Star Trek: The Animated Series Star Trek: The Animated Series Star Trek: The Animated Series ("ST: TAS"), originally aired as Star Trek and as The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, is an American animated science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 8, 1973 to October 12, 1974 on NBC, spanning 22 episodes over two seasons. The second series in the "Star Trek" franchise, it is the first sequel to "". Set in the 23rd century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS "Enterprise" as it
Star Trek: The Original Series realizations of the franchise adhered to the "Wagon Train" paradigm of the continuing journey, with the notable exception of the serialized "", "", and the of "". In Roddenberry's original concept, the protagonist was Captain Robert April of the starship S.S. "Yorktown". This character was developed into Captain Christopher Pike, first portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter. April is listed in the "Star Trek Chronology", "The Star Trek Encyclopedia" and at startrek.com as the "Enterprise"s first commanding officer, preceding Captain Christopher Pike. The character's only television/movie appearance is in the "" episode "The Counter-Clock Incident" In April 1964, Roddenberry presented the "Star