Would Star Trek Discovery have worked as an animated show?

[Gingerbread Demon]

After seeing an episode or two of Prodigy and Lower Decks I wondered about Disco.

Sure it's a live action show but would it have been any different had they made it as either a cartoon animated show or a CG animated show? Would that have changed the feel of the show much? I mean one advantage is that they could have done things on screen that they just could not do with live action but aside from that I wonder how much different the show would have felt watching it.

Any thoughts people?

 

[Relayer1]

Trek doesn't work as an animated show.

I disliked TAS, I disliked the short Trek and as I've said before, I utterly loathe Lower Decks - it's the only Trek I've not managed to get through. I'm going to take a pass on Prodigy as I haven't seen it yet. I must admit, it does at least look nice.

I'm self aware enough to realise that part of the problem is my general dislike of animated shows - I've tried (and failed) to like Clone Wars, Rebels and Marvel's What If - all animated entries in franchises I like.

I can't see animated Trek working full stop, let alone Discovery. Prodigy may change my mind, but I somehow doubt it.

 

[Cyrus]

I am not a fan of animated shows, so not a big fan of Lower Decks or Prodigy. I am grateful that Discovery is not animated.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

I can't see animated Trek working full stop

I'm pretty sure that statement had aged terribly before you even wrote it. Whether it's your thing or not Lower Decks has definitely already "worked".

 

[Relayer1]

I'm pretty sure that statement had aged terribly before you even wrote it. Whether it's your thing or not Lower Decks has definitely already "worked".

As I said, I'm pretty self aware - it's a complete 100% cluster of failure, but that's to ME and my "general dislike" of animated shows. LD over and above that annoys and fails to make me even smile let alone laugh.

But there's a lot that obviously love it.

Everything is subjective - I thought Star Wars Rise Of Skywalker was a dreadful movie but it made money and some liked it. Subjective...

 

[Daddy Todd]

Are you assuming the story arcs and scripts are the same? Then no, it would also be a failure.

The fail starts at the story stage. Season 4 of Discovery was, perhaps, the worst season of Star Trek since TNG season 1.

 

[shapeshifter]

I know a couple that hate all animation. Well one of them does, the other has to agree to hate all animation or be in the dog house. he-he

NO amount of pleading to give some animated anything a chance gets through.

I never can get a reason why, though. The answer is always, I just don't like it, that's all.

Some here seem to have something in common with them. Will you help me understand why my friend is so adverse to all animation, give some definitive reason?

 

[fireproof78]

I never can get a reason why, though. The answer is always, I just don't like it, that's all.

Some here seem to have something in common with them. Will you help me understand why my friend is so adverse to all animation, give some definitive reason?

What if it isn't a definitive reason, but a feeling. It doesn't feel real, it's for kids, it lacks something for me to connect to. It's like people I know who don't like reading fiction. It has no appeal to them because it doesn't feel like it is very real. It is surprising but that is the nature of people.

Emotions are not logical and sometimes it's just a gut feeling of "oh, don't like that."

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, that they are, 'meant for kids and I am a grown up therefore I cannot like it' is a vibe I feel from them. Oh-noes! I might been seen enjoying myself watching a cartoon!

But we know all movies and TV are not real, and yet we allow ourselves to believe in those for short periods of time. Isn't letting our disbelief be suspended for a while kinda the point of being entertained, regardless of the medium delivering the entertainment.

Cartoons have a different level of suspension of disbelief threshold, though. Entertainment is different for everyone, and that threshold has to start somewhere. Cartoons might not meet that threshold.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Lower Decks and Prodigy have proven that animated Trek can work, but Star Trek: TAS has shown that it's never going to feel exactly the same. Even if they aimed for photoreal 3D and used the exact same visual effects it'd have a different vibe to it. Not necessarily worse, or better, just different.

Animated series are definitely less restricted when it comes to visuals, though we're at the point now where so much of Discovery is created in computers that it's halfway to being animated already. A live action series can go almost anywhere a cartoon can go as long they dress the floor in the LED wall set properly, so series like Prodigy have lost some of their advantage when it comes to giving us strange new worlds. And Prodigy hasn't exactly been filling the screen with bustling alien cities either.

I haven't got a clue what the viewing figures are for Discovery vs Lower Decks and Prodigy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had more people watching than both the cartoons combined, just because a lot of people don't like cartoons. Personally though I'd totally watch Discovery: The Animated Series.

 

[Quinton]

I'm sure the basic building blocks here would translate just fine into an animated medium. If the show didn't look so goddamned gorgeous as-is, I might be inclined to add that animation would take its visuals to new heights.

For whatever reason, I've had lifelong difficulty getting into most animated fare. That extends to Lower Decks, sadly. So, I'm personally grateful this hasn't transpired.

 

[F. King Daniel]

As a show? Sure. As a launchpad for the new Star Trek Universe of shows? Nope.

 

[fireproof78]

We're not talking My Little Pony here though, it's Star Trek. Anyway I see you, like them, are not going to bend here so I'll drop it.

I have no issue watching cartoons or animated shows. I do so all the time with my kids, and have watched Lower Decks, though not Prodigy yet. Watched TAS as well, and more animated shows from childhood to present than I feel the need to list here.

But one last question, aren't you a psychologist or mental therapist? Apologies if not, please disregard... But if so, wouldn't your position have some sort of Freudian explanation, or something?

I am not a trained psychoanalyst, nor do I hold to a Freudian perspective. I am closer to a cognitive behavioral specialist, though I approach my work from multiple perspectives. Without knowing your friends specifically it would be difficult for me to comment further on potential thoughts or feelings, except in a very general way, which may be less satisfactory. Largely because it doesn't always hold a logical component, which is something that a lot of adults thrive in, and live and work in, and want a specific answer to what may very well be an emotional response. Emotions don't always confirm perfectly to words. For instance, I don't like watermelon. The taste is fine but eating it produces something akin to disgust, but it isn't out of any sort of malice or negativity. I just don't like it.

Tastes and emotions differ.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I don't think it could work given how much of the show is based on the emotional lives of the characters and given advances in CG and regular makeup effects there isn't much they can do in animation that they can't do in live-action on the show.

 

[shapeshifter]

I have no issue watching cartoons or animated shows. I do so all the time with my kids, and have watched Lower Decks, though not Prodigy yet. Watched TAS as well, and more animated shows from childhood to present than I feel the need to list here.

I am not a trained psychoanalyst, nor do I hold to a Freudian perspective. I am closer to a cognitive behavioral specialist, though I approach my work from multiple perspectives. Without knowing your friends specifically it would be difficult for me to comment further on potential thoughts or feelings, except in a very general way, which may be less satisfactory. Largely because it doesn't always hold a logical component, which is something that a lot of adults thrive in, and live and work in, and want a specific answer to what may very well be an emotional response. Emotions don't always confirm perfectly to words. For instance, I don't like watermelon. The taste is fine but eating it produces something akin to disgust, but it isn't out of any sort of malice or negativity. I just don't like it.

Tastes and emotions differ.

I still have trouble eating some conifer vegetables without special cooking methods without evoking a gag response so I understand watermelon analogy.

Guess I am not going to get anywhere in understanding animation aversion though. Thanks for trying.

I'm sure the basic building blocks here would translate just fine into an animated medium. If the show didn't look so goddamned gorgeous as-is, I might be inclined to add that animation would take its visuals to new heights.

For whatever reason, I've had lifelong difficulty getting into most animated fare. That extends to Lower Decks, sadly. So, I'm personally grateful this hasn't transpired.

Like LD isn't respected by some for being animated, DISC would likley be hobbled with the same lack of credibility with some if it were animated.

 

[fireproof78]

Guess I am not going to get anywhere in understanding animation aversion though. Thanks for trying.

Yeah, it's really hard to sometimes grasp specific aversions. I know I did with people in my life who don't read fiction, of any kind, or my mom who does not enjoy science fiction. I have a tough time fathoming it though. So, I get struggle because I am a person who is naturally inquisitive and likes to hear other people's point of views, even if they are ones I don't agree with or even get.

With entertainment it is something deeply fundamental. It's based upon early experiences of what we enjoy and don't enjoy. So unless you're going to unpack all your friends history it's going to difficult to state "Oh, that's why!" because that emotional reaction is just that-it's an emotion.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I still watch animated shows, Legends of Korra and such I find fun so much that I got the box set of Korra but sometimes even I find myself looking at the animation and thinking it's just moving pictures with outlines and not actual characters, but then there are some shows where there is a good story, good voice acting and emotion and I do get sucked in and find myself enjoying it. So I guess it does vary from person to person.

As for Discovery I just thought maybe animation could give us visuals you just couldn't do live or maybe there were things they wanted to do but couldn't show in a live format.

 

[FederationHistorian]

Depends on the season.

S1 – yes. It’s a war setting, and its possible to push the violence to a level that can’t be shown with live action

S2 – No. It would not feel the same as live action.

S3 - Only if you tell it solely from the perspective of the Emerald Chain and those living under the Emerald Chain. Or Burnham and Book’s year before Discovery’s arrival. Its for the same reason as S1: push violence to a limit not seen with live action. The S3 story as is would not work in animation., although there might be less backlash towards Su’Kal.

S4 – maybe. Its more about pacing in the case of S4. It might work better as an animated movie trilogy than as a weekly series.

 

[DarKush]

I like animated series/movies, but I don't think Discovery would work as well if it was an animated series. Though it would be an interesting experiment. I wouldn't mind seeing CBS/Paramount experiment more with animation. It could be a good way to revisit TOS with Shatner and Takei. It could also be a way to revisit other Trek series or talked about moments as well.

 

[thribs]

If it looked like it should at that time, sure