When NBC canceled Star Trek in 1969, dismayed fans never gave up on the show and continued to write letters praising the series. Many asked for its return, and when Star Trek achieved secondary success in syndication, the network informed creator Gene Roddenberry that while a new live-action series wasn’t feasible due to the cost, they did approve an animated series that debuted in 1973 and ran for two seasons. The animated series is an interesting part of Star Trek history, so let’s take a look at a few facts that may surprise you.
1. Many original series writers penned episodes
While some episodes suffered due to weak plots, others were surprisingly good because several original series writers, including the legendary D.C. Fontana (“Journey To Babel,”) wrote episodes. Fontana also wrote one of the most popular animated episodes, “Yesteryear,” which focuses on events that occurred in Spock’s childhood.
2. Walter Koenig wrote an episode
While most of the original cast returned for the animated series, Walter Koenig’s character, Pavel Chekov, did not appear due to the cost of producing the show. Chekov’s replacement, Arex, was a three-armed Edosian officer voiced by James Doohan. However, Koenig wrote episode 1.7., “The Infinite Vulcan” and would later write a Star Trek comic book entry, “Chekov’s Choice,” in 1985.
3. The animated series won a Daytime Emmy
That’s right, this often-silly animated show won a Daytime Emmy in 1975 for “Best Children’s Series,” making it the only Star Trek franchise entry to do so! One must imagine the shock Bob Keene (“Captain Kangaroo”) felt when he heard the news, as his nominated show was popular with children all over the country at the time.
4. Lesser costs allowed for an expanded Star Trek universe
Because the animated Star Trek series was not nearly as expensive as a live-action show and some of the cast took on dual roles to voice one-off characters and regular cast members, this allowed series writers to expand their imaginations and add to the existing franchise universe. This included new locations, (planets, Vulcan cities,) aliens, (the Edosians,) and technologies (such as the precursor to the holodeck in “Practical Joker” 2.03). Future franchise series would give a nod to the animated show in years to come.
5. The Star Trek animated series is part of the Filmation legacy
Gen X kids ( yours truly included,) will tell you that most of the cartoons they watched during the 70s and 80s were Filmation productions. From Fat Albert to Tarzan and several versions of The Archies, Filmation produced dozens of animated series, including Star Trek. The company had an animation style that was almost immediately recognizable. Filmation studios closed in June of 1989 but we of a certain age still remember the unique animation and music.
Star Trek’s animated series is an interesting aspect of the franchise history that some may not remember. Paramount Plus currently has both seasons available for streaming, and it’s worth checking out.