Tooning in on Trek

Last night, I finished watching season two of Star Trek: Prodigy, and it got me thinking about the three animated Star Trek series that have been produced to date, and how different they are from one another. 

The first animated series, which debuted in 1973 and ran for 22 episodes under the title Star Trek, but was later re-dubbed Star Trek: The Animated Series when it came out on DVD in 2006, was essentially a direct continuation of the original live action series, from the 1960s and starred the voices of almost all of the original cast, some of whom voiced multiple characters. Walter Koenig was not brought back to reprise his role as Pavel Chekov, although he did contribute a script for the episode "The Infinite Vulcan". 

Dismissed by many at the time as a kiddie show because it ran as part of NBC's Saturday morning lineup, against the wishes of Creator Gene Roddenberry, who saw animation as a way to create more visually expansive worlds that would not have been feasible with the physical effects technology of the day. Unfortunately, it came out at a time when animation was at a low point due to the rising cost of hand animation. Computer generated animation was still a decade or two away from coming into its own. Over the years, the animated series has garnered greater appreciation, especially for the quality of its stories, many of which were penned by writers from the original series. I doubt it would ever happen, but it would be incredible to see a 're-animated' version of this series, using the original audio with modern animation techniques, much as the original live action series received updated visual effects in the mid-2000s.

After the animated series wrapped in 1975, it quickly became a quaint and largely forgotten footnote in Star Trek history, except for those who had watched it on Saturday mornings. It would be more than four decades before another animated Star Trek series would see the light of day, this time streaming on CBS All Access, which would later be renamed Paramount+

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an unapologetic parody of all things Star Trek. Drawing on a concept from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, similarly titled "The Lower Decks", which also focused on a group of junior crew members, Lower Decks Centers on the dysfunctional crew of the USS Cerritos, specifically its junior crew members, the show is an all-out slapstick sitcom, its humor is decidedly low-brow. 

Set in time just after Star Trek: Nemesis, the show's outrageous nature seems to appeal to at least some viewers enough to warrant five seasons, the last of which, thankfully, will drop in the fall of 2024, and even inspired a live-action crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 

Honestly, I try to embrace Trek in all its many forms, but for me, Lower Decks must be taken in very small doses, as it usually borders between idiotic and downright cringe worthy. Why this series survived on Paramount+ and Prodigy did not, is quite frankly beyond me. I just don't get the appeal.

The year after Lower Decks debuted, Paramount+, in partnership with the Nickelodeon cable network, created a far more thoughtful animated series called Star Trek: Prodigy, which focuses on a group of adolescents of various species, who find an abandoned Federation starship and take it on a voyage of self-discovery, under the tutelage of a holographic representation of Voyager's Capt. Kathryn Janeway. 

The premise of this show, and the fact that it was overtly targeted for younger viewers, may have dissuaded some adult viewers from giving it a try, and I count myself among them. It was only after it was abruptly canceled and removed from both Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, and then showed up on Netflix, that I decided give it a proper chance. What I discovered was some of the best Star Trek I had encountered in years.

Framed as an interstellar coming of age story, there are elements that will resonate strongly with younger viewers, but the storylines are thoughtful and well developed enough to appeal to adult audiences, and its essence holds truer to the best that Star Trek has to offer. 

The series uses seasonal story arcs similar to the structure of Star Trek: Picard, and as such, the premise for a third season was set up in the final episode of season two. At this point, the future of the series is largely in the hands of viewers, as Netflix bases its renewal decisions on streaming numbers and social media chatter. Given the show's high quality it is a bit of a mystery why Prodigy has had such a rocky run, with one season on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, followed by a jump to Netflix for a repeat of season one, followed up by an even better second season. 

Star Trek's animated offerings have come a long way in the past half-century, and may yet prove to be the franchise's next frontier.