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):
