How does Lower Decks compare to Star Trek the Animated Series?

[Lord Garth]

TAS is basically the fourth season of TOS done as a 1970s Saturday-morning cartoon. LD is a new type of show done with the adult-cartoon format in mind from the beginning.

So, I'd have to give the edge to LD. TAS loses something from TOS whereas LD doesn't lose anything of itself.

The one advantage of TAS has over LD, though, is I think TAS could run wild with its aliens sometimes. Something I don't think LD will either do or do as much of.

The characters in LD have more personality to them. In TAS, the characters are watered down versions of who they were in TOS. And sometimes you can tell they were just reading the lines. The voice-acting in LD is a lot better.

 

[BillJ]

Something I don't think LD will either do or do as much of.

There was an interview where McMahan said their would be new aliens, including a new threat.

Envoys introduced a Klingon to the series but they will not be prominent in Season One. “Yes. I don’t think there’s a ton of Klingons in Season One,” said McMahan. “They have a little bit more of a presence in Season Two. Every Trek has its own major villain, and the Klingons were really that for the original series. But the Klingons are not the villains in our show. We do have a villain that will appear this season, but because Klingons have been — especially in Deep Space Nine and TNG, we’ve learned so much about them — they’re really just texture in our world.”

So expect more new aliens on Lower Decks, in addition to familiar ones. “Methodically, we like to introduce new aliens so our guys can sort of do some contact, which is helpful for the aliens that they’re meeting to have some newness to them, so that we can explore these thoughts,” said McMahan. “But that being said, it is fun to investigate issues that have not been delved into more than in an episodic fashion. So when we’re talking about what aliens we want to meet, we have every alien that’s been in Trek before, and then we have the aliens from The Original Series.

 

[Nerys Myk]

You know, this is a marvelous idea! Would love for them to attempt something like that at some point.

As for the OP's question: both shows are so different that I find it hard to compare them. Lower Decks is definitely more fast-paced than The Animated Series, that's for sure.

Ahem
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cameos-youre-hoping-to-see.305013/page-2#post-13460447

A time travel episode where the gang goes to the 23rd Century and meet the Enterprise crew and everything is animated in the TAS style. Shatner, Koenig and Takei cameo.

Just saying

 

[Michael]

Ahem
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cameos-youre-hoping-to-see.305013/page-2#post-13460447

Just saying

Well, at least I'm consistent. You guys should write for this show.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Well, at least I'm consistent. You guys should write for this show.

I'd love to. All my bad episode ideas become reality!!!!!!

 

[Qonundrum]

You mean limited budget and schedule. The technology existed -- there was great animation being done decades earlier. Filmation itself could do feature-quality work when given a feature schedule and budget, as in their 1972 Journey Back to Oz or their 1979 Flash Gordon movie. But TV networks allocated very little money for their Saturday morning programming, and TAS's first season had the added limitation of an exceedingly tight shooting schedule, given only 6 months to make 16 episodes. The 6 episodes of season 2, produced at a less breakneck pace, have noticeably better animation.

The main technological advance since then is that animation can be done far faster, since it's all done in computers so there are fewer steps, and reshoots and image alterations are far easier.

Much thanks for clarification and links! (Wow, "Oz" is quite a difference... am still happy TAS got made at all but, yeah, they did put more work into that one!)

 

[Christopher]

TAS is basically the fourth season of TOS done as a 1970s Saturday-morning cartoon. LD is a new type of show done with the adult-cartoon format in mind from the beginning.

Well, yes and no. TAS was always intended, and was promoted at the time, as the first Saturday morning show for adults as well as younger viewers. The violence and sexuality were somewhat toned down for the time slot, but otherwise it was written on the same level as TOS, and had none of the attributes of the children's programming of the era (e.g. formulaic plots, cute animal sidekicks, garage bands, tag scenes lecturing the audience on the moral of the week, etc.).

So, I'd have to give the edge to LD. TAS loses something from TOS whereas LD doesn't lose anything of itself.

I don't think that's even a fair comparison. All it does is prove that they aren't comparable to begin with. And just because both shows happen to be animated doesn't mean they're competing with each other. Why should any two Trek shows be treated as competitors? They're all part of the same tapestry.

 

[Lord Garth]

Why should any two Trek shows be treated as competitors? They're all part of the same tapestry.

You read far more into my post than was there. I'm not the one who started this thread. It's not one I would've created myself. I saw it and I replied to it. That's all, folks.

For the record: I do not treat them as competitors.

 

[Christopher]

You read far more into my post than was there. I'm not the one who started this thread. It's not one I would've created myself. I saw it and I replied to it. That's all, folks.

The question was simply "How do the two shows compare?" Interpreting it as "Which one is better?" was your choice. A comparison does not automatically require picking a winner.

 

[Lord Garth]

The question was simply "How do the two shows compare?" Interpreting it as "Which one is better?" was your choice. A comparison does not automatically require picking a winner.

You can twist what I say into anything you like.

 

[fireproof78]

Why should any two Trek shows be treated as competitors? They're all part of the same tapestry.

A question for the ages, sir. A question for the ages.

 

[Cyrus]

Ahem
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cameos-youre-hoping-to-see.305013/page-2#post-13460447


Just saying

if Chekov appears it would be a canon violation. He was not in TAS.

 

[Nerys Myk]

if Chekov appears it would be a cannon violation. He was not in TAS.

It will solve mystery of the missing navigator.

 

[CorporalClegg]

if Chekov appears it would be a canon violation. He was not in TAS.

 

[BillJ]

if Chekov appears it would be a canon violation. He was not in TAS.

Not seeing it as any kind of violation. Who knows? He could’ve pissed Kirk off and was scrubbing Enterprise urinals during TAS.

 

[fireproof78]

And it's a "wiolation" if Chekov is involved.

 

[Christopher]

if Chekov appears it would be a canon violation. He was not in TAS.

He wasn't in the majority of TOS either, for that matter -- he was in only 36 out of 79 episodes. No reason he couldn't show up in the TAS time frame for just one episode like Ensign Walking Bear or any number of other characters.

 

[Noname Given]

Sealab 2021 once did an entire episode in the exact same style of Sealab 2020 (it was a serious dub without any of the usual gags except at the end, I believe). Perhaps Lower Decks can do an entire episode in the style of TAS, with all the music and action one would expect from 1973 animated television.

I would personally love it but if they did it that way they'd also have to copy the animation style of the Filmation studios circa. 1973

I'd love it if they did a time travel episode in that vein and explained the change in animation style as a temporal effect. If they could get any of the original TOS actors to lend their voice talent to the episode that would be a plus IMO.

but I doubt anything like that whatever across their minds are that they'd want to go that far to pull something like that off

 

[Lucky]

I still prefer TAS, but LD has been amazing so far. It exceeded all my expectations.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Now is as good a time as any to admit I've never really seen TAS. I've tried a few times to watch it but can never get through a single episode. I didn't like it as a kid either. One of the UHF stations would play a three-hour block: one TNG rerun, two TAS and then TOS every Sunday afternoon. I always skipped TAS.