Poll The TAS Redux That Might Have Been

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

We could have had a CGI redux of the Animated Series.

https://trekcentral.net/exclusive-the-cgi-remake-of-star-trek-the-animated-series/

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Don't want it. It is what it is and all the better for it. It's an artefact of its time.

 

[Warped9]

I have never seen a cgi series (in a serious tone) I have liked the look of. They look like marionettes.

If TAS we’re “updated,” so to speak, I would rather a more conventional animation style in the vein of Jonny Quest—animation that strove for a sense of realism…with the exception of Jonny’s dog Bandit.

It could be interesting if today’s computer animation could replicate the style of Jonny Quest to cut down on the production time that series originally took. Drawing animation with that level of detail was time consuming back in the day.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

If anything, that late 90s CGI look dates way harder than the limited animation work done in the 1970s. In its own way, I think TAS still looks quite classy. It’s at least retro in the ‘right’ way which I can’t say for any of the images in the link provided.

Interesting that it was at least partially on the table at one point though.

 

[Warped9]

If anything, that late 90s CGI look dates way harder than the limited animation work done in the 1970s. In its own way, I think TAS still looks quite classy. It’s at least retro in the ‘right’ way which I can’t say for any of the images in the link provided.

Somehow I find it easier to suspend disbelief with good 2D animation than 3D cgi.

 

[mb22]

How about the style of Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse?

 

[Herbert]

Good god, NO! Leave it alone. Part of the charm of TAS is the Filmation animation style.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"Yes, but only if they made new episodes rather than 'fixing' old ones."

If anything, that late 90s CGI look dates way harder than the limited animation work done in the 1970s. In its own way, I think TAS still looks quite classy.

Good god, NO! Leave it alone. Part of the charm of TAS is the Filmation animation style.

Yep.

 

[Warped9]

Part of the charm of TAS is the Filmation animation style.

It will be interesting to see what the Target Audience guys think of TAS now that they’ve completed their review of all the TOS episodes.

I’m still waiting for their 3rd Season and overall series wrap-ups.

 

[JoseNoodles]

I'm not a big fan of most TAS episodes. Doing CGI remakes wouldn't have made them any better. I don't think making new episodes with the original cast would have worked out in the long run either.

 

[valkyrie013]

98? Cgi? Oh god no.. that would have been Horrendous!

 

[Warped9]

TAS suffers from two things: abbreviated stories and stilted animation. Also the cast weren’t accustomed to voice acting and often, if not most of the time, didn’t record their sessions together.

 

[JoseNoodles]

TAS suffers from two things: abbreviated stories and stilted animation. Also the cast weren’t accustomed to voice acting and often, if not most of the time, didn’t record their sessions together.

Yeah, the show had this "off" feeling, and not just because it is a cartoon. It's a shame, because as an animated show, they could have done a lot things that were not possible in live-action Star Trek. Instead, it seemed mostly confused about the kind of show it wanted to be (a kids show, or a revival of Star Trek for adults).

 

[Warped9]

Yeah, the show had this "off" feeling, and not just because it is a cartoon. It's a shame, because as an animated show, they could have done a lot things that were not possible in live-action Star Trek. Instead, it seemed mostly confused about the kind of show it wanted to be (a kids show, or a revival of Star Trek for adults).

There was no confusion. They intended to do an adult level show that happened to be in a Saturday morning time slot. But corners were cut. It deserved better animation.

And animation did allow them to do things they couldn’t have done live-action.

 

[JoseNoodles]

There was no confusion. They intended to do an adult level show that happened to be in a Saturday morning time slot. But corners were cut. It deserved better animation.

And animation did allow them to do things they couldn’t have done live-action.

That's what I don't get. Why were they trying to do an adult show on the Saturday morning block? Did they know that some adults watch cartoons, like the college crowd? Was it an early attempt to capitalize on young adults?

Yes they did do some things that wouldn't have been feasible on live-action, but they also did things like having plant people and cat people. I wish they would have been even more creative with the alien designs than they were.

 

[Qonundrum]

That's what I don't get. Why were they trying to do an adult show on the Saturday morning block? Did they know that some adults watch cartoons, like the college crowd? Was it an early attempt to capitalize on young adults?

Yes they did do some things that wouldn't have been feasible on live-action, but they also did things like having plant people and cat people. I wish they would have been even more creative with the alien designs than they were.

TOS was marketed in the 60s as being "adult sci-fi", likely in part due to "Lost in Space" being kiddie fare and TOS being comparatively adult (and would have been truly adult, rather than "children of all ages", had "The Cage" been greenlit instead of retooled into WNMHGB. That said, WNMHGB is still above average for the age range and has enough "cerebral" aspects that still made it unique compared to LiS and other fare of the time. Both shows are fun in their own ways, but LiS was definitely aimed at kids, and NBC had spent so much money with the pilots that it was taking a risk in how it promoted the show to bring in viewers. Much to the credit of the genre. Though that said, the premiere episode was comparatively shallow and was hyped up for its monster, rather than the underpinning nature of it being "the last of its kind" and the moral dilemmas that elevate "The Man Trap" above generic monster horror show shlock. It's a tad underrated, IMHO... )

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

They said the A-word, woohoo!


Between 1969 and 1973, more than two great things happened, but I'll keep the digressions minimal:

1. The game show "Match Game" got a revival with a "modern" format.
2. TAS got made. The pre-teens and teens who grew up with TOS would not be mid-teens or young adults. Of course, how many college-faring young adults were waking up to drink their coffee and snort their powder next to little brother Junior who's antsy for the show airing just afterward where the crazy coyote keeps running off of cliffs.

To cut a long story short*, I'd bet 76 Quatloos (plus 47 Yentoqx) on "Yes, it was an early attempt to capitalize on young adults." Noting the retail album "Inside Star Trek" from 1976 and how Gene says a few things that are definitely aimed at adults of the time as well... they knew a considerable audience did exist, and expanding the franchise into more formats with the actors and makers wasn't going to hurt. It may not have been the biggest audience, but you know they'd be there.

* fantastic song from 1980, BTW

 

[Warped9]

If I recall correctly Roddenberry and company wanted a prime time slot, but NBC didn’t give it to them. Unlike today back in the day a “cartoon” was strictly seen as Saturday morning fare. The only show prior to buck that trend was the original run of The Flintstones about a decade earlier.

There were actually few things in TAS that shouldn’t have been there. Cat people wasn’t a new idea as Larry Niven had already created his Kzin race in his books. And the plant based aliens in “The Infinite Vulcan” were rather cool. The 50ft. Keniclius and Spock clone in the same episode were truly WTF! stupid.

The worst TAS episodes tended to be direct followups to TOS episodes or thinly veiled remakes of TOS episodes.

 

[Richard Baker]

I remember waiting for TAS, there was a preview special of the upcoming Saturday cartoon lineup and seeing that bizarre alien ship of connected pods was exciting. Now we could see Trek without budget or SFX limitations.
Mostly a hit or miss season, of all of the shows I enjoyed 'Yesteryear' the most.

 

[Warped9]

“Beyond The Farthest Star” was the first TAS episode I saw and I had highly anticipated. The next one I saw was “Yesteryear.” TAS had gotten off to a solid start.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

TAS suffers from two things: abbreviated stories and stilted animation.

I think the abbreviated story thing really works for TAS. Even a bad episode is over before you know it. They don't linger long enough to truly irritate.