Sometimes, even the most hardcore fanboys need to be reminded that certain facets of their own beloved sci-fi franchise actually exist. “Star Wars” fans, for instance, often need to be reminded that there are 16 movies in the series, and not just the nine that have Roman numerals in them.
(To quickly provide a list, the 16 movies include “Star Wars,” “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” “Caravan of Courage,” “The Battle for Endor,” “The Great Heep,” “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “The Clone Wars,” “The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One,” “The Last Jedi,” “Solo,” and “The Rise of Skywalker.” 16. I will hear no further arguments.)
Likewise, many Trekkies have to be reminded about the sheer volume of TV shows that the franchise has produced since its inception in 1966. As of this writing, there have been 13 “Star Trek” TV shows, with a 14th, “Starfleet Academy,” on its way. The number goes up to 15 if you count “Very Short Treks” as a separate entity from “Short Treks.” Likewise, there have been 14 “Star Trek” movies, counting this year’s “Section 31.” It may take a little bit of thought, but Trekkies can list all the shows in sequence.
Sometimes overlooked in these conversations is “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” which ran for two seasons in 1973 and 1974. It was put out by Lou Scheimer’s Filmation studio, and involved direct creative control from “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry. Additionally, almost all of the original cast returned (Walter Koenig was, sadly, left out), as did many of the original show’s writing staff. The series only ran 30 minutes, but it was, thanks to its animated medium, a purer — and perhaps better — version of the original “Star Trek.” Its biggest hindrance was only that it looked so cheap.
