All language subtitles for The Center Seat 55 Years s01e02 Saturday Morning Pink.eng

af Afrikaans
ak Akan
sq Albanian
am Amharic
ar Arabic
hy Armenian
az Azerbaijani
eu Basque
be Belarusian
bem Bemba
bn Bengali
bh Bihari
bs Bosnian
br Breton
bg Bulgarian
km Cambodian
ca Catalan
chr Cherokee
ny Chichewa
zh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)
co Corsican
hr Croatian
cs Czech
da Danish
en English
eo Esperanto
et Estonian
ee Ewe
fo Faroese
tl Filipino
fi Finnish
fr French
fy Frisian
gaa Ga
gl Galician
ka Georgian
de German
el Greek
gn Guarani
gu Gujarati
ht Haitian Creole
ha Hausa
haw Hawaiian
iw Hebrew
hi Hindi
hu Hungarian
is Icelandic
ig Igbo
id Indonesian
ia Interlingua
ga Irish
it Italian
ja Japanese
jw Javanese
kn Kannada
kk Kazakh
rw Kinyarwanda
rn Kirundi
kg Kongo
ko Korean
kri Krio (Sierra Leone)
ku Kurdish
ckb Kurdish (Soranî)
ky Kyrgyz
lo Laothian
la Latin
lv Latvian
ln Lingala
lt Lithuanian
loz Lozi
lg Luganda
ach Luo
mk Macedonian
mg Malagasy
ms Malay
ml Malayalam
mt Maltese
mi Maori
mr Marathi
mfe Mauritian Creole
mo Moldavian
mn Mongolian
sr-ME Montenegrin
ne Nepali
pcm Nigerian Pidgin
nso Northern Sotho
no Norwegian
nn Norwegian (Nynorsk)
oc Occitan
or Oriya
om Oromo
ps Pashto
fa Persian
pl Polish
pt-BR Portuguese (Brazil)
pt-PT Portuguese (Portugal)
pa Punjabi
qu Quechua
ro Romanian
rm Romansh
nyn Runyakitara
ru Russian
gd Scots Gaelic
sr Serbian
sh Serbo-Croatian
st Sesotho
tn Setswana
crs Seychellois Creole
sn Shona
sd Sindhi
si Sinhalese
sk Slovak
sl Slovenian
so Somali
es Spanish
es-419 Spanish (Latin American)
su Sundanese
sw Swahili
sv Swedish
tg Tajik
ta Tamil
tt Tatar
te Telugu
th Thai
ti Tigrinya
to Tonga
lua Tshiluba
tum Tumbuka
tr Turkish
tk Turkmen
tw Twi
ug Uighur
uk Ukrainian
ur Urdu
uz Uzbek
vi Vietnamese
cy Welsh
wo Wolof
xh Xhosa
yi Yiddish
yo Yoruba
zu Zulu
Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:00,668 --> 00:00:04,878 [Gates McFadden] At the dawn of the '70s, Star Trek looked like a doomed mission. 2 00:00:04,964 --> 00:00:09,264 Officially canceled, Gene Roddenberry's wagon train to the stars 3 00:00:09,343 --> 00:00:10,973 had come to a halt. 4 00:00:11,053 --> 00:00:14,353 It was the beginning of years out in the cold. 5 00:00:14,432 --> 00:00:19,772 The only hope for Star Trek lay in a mysterious, unknown parallel universe, 6 00:00:19,854 --> 00:00:22,904 otherwise known as Saturday mornings. 7 00:00:22,982 --> 00:00:23,822 What are you talking about? 8 00:00:25,484 --> 00:00:28,034 So beam aboard and hold on tight 9 00:00:28,112 --> 00:00:32,242 as we boldly go into the depths of Star Trek. 10 00:00:34,326 --> 00:00:38,996 And you can see it all from here in The Center Seat. 11 00:00:45,504 --> 00:00:48,924 [Captain Kirk] These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. 12 00:00:49,842 --> 00:00:53,852 Its five-year mission: to explore strange, new worlds. 13 00:00:53,929 --> 00:00:56,219 Yes, there was a Star Trek animated series. 14 00:00:56,307 --> 00:00:57,637 It was not a fever dream. 15 00:00:57,725 --> 00:00:58,765 I don't understand. 16 00:00:58,851 --> 00:01:03,191 It was, you know, like finding a whole missing season of the original series. 17 00:01:03,272 --> 00:01:07,692 I watched the animated series religiously when it came on. I was very excited. 18 00:01:07,777 --> 00:01:10,397 What was interesting is the darn thing won an Emmy. 19 00:01:10,488 --> 00:01:11,658 [bell dings] 20 00:01:11,739 --> 00:01:13,239 [McFadden] The story of how Kirk and his crew 21 00:01:13,324 --> 00:01:15,584 went from three to two dimensions 22 00:01:15,659 --> 00:01:18,909 is the story of Star Trek's greatest demotion. 23 00:01:18,996 --> 00:01:21,326 The original series was canceled in 1969. 24 00:01:21,415 --> 00:01:23,575 The third season, the ratings just weren't there, 25 00:01:23,667 --> 00:01:25,337 and NBC moved the show around so much. 26 00:01:25,419 --> 00:01:28,799 [McFadden] Roddenberry had been promised a prime time 8:00 PM slot, 27 00:01:28,881 --> 00:01:32,341 but Star Trek would sink to the depths of late night, 28 00:01:32,426 --> 00:01:34,756 to die a quiet death. 29 00:01:34,845 --> 00:01:37,255 So they gave Star Trek 10:00 on Friday night. 30 00:01:37,348 --> 00:01:39,098 So Gene quit the show. 31 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:42,690 [McFadden] Star Trek had lost its creator, 32 00:01:42,770 --> 00:01:45,110 its time slot, and the backing of its network. 33 00:01:45,189 --> 00:01:47,779 But even drifting through the abyss, 34 00:01:47,858 --> 00:01:50,688 the show still had the backing of a loyal band, 35 00:01:50,778 --> 00:01:54,238 the very first members of a brand-new species: 36 00:01:54,323 --> 00:01:55,453 Trekkies. 37 00:01:56,534 --> 00:01:57,624 [Rich Schepis] You had the first convention, 38 00:01:57,701 --> 00:01:59,581 the Star Trek convention in New York City, 39 00:01:59,662 --> 00:02:02,332 and it just became a phenomenon all of a sudden. 40 00:02:02,414 --> 00:02:03,584 [McFadden] Away from prime time, 41 00:02:03,666 --> 00:02:07,876 NBC had inadvertently scattered the seed of Star Trek 42 00:02:07,962 --> 00:02:11,722 through syndication, and it had taken root. 43 00:02:11,799 --> 00:02:16,469 Star Trek was growing in popularity in syndication. It had taken off. 44 00:02:16,554 --> 00:02:19,314 People who hadn't seen it originally got a chance to see it 45 00:02:19,390 --> 00:02:22,640 on kind of a daily basis after school or after work. 46 00:02:22,726 --> 00:02:24,226 And a whole new audience was born. 47 00:02:24,311 --> 00:02:26,441 As soon as Star Trek hit the after-school market, 48 00:02:26,522 --> 00:02:27,822 you know, the audience has doubled. 49 00:02:27,898 --> 00:02:31,318 [McFadden] Reruns had connected Star Trek with a new legion of fans. 50 00:02:31,402 --> 00:02:32,242 Like this guy. 51 00:02:33,529 --> 00:02:34,609 My name is Fred Bronson. 52 00:02:34,697 --> 00:02:37,117 [McFadden] And when it came to their favorite show, 53 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:40,789 Trekkies weren't going to stand by and watch it die. 54 00:02:40,870 --> 00:02:45,120 I marched on NBC to protest the cancelation of Star Trek. 55 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,710 The fans refused to let the show die, 56 00:02:49,795 --> 00:02:52,255 and they were determined to bring it back on. 57 00:02:52,339 --> 00:02:55,719 [McFadden] Their protests were too late to spare the original series, 58 00:02:55,801 --> 00:02:59,471 but they had caused ears to perk up at NBC. 59 00:02:59,555 --> 00:03:03,595 [Aaron Harvey] In early 1973, Gene had a meeting with NBC, 60 00:03:03,684 --> 00:03:05,524 and they expressed interest in wanting to bring Star Trek back. 61 00:03:05,603 --> 00:03:07,693 [McFadden] The question was, how? 62 00:03:07,771 --> 00:03:09,361 [Marc Cushman] Because they had destroyed the sets, 63 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,070 they had given away the Enterprise to the Smithsonian Institute, 64 00:03:13,152 --> 00:03:14,702 and the expense was just too high. 65 00:03:14,778 --> 00:03:17,028 [McFadden] They needed a cheaper version of Star Trek, 66 00:03:17,114 --> 00:03:20,914 and it just so happened that someone working in a little-known studio 67 00:03:20,993 --> 00:03:24,203 had thought of one about four years earlier. 68 00:03:24,288 --> 00:03:27,328 [Harvey] The animated series came about in 1973, 69 00:03:27,416 --> 00:03:30,996 but a lot of people don't know that it was actually originally pitched in 1969. 70 00:03:31,086 --> 00:03:33,256 [McFadden] The animation house Filmation 71 00:03:33,339 --> 00:03:36,299 had conceived a kind of junior version of Star Trek 72 00:03:36,383 --> 00:03:37,513 and took it to NBC. 73 00:03:37,593 --> 00:03:41,223 [Harvey] It was going to be a Starfleet Academy show. 74 00:03:41,305 --> 00:03:43,015 Each of the crew members of the Enterprise 75 00:03:43,098 --> 00:03:45,978 having basically a cadet in training with them. 76 00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:48,230 Spock was going to have a Vulcan named Steve. 77 00:03:48,312 --> 00:03:50,362 [laughter] 78 00:03:50,439 --> 00:03:53,899 [McFadden] Sadly, Steve the Vulcan never came to be. 79 00:03:53,984 --> 00:03:57,784 Gene Roddenberry didn't see Star Trek as just an educational tool, 80 00:03:57,863 --> 00:04:01,083 but he was intrigued by the possibilities of animation. 81 00:04:01,158 --> 00:04:05,198 He liked animation because his big thing was you can animate lava. 82 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:09,630 He'd always wanted to do lava, apparently, on the original series. 83 00:04:09,708 --> 00:04:10,788 Go! 84 00:04:10,876 --> 00:04:13,046 [McFadden] Of course, Gene had a much bigger goal 85 00:04:13,128 --> 00:04:16,048 than simply indulging his love of molten rock. 86 00:04:16,131 --> 00:04:19,131 [Cushman] His ultimate goal was to get Star Trek back into production, 87 00:04:19,218 --> 00:04:21,798 and he felt that the animated series, if it did really well, 88 00:04:21,887 --> 00:04:22,847 would bring that about. 89 00:04:22,930 --> 00:04:24,600 [McFadden] But fans hungry for more 90 00:04:24,682 --> 00:04:27,522 had no interest in a smaller serving of Star Trek, 91 00:04:27,601 --> 00:04:30,101 let alone one ordered from the kids' menu. 92 00:04:30,312 --> 00:04:31,652 And there was a lot of resistance. 93 00:04:31,730 --> 00:04:33,150 The audience was very unhappy. 94 00:04:33,232 --> 00:04:36,192 [Harvey] At conventions, people were passing around petitions 95 00:04:36,276 --> 00:04:38,896 to stop the animated series from coming to television 96 00:04:38,988 --> 00:04:40,448 because it wasn't real Star Trek. 97 00:04:40,531 --> 00:04:42,531 [Larry Nemecek] There were a lot of people who thought that a cartoon show 98 00:04:42,616 --> 00:04:44,786 would be the death of any kind of Star Trek revival 99 00:04:44,868 --> 00:04:46,998 because it wasn't real life, it wasn't live-action. 100 00:04:47,079 --> 00:04:48,249 And you know, and then we'd say to them, 101 00:04:48,330 --> 00:04:50,420 "Yeah, but you're getting more Star Trek. Shut up." 102 00:04:50,499 --> 00:04:51,379 [laughs] 103 00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:54,288 [McFadden] Gene had his own concerns, not wanting to see 104 00:04:54,378 --> 00:04:58,628 his sophisticated sci-fi creation reduced to child's play. 105 00:04:58,716 --> 00:05:03,096 Gene really just was not interested in a kiddie version of Star Trek. 106 00:05:03,178 --> 00:05:05,758 [McFadden] But desperate to keep the franchise alive, 107 00:05:05,848 --> 00:05:08,348 he agreed to an animated series. 108 00:05:08,434 --> 00:05:10,774 The only thing that convinced him was the idea 109 00:05:10,853 --> 00:05:13,693 we will do real Star Trek as an animated series. 110 00:05:13,772 --> 00:05:16,032 [McFadden] To guarantee that, Gene brought in 111 00:05:16,108 --> 00:05:20,148 one of the original series' most respected writers to run the show. 112 00:05:20,237 --> 00:05:22,697 Dorothy Fontana came aboard as the producer. 113 00:05:22,781 --> 00:05:24,911 [Bob Kline] She was the guiding force. 114 00:05:24,992 --> 00:05:28,542 She was the one that really wanted this to be wonderful. 115 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:33,750 [McFadden] Dorothy, or D.C. Fontana, was a very talented screenwriter. 116 00:05:33,834 --> 00:05:37,344 But as a woman, she could not yet afford to trade on her name. 117 00:05:37,421 --> 00:05:39,011 [David Gerrold] In those days, it wasn't common 118 00:05:39,089 --> 00:05:41,759 for a woman to be a scriptwriter. 119 00:05:41,842 --> 00:05:43,342 Women were hiding behind their initials, 120 00:05:43,427 --> 00:05:47,557 V.N. McIntyre and C.L. Moore and D.C. Fontana, 121 00:05:47,639 --> 00:05:51,189 because there was this belief that women couldn't write. 122 00:05:51,268 --> 00:05:54,148 I was trying and I had an agent, but people, they were saying, 123 00:05:54,229 --> 00:05:56,109 "Oh, I don't think she can write our show. I don't know." 124 00:05:56,190 --> 00:05:57,730 "But why not?" 125 00:05:57,816 --> 00:05:58,816 "Well, she's a woman." 126 00:05:58,901 --> 00:05:59,861 "Okay, fine." 127 00:05:59,943 --> 00:06:03,533 So I wrote it a Ben Casey, and I put "D.C. Fontana" on it. 128 00:06:03,614 --> 00:06:05,664 They'll at least read it without knowing I'm a woman. 129 00:06:05,741 --> 00:06:07,451 That helped me get in that door. 130 00:06:07,534 --> 00:06:12,794 But there were very few actual women writers doing action-adventure. 131 00:06:12,873 --> 00:06:15,173 [Nichelle Nichols] She was a great writer. 132 00:06:15,250 --> 00:06:17,750 The stuff she wrote was just so darn good. 133 00:06:17,836 --> 00:06:20,586 Star Trek, she knew what she was doing. 134 00:06:20,672 --> 00:06:23,762 She was a fan. That was her show. 135 00:06:23,842 --> 00:06:27,932 [McFadden] Not only was she a woman who was young and in charge of men, 136 00:06:28,013 --> 00:06:30,433 she also had the intimidating task of marshaling 137 00:06:30,516 --> 00:06:33,436 some of the foremost minds in science fiction. 138 00:06:33,519 --> 00:06:35,979 Gene and Dorothy brought in all these amazing talents 139 00:06:36,146 --> 00:06:37,356 of science fiction authors: 140 00:06:37,439 --> 00:06:40,479 Harlan Ellison, Theodore Sturgeon, Larry Niven. 141 00:06:40,567 --> 00:06:44,487 Dorothy Fontana invited me to write a Star Trek cartoon, 142 00:06:44,571 --> 00:06:45,991 and that sounded like fun. 143 00:06:46,073 --> 00:06:48,833 [McFadden] But Gene Roddenberry kept a hand on the tiller. 144 00:06:48,909 --> 00:06:50,449 [Harvey] He still had the last word, 145 00:06:50,536 --> 00:06:54,036 much like anybody who's creative has that need to want to influence 146 00:06:54,123 --> 00:06:56,003 whatever is going out, if it's under your name. 147 00:06:56,083 --> 00:06:58,463 [Larry Niven] Gene Roddenberry's big breakthrough, 148 00:06:58,544 --> 00:07:01,844 he used science fiction writers instead of scriptwriters, 149 00:07:01,922 --> 00:07:03,802 and taught them how to do the scripts. 150 00:07:03,882 --> 00:07:06,802 [McFadden] But D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry 151 00:07:06,885 --> 00:07:09,595 were united by the same prime directive. 152 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,350 Gene said, "We're gonna do Star Trek in a cartoon. 153 00:07:12,432 --> 00:07:14,352 We're gonna do it as Star Trek." 154 00:07:14,434 --> 00:07:16,194 [Gerrold] Dorothy, she brought in Star Trek writers, 155 00:07:16,270 --> 00:07:18,190 and she said, "Write a Star Trek episode." 156 00:07:19,982 --> 00:07:22,572 "And we can show things that we could not do live-action, 157 00:07:22,651 --> 00:07:24,781 so you can be a little broader in what you design." 158 00:07:24,862 --> 00:07:26,612 [D.C. Fontana] The glory of the animated show 159 00:07:26,697 --> 00:07:29,617 was we could do anything on any planet, any kind of creature, 160 00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:31,910 any sort of situation that you could dream of 161 00:07:31,994 --> 00:07:33,954 that could be drawn was there on the film. 162 00:07:34,037 --> 00:07:37,037 [McFadden] So for years after first floating the idea, 163 00:07:37,124 --> 00:07:43,054 Filmation was contracted to create a new animated universe for a Star Trek cartoon. 164 00:07:43,130 --> 00:07:46,970 Filmation was an animation company out of Reseda, California. 165 00:07:47,050 --> 00:07:49,890 [McFadden] Which had grown from humble beginnings 166 00:07:49,970 --> 00:07:52,060 to become part of a cartoon cartel. 167 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,730 Very humble beginnings. 168 00:07:55,809 --> 00:07:58,099 [Harvey] They literally had a mannequin dressed up 169 00:07:58,187 --> 00:08:00,357 just so it looked like there was somebody at the front desk. 170 00:08:00,439 --> 00:08:03,439 They were doing industrial films and religious cartoons, 171 00:08:03,525 --> 00:08:05,565 but it just wasn't making it. 172 00:08:05,652 --> 00:08:08,492 DC Comics came to them when they were just about ready to shut down. 173 00:08:09,573 --> 00:08:11,913 Look! Up in the sky! 174 00:08:11,992 --> 00:08:15,582 [McFadden] And oddly enough, Filmation was saved by Superman. 175 00:08:15,662 --> 00:08:17,962 "We want you to do the Superman cartoon." 176 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:19,580 They actually started 177 00:08:19,666 --> 00:08:22,996 the first superhero cinematic universe on television. 178 00:08:23,086 --> 00:08:24,456 [Fred Bronson] Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott 179 00:08:24,546 --> 00:08:26,756 made the decisions and ran the company, 180 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,720 and it was a well-oiled machine. 181 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,930 [McFadden] Dorothy Fontana's first challenge 182 00:08:31,011 --> 00:08:33,641 was convincing the original cast of something 183 00:08:33,722 --> 00:08:35,722 that even most fans didn't believe, 184 00:08:35,807 --> 00:08:38,977 that an animated Star Trek was worth doing. 185 00:08:39,061 --> 00:08:40,601 [Bronson] If you had somebody else doing the voice 186 00:08:40,687 --> 00:08:44,607 of Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock, that just wouldn't have been right. 187 00:08:44,691 --> 00:08:46,821 [McFadden] But even if she could convince them, 188 00:08:46,902 --> 00:08:48,572 could she afford them? 189 00:08:48,654 --> 00:08:50,994 Originally, they did talk to everybody, 190 00:08:51,073 --> 00:08:53,493 and they realized that the budget wasn't supporting it. 191 00:08:53,575 --> 00:08:58,615 You had somebody like Shatner and Nimoy, the amount of salary that they commanded, 192 00:08:58,705 --> 00:09:00,285 it just became a very expensive show. 193 00:09:00,374 --> 00:09:05,004 [McFadden] The producers' solution, the Enterprise key crew would return. 194 00:09:05,087 --> 00:09:09,007 But for two of the actors, an honorable discharge. 195 00:09:09,258 --> 00:09:11,178 Can you give us any more? 196 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:15,510 They, for cost savings, were going to have Majel Barrett and James Doohan... 197 00:09:15,597 --> 00:09:16,427 Aye. 198 00:09:16,515 --> 00:09:20,185 ...voice Nichelle Nichols' role and George Takei. 199 00:09:20,269 --> 00:09:22,559 [McFadden] But NBC had underestimated 200 00:09:22,646 --> 00:09:25,266 the esprit de corps of the Enterprise crew. 201 00:09:25,357 --> 00:09:27,527 [Harvey] When Nimoy was in the studio, 202 00:09:27,609 --> 00:09:31,909 Leonard realized that Nichelle Nichols and George Takei, two people of color, 203 00:09:31,989 --> 00:09:34,029 were not going to be in Star Trek. 204 00:09:34,116 --> 00:09:37,156 [McFadden] Leonard didn't need his Vulcan logic 205 00:09:37,244 --> 00:09:39,044 to realize this wasn't right. 206 00:09:39,121 --> 00:09:42,371 And Nimoy, when he was there, he said, "Where's George?" 207 00:09:42,457 --> 00:09:44,417 And they were like, "What do you mean?" 208 00:09:44,501 --> 00:09:47,341 "Well, why isn't George back? Why isn't Nichelle back?" 209 00:09:47,421 --> 00:09:49,841 And they told him, "We don't have the money for it." 210 00:09:49,923 --> 00:09:52,683 [Cushman] When he found that out, he said, "I will not come back and do this show 211 00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:55,139 unless you bring back the entire original cast." 212 00:09:55,220 --> 00:09:56,310 Yes, that's quite true. 213 00:09:56,388 --> 00:09:59,018 [McFadden] Before a single frame had been drawn, 214 00:09:59,099 --> 00:10:03,939 Star Trek: The Animated Series was already in need of reanimating. 215 00:10:10,485 --> 00:10:11,945 [Spock] Captain, we're underway. 216 00:10:12,029 --> 00:10:15,029 [McFadden] Day one of recording for Star Trek: The Animated Series 217 00:10:15,115 --> 00:10:19,485 would prove to be one of the few days the whole cast would gather in one studio. 218 00:10:19,578 --> 00:10:21,578 Well, almost the whole cast. 219 00:10:21,663 --> 00:10:23,923 The day they had the first recording session 220 00:10:23,999 --> 00:10:26,289 with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, 221 00:10:26,376 --> 00:10:28,626 DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, 222 00:10:28,712 --> 00:10:31,472 but no Nichelle Nichols, no George Takei. 223 00:10:31,548 --> 00:10:33,258 We came here looking for some friends. 224 00:10:33,342 --> 00:10:35,342 And Leonard was very upset. 225 00:10:35,427 --> 00:10:39,057 [Schepis] George and Nichelle, they represented diversity in Star Trek, 226 00:10:39,139 --> 00:10:43,019 and Leonard felt very strongly that if you're going to continue to do Star Trek, 227 00:10:43,101 --> 00:10:46,361 you need to have their representation, that Pan-Asian character, 228 00:10:46,438 --> 00:10:48,358 the African American character on the bridge, 229 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,650 how powerful those two roles were. 230 00:10:50,734 --> 00:10:52,744 And so he made it known to Filmation 231 00:10:52,819 --> 00:10:54,819 that if Nichelle and George were not gonna be part of this, 232 00:10:54,905 --> 00:10:56,365 neither was he. 233 00:10:56,448 --> 00:10:58,368 [McFadden] The producers relented. 234 00:10:58,450 --> 00:11:00,700 Well, obviously, they did not wanna lose Leonard Nimoy. 235 00:11:00,786 --> 00:11:03,786 [McFadden] George Takei and Nichelle Nichols were enlisted. 236 00:11:03,872 --> 00:11:04,792 Standing by, sir. 237 00:11:04,873 --> 00:11:06,383 [Bronson] I wrote the press release, 238 00:11:06,458 --> 00:11:09,708 and my press release didn't say that Leonard Nimoy was upset. 239 00:11:09,795 --> 00:11:12,505 My press release said, "Nichelle Nichols and George Takei 240 00:11:12,589 --> 00:11:15,719 added to the cast of Star Trek: The Animated Series." 241 00:11:15,801 --> 00:11:17,551 [McFadden] And really, it's just as well. 242 00:11:17,636 --> 00:11:19,006 Let me tell you something. 243 00:11:19,179 --> 00:11:22,969 Star Trek, to me, is the type of show 244 00:11:23,058 --> 00:11:28,148 where you can close your eyes and listen to it. 245 00:11:28,230 --> 00:11:33,110 And it's beautiful because you're dealing with voices of people 246 00:11:33,193 --> 00:11:37,113 who are trained in whatever, you know, a character they're doing, 247 00:11:37,197 --> 00:11:40,947 but they're trained voices, and so it's lovely when they come together. 248 00:11:41,034 --> 00:11:43,584 [McFadden] Well, it would almost be lovely. 249 00:11:43,662 --> 00:11:46,582 Nimoy had managed to get most of the band back together, 250 00:11:46,665 --> 00:11:48,875 but there was still one player missing. 251 00:11:48,959 --> 00:11:50,749 Phasers armed and ready, sir. 252 00:11:50,836 --> 00:11:53,296 I wasn't going to be in the animated series. 253 00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:57,880 I didn't know that. I found that out from a fan at a convention in L.A. 254 00:11:57,968 --> 00:12:00,138 Chekov as supposed to be a part of the animated series. 255 00:12:00,220 --> 00:12:04,430 They drew the character, but they couldn't afford to bring everybody back. 256 00:12:04,516 --> 00:12:07,726 [McFadden] It was a double blow for the descendant of Russian immigrants, 257 00:12:07,811 --> 00:12:10,311 who perhaps more than any of the original cast 258 00:12:10,397 --> 00:12:11,397 needed the work. 259 00:12:11,481 --> 00:12:13,651 [Walter Koenig] After Star Trek, I didn't work at all. 260 00:12:13,733 --> 00:12:16,953 You know, I spend three or four years never having the phone ring, 261 00:12:17,028 --> 00:12:19,818 resorting to writing and actually writing for television. 262 00:12:19,906 --> 00:12:22,696 [McFadden] So Roddenberry threw Walter a bone. 263 00:12:22,784 --> 00:12:26,204 He asked me if I'd like to write one of the episodes of the animated Star Trek. 264 00:12:26,288 --> 00:12:29,618 [McFadden] With all the original cast now playing a hand 265 00:12:29,708 --> 00:12:32,788 and Nimoy signed on, Star Trek: The Animated Series, 266 00:12:32,878 --> 00:12:37,088 known simply as Star Trek, was starting to look like Star Trek. 267 00:12:37,174 --> 00:12:38,474 Just like that, Captain? 268 00:12:38,550 --> 00:12:40,220 So it would appear, Mr. Sulu. 269 00:12:40,302 --> 00:12:41,432 Star Trek was back. 270 00:12:41,511 --> 00:12:42,431 Wonderful! 271 00:12:42,512 --> 00:12:45,602 They handled the animated series like they did the original series. 272 00:12:45,682 --> 00:12:48,392 They got the same writers, the same voice cast. 273 00:12:48,477 --> 00:12:49,767 The animation department 274 00:12:49,853 --> 00:12:52,523 used Matt Jefferies' blueprints for the Enterprise. 275 00:12:52,606 --> 00:12:54,146 So they made Star Trek. 276 00:12:54,232 --> 00:12:57,442 [Captain Kirk] Captain's Log, Stardate 5554.4. 277 00:12:57,527 --> 00:13:01,907 [McFadden] Make that "Start date 9-15-1973." 278 00:13:01,990 --> 00:13:06,750 The animated series set out to go where no Star Trek had gone before. 279 00:13:06,828 --> 00:13:07,658 Where? 280 00:13:07,746 --> 00:13:10,576 [McFadden] To Saturday-morning kids' cartoons. 281 00:13:10,665 --> 00:13:12,285 When we talk about the animated series, 282 00:13:12,375 --> 00:13:14,165 we always make a point of saying "animated." 283 00:13:14,252 --> 00:13:15,962 We don't say "Saturday-morning cartoons." 284 00:13:16,046 --> 00:13:18,966 [McFadden] And yet that's exactly where the Enterprise found itself, 285 00:13:19,049 --> 00:13:21,719 rubbing shoulders with Saturday-morning celebs, 286 00:13:21,801 --> 00:13:23,891 like the Jetsons, the Bradys, 287 00:13:23,970 --> 00:13:28,390 a pair of crime-fighting dogs, and civic-minded superheroes. 288 00:13:28,475 --> 00:13:31,895 The funny thing about the animated series was it was too good for Saturday morning. 289 00:13:31,978 --> 00:13:36,358 Ugh, I've got a hangover to shame all previous hangovers. 290 00:13:36,441 --> 00:13:38,611 [McFadden] With the nation's most impressionable minds 291 00:13:38,693 --> 00:13:42,823 now in their care, Star Trek producers naturally played it safe 292 00:13:42,906 --> 00:13:47,286 by sticking with gentle, easily understood materials suitable for kids, 293 00:13:47,369 --> 00:13:48,499 like suicide. 294 00:13:48,578 --> 00:13:52,328 All unsuccessful Orion missions end in suicide. 295 00:13:53,375 --> 00:13:55,665 That was not for kids. It should not have been for kids. 296 00:13:55,752 --> 00:13:59,842 [McFadden] It was a subject matter rarely dealt with on network TV anywhere. 297 00:13:59,923 --> 00:14:02,593 But Star Trek had its own hot take for kids, 298 00:14:02,676 --> 00:14:04,836 called "The Pirates of Orion." 299 00:14:04,928 --> 00:14:06,348 Destroy the Enterprise. 300 00:14:06,429 --> 00:14:09,309 And the only way to do that is to destroy ourselves too. 301 00:14:09,391 --> 00:14:13,141 Suicide bombings, to even think about that in those days. 302 00:14:13,228 --> 00:14:15,728 Your ship will be destroyed. 303 00:14:15,814 --> 00:14:16,824 But so will yours. 304 00:14:16,898 --> 00:14:22,028 Having those stories be that mature and fun to watch 305 00:14:22,112 --> 00:14:25,872 from a story standpoint was just splendid. 306 00:14:25,949 --> 00:14:28,579 We're not going to let you commit suicide. 307 00:14:28,660 --> 00:14:31,330 Disarm the self-destruct system. 308 00:14:31,413 --> 00:14:35,383 [McFadden] Dorothy Fontana was determined to continue Star Trek's mission, 309 00:14:35,458 --> 00:14:38,708 and that meant an intrepid approach to subjects like death. 310 00:14:38,795 --> 00:14:41,335 Murderer! You've killed Spock! 311 00:14:41,423 --> 00:14:45,093 [Bronson] Because they wanted it to hit adults as well as children 312 00:14:45,176 --> 00:14:49,716 and also to honor what Star Trek was, was never to dumb it down. 313 00:14:49,806 --> 00:14:54,096 [McFadden] But in just the second episode, Dorothy Fontana went much further 314 00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:58,105 with her own life lesson for an unsuspecting audience. 315 00:14:58,189 --> 00:15:00,649 "Yesteryear" is by far everybody's favorite episode. 316 00:15:00,734 --> 00:15:03,034 That is a brilliantly written episode. 317 00:15:03,111 --> 00:15:03,951 One of the best. 318 00:15:04,029 --> 00:15:08,029 It would be in the top five episodes of all time, of any series. 319 00:15:08,116 --> 00:15:11,196 [McFadden] A half-hour cartoon was putting the backbone 320 00:15:11,286 --> 00:15:15,036 into the backstory of Star Trek's most loved characters. 321 00:15:15,123 --> 00:15:17,793 "Yesteryear" represented everything that Gene and Dorothy wanted to do 322 00:15:17,876 --> 00:15:19,086 with the animated series. 323 00:15:19,169 --> 00:15:24,049 [Harvey] "Yesteryear" is kind of a seminal history 324 00:15:24,132 --> 00:15:25,592 of the Spock character. 325 00:15:25,675 --> 00:15:28,885 What Spock became, a lot of it is due to that episode. 326 00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:33,390 [McFadden] Writer Dorothy Fontana returned to her perennial Star Trek theme, 327 00:15:33,475 --> 00:15:34,725 time. 328 00:15:34,809 --> 00:15:37,899 [Captain Kirk] We are in orbit around the planet of a time vortex, 329 00:15:37,979 --> 00:15:40,359 the focus of all the timelines of our galaxy. 330 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,940 Dorothy was very excited about the fact that there was a wide-open canvas. 331 00:15:44,027 --> 00:15:47,197 They could go back in time and tell the story about Spock's childhood. 332 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:48,280 What happened? 333 00:15:48,365 --> 00:15:49,695 [McFadden] In "Yesteryear," 334 00:15:49,783 --> 00:15:54,083 the Enterprise crew discover a rip in the fabric of spacetime. 335 00:15:56,331 --> 00:15:59,171 They go back in time and when they return to our time, 336 00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:02,460 nobody knows who Mr. Spock is. 337 00:16:02,545 --> 00:16:03,455 Who's he, Jim? 338 00:16:04,464 --> 00:16:06,054 What do you mean, who's he? 339 00:16:06,132 --> 00:16:07,972 When we were in the time vortex, 340 00:16:08,051 --> 00:16:10,801 something appears to have changed the present as we know it. 341 00:16:10,887 --> 00:16:13,387 [McFadden] His mission is immediately obvious. 342 00:16:13,473 --> 00:16:17,063 Spock has to go back in time to fix things. 343 00:16:17,143 --> 00:16:19,983 So they use the Guardian of Forever to send him back in time, 344 00:16:20,063 --> 00:16:21,693 to basically save himself. 345 00:16:21,773 --> 00:16:25,443 I wish to visit the planet Vulcan, 30 Vulcan years past. 346 00:16:25,527 --> 00:16:27,777 Spock goes back in time and sees himself as a child. 347 00:16:27,862 --> 00:16:29,862 You could never be a true Vulcan. 348 00:16:29,948 --> 00:16:34,738 He helps himself through a maturity test in the Vulcan Forge, 349 00:16:34,828 --> 00:16:35,908 their desert. 350 00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:38,115 [Spock] A personal ordeal upon which I embarked 351 00:16:38,206 --> 00:16:40,996 was meant to determine the course my life would take. 352 00:16:41,084 --> 00:16:44,554 This was the time that he basically tried to prove himself 353 00:16:44,713 --> 00:16:45,923 by doing the kahs-wan. 354 00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:48,465 A survival test, traditional for a young male. 355 00:16:48,550 --> 00:16:51,760 [McFadden] And the episode even referenced some backstory 356 00:16:51,845 --> 00:16:54,215 that had been set up in the original series. 357 00:16:54,305 --> 00:16:59,475 No, I-Chaya, this is my own test. 358 00:16:59,561 --> 00:17:00,691 I have to do it alone. 359 00:17:00,770 --> 00:17:03,360 [Harvey] They had mentioned in the original series 360 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,240 in "Journey to Babel" that Spock had a childhood pet, a sehlat. 361 00:17:07,318 --> 00:17:08,528 Sehlat? 362 00:17:08,611 --> 00:17:11,281 It's sort of a... a fat teddy bear. 363 00:17:11,364 --> 00:17:14,084 And McCoy goes, "Oh, really? You had a teddy bear?" 364 00:17:14,159 --> 00:17:15,949 A teddy bear? 365 00:17:16,035 --> 00:17:18,865 And so we finally got to see Spock's sehlat. 366 00:17:18,955 --> 00:17:22,745 I-Chaya, what if I'm not a true Vulcan like they say? 367 00:17:22,834 --> 00:17:26,464 [McFadden] The shaggy look of Spock's previously unimagined pet 368 00:17:26,546 --> 00:17:28,666 owed something to the musings of fans. 369 00:17:28,757 --> 00:17:33,257 [Harvey] The fanzine Spockanalia had a lot of fan art. 370 00:17:33,344 --> 00:17:37,394 Alicia Austin had speculated on what a sehlat would look like, 371 00:17:37,474 --> 00:17:43,104 and the illustrators at Filmation used that as the basis for their design. 372 00:17:43,188 --> 00:17:46,818 [McFadden] But this fat teddy bear brought to life by fans 373 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:49,780 was now to be sacrificed on the altar of life's lessons. 374 00:17:49,861 --> 00:17:50,701 [roars] 375 00:17:50,779 --> 00:17:54,029 [Harvey] Spock, he is attacked by a mountain lion. 376 00:17:54,115 --> 00:17:57,905 I-Chaya tries to prevent him from being attacked 377 00:17:57,994 --> 00:18:00,464 and unfortunately is mortally wounded. 378 00:18:00,538 --> 00:18:01,868 They try to save I-Chaya. 379 00:18:01,956 --> 00:18:04,576 They go back to the city and bring back a healer. 380 00:18:04,667 --> 00:18:08,757 I can prolong his life... but he will be in pain. 381 00:18:08,838 --> 00:18:11,418 Or I can release him from life. 382 00:18:11,508 --> 00:18:13,298 It tackled the idea of euthanasia. 383 00:18:13,384 --> 00:18:16,894 [Harvey] So Spock had to choose between letting his pet die 384 00:18:16,971 --> 00:18:19,811 or having him be alive in great pain. 385 00:18:19,891 --> 00:18:20,891 And he made the decision. 386 00:18:20,975 --> 00:18:22,475 Release him. 387 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,020 It is fitting he dies with peace and dignity. 388 00:18:26,105 --> 00:18:27,765 [McFadden] And so an adolescent Spock 389 00:18:27,857 --> 00:18:30,857 decides his pet can't live long and prosper. 390 00:18:30,944 --> 00:18:34,534 Dorothy was really concerned that people might have a problem with this. 391 00:18:34,614 --> 00:18:37,284 [McFadden] Somehow, Star Trek had conspired to air 392 00:18:37,367 --> 00:18:41,037 one of the most controversial issues in American society, 393 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,040 on children's television. 394 00:18:43,122 --> 00:18:44,712 And NBC was really worried about this, 395 00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:47,251 showing a pet dying on Saturday-morning television, 396 00:18:47,335 --> 00:18:49,955 and NBC actually got a flood of telephone calls 397 00:18:50,046 --> 00:18:53,126 thanking them for tackling such a difficult subject 398 00:18:53,216 --> 00:18:55,506 on Saturday-morning television with their kids watching. 399 00:18:55,593 --> 00:18:58,973 [Harvey] It really cemented the character of Spock 400 00:18:59,055 --> 00:19:02,095 and how he treats his Vulcan and human side. 401 00:19:02,183 --> 00:19:03,943 [McFadden] The theme of sacrifice 402 00:19:04,018 --> 00:19:08,608 was something Spock was destined to explore to its logical conclusion. 403 00:19:08,690 --> 00:19:12,530 It's logical. The needs of the many outweigh... 404 00:19:12,610 --> 00:19:13,950 The needs of the few. 405 00:19:14,028 --> 00:19:18,118 I give you credit, human, you are not afraid to die. 406 00:19:18,199 --> 00:19:20,579 [McFadden] But when it came to embracing the big issues, 407 00:19:20,660 --> 00:19:23,660 the animated series had only just begun. 408 00:19:28,293 --> 00:19:31,383 [McFadden] Star Trek: The Animated Series had shown a willingness 409 00:19:31,462 --> 00:19:35,132 to slaughter the sacred cows of Saturday-morning cartoons, 410 00:19:35,216 --> 00:19:37,756 and it was just getting started. 411 00:19:37,844 --> 00:19:39,804 [Schepis] "The Slaver Weapon" is a real interesting episode. 412 00:19:39,888 --> 00:19:43,468 First of all, the only time any characters die on the animated series. 413 00:19:43,558 --> 00:19:47,598 I give you credit, human, you are not afraid to die. 414 00:19:47,687 --> 00:19:51,187 Characters die. They end up being killed by their actions in the episode. 415 00:19:51,274 --> 00:19:52,154 [groans] 416 00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:55,819 [McFadden] Don't blame the writer. 417 00:19:55,904 --> 00:19:59,204 If there was a rule about this, no one told Larry. 418 00:19:59,282 --> 00:20:04,952 To my knowledge, I don't think they had barred killing from children's shows. 419 00:20:05,038 --> 00:20:06,458 Kids aren't used to seeing that Saturday morning. 420 00:20:06,539 --> 00:20:08,419 [McFadden] A bold choice of subject matter 421 00:20:08,499 --> 00:20:10,839 was not all that distinguished the series 422 00:20:10,919 --> 00:20:12,629 because an animated Star Trek 423 00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:15,722 could do things its predecessor could only dream of. 424 00:20:15,798 --> 00:20:17,298 Commander Bem, what are you doing here? 425 00:20:17,383 --> 00:20:18,513 [chuckles] 426 00:20:18,593 --> 00:20:21,303 [Gerrold] We could write a character that splits himself into parts. 427 00:20:21,387 --> 00:20:24,847 In those days, you couldn't do those alien characters live-action, 428 00:20:24,933 --> 00:20:27,063 but you could do on the animated show, 429 00:20:27,143 --> 00:20:29,193 so we got a lot of very interesting aliens. 430 00:20:29,270 --> 00:20:31,770 An uncharted star system ahead, Captain. 431 00:20:31,856 --> 00:20:33,226 [McFadden] For the first time, 432 00:20:33,316 --> 00:20:36,436 the original series Star Trek cast was expanded, 433 00:20:36,527 --> 00:20:38,447 and new crew members made an entrance. 434 00:20:38,529 --> 00:20:39,909 [whistles] 435 00:20:39,989 --> 00:20:42,579 I really liked the alien character who was at the helm. 436 00:20:42,659 --> 00:20:44,239 [McFadden] That would be this guy. 437 00:20:44,327 --> 00:20:47,247 You can have Lt. Arex or Lt. M'Ress. 438 00:20:47,330 --> 00:20:49,750 [purrs] Lt. M'Ress here. 439 00:20:49,832 --> 00:20:50,962 [McFadden] And so Star Trek fans 440 00:20:51,042 --> 00:20:53,882 got to meet a purring communications officer. 441 00:20:53,962 --> 00:20:55,172 [purrs] 442 00:20:55,254 --> 00:20:58,934 [McFadden] And a tripodal lute-playing navigator. 443 00:20:59,008 --> 00:21:03,098 M'Ress was cat-like. I always thought of Arex as kind of a camel. 444 00:21:03,179 --> 00:21:05,599 Anybody keeping a trace on the Captain and Mr. Spock? 445 00:21:05,682 --> 00:21:08,852 What I was trying to do with that character 446 00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:10,725 was to make him humanoid 447 00:21:10,812 --> 00:21:14,902 and make him an appealing and accessible-looking character. 448 00:21:14,983 --> 00:21:15,863 Hey, wait a minute. 449 00:21:15,942 --> 00:21:18,952 He was a truly alien character that you could not have seen on 450 00:21:19,028 --> 00:21:21,158 the live-action television series, and I loved that. 451 00:21:21,239 --> 00:21:23,619 [McFadden] Ron Moore wasn't the only one. 452 00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:26,330 I always feel that the animated series is like 453 00:21:26,411 --> 00:21:30,831 if the original series had an unlimited special effects budget 454 00:21:30,915 --> 00:21:33,745 and was renewed for a fourth season. 455 00:21:33,835 --> 00:21:34,835 I absolutely love it. 456 00:21:34,919 --> 00:21:36,629 I know that it has its detractors. 457 00:21:36,713 --> 00:21:40,593 Their opinions are absolutely valid, but for me, I'm crazy about it. 458 00:21:40,675 --> 00:21:41,545 I think it's great. 459 00:21:41,634 --> 00:21:43,224 [both laugh] 460 00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:46,722 [Gerrold] You could do the M'Ress makeup if you want in live-action, 461 00:21:46,806 --> 00:21:49,386 but it would be three hours in the makeup chair 462 00:21:49,475 --> 00:21:52,305 every day that you wanna use that character, 463 00:21:52,395 --> 00:21:54,515 and it would be a budget thing, so you don't want to do that. 464 00:21:54,605 --> 00:21:56,855 I mean, Spock was spending an hour in the chair 465 00:21:56,941 --> 00:21:58,321 getting his ears put on. 466 00:21:58,401 --> 00:22:00,571 We weren't getting Disney level of animation, 467 00:22:00,653 --> 00:22:04,123 but we were getting to do a much broader palette of Star Trek. 468 00:22:04,198 --> 00:22:07,828 [McFadden] While animation meant a world of new possibilities, 469 00:22:07,910 --> 00:22:09,580 it was not without its limits. 470 00:22:09,662 --> 00:22:11,962 It was all hand-done, artists sitting there, 471 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,540 painting in the cells and all of that stuff. 472 00:22:14,625 --> 00:22:17,545 The one big technological advance we had 473 00:22:17,628 --> 00:22:20,508 was you could Xerox the black-and-white cells 474 00:22:20,590 --> 00:22:22,930 that were standard cells for backgrounds 475 00:22:23,009 --> 00:22:24,339 or maybe facial expressions, things like that. 476 00:22:24,427 --> 00:22:27,967 You could Xerox those, but they still had to be painted in by hand by artists. 477 00:22:28,056 --> 00:22:31,136 Animators were cutting corners every way they could. 478 00:22:31,225 --> 00:22:34,975 They gave it a low budget, not thinking it was gonna be popular. 479 00:22:35,063 --> 00:22:38,233 [McFadden] Director Bill Reed became adept at using a system 480 00:22:38,316 --> 00:22:42,066 Filmation had perfected to deliver with a smaller budget. 481 00:22:42,153 --> 00:22:45,663 The thing that saved Filmation was the stock program. 482 00:22:45,740 --> 00:22:50,330 The stock system was a cornerstone of all of the Filmation products. 483 00:22:50,411 --> 00:22:54,831 [Bill Reed] The main characters each had a stock scene of close-up, 484 00:22:54,916 --> 00:22:58,086 a medium shot, a walk, and a run, 485 00:22:58,169 --> 00:23:00,379 and those were used over and over again. 486 00:23:00,463 --> 00:23:03,513 [McFadden] And so Mr. Spock became Mr. Stock. 487 00:23:03,591 --> 00:23:04,511 Most logical. 488 00:23:04,592 --> 00:23:08,762 [McFadden] Lending the animated first officer even more Vulcan serenity. 489 00:23:08,846 --> 00:23:12,016 Spock is looking into his viewer. That's a stock scene. 490 00:23:12,100 --> 00:23:13,770 You can spot a stock scene 491 00:23:13,851 --> 00:23:16,771 because they use the same setup over and over again. 492 00:23:16,854 --> 00:23:18,694 It saved them a lot of money. 493 00:23:18,773 --> 00:23:22,153 [upbeat music playing] 494 00:23:22,235 --> 00:23:25,065 [Schepis] I love those scenes of Spock and Kirk running and the music because 495 00:23:25,154 --> 00:23:27,994 because it's the same Kirk-Spock running scene every time. 496 00:23:28,074 --> 00:23:28,954 I just love it. 497 00:23:29,033 --> 00:23:30,453 Oops! 498 00:23:31,369 --> 00:23:32,199 Amazing. 499 00:23:34,247 --> 00:23:37,417 [Bronson] The animation it, may seem a little primitive. 500 00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:41,840 But back then, it might have been a little cut below some other animation, 501 00:23:41,921 --> 00:23:43,711 but it wasn't that far off. 502 00:23:43,798 --> 00:23:45,128 I think it was a product of its time. 503 00:23:45,216 --> 00:23:48,136 [McFadden] However clunky Captain Kirk's groove may have seemed, 504 00:23:48,219 --> 00:23:53,019 there was no denying his 2D likeness was a dead ringer for the real thing. 505 00:23:53,099 --> 00:23:56,099 This is Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise, 506 00:23:56,185 --> 00:23:57,685 representing the Federation of Planets. 507 00:23:57,770 --> 00:23:59,360 [McFadden] Spock was spot-on too, 508 00:23:59,438 --> 00:24:01,858 and Bones looked like the real McCoy. 509 00:24:01,941 --> 00:24:02,781 McCoy here. 510 00:24:02,859 --> 00:24:06,029 [McFadden] It was all thanks to the keen eye of one man. 511 00:24:06,112 --> 00:24:09,162 [Kline] Herb Hazelton was really important to the show, 512 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,700 in that he designed all of the prime characters. 513 00:24:12,785 --> 00:24:17,115 I mean, he was a fine artist. He drew people better than anyone. 514 00:24:17,206 --> 00:24:21,376 He worked from photographs to create these likenesses, 515 00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:23,550 just the way an artist would draw from a model. 516 00:24:23,629 --> 00:24:25,669 [Schepis] For a little television show with a quick turnaround 517 00:24:25,756 --> 00:24:29,046 for all these episodes, what they did was pretty impressive. 518 00:24:29,135 --> 00:24:30,675 It looked like Star Trek. 519 00:24:30,761 --> 00:24:32,431 But something was changed. 520 00:24:32,513 --> 00:24:36,523 [McFadden] The animated series was Star Trek in all its true colors. 521 00:24:36,601 --> 00:24:38,691 Except when it came to true colors. 522 00:24:38,769 --> 00:24:40,729 There are some interesting color choices. 523 00:24:40,813 --> 00:24:41,863 Most peculiar. 524 00:24:41,939 --> 00:24:46,239 [McFadden] Producer D.C. Fontana knew fandom did not like random. 525 00:24:46,319 --> 00:24:48,319 [Nemecek] "This ain't no other Saturday-morning show. 526 00:24:48,404 --> 00:24:49,414 People care about this. 527 00:24:49,488 --> 00:24:52,778 We will be drowned in letters if you put the wrong color here." 528 00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:56,288 [McFadden] Sure enough, there were quibbles over tribbles. 529 00:24:56,370 --> 00:24:58,580 Captain, these are safe tribbles. 530 00:24:58,664 --> 00:24:59,964 You know, you've got pink tribbles. 531 00:25:00,041 --> 00:25:00,881 [grunts] 532 00:25:00,958 --> 00:25:03,958 [McFadden] So what was behind this kaleidoscope of color? 533 00:25:04,045 --> 00:25:06,665 [Gerrold] The tribbles are pink in "More Tribbles, More Troubles" 534 00:25:06,756 --> 00:25:09,716 because the man who chose the colors was colorblind. 535 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,640 Aren't you going to sit down, sir? 536 00:25:11,719 --> 00:25:13,299 I think I'll stand. 537 00:25:13,387 --> 00:25:16,427 [McFadden] That would explain it if the truth were that simple. 538 00:25:16,515 --> 00:25:20,265 So color blindness on the animated series is one of those fun urban legends. 539 00:25:20,353 --> 00:25:23,523 [McFadden] Right. Would a colorblind person paint like this? 540 00:25:23,606 --> 00:25:26,896 Well, yes, the art director did have some color blindness issues. 541 00:25:26,984 --> 00:25:29,494 [McFadden] That's art director Don Christensen. 542 00:25:29,570 --> 00:25:31,700 Don Christensen was colorblind. 543 00:25:31,781 --> 00:25:33,951 He wasn't the one choosing the color palette. 544 00:25:34,033 --> 00:25:35,203 That was Irv Kaplan. 545 00:25:35,284 --> 00:25:38,704 And that was his color palette of choice. 546 00:25:38,788 --> 00:25:40,158 He loved to use those colors. 547 00:25:40,248 --> 00:25:44,878 [Kline] I disagreed with Irv every time he painted something pink or red 548 00:25:44,961 --> 00:25:49,591 or that was just outrageous for that character. 549 00:25:49,674 --> 00:25:51,764 He did pick out some pretty strange colors. 550 00:25:51,842 --> 00:25:54,102 You're saying we can't escape? 551 00:25:54,178 --> 00:25:57,428 [McFadden] Which meant some of Star Trek's more menacing villains 552 00:25:57,515 --> 00:25:59,305 were surprisingly pretty in pink. 553 00:25:59,392 --> 00:26:01,852 We are prepared to go to war if we have to. 554 00:26:01,936 --> 00:26:04,806 When you saw the purple-pink Klingon uniforms, 555 00:26:04,897 --> 00:26:06,857 the Kzinti from "The Slaver Weapon." 556 00:26:06,941 --> 00:26:08,281 Identify yourself. 557 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,779 [Kline] That was one of the famous situations 558 00:26:10,861 --> 00:26:14,321 where Irv Kaplan decided they needed to have pink outfits, 559 00:26:14,407 --> 00:26:18,867 and it was just astonishing to me that that was his solution. [laughs] 560 00:26:18,953 --> 00:26:19,873 [groans] 561 00:26:19,954 --> 00:26:22,714 [McFadden] Dorothy Fontana, who had little control over art direction, 562 00:26:22,790 --> 00:26:25,750 found she could only apologize to her writers. 563 00:26:25,835 --> 00:26:28,455 It was like, "No! It can't be!" 564 00:26:28,546 --> 00:26:30,126 I thought that was just fine. 565 00:26:30,214 --> 00:26:32,594 [Schepis] Larry was, like, totally okay with it because he's like, 566 00:26:32,675 --> 00:26:36,345 "Well, there's orange and red vegetation on the Kzinti homeworld anyway." 567 00:26:36,429 --> 00:26:38,099 I'm not sure I can take too much of this. 568 00:26:38,180 --> 00:26:41,890 [McFadden] But on at least one occasion, it was the color yellow 569 00:26:41,976 --> 00:26:44,436 that raised eyebrows in the screening room. 570 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,110 Ted Cortez and I would go over to Filmation to view the episodes. 571 00:26:48,190 --> 00:26:49,690 You know, he did it for broadcast standards. 572 00:26:49,775 --> 00:26:51,775 I did it for publicity. 573 00:26:51,861 --> 00:26:56,371 We'd sit there in front of a Moviola, crowded in, watching the episode, 574 00:26:56,449 --> 00:26:59,329 and we're watching the one called "Once Upon a Planet," 575 00:26:59,410 --> 00:27:02,710 which was the sequel to "Shore Leave" from the original series. 576 00:27:02,788 --> 00:27:06,458 There's a scene where Dr. McCoy is out in a field, 577 00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:08,422 like in a Southern plantation, 578 00:27:08,502 --> 00:27:12,762 and I'm looking, and I see a yellow stream coming out of him... 579 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,260 hitting the ground. 580 00:27:15,343 --> 00:27:17,093 And it goes on. I said, "Wait a minute." 581 00:27:17,178 --> 00:27:19,348 I turned to Ted and said, "What did we just see?" 582 00:27:19,430 --> 00:27:20,510 He said, "I don't know." 583 00:27:20,598 --> 00:27:23,888 So we asked them to roll it back. 584 00:27:25,478 --> 00:27:27,398 And we look. He's taking a piss. 585 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,020 Ted said, "You can't do that!" 586 00:27:29,106 --> 00:27:32,606 And they said, "We know, we just put it in for you." [laughs] 587 00:27:32,693 --> 00:27:33,783 [McFadden] But an unpalatable palette 588 00:27:33,861 --> 00:27:37,161 would prove to be the least of the producers' concerns. 589 00:27:37,239 --> 00:27:40,449 It doesn't matter. It's gonna be seen once on Saturday-morning cartoons. 590 00:27:40,534 --> 00:27:41,414 And who cares? 591 00:27:41,494 --> 00:27:42,794 [McFadden] Because where the animated series 592 00:27:42,870 --> 00:27:47,880 was about to take its young viewers was wholly uncharted territory. 593 00:27:53,339 --> 00:27:55,219 I want to protect her, 594 00:27:55,299 --> 00:27:58,049 hold her in my arms. 595 00:27:58,135 --> 00:28:01,215 There were two things that Gene Roddenberry always had notes for, 596 00:28:01,305 --> 00:28:03,465 for the writers for Star Trek episodes. 597 00:28:03,557 --> 00:28:05,137 He wanted to have more relationships. 598 00:28:05,226 --> 00:28:07,556 [McFadden] Just like its live-action sibling, 599 00:28:07,645 --> 00:28:10,355 the animated series wasn't afraid of live-action... 600 00:28:10,439 --> 00:28:12,019 -Love? -Yes. 601 00:28:12,108 --> 00:28:14,278 [McFadden] Nor one other big thing. 602 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:15,740 The other one was God. 603 00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:19,160 Excuse me, I'd just like to ask a question. 604 00:28:20,991 --> 00:28:22,951 What does God need with a starship? 605 00:28:23,035 --> 00:28:24,535 [Gerrold] This was Gene's story. 606 00:28:24,620 --> 00:28:27,790 Whenever the story got bogged down or he didn't know what to do, 607 00:28:27,873 --> 00:28:29,083 he said, "Let them meet God." 608 00:28:29,166 --> 00:28:30,956 Magic. 609 00:28:31,043 --> 00:28:33,593 [Schepis] Larry Brody, who wrote "The Magicks of Megas-Tu," 610 00:28:33,671 --> 00:28:36,221 knew that Gene would love a God story. 611 00:28:36,298 --> 00:28:37,838 So he pitched the story with God in it. 612 00:28:37,925 --> 00:28:40,335 [McFadden] But on network television in the '70s, 613 00:28:40,428 --> 00:28:43,098 God might find an audience on Sunday morning, 614 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:45,720 but not Saturday-morning cartoons. 615 00:28:45,808 --> 00:28:49,478 But NBC said, "No, no, no, no. The crew's not meeting God. 616 00:28:49,562 --> 00:28:52,312 But you know what? You can meet the devil instead." 617 00:28:52,398 --> 00:28:54,148 It is not logical. 618 00:28:54,233 --> 00:28:55,693 [laughs] Which is crazy. 619 00:28:55,776 --> 00:29:00,816 [McFadden] To the writers of Star Trek, this was a temptation too good to resist. 620 00:29:00,906 --> 00:29:06,366 Ah, humans. Lovely, primitive humans. 621 00:29:06,454 --> 00:29:09,214 Can't you do anything right? 622 00:29:09,290 --> 00:29:11,920 [Nemecek] "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" is an episode 623 00:29:12,001 --> 00:29:15,961 that the newest generation of fandom is all kind of, like, woke up to. 624 00:29:16,046 --> 00:29:18,716 Call me Lucien. Call me friend. 625 00:29:18,799 --> 00:29:21,799 Oh, my God, it's Kirk, Spock, and the devil! What?! What?! 626 00:29:21,886 --> 00:29:24,966 [McFadden] The character of Lucien certainly looked the part, 627 00:29:25,055 --> 00:29:27,925 but Star Trek's devil was no traditional Satan. 628 00:29:28,017 --> 00:29:31,597 Never could I abandon those who come to rollick with me. 629 00:29:31,687 --> 00:29:33,147 [McFadden] He was less devilish. 630 00:29:33,230 --> 00:29:37,230 I knew eventually humans would come searching for me. 631 00:29:37,318 --> 00:29:39,028 [McFadden] More devilishly charming. 632 00:29:39,111 --> 00:29:40,651 [laughs] 633 00:29:40,738 --> 00:29:45,578 Captain, good Captain, always so curious! 634 00:29:45,659 --> 00:29:50,039 That must be why I've always liked you Earthlings so much! 635 00:29:50,122 --> 00:29:53,082 Eight-year-old kids were watching this on Saturday morning. [laughs] 636 00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:57,797 Let us leave this vessel and go where true delights lie! 637 00:29:57,880 --> 00:29:59,920 Wait a minute, you're glorifying the devil? 638 00:30:00,007 --> 00:30:02,047 [McFadden] Not only did Star Trek dare to give Satan 639 00:30:02,134 --> 00:30:05,474 an acceptable, even child-friendly face, 640 00:30:05,554 --> 00:30:08,024 it went to bed with him on the big issues. 641 00:30:08,098 --> 00:30:10,518 To isolate someone like Lucien, 642 00:30:10,601 --> 00:30:13,351 that's the same as sentencing him to death. 643 00:30:13,437 --> 00:30:16,977 Kirk was defending the devil in a courtroom, basically. 644 00:30:17,066 --> 00:30:19,776 He's a living being, an intelligent life form. 645 00:30:19,860 --> 00:30:23,780 Would you defend him still if you knew he had another name too? 646 00:30:23,864 --> 00:30:24,954 Lucifer! 647 00:30:25,032 --> 00:30:27,202 He's like, "Hey, no, he's a good guy." 648 00:30:27,284 --> 00:30:30,834 [McFadden] And what better thing to do with a good guy then share a drink? 649 00:30:30,913 --> 00:30:33,673 Why I love the episode is because it's not the devil. 650 00:30:33,749 --> 00:30:36,289 [McFadden] And if this handsome devil wasn't enough, 651 00:30:36,377 --> 00:30:38,377 how about a side of the occult? 652 00:30:38,462 --> 00:30:42,682 [Schepis] Inhabitants of Megas-Tu had hoofed feet, had horns. 653 00:30:42,758 --> 00:30:45,718 They actually were on Earth during the 1600s, 654 00:30:45,803 --> 00:30:47,603 and they could do magic. 655 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:53,600 That idea that Lucian was something evil was because humanity made him that way. 656 00:30:53,686 --> 00:30:59,316 When the aliens put our crew on trial, it looks like we're in ancient Salem. 657 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:04,410 We are gathered here today, good citizens, to see justice done. 658 00:31:04,488 --> 00:31:08,448 The whole idea of Salem and the witches, it probably triggered something 659 00:31:08,534 --> 00:31:12,084 in people about Satanism or witchcraft. 660 00:31:12,162 --> 00:31:14,832 [McFadden] The idea of Satan on the bridge 661 00:31:14,915 --> 00:31:17,585 proved a bridge too far for some Southern viewers. 662 00:31:17,668 --> 00:31:22,168 [Bronson] A lot of people, especially in religious areas, the Bible Belt, 663 00:31:22,256 --> 00:31:25,006 took offense to it and complained to NBC. 664 00:31:25,092 --> 00:31:27,472 They mobilized, they called, they hammered NBC. 665 00:31:27,553 --> 00:31:30,513 They did not get a lot of positive phone calls for this episode. 666 00:31:30,598 --> 00:31:34,348 The funny thing is, is that NBC was the one that said, "Make it the devil. 667 00:31:34,435 --> 00:31:35,305 That'll be okay." 668 00:31:35,394 --> 00:31:38,444 [McFadden] Following the outcry, NBC caved. 669 00:31:38,522 --> 00:31:42,942 "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" got pulled because 40 rabid Baptists 670 00:31:43,027 --> 00:31:44,397 wrote in letters of protest. 671 00:31:44,486 --> 00:31:46,566 "How can you make the devil a nice guy?" 672 00:31:46,655 --> 00:31:51,285 They actually did make some adjustments from the time it aired originally. 673 00:31:51,368 --> 00:31:54,158 It's one of those things that, with a little hindsight 674 00:31:54,246 --> 00:31:56,916 and a fresh filter, you're thinking, "What?" 675 00:31:56,999 --> 00:31:59,209 It was just a trippy episode. 676 00:31:59,293 --> 00:32:01,213 [McFadden] But the trip was just beginning. 677 00:32:01,295 --> 00:32:05,415 Star Trek had other children's television taboos in its sights. 678 00:32:09,053 --> 00:32:11,313 These are the most beautiful women in the galaxy. 679 00:32:11,388 --> 00:32:12,968 Oh, sorry, sir. 680 00:32:13,057 --> 00:32:14,097 Are you injured? 681 00:32:14,183 --> 00:32:17,233 No. No, I'm-I'm fine. 682 00:32:17,311 --> 00:32:19,901 [McFadden] Adult themes were surprisingly interwoven 683 00:32:19,980 --> 00:32:24,400 throughout the animated series, including the most adult of them all. 684 00:32:24,485 --> 00:32:27,445 My world, there's a lot of females, not so many men. 685 00:32:27,529 --> 00:32:30,489 Come we find a man attractive, we say so. 686 00:32:30,574 --> 00:32:31,704 I'm sayin' so. 687 00:32:31,784 --> 00:32:34,584 [McFadden] Whether it was Friday night or Saturday morning, 688 00:32:34,662 --> 00:32:38,332 Captain Kirk would still be a sex object, even in 2D. 689 00:32:38,415 --> 00:32:40,455 You're more handsome than ever. 690 00:32:40,542 --> 00:32:42,092 It goes back to that whole idea of Kirk 691 00:32:42,169 --> 00:32:45,209 being that, you know, ladies' man from the original series. 692 00:32:45,297 --> 00:32:46,627 How do you find me? 693 00:32:46,715 --> 00:32:48,545 Mm... fascinating. 694 00:32:48,634 --> 00:32:49,894 [McFadden] In "The Jihad"... 695 00:32:49,968 --> 00:32:51,798 It definitely wouldn't get that title today. 696 00:32:51,887 --> 00:32:55,217 [McFadden] Lara, the expert hunter, brings sexual tension 697 00:32:55,307 --> 00:32:57,517 where no sexual tension had gone before. 698 00:32:57,601 --> 00:32:59,851 You know, she's flirting with him the whole episode. 699 00:32:59,937 --> 00:33:01,857 But we're not here on a pleasure trip, Lara. 700 00:33:01,939 --> 00:33:04,899 All the more reason to take what pleasure there might be in it. 701 00:33:04,983 --> 00:33:06,493 [chuckles] 702 00:33:06,568 --> 00:33:08,948 It's hilarious because, again, it's adult subject matter. 703 00:33:09,029 --> 00:33:11,819 If we were together, the trip would be easier. 704 00:33:11,907 --> 00:33:14,277 You know, she says something about "we can make green memories." 705 00:33:14,368 --> 00:33:18,288 And if anything happened, why, uh, we'd have some green memories. 706 00:33:18,372 --> 00:33:20,502 You know, she's talking about making green memories and Kirk's like... 707 00:33:20,582 --> 00:33:23,922 -I already have a lot of green memories. -Oh. 708 00:33:24,002 --> 00:33:26,462 [McFadden] In case you're wondering about green memories, 709 00:33:26,547 --> 00:33:29,627 it's true, Kirk had formed a few over the years. 710 00:33:29,717 --> 00:33:32,637 [Schepis] I can only imagine a kid talking to Mom and Dad and going, 711 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,560 "Mom, what's a green memory?" 712 00:33:34,638 --> 00:33:36,888 It was on purpose, but it wasn't like a plot. 713 00:33:36,974 --> 00:33:38,144 "Oh, we'll fix them." 714 00:33:38,225 --> 00:33:40,595 I think they wanted to tell great stories. 715 00:33:40,686 --> 00:33:42,806 Goodbye, James Kirk. 716 00:33:42,896 --> 00:33:43,976 Too bad. 717 00:33:44,064 --> 00:33:46,574 [McFadden] But telling great stories meant having great scripts, 718 00:33:46,650 --> 00:33:49,900 and Dorothy was about to run out of those. 719 00:33:49,987 --> 00:33:52,817 Star Trek: The Animated Series wouldn't have turned out the way it did 720 00:33:52,906 --> 00:33:54,776 if there wasn't a writers' strike at the time. 721 00:33:54,867 --> 00:33:58,577 [McFadden] But being a writer herself, Dorothy knew a clever workaround. 722 00:33:58,662 --> 00:34:02,462 [Harvey] The Guild rule, you could not write live-action television 723 00:34:02,541 --> 00:34:06,421 if there was a strike, but you could do one animated episode. 724 00:34:06,503 --> 00:34:07,423 Yes, that's right. 725 00:34:07,504 --> 00:34:10,974 [McFadden] Dorothy exploited this little-known loophole in union rules 726 00:34:11,049 --> 00:34:14,299 to keep her writers working and the show in production. 727 00:34:14,386 --> 00:34:18,176 Dorothy approach people who had written original Star Trek and said, 728 00:34:18,265 --> 00:34:22,555 "Hey, you can't write anything right now, but you can do this animated show." 729 00:34:22,644 --> 00:34:25,194 [McFadden] As the animated series was a unique gig, 730 00:34:25,272 --> 00:34:28,732 it was a chance for pigeonholed riders to flex their muscles. 731 00:34:28,817 --> 00:34:30,647 It was enticing to somebody like David Gerrold, 732 00:34:30,736 --> 00:34:32,856 who was able to do his Bem character. 733 00:34:32,946 --> 00:34:34,156 [McFadden] This David Gerrold. 734 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:36,199 I always wanted to do Bem. 735 00:34:36,283 --> 00:34:39,663 So with the animated show, they said, "You know, we can do Bem now." 736 00:34:39,745 --> 00:34:42,745 [Captain Kirk] Honorary Commander Ari bn Bem. 737 00:34:43,248 --> 00:34:45,878 [McFadden] Bem stood for "bug-eyed monster." 738 00:34:45,959 --> 00:34:49,459 Because we don't have to build a costume, it's easier to draw this character. 739 00:34:49,546 --> 00:34:52,256 This one must disassemble. 740 00:34:52,341 --> 00:34:56,801 That was an idea that came over from the original series into animation. 741 00:34:56,887 --> 00:34:59,427 [McFadden] Also picked up from the original series, 742 00:34:59,515 --> 00:35:02,175 Star Trek's continuing mission for diversity. 743 00:35:02,267 --> 00:35:03,937 Gentlemen, we've just been through one civil war. 744 00:35:04,019 --> 00:35:05,689 Let's not start another. 745 00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:07,651 [Schepis] Gene Roddenberry didn't do an interview saying, 746 00:35:07,731 --> 00:35:09,361 "Hey, we've got a black woman on our bridge. 747 00:35:09,441 --> 00:35:12,031 Hey, we've got a Japanese American on our bridge." 748 00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:12,950 They just did it. 749 00:35:13,028 --> 00:35:15,158 [McFadden] The animated series did it too, 750 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:16,409 and did more. 751 00:35:16,490 --> 00:35:19,950 Infinite diversity in infinite combinations. 752 00:35:20,035 --> 00:35:21,695 [Harvey] The characters all got something to do. 753 00:35:21,787 --> 00:35:23,707 They didn't have to just be one-liners. 754 00:35:23,789 --> 00:35:26,789 All right, you lovelies, hold together. 755 00:35:26,875 --> 00:35:28,125 [McFadden] In this universe, 756 00:35:28,210 --> 00:35:31,510 Star Trek's minorities could even take control. 757 00:35:31,588 --> 00:35:33,508 Lt. Uhura, place the ship on yellow alert. 758 00:35:33,590 --> 00:35:35,510 Aye, sir, yellow alert. 759 00:35:35,592 --> 00:35:38,802 Lt. Uhura had a whole lot more to do than she did in the original series, 760 00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:39,717 when you look at it. 761 00:35:39,805 --> 00:35:41,265 Fire! 762 00:35:41,348 --> 00:35:44,808 She actually finally got to take control of the Enterprise. 763 00:35:44,893 --> 00:35:46,023 What are you doing? 764 00:35:46,103 --> 00:35:47,773 Taking command of this ship. 765 00:35:48,897 --> 00:35:52,727 When she read the script, she yelled out loud, "Finally!" 766 00:35:52,818 --> 00:35:54,988 I am assuming command of the Enterprise. 767 00:35:55,070 --> 00:35:57,700 Uhura got to captain the damn bridge. 768 00:35:57,781 --> 00:36:01,121 It was so satisfying and I loved it. 769 00:36:01,201 --> 00:36:04,161 [McFadden] And while the show was among the first on many fronts, 770 00:36:04,246 --> 00:36:09,126 including Kirk's split-focused interracial kiss with Lt. Uhura, 771 00:36:09,209 --> 00:36:11,839 there was one notable and unexpected first 772 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:13,590 the animated series could claim. 773 00:36:13,672 --> 00:36:16,682 A legend of a winged serpent god who came from the skies, 774 00:36:16,758 --> 00:36:17,888 bringing knowledge. 775 00:36:17,968 --> 00:36:21,008 It was one of the first times that they actually brought in 776 00:36:21,096 --> 00:36:23,426 Native American culture into Star Trek. 777 00:36:23,515 --> 00:36:25,975 [McFadden] Writer Russell Bates was invited to introduce 778 00:36:26,059 --> 00:36:28,899 his own culture into the Star Trek universe. 779 00:36:28,979 --> 00:36:30,649 [Schepis] He was a Native American. 780 00:36:30,731 --> 00:36:33,781 Dorothy wanted him to write something towards his experiences. 781 00:36:33,859 --> 00:36:35,569 Aye, sir, warp factor two. 782 00:36:35,652 --> 00:36:37,782 So that's how we have Ensign Walking Bear. 783 00:36:37,863 --> 00:36:39,073 Mr. Walking Bear. 784 00:36:39,156 --> 00:36:41,066 [Schepis] The first Native American in Starfleet. 785 00:36:41,158 --> 00:36:42,448 [Walking Bear] I am a Comanche, Captain. 786 00:36:42,534 --> 00:36:44,704 Another one of those groundbreaking moments for Star Trek. 787 00:36:44,786 --> 00:36:47,366 [McFadden] On a Saturday morning in the '70s, 788 00:36:47,456 --> 00:36:50,576 the kind of ethnic culture that American kids encountered 789 00:36:50,667 --> 00:36:52,917 was usually no more than phooey. 790 00:36:53,003 --> 00:36:54,803 ♪ Hong Kong Phooey ♪ 791 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:56,880 ♪ Number one super guy ♪ 792 00:36:56,965 --> 00:37:00,465 Not the best portrayal of people of color, unfortunately. 793 00:37:00,552 --> 00:37:02,762 We work only to create peace. 794 00:37:02,846 --> 00:37:06,216 [McFadden] The humble animated officer Ensign Walking Bear 795 00:37:06,308 --> 00:37:10,228 was light years beyond earlier brushes with Native American cultures. 796 00:37:10,312 --> 00:37:12,652 Give him the medicine badge. 797 00:37:14,399 --> 00:37:17,489 [McFadden] The episode entitled "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth"... 798 00:37:17,569 --> 00:37:19,659 Which is a quote from King Lear. 799 00:37:19,738 --> 00:37:23,448 How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child. 800 00:37:23,533 --> 00:37:25,583 [McFadden] ...went on to win an Emmy for... 801 00:37:25,661 --> 00:37:28,161 Outstanding daytime children's television series. 802 00:37:28,246 --> 00:37:31,826 [McFadden] The Emmy ceremony itself was also outstanding. 803 00:37:31,917 --> 00:37:35,167 This was the first and last year that the Emmys were done on a boat. 804 00:37:35,253 --> 00:37:37,013 [Monty Hall] They told me this is really the way to do a show. 805 00:37:37,089 --> 00:37:39,969 Well, I suppose it is, but what I wouldn't do for a cooling breeze. 806 00:37:40,050 --> 00:37:41,260 -Yeah. [laughs] -Jeez. 807 00:37:41,343 --> 00:37:45,183 [McFadden] Well, it was the '70s, and they simply didn't know any better. 808 00:37:45,263 --> 00:37:47,183 [Harvey] Lou Scheimer heard that the winner 809 00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:49,055 was actually Captain Kangaroo. 810 00:37:49,142 --> 00:37:53,652 Lou got drunk, and they announced that Star Trek has won the Emmy. 811 00:37:53,730 --> 00:37:57,530 To all those great, great people who produce for us 812 00:37:57,609 --> 00:38:00,949 in the art of animation at Filmation those wonderful shows. 813 00:38:01,029 --> 00:38:02,819 He is about ready to fall over. 814 00:38:02,906 --> 00:38:04,116 Thank you very, very much. 815 00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:05,029 [crowd cheering] 816 00:38:05,158 --> 00:38:07,198 The animated series, to this day, whatever you think about it, 817 00:38:07,285 --> 00:38:10,325 is the only Star Trek to win an Emmy as a program. 818 00:38:10,414 --> 00:38:12,714 [McFadden] Star Trek shows have won twice for makeup, 819 00:38:12,791 --> 00:38:16,211 but the animated series stands alone for writing honors. 820 00:38:16,294 --> 00:38:18,094 Despite the accolades, 821 00:38:18,171 --> 00:38:21,971 this chapter was always going to be Star Trek's least watched. 822 00:38:22,050 --> 00:38:24,720 [Bronson] We did get high praise from television critics. 823 00:38:24,803 --> 00:38:27,763 I think they saw that children could appreciate the show. 824 00:38:27,848 --> 00:38:29,518 Adults could appreciate the show. 825 00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:32,849 The stories had the quality that the original series had. 826 00:38:32,936 --> 00:38:36,436 [McFadden] The L.A. Times called Star Trek: The Animated Series 827 00:38:36,523 --> 00:38:38,823 "A Mercedes in a soapbox derby." 828 00:38:39,026 --> 00:38:41,146 I like the fact that they said it was a Mercedes. 829 00:38:41,236 --> 00:38:44,026 [McFadden] Nonetheless, Saturday-morning cartoons 830 00:38:44,114 --> 00:38:47,494 was not a race this Mercedes was destined to win. 831 00:38:51,329 --> 00:38:54,669 [McFadden] For a kids' show, Star Trek: The Animated Series 832 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:56,670 had achieved something very grown-up. 833 00:38:56,752 --> 00:39:01,672 It won an Emmy as best children's show, and there was nothing children about it. 834 00:39:01,757 --> 00:39:03,927 [McFadden] That was something the original series 835 00:39:04,009 --> 00:39:06,929 never managed in 79 episodes. 836 00:39:07,012 --> 00:39:11,982 Nevertheless, this upstart cartoon would suffer the same fate as its mothership. 837 00:39:13,143 --> 00:39:18,323 After 22 episodes over two seasons, the show was retired. 838 00:39:18,398 --> 00:39:21,028 The animated series was not canceled for bad ratings. 839 00:39:21,109 --> 00:39:23,819 It just was a point where we have enough episodes, 840 00:39:23,904 --> 00:39:27,784 and now we can run these forever and it doesn't cost us any more money. 841 00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:30,576 [McFadden] The animated adventures had found an audience, 842 00:39:30,660 --> 00:39:32,750 but it was the wrong audience. 843 00:39:32,829 --> 00:39:37,169 Star Trek might have actually continued if it didn't have sort of this dual identity 844 00:39:37,250 --> 00:39:41,300 of being a children's program and original Star Trek at the same time. 845 00:39:41,379 --> 00:39:43,419 [announcer] The Star Trek USS Enterprise gift set 846 00:39:43,507 --> 00:39:45,547 with five Star Trek action figures. 847 00:39:45,634 --> 00:39:48,014 [Harvey] The advertisers didn't quite know what to do with it. 848 00:39:48,095 --> 00:39:50,755 Are you advertising to the dad that's watching the show with the kids? 849 00:39:50,847 --> 00:39:52,847 Or are you advertising to the kid that wants the toy? 850 00:39:52,933 --> 00:39:54,433 [announcer] Star Trek action figures sold separately. 851 00:39:54,518 --> 00:39:57,058 It's kind of charming when you see some of the toys back in the day 852 00:39:57,145 --> 00:39:59,185 that, you know, they have a mustard-yellow Kirk, 853 00:39:59,272 --> 00:40:00,652 and you're like, "Eh, that's not really correct." 854 00:40:00,732 --> 00:40:02,232 But you know, what are you gonna do? 855 00:40:02,359 --> 00:40:04,279 "Ah, stupid kids, they don't care." 856 00:40:04,361 --> 00:40:07,361 [McFadden] Well, it certainly didn't stop them from buying them. 857 00:40:07,447 --> 00:40:11,537 Mego Toys in the mid '70s becomes one of the best-selling toy lines. 858 00:40:11,618 --> 00:40:14,368 They sold $12 million worth of toys the first year. 859 00:40:14,454 --> 00:40:17,044 [McFadden] And while it sold a lot of toys, 860 00:40:17,124 --> 00:40:21,804 can an obscure kids' cartoon that ran for just two seasons 861 00:40:21,878 --> 00:40:24,668 legitimately be part of the Star Trek legacy? 862 00:40:24,756 --> 00:40:28,176 Today, you often hear the refrain of "that's not Star Trek." 863 00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:31,180 [McFadden] This debate goes all the way back to the beginning. 864 00:40:31,263 --> 00:40:35,643 That started in 1973, when they announced the animated series. 865 00:40:35,725 --> 00:40:39,855 You had that loud vocal minority saying, "Don't do this to my show that I love." 866 00:40:40,647 --> 00:40:44,027 People took out newspaper ads asking that they not put 867 00:40:44,109 --> 00:40:47,609 Star Trek: The Animated Series on the air because it's a cartoon. 868 00:40:47,696 --> 00:40:48,606 It's not real Star Trek. 869 00:40:48,697 --> 00:40:50,157 [McFadden] There was one true fan 870 00:40:50,240 --> 00:40:53,540 who really was dedicated to proving that idea wrong. 871 00:40:53,618 --> 00:40:55,038 Someone special. 872 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,330 Dorothy, of course, was fiercely protective of Star Trek. 873 00:40:58,415 --> 00:41:00,165 [McFadden] But in the male-dominated world 874 00:41:00,250 --> 00:41:04,960 of fast-turnaround cartoons, Dorothy Fontana was on her own. 875 00:41:05,046 --> 00:41:07,716 No one is thinking they're upholding the legacy 876 00:41:07,799 --> 00:41:09,889 of some already undervalued show, 877 00:41:09,968 --> 00:41:13,558 and Dorothy, just trying to enforce Star Trek continuity 878 00:41:13,638 --> 00:41:15,178 from the original series. 879 00:41:15,265 --> 00:41:19,555 For the first several episodes, she didn't see final cuts of the shows 880 00:41:19,644 --> 00:41:22,064 and was totally blocked out of the process, 881 00:41:22,147 --> 00:41:24,017 and it was a real frustration point for her. 882 00:41:24,107 --> 00:41:28,357 She knows there's a little controversy about people seeing these animated shows 883 00:41:28,445 --> 00:41:30,605 as a consolation prize for revival, 884 00:41:30,697 --> 00:41:34,827 so the last thing she wants is any fan to be upset. 885 00:41:34,910 --> 00:41:37,750 And so Dorothy made sure it was Star Trek. 886 00:41:37,829 --> 00:41:40,369 [McFadden] After all, that's what it says on the can, 887 00:41:40,457 --> 00:41:42,327 but is it canon? 888 00:41:42,417 --> 00:41:45,047 This whole debate about canon for the animated series is just amazing. 889 00:41:45,128 --> 00:41:46,798 The animated series is canon. 890 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:48,470 [Nemecek] A lot of us took it as canon. 891 00:41:48,548 --> 00:41:50,338 We just kind of, you know, held our nose a couple of times 892 00:41:50,425 --> 00:41:52,465 and kind of tried to look the other way on a couple of areas. 893 00:41:52,552 --> 00:41:55,312 [McFadden] Well, after all, it was for kids. 894 00:41:55,388 --> 00:41:57,518 Dorothy says it's canon. She treated it as canon. 895 00:41:57,599 --> 00:42:02,559 She felt that the animated series was the unofficial 4th season 896 00:42:02,646 --> 00:42:03,896 of the original series. 897 00:42:03,980 --> 00:42:07,860 [McFadden] Some might see a cartoon Trek as a crime against canon, 898 00:42:07,943 --> 00:42:12,363 but there's no denying the animated series checked a load of boxes. 899 00:42:12,447 --> 00:42:13,367 Like original cast. 900 00:42:13,448 --> 00:42:15,698 It's the voices. It's those guys. 901 00:42:15,825 --> 00:42:16,985 Nothing's changed. 902 00:42:17,077 --> 00:42:19,197 -[bell dings] -[McFadden] Check, but not Chekov. 903 00:42:19,287 --> 00:42:21,827 Mr. Chekov. Join us in the transporter room. 904 00:42:21,915 --> 00:42:24,455 Walter Koenig didn't make the cut for this show. 905 00:42:24,542 --> 00:42:28,962 [McFadden] And while Walter did get to add to the series by writing an episode... 906 00:42:29,047 --> 00:42:29,877 "The Infinite Vulcan." 907 00:42:29,965 --> 00:42:32,295 [McFadden] ...after that, Chekov checked out. 908 00:42:32,384 --> 00:42:35,104 When I got done with the animated show, they offered me a second one. 909 00:42:35,178 --> 00:42:36,678 I just turned that down. 910 00:42:36,846 --> 00:42:37,926 [McFadden] For young Walter, 911 00:42:38,014 --> 00:42:41,064 it was tough to hear the criticism about the episode. 912 00:42:41,142 --> 00:42:44,442 When I did hear comments about the episode, 913 00:42:44,521 --> 00:42:49,991 the complaint was a 50-foot Spock, you know. [scoffs] 914 00:42:50,068 --> 00:42:52,398 [McFadden] It seemed like fans just preferred 915 00:42:52,487 --> 00:42:54,447 their favorite Vulcan human-sized, 916 00:42:54,531 --> 00:42:57,201 and Walter couldn't help but take it personally. 917 00:42:57,284 --> 00:43:00,374 I said to myself, "Well, I guess it was a pretty lousy episode," 918 00:43:00,453 --> 00:43:02,833 and I just left it at that. 919 00:43:02,914 --> 00:43:04,714 And then I read this book. 920 00:43:04,791 --> 00:43:08,131 [McFadden] The same book that Aaron happens to be holding right here. 921 00:43:08,211 --> 00:43:14,181 This very handsomely done book about animated Star Trek. 922 00:43:14,259 --> 00:43:16,759 [McFadden] Written by a couple of great guys. 923 00:43:16,845 --> 00:43:21,805 And Dorothy Fontana said it was the show she liked best. 924 00:43:21,891 --> 00:43:23,771 Can you imagine that? 925 00:43:23,852 --> 00:43:27,902 I've been going along all these years thinking that it was really a bad show, 926 00:43:27,981 --> 00:43:29,901 and she said she really liked it. 927 00:43:29,983 --> 00:43:33,073 [McFadden] Unfortunately, Walter's work also had 928 00:43:33,153 --> 00:43:34,993 someone else's fingerprints all over it. 929 00:43:35,071 --> 00:43:37,201 Explain it to me, sir. Explain it to me. 930 00:43:37,282 --> 00:43:39,782 [McFadden] Because Gene Roddenberry wanted too many rewrites. 931 00:43:39,868 --> 00:43:41,788 I got crazy with it. 932 00:43:41,870 --> 00:43:44,210 Gene is the master rewriter. 933 00:43:44,289 --> 00:43:46,879 [McFadden] Which is another check on the canon checklist. 934 00:43:46,958 --> 00:43:49,498 If it has Gene Roddenberry's name on it, it's canon. 935 00:43:49,586 --> 00:43:50,746 -[bell dings] -[McFadden] Check. 936 00:43:50,837 --> 00:43:52,837 He put his name on it, and he collected his paycheck. 937 00:43:52,922 --> 00:43:53,972 -[bell dings] -[McFadden] Another check. 938 00:43:54,049 --> 00:43:54,879 It's canon. 939 00:43:54,966 --> 00:43:56,256 [McFadden] Original writers? 940 00:43:56,343 --> 00:43:59,053 It was written by the writers that wrote the original stories. 941 00:43:59,137 --> 00:43:59,967 [bell dings] 942 00:44:00,055 --> 00:44:01,965 [McFadden] And they weren't the only returnees. 943 00:44:02,057 --> 00:44:03,977 [Harvey] You have a lot of returning characters. 944 00:44:04,059 --> 00:44:04,889 [bell dings] 945 00:44:04,976 --> 00:44:08,556 You have Sarek and Amanda. You have Harry Mudd. 946 00:44:08,646 --> 00:44:10,436 Captain Kirk. 947 00:44:10,523 --> 00:44:12,193 [Harvey] You have Cyrano Jones. 948 00:44:12,275 --> 00:44:13,435 What can I do for you? 949 00:44:13,526 --> 00:44:16,646 You even have fictional characters like Alice in Wonderland 950 00:44:16,738 --> 00:44:17,858 from the "Shore Leave" planet. 951 00:44:17,947 --> 00:44:20,327 I beg your pardon, but did you see a white rabbit? 952 00:44:20,408 --> 00:44:23,408 There's just so many returning bits and pieces. 953 00:44:23,495 --> 00:44:25,865 [McFadden] Not to mention sequels. 954 00:44:25,955 --> 00:44:28,205 These tribbles don't reproduce, they just get fat. 955 00:44:28,291 --> 00:44:29,131 [bell dings] 956 00:44:29,209 --> 00:44:31,089 "More Tribbles, More Troubles," that's a sequel. 957 00:44:31,169 --> 00:44:33,839 "Once Upon a Planet" is a sequel to "Shore Leave." 958 00:44:33,922 --> 00:44:36,012 [McFadden] Some of them were even prequels. 959 00:44:36,091 --> 00:44:38,091 [screams] 960 00:44:38,176 --> 00:44:42,846 Without the animated series, a huge chunk of what Spock is would not have existed. 961 00:44:42,931 --> 00:44:43,771 [bell dings] 962 00:44:43,848 --> 00:44:48,598 The animated series is becoming more canon because they're using stuff from it. 963 00:44:48,686 --> 00:44:51,726 [Schepis] They have taken the ideas from the animated series, 964 00:44:51,815 --> 00:44:53,225 like the rec room holodeck. 965 00:44:53,316 --> 00:44:54,146 [bell dings] 966 00:44:54,234 --> 00:44:57,454 Just imagine what it was like, no engines, no computers. 967 00:44:57,529 --> 00:45:00,199 [Cushman] There were a lot of things that came out of the animated series 968 00:45:00,281 --> 00:45:02,661 that became part of the Star Trek universe. 969 00:45:02,742 --> 00:45:04,162 Unbelievable. 970 00:45:04,244 --> 00:45:06,504 [McFadden] Including another animated series 971 00:45:06,579 --> 00:45:09,499 that would join the fleet 46 years later. 972 00:45:09,582 --> 00:45:12,382 [Kline] Watching Lower Decks , I was very excited to see 973 00:45:12,460 --> 00:45:16,420 a species relative of Lt. Arex appears. 974 00:45:16,506 --> 00:45:17,666 This is no joke, sir. 975 00:45:17,757 --> 00:45:19,837 [McFadden] And let's not forget this little gem. 976 00:45:19,926 --> 00:45:22,756 This is Captain James Tiberius Kirk. 977 00:45:22,846 --> 00:45:26,216 The animated series is where we got on-screen Tiberius. 978 00:45:26,307 --> 00:45:29,597 James Tiberius. 979 00:45:29,686 --> 00:45:30,516 Kirk. 980 00:45:30,603 --> 00:45:32,193 Well, that convinces me. 981 00:45:32,272 --> 00:45:34,652 So these stories still hold up. 982 00:45:34,732 --> 00:45:37,192 Each story has an idea. 983 00:45:37,277 --> 00:45:38,357 There's a reason why they're telling this story. 984 00:45:38,445 --> 00:45:41,525 It's a Star Trek idea. It continues the story. 985 00:45:41,614 --> 00:45:43,624 What was important about the animated series 986 00:45:43,700 --> 00:45:46,660 is that it was a big and very important stepping stone 987 00:45:46,744 --> 00:45:48,044 to getting Star Trek back. 988 00:45:48,121 --> 00:45:50,041 -Captain. -I appreciate the welcome. 989 00:45:50,123 --> 00:45:53,133 [Bronson] Anyone associated with Star Trek can hold their head up high 990 00:45:53,209 --> 00:45:55,459 if they worked on the animated series. 991 00:45:55,545 --> 00:45:59,715 It was a quality product that won an Emmy and won the hearts of Star Trek fans. 992 00:45:59,799 --> 00:46:00,929 My dear friend Spock. 993 00:46:01,009 --> 00:46:02,889 It's good to have a friend like you. 994 00:46:02,969 --> 00:46:05,099 The animated series is Star Trek. 995 00:46:05,180 --> 00:46:06,010 Exactly. 996 00:46:06,097 --> 00:46:10,517 [Bronson] It was a smart show where they had ideas about all kinds of things: 997 00:46:10,602 --> 00:46:13,522 life and death, women's issues, diversity. 998 00:46:13,605 --> 00:46:17,185 They were all worked into the stories, and they were not talking down to kids. 999 00:46:17,275 --> 00:46:21,645 And that's one of the reasons why 50 years later we're still interested, 1000 00:46:21,738 --> 00:46:24,618 talking and watching the animated series. 1001 00:46:24,699 --> 00:46:25,739 [McFadden] But you know what? 1002 00:46:25,825 --> 00:46:28,745 There's a lot more Star Trek to talk about. 1003 00:46:29,704 --> 00:46:31,794 [theme music playing] 1004 00:46:31,844 --> 00:46:36,394 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0 86600

Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.