Deep Space Nine:  The Animated Series.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

When so many years pass between projects, everyone ages and actors no longer reflect the look they had from decades ago.  But that isn’t so for voices.  What better way to continue a series that is no longer realistic as a live-action show but than to create a respectable animated version?  Just look at all the actors from the original Star Wars trilogy that came back to perform for DisneyXD’s animated series Star Wars Rebels–James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz.  And the opportunity for guest stars!  Rebels has seen characters voiced by Firefly’s Gina Torres, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Brent Spiner, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar, Harry Potter’s Jason Isaacs, and Doctor Who’s Tom Baker!  The sky (galaxy, etc.) is truly the limit.

The Star Trek franchise is relatively untapped compared to what Disney is exploiting with its Star Wars franchise in only its first year in “let’s make money” mode.  What is CBS and Paramount waiting for?  So why not get to work on a Deep Space Nine animated series?  Former DS9 writer/producer Ira Steven Behr announced this weekend that he has been creating a DS9 documentary, which he says includes contributions from original Deep Space Nine writers.  As part of the film he had the writers break down the story for how they might see an episode one of Deep Space Nine Season 8.  Insert mic drop here.

Who doesn’t want to see that?  But why stop there?  The dismissive, easy answer is that coordination of schedules will make it difficult, another Trek TV series and movie are in the works, etc.  But all CBS and Paramount need to do is think bigger.  Like Disney.  And if the idea isn’t enough to spark some momentum, how about this great mock-up of the DS9 cast as they might look in a Season 8 created by artist Josh Howard (above, top) from the artist back in 2013 (check out his website here), the countless comic book adaptations published over the years (above), or illustrator Anna Rettberg’s vision from 2012 (check out her website here):

Here’s the kicker:  Avery Brooks has already voiced Captain Benjamin Sisko for a Star Trek video game.  Nana Visitor has done voice work, including voicing Major Kira.  René Auberjonois has a long history of voice acting, including voicing Odo.  Alexander Siddig has done voice work, including voicing Dr. Bashir.  Andy Robinson has done voice work, including voicing Garak.  Aron Eisenberg recently voiced Nog for Star Trek Online.  Colm Meaney and Cirroc Lofton have also done voice work.  And Armin Shimerman and Michael Dorn probably have more voice acting experience than anyone (and who wants to reprise a Star Trek character more than Michael Dorn?).

Who knows where a Deep Space Nine animated series could lead?  When Star Trek: The Animated Series first aired, who didn’t assume that was the end of Star Trek?  When the series first ran, who would have ever imagined the actors would come back to play out the futures of their characters in the coming decades with so many major motion pictures?

So Studio Heads, it’s time to get together some focus groups, learn how large the Deep Space Nine fanbase is (and that it is as hungry for more as the ravenous Firefly fanbase).  And get going!

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com