The Practical Joker (Episode)

The Practical Joker

"The Practical Joker"

Series	Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season	2
Episode	3
Production Number	20
Previous	The Pirates of Orion (TAS19)
Next	How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth (TAS21)
Released	21 Sep 1974
Advertising	Amazon

Prime Timeline
(The root of all realities)

Stardate 3183.3: While studying an asteroid, the Enterprise is attacked by three Romulan vessels.

On a routine survey mission, the Enterprise is attacked by Romulan warships, who claim the Federation starship has crossed into their territory. The Enterprise successfully evades the enemy vessels by entering a cloud-like energy field, but strange things soon begin to happen: drinks spill, a food synthesizer throws fruit at Scotty, and even Spock is not spared, getting "black eyes" after looking through his viewer. The energy cloud is alive — and has possessed the computer. After the entity returns the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone, Kirk tricks the Romulans into following the Enterprise through the cloud, where the entity leaves the ship — and invades the Romulan vessels instead.

Image Gallery

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  Rec Room

Related Data

Astrometrics	Romulan Neutral Zone;
Chronology	Prime Timeline; 2270; Stardate 3183.3
Culture
Education
Food
People	Chapel, Christine; Kirk, James T.; McCoy, Leonard; Scott, Montgomery; Spock; Sulu; Uhura;
Politics	Romulan Neutral Zone; Romulan Star Empire; Starfleet; Starfleet Ranks; United Federation of Planets
Science & Technology
Ships & Vehicles	Constitution class; U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
Xenology	Humans; Romulans; Vulcans
Miscellaneous	Starfleet Uniforms;

Episode Credits

Created by
Gene Roddenberry

Starring the Voices of
William Shatner as Capt. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Written by
Chuck Menville

Directed by
Bill Reed

Executive Consultant
Gene Roddenberry

General Manager
Rock Benedetto

Special Effects Animation
Reuben Timmins

Storyboard
Sherman Labby, Paul Fennell, Dale Hale, Jack Miller, Michael O'Connor, Louise Sandoval, Ken Southworth, Dawn Huntley

Art Director
Don Christensen

Key Assistants
Mike Hazy, Bill House

Key Layout
Herb Hazleton, Alberto de Mello, Kay Wright

Layout
George Wheeler, Lorna Smith, Les Kaluza, George Jensen, Dick Hall, Warren Marshall, Wendell Washer, Martin Muller, Christopher Lane, Glen Keane, Maria Bennett, Ken Leonard, Wes Herschensohn, Jim Wiloughby, Cliff Vorhees, Robert Kline, Virgil Raddatz, John Perry, Carol Lundberg, Malcolm Weizer, George Goode, James Koukos, Tom Burton

Director of Color
Ervin Kaplan

Background Artists
Paul Xander, Curt Perkins, Maurice Harvey, Boris Gorelick, Don Peters, Rolando Oliva, Tom O'Loughlin, Janet Brown, Pat Keppler, Karen Shaffer

Animators
Robert Bentley, Jim Brummett, Bob Carlson, Ruy Cataldi, Jesse Cosio, Zion Davush, Lil Evans, Paul Fennell, Otto Feuer, Ed Friedman, Lee Halpern, La Verne Harding, Lou Kachivas, Marsh LaMore, Lawrence Miller, Fred Myers, Jane Nordin, Bill Nunes, Joe Nunez, Casey Onaitis, Jack Ozark, Bill Pratt, Len Rogers, Virgil Ross, Sonja Ruta, Don Schloat, Ben Shenkman, Brad Smith, Hank Smith, Reuben Timmins, Bob Trochim, George Waiss, Ron Westlund, Kaem Wong

Checking Supervision
Marion Turk, Jane Philippi

Xerography & Paint Supervision
John Remmel, Betty Brooks

Camera Supervison
R.W. Pope

Camera
Thane Berti, Bill Kotler, Joseph Ponticelle, Fredrick T. Ziegler, Don Dinehart, Earl Bendetto, John Aardal, Gene Gropper, Dean G. Teves

Also Starring the Voices of
George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Doohan

Editoral Supervision
Joseph Simon, Doreen Dixon

Film Coordinator
June Gilham

Background Music by
Yvette Blais, Jeff Michael

Music Publisher
Shermley Music Co. A.S.C.A.P.

Music and Sound Effects
Horta Mahana Corp.

Color by
Technicolor

Associate Producer and Story Editor
D.C. Fontana

Produced by
Norm Prescott, Lou Scheimer