STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES

STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES 1973 - 1974. Created by Gene Roddenberry.

All in all this filmation series based on the original science fiction program was not that memorable. The lead actors of the show -- William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Leonard Nimoy -- all gave voice to the main characters, with James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and Majel Barrett voicing not only their own characters but many others. The series' animation was competent but unimpressive.

Out of two seasons there were about six above average episodes, which include: "The Survivor," in which a man who was missing for years and is reunited with his fiancee turns out to be a shape-shifting alien; "The Terratin Incident," involving a shrinking gas that affects the crew; "Practical Joker," in which the Enterprise itself has a nervous breakdown; "Albatross," wherein Bones is accused of causing a plague that killed thousands; and "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth," in which the crew battles a powerful flying serpent that claims to be the Mayan god, Kukulcan. Perhaps the best episode of the series was "The Counter-Clock Incident," in which the Enterprise winds up in a universe where time goes in reverse, making the ship's first captain [Robert April, a name that was used before being changed to James Kirk] and his wife, both elderly, become young again.

Verdict: Another speed bump in the Star Trek saga. **.