When does Chekov return after TAS...?

[Greg Cox]

From the hiatus between Seasons One and Two of TNG until the death of Roddenberry in September 1991 (and dismissal of Richard Arnold), TAS was off-limits for the licensed tie-ins. It was also the time of Filmation's winding down. TAS wasn't airing anywhere, and all of Filmation's ownership rights were in a state of flux. Some novelists chose not to reference TAS simply because they had never watched that series (ie. Janet Kagan, whose novel "Uhura's Song" featured felinoids, but never mentioned Caitians, even though Starfleet doctors were researching other felinoids to seek a solution to a planetary medical crisis). But, from the novelization of "Unification" by Jeri Taylor, references to TAS were again permitted.

Exactly. At the time I started writing Trek books, TAS was off-limits, so I always just ignored it -- and have never gotten out of that habit. It never even occurs to me to reference TAS, so, of course, Chekov is going to be around in any of my 5YM novels. And Arex is nowhere to be seen.

Plus, unlike TOS, which was always rerunning in syndication somewhere, TAS was not easily viewed at times. I still remember spending an entire weekend trekking all over Manhattan trying to find a VHS copy of "The Counter-Clock Incident" just so I could write a Robert April story. Finally found one, after wearily pounding the pavement, in a hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop video store in the East Village . . ..

 

[Ryan's Head Canon]

You all are fantastic -- thanks for your thoughts, this is amazing.

I am far from resolving how I want to organize my personal vision for the end of the five year mission, but I'll probably just have Chekov show up again on the bridge, and we can assume he's back from his training in a similar fashion to Ro Laren after her advanced tactical training in TNG (but without any overt mention of it). LLAP all...

 

[Damian]

I do like the idea of Chekov going for tactical training, making way for Arex. It's a good way in universe to explain why Chekov was missing in the animated series and then his switching to security and the tactical station in TMP and TWOK (when he returns to the Enterprise ).

But have no fear Greg, I still enjoy your novels, even if you're dissing Arex

Original series novels really haven't had much of an internal consistency anyway (unlike their spinoff counterparts). Some due, and some make passing references to other novels on occasion. But overall, each book seems to do its own thing, in a way consistent with how the original series was filmed to begin with. There was a very loose internal consistency, but nothing like later shows would have, or even really TNG which had a bit more internal continuity (and each subsequent show had more and more internal consistency).

So the original series novels not having much consistency with one another is pretty well in keeping with the original series itself.

In this case Christopher is the odd man out . He tries to make an attempt to tie things together (if it fits with his overall story). But he seems to like putting the puzzle pieces together so it makes sense in his case.

 

[dupersuper]

I do like the idea of Chekov going for tactical training, making way for Arex.

Me to, but I prefer him training with the security division on the Enterprise, to avoid any contradictions in expanded universe stories that feature him during the TAS days.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Me to, but I prefer him training with the security division on the Enterprise, to avoid any contradictions in expanded universe stories that feature him during the TAS days.

Perhaps a series of short courses, separated by practical on-the-job observations.