Star Trek: The Next Generation has been reimagined in the style of a classic Star Trek animated series. Star Trek: The Animated Series was the second Star Trek series to be commissioned, coming off the back of the success of Star Trek: The Original Series while it was in syndication. The series only ran until season 2 between 1973 and 1974, but was well received and has continued to pick up a cult following in the years since it ended thanks to its memorable, but limited, animation style.
Over a decade later, Star Trek returned to TV screens once again with Star Trek: The Next Generation, set over a century after the events of The Original Series and The Animated Series. TNG was hugely successful, prompting further Star Trek spin-off show, as well as a film saga. TNG ended in 1994 with its finale “All Good Things…” being watched by over 30 million viewers. The series has since been followed up by Star Trek: Picard, which is currently in season 2 and exploring the legacy of Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard as his career in Starfleet comes to an end.
Now, a new video posted to YouTube by Gazelle Automations reimagines The Next Generation in the style of the 1970s-era Star Trek: The Animated Series. The edit is a recreation of the scene from the TNG season 3 finale, “The Best of Both Worlds - Part 1,” which sees Captain Picard abducted from the bridge of the Enterprise-D by the Borg, before his subsequent transformation into Locutus. The video uses the scene’s original dialogue, but makes some subtle changes, such as the inclusion of a Kzin crewmember at the operations station. Check out the video below:
Click here to view the post on YouTube
The recreation is a uncanny glimpse at what a Star Trek: The Next Generation animated series might have looked like, and will undoubtedly leave Star Trek fans wanting more of this unique reimagining. The video manages to capture the basic animation style of The Animated Series and the tone of the original Next Generation scene simultaneously, bringing the two together for some surprisingly successful results. As well as being a fun fan-edit, clearly, the creation is the result of a lot of passion for both series of Star Trek, highlighting the extent of their long-lasting legacy.
The legacy of The Next Generation is soon set to expand even further, with a recent official announcement confirming that the TNG main cast will return in Picard season 3, its final season. The series will bring the TNG cast back together for the first time since Star Trek: Nemesis, and will come with high expectations. Not least of all, fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will hope that the upcoming reunion manages to capture the spirit of the series with the same success as this creative Next Generation/Animated Series mashup.
Source: Gazelle Automations