Star Trek: The Animated Series: Season One (wrap-up)

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: Season One
Year: 1973-1974
etc: see individual episode posts (linked below)

My reaction
Concept: 3/4 (Good). The concept of the show as a whole is good, although the episode-by-episode concepts only average out to about 2.4/4.
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent). Rounded up from an average of about 1.6/4.
Characters: 1/4 (Bad). Average: about 1.4/4.
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent). Average: about 1.8/4.
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent). Average: about 2.2/4.
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent). Average: 2.0/4.
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good). Average: about 3.2/4.
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent). Average: about 1.7/4.
Music: 4/4 (Great). Average: about 3.9/4.
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). Average: about 5.9/10. The few great episodes are balanced out and then some by half-assed Saturday Morning crap.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.3/4 (Okay)

The episodes
sorted by subjective rating (objective rating in parentheses)
9/10
- "Beyond the Farthest Star" (3.0/4)
8/10
- "One of Our Planets Is Missing" (2.9/4)
7/10
- "The Survivor" (2.6/4)
- "The Time Trap" (2.7/4)
- "Yesteryear" (2.6/4)
- "More Tribbles, More Troubles" (2.6/4)
- "The Lorelei Signal" (2.2/4)
6/10
- "The Eye of the Beholder" (2.5/4)
- "The Slaver Weapon" (2.4/4)
- "The Terratin Incident" (2.3/4)
- "The Infinite Vulcan" (2.0/4)
5/10
- "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" (1.8/4)
4/10
- "Once Upon a Planet" (1.8/4)
- "Mudd's Passion" (1.9/4)
- "The Ambergris Element" (1.8/4)
2/10
- "Jihad" (1.0/4)

Star Trek: "The Jihad"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Jihad"
Year: 1974
Network: NBC
Episode: the last (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Stephen Kandel
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy
With: Majel Barrett, James Doohan, David Gerrold
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: Kirk and Spock explore Planet Plot Hole with a handful of weirdos

My reaction
Concept: 0/4 (Terrible)
Story: 0/4 (Terrible)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 1/4 (Bad)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent). It's the exact same music used in every other episode of the series, and yet somehow it's crappy here, while it was great everywhere else.
Subjective Rating: 2/10 (Terrible, 0/4). It's not as painful as "The Omega Glory," but it's a runner-up for the Worst Thing In The Star Trek Franchise prize.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.0/4 (Bad)

Star Trek: "The Eye of the Beholder"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Eye of the Beholder"
Year: 1974
Network: NBC
Episode: the fifteenth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: David P. Harmon
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently yesterday (have on DVD)
Synopsis: alien snuffle-monsters keep humans in a zoo

My reaction
Concept: 3/4 (Good). "The Cage" minus the god-like powers.
Story: 3/4 (Good)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). Unoriginal, but otherwise it doesn't have any glaring faults.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.5/4 (Okay)

Star Trek: "The Slaver Weapon"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Slaver Weapon"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the fourteenth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Larry Niven, based on his story
Starring: Leonard Nimoy
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: rogue aliens have an ancient weapon that they don't know how to use

My reaction
Concept: 4/4 (Great)
Story: 3/4 (Good)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad). "Wait, hold on, let me explain things for ten minutes."
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). It would have been a good episode, if it was an episode of a different show. Niven forces his own universe into the Star Trek universe, and it doesn't fit. There's just too much history and mythology to explain that has no connection to anything in the show.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.4/4 (Okay)

Star Trek: "The Ambergris Element"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Ambergris Element"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the thirteenth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Margaret Armen
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: Kirk and Spock are turned into merfolk

My reaction
Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 1/4 (Bad)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 4/10 (Eh, 2/4). Crap.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.8/4 (Eh)

Star Trek: "The Time Trap"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Time Trap"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episodes: the twelfth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Joyce Perry
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: many ships are trapped in an utopian pocket universe

My reaction
Concept: 4/4 (Great)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). It starts out very strong; at first I expected it to be one of the best episodes of the series. Sadly, it turns into an unmistakably made-for-children story about cooperation.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.7/4 (Good)

Star Trek: "The Terratin Incident"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Terratin Incident"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episodes: the eleventh (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Paul Schneider
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: the incredible shrinking starship crew

My reaction
Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). There's some well-thought-out pseudo science, which is nice, but it doesn't extend far enough into finding a solution to the problem. Besides that, the ending of the episode feels somehow forced and awkward.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.3/4 (Okay)

Star Trek: "Mudd's Passion"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "Mudd's Passion"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episodes: the tenth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Stephen Kandel
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan, Roger C. Carmel
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: a fugitive with a love potion tries to escape

My reaction
Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 4/10 (Eh, 2/4). A dull episode, in which every character behaves like an idiot.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.9/4 (Eh)

Star Trek: "Once Upon a Planet"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "Once Upon a Planet"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the ninth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writers: Chuck Menville & Len Janson
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Majel Barrett
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently yesterday (have on DVD)
Synopsis: a computer has taken over the "Shore Leave" planet

My reaction
Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 0/4 (Terrible). "I will destroy you all." "We'd rather you didn't." "Oh, okay, that sounds good, too."
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 1/4 (Bad)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 4/10 (Eh, 2/4). I didn't care for the original, but at least the original was... original. This story is such crap. The writers don't even seem to be trying.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.8/4 (Eh)

Star Trek: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the eighth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Larry Brody
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, Ed Bishop
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently yesterday (have on DVD)
Synopsis: at the center of the galaxy, magic is real

My reaction
Concept: 0/4 (Terrible). Now everybody has god-like powers!
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 1/4 (Bad)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 5/10 (Indifferent, 2/4). And this is the crap you get when you hand Star Trek over to a "television writer." I had thought that the A-list sci-fi writers that kicked off this series meant they'd learned their lesson. Guess not.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.8/4 (Eh)

Star Trek: "The Infinite Vulcan"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Infinite Vulcan"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the seventh (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Walter Koenig
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: plant people kidnap Spock

My reaction
Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 0/4 (Terrible)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). It's almost as if they took a cast member with zero writing experience or ability and let him write an episode... Oh, wait, that's exactly what it is. It would be terrible, but it's nice to look at and too fast too get boring.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.0/4 (Indifferent)

Star Trek: "The Survivor"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Survivor"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episodes: the sixth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: James Schmerer
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan, Ted Knight
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: shape-shifting floaty squidy thing

My reaction
Concept: 4/4 (Great)
Story: 3/4 (Good)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). It completely misses out on the psychological thriller elements that you'd expect from a story about a shape-shifter (and that the original series did quite well with in a very similar episode). On the other hand, it's a space squid with the voice of Ted Baxter. Space squid!
Objective Rating (Average): 2.6/4 (Good)

Star Trek: "More Tribbles, More Troubles"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "More Tribbles, More Troubles"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the fifth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: David Gerrold
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, Stanley Adams, David Gerrold
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a couple days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: Klingons attack in pursuit of the tribble merchant

My reaction
Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). The space battle bits are nice. The tribble bits are a sad imitation of the original tribble episode.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.6/4 (Good)

Star Trek: "The Lorelei Signal"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: "The Lorelei Signal"
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the fourth (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Margaret Armen
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently yesterday (have on DVD)
Synopsis: alien mind powers only work on men

My reaction
Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad). Not so much bad acting, just awful casting - two people who are decidedly not voice actors doing half the voices in the show.
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). The "science" is ridiculous, and the plot is almost non-existent. But it's nice to have Uhura do something for a change. And there's a bit where Scotty sings which is hilarious.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.2/4 (Okay)

Star Trek: "One of Our Planets Is Missing"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: “One of Our Planets Is Missing”
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the third (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Marc Daniels
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: a space cloud eats planets

My reaction
Concept:
Story:
Characters:
Dialog: It's ironic, the dialog in the cartoon is so much more natural and believable and all-around grownup than it became toward the end of the original series. There's this nice bit where Kirk gets Bones' advice on whether or not to let a doomed planet know it's doomed; it feels like they're actually the characters they're meant to be, instead of some sort of childish cowboy/Flash Gordon hybrids.
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great, ). The title is "One of Our Planets Is Missing." That's all I have to say about that.
Objective Rating (Average):

eta: The writer, Marc Daniels, directed a lot of the better episodes of the original series, including "The Doomsday Machine" (written by Norman Spinrad), which this episode rips off. Shameless. But I've always complained that if they're going to rip off earlier episodes, why don't they rip off the good ones? Giant Space Monster, Devourer of Worlds - none of that Little Timmy Gets Magic bullshit.

Star Trek: "Yesteryear"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: “Yesteryear”
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the second (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: D.C. Fontana
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: Majel Barrett, James Doohan, Mark Lenard, Billy Simpson, Keith Sutherland
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: Time Travelin' Spock helps his younger self

My reaction
Concept: It answers that burning question, "If they've discovered half a dozen means of time travel throughout the original series, why aren't they time traveling more often?" The answer: "What? They time travel all the time. It ain't no thing."
Story: So timey-wimey.
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, ). Baby Spock is annoying, but if you can get past the ridiculousness of the setup, it's a novel story.
Objective Rating (Average):

Star Trek: "Beyond the Farthest Star"

Data
Title: Star Trek [The Animated Series]: “Beyond the Farthest Star”
Year: 1973
Network: NBC
Episode: the first (of sixteen) from season one; 24 minutes
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Samuel A. Peeples
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
With: George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
Music: Alexander Courage (theme); Ray Ellis, Norm Prescott
I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently a few days ago (have on DVD)
Synopsis: an ancient spaceship is orbiting a dead star

My reaction
Concept:
Story:
Characters: No time for characters - too much awesome science fiction.
Dialog: Most of this episode consists of discussion of astrophysics. Kids love that shit.
Pacing: Way too fast. On the other hand, the half hour time slot leaves no room for Kirk to even think about getting his romantic subplot on; dude's forced to captain a starship for a change.
Cinematography:
Special effects/design: Yeah, the animation of people - or anything else that moves, really - is awful. But other than that, it is a beautiful, beautiful show.
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 9/10 (One of my favorites, ). I guess four years of not making Star Trek gave them a chance to figure out what people liked about the show. This takes everything good about it, throws out the garbage, and adds in the wonderful bonus of not having to worry about a special effects budget.
Objective Rating (Average):