Star Trek: The Animated Series

Lore & Background

After the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1969, the live-action show gained popularity in syndication, leading Gene Roddenberry to continue the series in animated form. The medium allowed for spectacular imagery and non-humanoid aliens that the original series could not practically depict. Much of the original cast returned to voice their characters, and series writers David Gerrold and D. C. Fontana considered The Animated Series effectively a fourth season of The Original Series.

Development began while The Original Series was still airing, with Filmation's Lou Scheimer in talks with Paramount, NBC, and Roddenberry. An early proposal for a teenage crew was abandoned, and the series was aimed at all ages. A deal was reached in early 1973, guaranteeing two seasons and 22 episodes with a budget of $75,000 per episode. Roddenberry had full creative control, and D. C. Fontana served as story editor and associate producer.

Voice recording initially omitted George Takei and Nichelle Nichols due to budget constraints, but Leonard Nimoy refused to voice Spock unless they were added, citing the importance of ethnic diversity. Walter Koenig did not appear as Chekov but contributed a script. The series featured well-known science fiction authors, including Larry Niven, who adapted his own story for the episode 'The Slaver Weapon.'

Reader's Guide

Star Trek: The Animated Series holds significance as the first Star Trek series to win an Emmy Award, receiving the 1975 Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment – Children's Series for its second season. It bridged the gap between the original live-action series and the later theatrical films, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. The series is noted for its ability to depict imaginative aliens and settings that were impractical in live action, and it maintained continuity with The Original Series, with some elements later becoming canonical, such as the Vulcan city of ShiKahr and Spock's pet sehlat I-Chaya. Its legacy includes influencing later Star Trek productions and being regarded by some writers as an effective fourth season of the original show.

Did You Know?

• The Animated Series was the first Star Trek series to win an Emmy Award, for Outstanding Entertainment – Children's Series in 1975.
• Leonard Nimoy refused to voice Spock unless George Takei and Nichelle Nichols were added to the cast, citing the importance of ethnic diversity.
• The episode 'The Slaver Weapon' was adapted from Larry Niven's short story 'The Soft Weapon' and is the only Kirk-era television or movie story in which Captain Kirk did not appear.
• The series benefited from a Writers Guild of America, East strike in 1973, which did not apply to animation, allowing writers to work on the show.