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Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1975)
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Pow
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Lorelei Signal, "Episode #4, September 29,1973.

Synopsis } While investigating the Taurean region of space where star ships have mysteriously vanished for the last 150 years, the Enterprise encounters an all female planet. While on the planet the men of the Enterprise begin to age rapidly.

Not a fan of this one in spite of the laudable plot device of having a woman, Uhura, take command of the Enterprise due to the men's impairment. She and an all female team rescue Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the male landing party.

Nice steps forward for woman's empowerment, but a step backwards because the episode's resolution comes from the males.

The sci~fi trope of accelerated aging was done on ST:TOS episode to much better effect "The Deadly Years."

ST: V would do an episode entitled "Favorite Son," that had women mesmerizing males and draining them of their life energy.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Indeed yes! If you've ever seen the British CGI series Thunderbirds Are Go! you'll know how well a CGI Star Trek could be. Take a look!


___ Thunderbirds Are Go | Season 3 Best Moments


___________


Website called KissCartoon seems to have all of season 3 (Free!), and the first one started playing with no hassle.

Update 3/27/2022: Google says that Kisscartoon.xyz is NOT safe! Shocked

Back when we could download things (illegally) from various sites (most of which are gone now), Bulldogtrekker and I downloaded all of season 1 and love it!

You can't buy the DVDs from Amazon (they're region 2) but you can watch them if you have Amazon Prime.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Mar 27, 2022 12:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Long time fan of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's TV productions, Bud.

I have viewed the CGI "Thunderbirds Are Go!'' and its breathtaking.

The sophistication of the animation is awesome, the designs of all the equipment is stunning.

Check out the CGI "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" if you haven't yet. Also most impressive.

Hope one day someone will do a CGI ST: TOS.
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Pow
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"More Tribbles, More Troubles, "October 06,1973, Episode #5.

Written by: David Gerrold.

The Enterprise is escorting 2 drone ships that have grain as their cargo to Sherman's Planet. En route they observe a Klingon battlecruiser in pursuit of a small civilian vessel.

Writer David Gerrold pens an entertaining sequel for TAS based upon his fun script "The Trouble With Tribbles" that he wrote for TOS.

Adding to the fun is Stanley Adams who portrayed Cyrano Jones on TOS episode of "TTWT." He does the voice of CJ for TAS episode here.

DG had Boris Karloff in mind for the Cyrano Jones part when he first scripted "The Trouble With Tribbles" for TOS.

DG's likeness appears as the transporter operator in this episode. He wanted to be an extra on TOS but wasn't able to do so. So he wrote himself in for TAS.

This was the first of TAS episodes to be produced even though it was broadcast fifth.

David does a wonderful job for this episode. The tribbles are back along with the colorful Cyrano Jones. But there's enough fresh material to keep it all interesting and humorous for fans.

The tribbles are all pink in color in this episode. Not sure if that was some kind of budgetary issue or animation issue but its a shame we couldn't have more colors for the little creatures.

The Klingon star ship possess a stasis field weapon. It can paralyze an enemy vessel, disabling the engine systems and weapons array so they cannot be used.

The Klingons ceased using this weapon because it utilized so much energy to nullify another ship that the Klingon ship required hours to recharge.

Years later on the "Babylon 5" spin~off "Crusade" the Earth star ship Excaliber had a similar weapon. It could fire one massive blast that would necessitate the Excaliber time to fully recharge. As I recall though it did not take hours to do so, but while it was recharging the ship was vulnerable.

The design for the automated grain ships carrying the Quintotriticale cargo in this episode would later on be used as the star ship Antares on the remastered episode of TOS "Charlie X." On that episode as originally filmed, the Antares ship was never seen on screen due to the tight budget. The remastered iteration allowed the CGI team to include scenes for the episode of the Antares for fans.

Just one of the fantastic perks of remastering ST:TOS.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'm going to watch a few more Star Trek: TAS episodes this weekend, and I'm glad you provided those interesting facts to help me appreciate the tribble episode even more. Very Happy

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Survivor ,"October 13,1973. Episode #6.

Synopsis } The Enterprise is patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone when it encounters a civilian vessel in trouble.

Entertaining espionage episode and the first appearance of the longtime Federation of Planets foe the Romulans.

The alien Vendorian's design is fantastic.

Ted Knight (The Mary-Tyler Moore Show) voices Carter Winston as well as the Vendorian.

M'Ress the other communications officer is introduced on this episode. Her race is feline in appearance.

Not a fan of M'Ress, she looks like a large cat & purrs her dialogue. Very cornball concept that belonged on a cornball sci~fi animated TV show and not Star Trek. Perhaps she was created for the young tots viewing the show.

Placing more aliens on the bridge of the Enterprise is a fine idea. How about creating a nifty looking alien and not one that should be on Huckleberry Hound?

Always wondered why TAS stuck with the Klingon designed star ship for the Romulans? I know it was established on TOS episode "The Enterprise Incident'' that the Romulans were collaborating with the Klingons & now had Klingon ships.
I read that was done at the time due to the Romulan space ship model created for "Balance Of Terror" being stolen or destroyed.

So with a tight budget for TOS it was decided to simply concoct the backstory of the treaty between the Klingons and Romulans which allowed the Romulans to operate Klingon space ships.

I get how the production had to resort to coming up with that solution for TEI episode at that time.

It just seems to me that since this is TAS episode the artistic team could have drawn either the Romulan ship from TOS (never a design I was fond of), or even come up with a whole new Romulan vessel. All they required was pen, ink, and paper.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
Always wondered why TAS stuck with the Klingon designed star ship for the Romulans? I know it was established on TOS episode "The Enterprise Incident'' that the Romulans were collaborating with the Klingons & now had Klingon ships.

It just seems to me that since this is TAS episode the artistic team could have drawn either the Romulan ship from TOS (never a design I was fond of), or even come up with a whole new Romulan vessel. All they required was pen, ink, and paper.

Like you, Pow, I was never impress by the original Bird of Prey, so the switch to the more interesting Klingon ship is fine with me. And having the Klingons and the Romulans form an alliance was tough on the Federation, so that ramped up the tension. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Infinite Vulcan," October 20,1973, Episode #7. Written by Walter Koenig.

Synopsis } The Enterprise is surveying a new planet that they discover is inhabited by sentient plant life. Working with the plant inhabitants (the Phylosians) is a 50-foot Earth scientist who plans to impose peace throughout the Universe.

Intelligent plant life is a very intriguing concept for sci~fi. We've seen this trope used in literature, comic book, film, television.

"The Day Of The Triffids" film served up alien plants that feasted upon humans as the plants overran the Earth.

The classic "The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" paranoid atmosphere involved seed pods from another world replicating humans.

Seaquest DSV came across an undersea colony where humans were genetically creating aggressive plants that could thrive undersea and be utilized for food.

The plants were aggressive alright, they grew & turned on the scientists that created them.

And of course we had the plant based alien from the terrific 50's film "The Thing From Another World." "An intellectual carrot, it boggles the mind,'' says the intrepid newshound Scotty(thanks for catching my mistake there,Bud).

Dr. Stavos Keniclius is 50-feet tall, but no good reason is given as to why he did this to himself. Was he intending to make an army of peace enforcers that were giants? Seems impractical on the face of it. Won't such giants require a fleet of gigantic star ships? Won't these giants require much more food & liquids that will have to be supplied?

Won't they need all new tools to accompany their enormous hands?

This appears to be a great deal of work if you intend to establish peace all over the galaxy.

Klaatu's race accomplished the same thing with a single robot on each of their flying saucers.

The Phylosians are also going to spread peace to the galaxy.
Well, you can grow plants rapidly so this might make better sense than giant humans.

When Agmar, leader of the plant people show the Enterprise crew the star ships they plan to use on their mission, the vessels are unimpressive looking. They look like fancy rockets. Do they even have FTL travel capabilities?

Keniclius clones Mr.Spock, which results in the original Spock's body dying. Dr.K reasons that a giant Spock will be able to assist him on his peace mission.

But why is a giant cloned Spock going to willingly help the doctor?

Kirk makes the pitch to the doctor that the galaxy has peace. Really? No troubles with the Klingons or Romulans at all, eh?

This somehow convinces the doctor---all too easily---that his mission is an obsolete one & he decides to stay with the Phylosians & work on their behalf. After restoring Mr.Spock (regular size) to his normal Vulcan self.

Writer Koenig had the germ of an interesting story, but for me it never came together in a practical manner.

The giant doctor and Mr.Spock seemed like fun ideas on paper for TAS, something too difficult to have achieved on TOS, but no problem with animation.

However, once that idea sprung off the script there seemed to be no logic in it other than a won't this be cool to do idea.
With nothing really backing it up.

This episode is a mixed bag for me and one I wanted to like but I was unable to get past the impractical plot devices.

Walter Koenig did attempt to include his Chekov character in the episode and wanted to do the voice as well. Unfortunately the budget did not allow for this to happen.

The retlaw plant that stings Sulu & almost kills him was Koenig's way of getting in the episode. Retlaw of course is Walter spelled backwards.


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Magicks Of Megas-Tu,"October 27,1973. Episode #8.

The Enterprise's mission is to investigate the center of the galaxy.

Whoo-boy, and I thought the previous episode ("The Infinite Vulcan") was bad. This episode is the worst one produced for TAS.

The planet Magas-Tu lives up (down) to its moniker as it is a world where the normal laws of physics don't apply.
Gee, where's Jeannie & Samantha?

I intensely dislike seeing magic & science~fiction mixed up together. Give me one or the other. Placing the genres together is absurd. The willing suspension of disbelief goes off the rails and becomes the willing suspension of intellect.

The alien, Lucien, the Enterprise crew encounter tells how his race (the Megans) once visited the Earth in the past & befriended humans. The humans attempted to exploit the Megans magical abilities. When the Megans refused to allow this to happen, the humans turned on them forcing the aliens to leave Earth forever.

The plot is simply a retread of TOS episode "Who Mourns For Adonais?" However, in that episode the alien humans once worshiped, Apollo, had powers based on science that our ancient ancestors believed was magic.

Yeah, kinda of a stretch to buy into but it sure beats having magic as reality.

Lucien is put on trial by his people and it is up to Kirk & Spock to defend him and humanity as well.

Another old sci~fi trope of having humans defend their history. ST:TNG would trot this out for the 2~part opening episode for the series "Encounter At Farpoint." There we watched Captain Picard as the defense against the omniscient Q.

For the trial on Magas-Tu, the Megans recreate 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts & dress in the appropriate habiliments of that era. Guess that was to make the Earth people more comfortable.

I just saw it as silly. On TOS the production in the interest of saving time and money did have to resort to dressing some sets with a conventional appearance of items, furniture that were already built from other productions. So, we had early 20th century Earth depicted on "Return Of The Archons," we saw ancient Rome type of rooms on "Bread And Circuses," and 1930's Chicago for "A Piece Of The Action."

To name a few instances.

But this is ST: TAS where literally anything can be drawn on paper. Still they replicate Salem, Massachusetts.
Disappointing.

Needing mindless action we see Captain Kirk in a battle of magic with the leader of the aliens, Asmodeus. Kirk wins of course, even though he is on Magus-Tu for the first time in his life. He masters their magical ways against an alien that has lived on the planet all his life.

Sure.

The Megans realize how far humanity has evolved since the aliens were on Earth and release them to travel back to their reality. Lucien won't be exiled by them as they had planned.

Lucien looks just like the concept of the Devil that humans created, even though Lucien is a good alien. How cornball can the writer get?

Must have been human's last stab at the Megans. We not only kicked 'em off our planet, we made it so that they were the personification of evil.

History is written by the victors.
Of Note } Asmodeus was voiced by actor Ed Bishop who was the lead Commander Ed Straker on Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's sci~fi TV show "UFO."

2 big thumbs down on this episode for me.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Pow, you've done it again: prepared me for a TAS episode that might have colored my opinion of the entire series by making me wonder if I shouldn't stick with it.

Knowing that the episodes range from good to bad means I should forgive the bad ones and seek out the good ones.

Thanks! Very Happy

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johnnybear
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone notice the Gorn in Time Trap?
JB
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Once Upon A Planet,"November 03,1973. Episode #9

Synopsis } The crew of the Enterprise returns to the planet from TOS episode "Shore Leave" for some r&r. What could possibly go wrong?

A fun and entertaining sequel to the classic "Shore Leave'' episode that was penned by legendary sci~fi author Theodore Sturgeon.

TAS episode wasn't written by TS, it's by Chuck Menville & Len Janson.

Once again Kirk and company find that the planet's creations are trying to kill them. However, the cause is the planetary computer's A.I. doing so on purpose for its own reasons.

The drone robots seen here were based upon the design of the manta ray Martian space ships from "The War Of The Worlds," 1953.

Goof } The hanger deck door of the Enterprise always opened up in a splt from the center on TOS.
On this episode it now opens from just one side.

New } We see a Phaser Bore on this episode & its design is a sharp looking one.

Nice to see Uhura play an important part in the plot resolution. on TOS the supporting cast did not get much chance to play larger roles in the story lines. So it was a surprise to see them get some moments here & there on TAS given its half-hour format.

2 thumbs up for this entry into TAS.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Mudd's Passion,"November 10, 1973.Episode #10.

Synopsis } The Enterprise crew arrive at the planet Motherlode in order to arrest rogue & conman Harry Mudd.

Harry informs Kirk & Spock that the planet is outside the Federation of Planet's jurisdiction. So why was the Enterprise sent there in the first place?

True, by Spock's revealing of Mudd's latest con the populace turns mob-like on Harry, who then throws himself upon the mercy of Kirk & company. So they are able to place him under arrest.

But how did Kirk & company know that they'd be able to even trap Mudd in this manner?

The Rigellian Hypnoid creature can project illusions around itself. Mudd has it project a beautiful woman who appears to be crazy about Harry after he has given the woman one of his Love Crystals.

When Mr. Spock reveals that Harry's love crazed woman is in fact a creature that projects illusions, the crowd turns against ole Harry.

Yet we learn that these crystals do in fact work. So why exactly was Mudd fooling the crowd with the creature when his product worked quite well?

Once in the brig on board the Enterprise, Harry talks Christine Chapel into using his crystal on her unrequited love Mr. Spock.

Really? Christine has been shown to be a decent and honorable professional in her service as a nurse on the Enterprise. Now she is a duplicitous & untrustworthy person scheming to get her own selfish way.

This episode certainly doesn't make us admirers of this woman.

Of Note } During Mudd's escape from the Enterprise we see the Hanger Deck filled with shuttlecrafts of differing designs lined up along the bulkheads. Nifty to see that Star Fleet does have shuttlecrafts with different configurations that perform specific jobs.

So, since they are stored in the Hanger Deck on TAS, just where were the shuttles kept on TOS? We only saw the one shuttle on TOS on the Hanger Deck in scenes where it was taking off or landing.

Stephen Kandel who wrote TOS episodes "Mudd's Women," & "I, Mudd" returned for TAS in order to write his third Harry Mudd story.

The wonderful Roger C. Carmel also returned to reprise the voice of Harcourt Fenton Mudd.

While this episode had some interesting components to it, overall it is disappointing in execution.

Harry deserved a better script.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
"Yesteryear, "Season #1 / episode #2". October 20,1973. Written by: D.C.Fontana

I watched this one today and found it to be just as good as Pow described.

But the imaginative premise offers a few challenges to logic (ironically enough) by presenting the idea that when Spock returns from the past while doing historical research by using the Guardian of Forever (along with Kirk and another crewman), he returns to find that he is no long recognized by anyone except Kirk and the crewmen with whom he went into the past!

The explanation for this is confusing. Spock remembers that his life was once saved by a visiting Vulcan when he was a boy . . . who was in fact Spock himself, from the future!

But his resent journey into the past on the research mission prevented him going back to Vulcan and saving himself, so he no longer exists in the present!

Kirk explains it by saying that Spock didn't go back to save himself because he "can't be in two places at once".

However, the story omits any explanation of why or how Spock went back to save himself in the first place! Shocked

I'm hoping I missed something and Pow will clear this up for me. Cool

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nope ,Bud, you didn't miss anything. "Yesteryear'' is an exceptional episode but it is flawed by not ever explaining as to just why Mr.Spock went back in time to his childhood in the first place.

Time travel films, TV shows, literature, comic books are fun with the premise but can give you a headache trying to sort out the logic of it all. Sometimes the author simply did not do a good enough job in the first place.
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