and that was its ENERGY.
Let's face it, Kirk was never more subdued. Shatner is one of the most animated, energetic, and passionate performers that there ever has been. And yet, the animated Kirk has even less energy than his 84-year-old counterpart. Or to put it another way, Shatner at 84 has more energy than his 70s animated counterpart.
So the stories are good, the colors are good (TOS had a lot of color too).
But the energy was lacking.
Ironically, I suspect the stories would play better in novelization form because, even though it's great to hear the actors, the stories are hindered by the animation, repetitive music, and the cast's inexperience with animation (at least initially since I felt the performancs get better over time).
Now, I get that the animation was good for its time, but even after excusing that, the fact remains that the animation (good as it may have been for the era) could not capture the energy of TOS.
TOS was thoughtful, creative, socially relevant, and TAS had all that, but TAS was also missing one of the key ingredients of TOS and that was its ENERGY.
Let's face it, Kirk was never more subdued. Shatner is one of the most animated, energetic, and passionate performers that there ever has been. And yet, the animated Kirk has even less energy than his 84-year-old counterpart. Or to put it another way, Shatner at 84 has more energy than his 70s animated counterpart.
So the stories are good, the colors are good (TOS had a lot of color too).
But the energy was lacking.
^ Exactly!
I think there were some promotional materials or something (maybe Alan Dean Fosters novelization) that posited that M'Ress's race was related to the Kzinti.
Yes, a flashback by ADF to M'Ress's earlier Starfleet posting, when she had to pass herself off as a small male kzinti.