Star Trek: Very Short Treks marks a playful, uncanonical excursion into the renowned Star Trek universe, offering a fresh narrative flair characterized by wit and light-hearted moments.
Created by Casper Kelly in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series, this anthology series brings together a vibrant mosaic of characters and storylines that are bound to resonate with both longstanding fans and newcomers alike.
Launched with great anticipation on the renowned “Star Trek Day”, September 8, 2023, the series parades an ensemble cast reprising iconic roles alongside new portrayals.
Fans will be greeted with familiar faces like Jonathan Frakes reprising his role as William T. Riker and George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, along with other celebrated actors lending their voices to both old and new characters. This vibrant cast ensures an engaging blend of talents that promises a rich narrative experience.
The series, characterized as “anything but canon”, does not adhere strictly to the established storyline in the Star Trek universe, offering instead a breath of fresh narrative air with episodes imbued with humor and unexpected twists.
The first episode, “Skin a Cat”, directed by Aaron Hawkins and penned by Casper Kelly, amusingly explores the linguistic confusion during a Klingon attack, showcasing the USS Enterprise captain accidentally offending his crew members with misleading figures of speech.
Following suit, “Holiday Party” offers a quirky take on First Contact Day festivities, with Spock presenting a somewhat disturbing blooper reel as entertainment, unsettling the crew in the process.
This series of five promotional animated shorts revives the artistic style reminiscent of “Star Trek: The Animated Series“, a conscious choice celebrating its golden anniversary.
Premiering on StarTrek.com and the Star Trek YouTube channel, fans can anticipate weekly releases extending through to October 4, 2023, promising a month filled with excitement and curiosity.
Simultaneously, fans can look forward to an intriguing tie-in media, “Star Trek: The Animated Celebration Presents The Scheimer Barrier”. This comic book series, crafted by Casper Kelly and published by IDW Publishing, is set to digitally debut in September on StarTrek.com, with physical copies hitting the stands at the New York Comic-Con in October.
Altogether, Star Trek: Very Short Treks embodies a playful deviation from the established Star Trek canon, embracing a lighter, more humorous tone and offering fans a chance to witness their favorite universe from a fresh and entertaining perspective.
This anthology serves not only as a celebration of a legendary series but also as a testament to the ever-evolving nature of the Star Trek narrative, showcasing its capacity to innovate and entertain across generations.