Star Trek: The Animated Series may not be the most-cited of the Star Trek TV universe, but it has contributed to the canon of the rich science fiction world, and also blessed us with many a quality meme. Running for two seasons from 1973 to 1974, the series followed the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, keeping the universe alive until Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.
Now, CBS reportedly seems poised to continue the tradition of animated Star Trek stories. According to Variety, an animated series is one of several Star Trek TV series in development by CBS Television Studios. Additionally, the studio is also reportedly developing a Picard-centric reboot featuring Patrick Stewart, a series set at Starfleet Academy, and a limited series which we have no plot details about.
Variety didn’t have any specifics on what this new Star Trek animated series might look like, but it’s exciting to think about what an animated series could do that a live-action series could not, including bringing back fan favourite characters played by people who have aged, died or who are uninteresed in coming back. Animated series are also unbound by some of the logistical limits of a live-action series.
Could this new animated Star Trek series continue the tradition of filling in stories between series? We’d love to check back in with some of the Deep Space Nine characters. However, we’d also be open to a completely new, original series set in the universe. Why not boldly go where no Star Trek series has gone before?
More as we have it.