Should Star Trek considering doing official Animated Series style shorts?

Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.Pictured: Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway on STAR TREK: VOYAGER.Screen grab: ©1997 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved
Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.Pictured: Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway on STAR TREK: VOYAGER.Screen grab: ©1997 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

Star Trek: Voyager gets an animated series remake.

A few weeks ago we talked about how one creative YouTuber recreated a scene in the style of the Animated Series. The famous scene from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “The Best of Both Worlds Part 1”, where the Borg takes Jean-Luc Picard looked interested in the style of the early 70s’ animation. Now, Star Trek: Voyager is getting the same treatment.

The Voyager video from Gazelle Automations features the iconic scene where Tom Paris, as the advanced evolution creature, kidnaps Captain Kathryn Janeway in the Voyager episode, “Threshold”. Yes, this is the one where Paris and Janeway have salamander babies together.

It’s one of the worst received, most mocked episodes in Trek history and mostly just due to the ending. So to see it recreated in the old Filmation style was a trip. It got me thinking though, should Star Trek officially start doing their own?

Star Trek would be wise to re-create scenes in the old Filmation style officially

While Trek will largely always be long-form content, the goal should be to find some way to diversify their content to a degree and get some smaller, shorter-form content out there. If Star Trek and Paramount were smart, they’d reach out to GAzelle Automations, give him some money, a small staff, and have him re-create iconic Trek scenes in these short little Filmation style snipits

If Paramount is backing the project officially, you could imagine that the videos would do better than a few hundred thousand per. Especially if they’re released on various platforms and had the clout that Paramount does as a brand.

These wouldn’t be really that interesting as an original series and I’m sure they would have a short shelf life, but they have value. Classic Star Trek fans would like to see their favorite scenes re-done I’m sure, and then new Trek fans would want to find these episodes out and see how they translate from animation to live-action.

Plus it may help make new fans.

So why not give it a shot?