Chekov...A Hit or A Miss?

[Spock's Barber]

When GR added the character of Chekov in the 2nd season, one of the reasons stated was to appeal to the younger audience members. I always assumed this meant teenagers and slightly above. Even with his Beatle-type wig I thought Koenig/Chekov looked 30-ish. Then with his wrap around, combover hairdo he looked even older. I had trouble relating to him as being part of a youth movement in the Federation. Your thoughts?

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Early on he played as "young-ish" well enough, but the PTB were wise to show Chekov maturing as an officer as S2 progressed, so he's not Monkee-ing around by the end of S2 and into S3. Clearly, he's the junior of characters such as Uhura and Sulu, but in S3 he was becoming a mature officer, and not the fifth Monkee/Beatle he was intended to be when Koenig won the role.

 

[telerites]

Even as a just turned teenager when I saw my first episodes in the early 70s, I didn't necessarily relate to him as a younger generation character but I liked him and especially when he and Sulu had shared dialogs and came across two very good and close comrades.

 

[johnnybear]

Early on he played as "young-ish" well enough, but the PTB were wise to show Chekov maturing as an officer as S2 progressed, so he's not Monkee-ing around by the end of S2 and into S3. Clearly, he's the junior of characters such as Uhura and Sulu, but in S3 he was becoming a mature officer, and not the fifth Monkee/Beatle he was intended to be when Koenig won the role.

John Koenig?
Always makes me laugh how Walter pronounces his name while in Space 1999 and other places like Leonard Nimoy in Outerlimits episode Production and decay of strange particles it's said as Ko-Nig and the unprepared actor in 1999 sometimes refers to him as Kerr-Nig but Walter says it's Kay-Nig! Different countries and dialects I guess! "Exterminate!!"
JB

 

[Emperor Norton]

In space, there is no conditioner.

 

[Spock's Barber]

^ "My wig is almost as good as my Russian accent."

 

[CrazyMatt]

I think Koenig looked like a mature 22, but he didn't look to be obviously not 22.

All in all, the character was successful and the actor that portrayed him did a very masterful job.

 

[EnsignHarper]

My sister in the time of TOS, was right in the middle of the 11-14 target group, and yes, watched it because of Chekov...which in turn got her little brother interested....

 

[Solariabsg25]

John Koenig?
Always makes me laugh how Walter pronounces his name while in Space 1999 and other places like Leonard Nimoy in Outerimits episode Production and decay of strange particles it's said as Ko-Nig and the unprepared actor in 1999 sometimes refers to him as Kerr-Nig but Walter says it's Kay-Nig! Different countries and dialects I guess! "Exterminate!!"
JB

Mateo's pronunciation in "The Troubled Spirit"?

I always regarded Chekov as the youngster of the crew, but yeah he definitely appeared to be pushing 30 in my eyes, maybe 'cos of the hairstyle and the fact that yes although he's portraying young, he's also portraying a professional Starfleet officer. Strangely enough, I also regard him as the one who appears to have aged the least between the end of TOS and TMP.

 

[johnnybear]

Mateo's pronunciation in "The Troubled Spirit"?



Yes, Kernig wasn't it?.

JB

 

[Paradise City]

He looks very young in some episodes and just a step below Kirk in age in others. Probably to do with his hairstyle.

Chekov is there and remembered among the TOS ensemble so I guess the character worked.

 

[UnknownSample]

Long hair=young back then.

 

[Emperor Norton]

Long hair=young back then.

At least they did a decent enough job in regards to that. In Sixties television, the youth, hippie element was portrayed by some 30 year old picked out from Central Casting. And they didn't even always wear the fright wigs. Much of the time, it was them just wearing a sleeveless jacket with a cowboy hat or something some 40 year old producer thought looked like the young folks, saying terrible slang dialogue, dancing to an instrumental that sounded like something, and there to get yelled at by Joe Friday about being evil based on the phony strawman characters they were written as. Chekov could have become a really douche chills character.

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[2takesfrakes]

His lame humour was his only real problems, as far as I was concerned. Everything was "inwented" in Russia! LOL??? I mean ... I understand not wanting the Pinko Commie getting cocky, but how about some irony in jokes, maybe? Or, at least have it be organic to the story it's in, rather than just thrown in to give Keonig a line to say. His Chekov wig looked like he was using it to hide candy in it, or something. But it's his identifying feature, so what the hell? Just go with it, I don't care.

His "youthfulness" was conveyed more to me as an attitude than an actuality. Regardless of his actual age, he was always the "youngest" of the bridge crew. He was like some 10 year old trapped in a 30 year old's body, or some shit. Except for his odd one or two moments in the spotlight, he was really just there to follow Kirk's orders and he always did so with the same professionalism as the senior members. And that I did like about him. As he once said of himself, "... I'm not that green."

 

[Steve Gennarelli]

...He was younger than the rest ...at least his "character" was....
As a kid watching the reruns in the 70's....I think he resonated better with me than the other
3 "supporting" actors....So yes, I'd say Chekov was a resounding success.