Star Trek: The Animated Series

The Counter-Clock Incident (S02E06) Airdate: October 12th 1974 Written by: Fred Bronson Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes Though *Star Trek: The Animated Series* (1973–1974) resurrected the spirit of *Star Trek* during a period of dormancy, it never secured the same cultural foothold as *The Original Series* (TOS). The Animated Series, constrained by its Saturday-morning cartoon format, often felt like…

How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth (S02E05) Airdate: October 5th 1974 Written by: Russell Bates & David Wise Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes The concept of extraterrestrial visitors intervening in human history—a notion popularised in recent decades by films such as those of *Alien* and *Predator* series—owes its roots to ideas that emerged long before these franchises. The 1968 publication of Erich…

Albatross (S02E04) Airdate: September 28th 1974 Written by: Dario Finelli Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes *Star Trek: The Animated Series* (1973–1974) occupies a curious niche in the franchise’s canon: it is often overshadowed by its live-action predecessors and successors, rarely invoked in pop culture discussions, and frequently dismissed as a lesser entry in the Trek pantheon. Its relative obscuri…

The Practical Joker (S02E03) Airdate: September 21st 1974 Written by: Chuck Menville Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes *Star Trek: The Animated Series* (TAS) emerged in the early 1970s as a creative lifeline for Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators to continue the *Star Trek* saga beyond the constraints of *The Original Series* (TOS). Freed from the financial and logistical limitations of live-action…

Bem (S02E02) Airdate: September 14th 1974 Written by: David Gerrold Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes David Gerrold stands among the most influential authors in *Star Trek* history, a figure whose contributions have indelibly shaped the franchise’s trajectory. Renowned for his work on *The Trouble with Tribbles*, the most beloved episode of *The Original Series*, Gerrold cemented his reputation not onl…

The Pirates of Orion (S02E01) Airdate: September 7th 1974 Written by: Howard Weinstein Directed by: Bill Reed Running Time: 22 minutes The *Star Trek: Animated Series*, often overlooked in discussions of the franchise’s canon, marked a pivotal shift toward engaging younger audiences, suggesting that the future of Star Trek lay in the hands of emerging generations. Nowhere is this ethos more evident than in *The Pira…

The Jihad (S01E16) Airdate: January 12th 1974 Written by: Joyce Perry Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Fifty years ago, Hollywood could tackle themes and titles that modern sensitivities might reflexively condemn, particularly in contexts deemed inappropriate for family entertainment. The Season 1 finale of *Star Trek: The Animated Series*, titled *The Jihad*, epitomises this audacity. Had the ep…

The Eye of the Beholder (S01E15) Airdate: January 5th 1974 Written by: David P. Harmon Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Science fiction is often celebrated as a genre that prioritises ideas over spectacle, a tradition epitomised by *Star Trek*. From its inception in *The Original Series* (TOS), Gene Roddenberry’s vision centred on using speculative concepts to explore humanity’s potential and pit…

The Slaver Weapon (S01E14) Airdate: December 15th 1973 Written by: Larry Niven Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes One of the peculiarities of *Star Trek*’s long and distinguished history is its almost complete lack of canonical crossovers with other fictional universes across film, television, or official media. While the franchise has occasionally referenced or loosely adapted elements from extern…

The Ambergris Element (S01E13) Airdate: December 1st 1973 Written by: Margaret Armen Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes The *Star Trek: Animated Series* stands apart from its live-action predecessors not merely as a lesser cousin but as a bold experiment in visual storytelling, leveraging animation to explore worlds and concepts that would have been prohibitively expensive or technically impossible…

The Time Trap (S01E12) Airdate: November 24th 1973 Written by: Joyce Perry Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Today, *Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS)* is often overlooked in discussions of the franchise’s evolution, yet it occupies a pivotal role as both a sequel to *The Original Series (TOS)* and a bridge to the Golden Age of *Star Trek* that would unfold in the 1980s and ’90s. While the seri…

The Terratin Incident (S01E11) Airdate: November 17th 1973 Written by: Paul Schneider Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes *Star Trek: The Animated Series* (TAS) emerged as a bold experiment in the early 1970s, aiming to leverage animation to transcend the physical and financial constraints of its live-action predecessor, *The Original Series (TOS)*. While TOS was confined to studio sets and rudiment…

The Survivor (S01E10) Airdate: November 10th 1973 Written by: Stephen Kandel Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Stephen Kandel’s contributions to *Star Trek: The Original Series* (TOS) were neither the most acclaimed nor the most pivotal, yet his legacy within the franchise is indelibly tied to two episodes: *Mudd’s Women* and *I, Mudd*, both featuring the irredeemable con artist Harcourt Fenton Mu…

Once Upon a Planet (S01E09) Airdate: November 3rd 1973 Written by: Chuck Menville & Len Janson Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes The Animated Series of *Star Trek*, despite its canonical status remaining a subject of debate among fans, is frequently regarded as an unofficial fourth season of *The Original Series* (*TOS*). This conclusion is bolstered by the numerous episodes that directly follow-u…

The Magicks of Megas-Tu (S01E08) Airdate: October 27th 1973 Written by: Larry Brody Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes *The Animated Series* of *Star Trek*, freed from the budgetary and technical constraints of live-action television, offered Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators an opportunity to explore ideas and scenarios that would have been prohibitively expensive or logistically impossible i…

The Infinite Vulcan (S01E07) Airdate: October 20th 1973 Written by: Walter Koenig Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Star Trek fandom has long revered not only the imaginative worlds and technologies of the franchise but also its characters and the actors who brought them to life. This reverence became evident early on, particularly when Pavel Chekhov, a beloved regular in *Star Trek: The Original…

The Survivor (S01E06) Airdate: October 13th 1973 Written by: James Schmerer Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes The *Star Trek: The Animated Series* (TAS), despite its inherent limitations in budget and scope, proved to be an unexpectedly fertile ground for experimentation and innovation within the *Star Trek* canon. While the live-action *The Original Series* (TOS) had carved out its legacy through…

More Tribbles, More Troubles (S02E05) Airdate: October 6th 1973 Written by: David Gerrold Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes *The Trouble with Tribbles* is frequently cited as the most beloved episode of *Star Trek: The Original Series* (TOS), and its whimsical blend of comedy, tension, and clever worldbuilding has secured it a place among the most celebrated instalments in the entire Star Trek fra…

The Lorelei Signal (S01E04) Airdate: September 29th 1973 Written by: Margaret Arman Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes In the early 21st century, as popular culture discourse has become increasingly dominated by radicalised critiques of classic media, the original *Star Trek* series (TOS) has faced a revisionist siege. Once celebrated as a visionary showcase of optimism and progressive ideals, TOS…

One of Our Planets Is Missing (S01E03) Airdate: September 22nd 1973 Written by: Marc Daniels Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes Franchises, even those celebrated for their innovation, do not need to reinvent the wheel with every entry to maintain their appeal. *Star Trek*, in particular, has long thrived on borrowing from its own well of ideas while adapting them to new contexts, and *The Animated…

Yesteryear (S02E02) Airdate: September 15th 1973 Written by: D. C. Fontana Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes *The Star Trek: Animated Series* (TAS), often overshadowed by its live-action counterparts, has a unique place in the hearts of Trekkies. Unlike *The Original Series* (TOS), which has a plethora of episodes vying for the title of best, TAS enjoys a more consensus-driven opinion. The honour…

Beyond the Farthest Star (S01E01) Airdate: September 8th 1973 Written by: Samuel Peeples Directed by: Hal Sutherland Running Time: 22 minutes In the annals of Star Trek history, there exists a period when fans, often referred to as "trekkies," found themselves in a predicament where they had to make do with what was available. Traumatised by the abrupt and somewhat inglorious conclusion of their beloved The Original…

Mr. and Mrs. Roddenberry regretfully announce the passing of their beloved franchise Star Trek beyond the bounds of this fragile Earth and into the final frontier. You are warmly invited to attend the funeral service, to be held at Sunshine Meadows Mortuary this Saturday at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to the Save the Klingons Foundation. Lunch will be served. Well, it Fin…