Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills

Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills
Opening Title Card
Created by	Jim Fisher Jim Staahl
Starring	Leslie Danon Richard Nason K. Jill Sorgen Rugg Williams
Voices of	Glenn Shadix Ed Gilbert David L. Lander
Composer(s)	Michael Turner; Steve Griffen, Gryphon Music Services
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	40
Production
Running time	27 minutes
Production company(s)	DIC Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel	USA Network
Original run	October 3, 1994 – December 8, 1994

Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills is an American television series which was released by DIC Entertainment and aired on the USA Network during the 1994–1995 season. The show was a low-budget attempt to emulate the success of Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.^[1] The lower budget is evident from the installments having been produced using videotape rather than more expensive film stock. Reruns of the show later aired as part of the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV from 2011 to 2012.

Synopsis

The show was set in Beverly Hills, California. The four central characters of the show were teens selected by a blob-like alien named Nimbar to fight off the monsters sent by evil Emperor Gorganus. Emperor Gorganus is intent on conquering Earth because it is the focal point for a network of "Power Portals" that would facilitate conquest of the galaxy. In the first episode, Nimbar recruits the four high school students and with a touch by his "finger" gives them each a tattoo, based on a constellation in the celestial sphere. When their tattoos flash, this means Nimbar needs them and a power portal appears that they can pass through to enter his chamber. Nimbar is the Head Protector of the Power Portals. As such, he served as a Zordon-like ally.

The teens could then stand atop platforms called "Transo Discs" and transform into "Galactic Sentinels" with super powers. When they put their hands together in an interlocking square they form the ultimate Galactic Sentinel called Knightron.^[2]

In one episode, there was a replacement for Laurie when she was injured badly by Predaraptor. He is known as Orion in sentinel mode, his true form. His civilian name was unknown in his duration on Earth. But when Nimbar pronounced his name in an utteration of slurs and gurgles, he stated with a sneer "Just call me Rick." He was played by Kevin Castro who also played Tanker in the related series Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad.

They frequently could be seen in a coffee shop owned by Drew's aunt Nichole Nash.

One interesting difference between the two shows is that in this show, people noted they were missing. When Drew's aunt confronted her about this and Drew revealed her secret, she brought her to a psychiatrist to help with her "delusions." It also differed from similar shows in that the heroes were not good friends and in that they sometimes had trouble getting along.

The show also featured at least one episode that made a jab at the "monster of the day" convention by showing how tactically unsound the practice is for conquering a planet. Gorganus went on vacation in that episode. His chief henchman Lechner tried to conquer Earth in his absence, and when the monster he sent was about to be destroyed, he recalled it and sent another moments later. The heroes were nearly defeated until the main villain returned and re-implemented the "monster of the day" formula.

It should be noted that the Galactic Sentinels must not reveal their true identity to anyone. In the event that someone happens to follow them through a power portal, they will end up being subjected to the Memory Fader once the monster that Emperor Gorganus sends is defeated.

Characters

Galactic Sentinels

The Galactic Sentinels are champions of Nimbar who can be summoned to him when the tattoos bestowed upon them flashes:

• Laurie Foster (played by Leslie Danon) - Smart, sensible, and very organized, she becomes the leader of the squad with the power of Scorpio. As Scorpio, she has light green armor. Her weapon is a slim bladed sword.

• Gordon Henley (played by Richard Nason) - The typical blond prep brown-noser and social member of the group. He becomes Taurus, donning a black outfit. He wields a staff as his weapon.

• Drew Vincent (played by K. Jill Sorgen) - Drew is the smart tough girl who works at the coffee shop the kids regularly hang out in. She becomes Centaur, wearing the purple outfit. She uses a battle axe as her weapon.

• Swinton Sawyer (played by Rugg Williams) - Swinton is the brains of the group. He wore glasses and was African-American; unlike the other teens. He wears a yellow suit and holds the power of Apollo. His weapon is a small unnamed double-bladed weapon.

• Rick (played by Kevin Castro) - In one episode, Rick is an alien in human form and former warrior for Nimbar. He is cold, distant, and after being the sole survivor of his destroyed planet, he is full of anger toward Nimbar and the other guardians. He holds the power of Orion which he uses on the fourth transo disc when Laurie is unable to fight. His name is too complicated for humans to speak so he insists that Nimbar call him "Rick". His suit is silver and his fellow Sentinels were Leo, Draco, and Ursa who were badly defeated by Predaraptor.

• Knightron - A powerful knight who is the combination of any four Galactic Sentinels. In order to form Knightron, the sentinels must put out their tattooed arms to make a square. He is the Ultimate Galactic Sentinel that wields a sword and a shield. However, Knightron's power is "finite", and the Galactic Sentinels are only to form him as a last resort. Knightron never actually speaks in any of the installments, and the name of the stuntman who wore the armor was never revealed in the credits.

Villains

• Emperor Gorganus (voiced by Ed Gilbert) - The primary antagonist of the series and ruler of the planet Meleculah. Emperor Gorganus is intent on conquering Earth because it is the focal point for a network of "Power Portals" that would facilitate conquest of the galaxy. He views the battles between his monsters and the Galactic Sentinels through a microscope-like device.
  • Lechner (voiced by David Lander) - Emperor Gorganus' pet bird and henchman. He tends to irritate Emperor Gorganus with inquiries and questions yet grovels and reacts with statements when Emperor Gorganus threatens him. Emperor Gorganus tends to use Lechner as his scapegoat.

Monsters

These are monstrous mercenaries with various abilities that Emperor Gorganus sends to Earth for various tasks. Emperor Gorganus can reconstruct his monsters if they are destroyed, modify the monsters' powers, strengthen them, or even transfer the powers of one monster into another. The following monsters have been used:

• Ninjabot - Ninjabot is a robotic samurai-like monster. Armed with a katana, that could shoot energy bolts.

• Neuragula - A brain monster. It has two hemispheres: one controlling emotions the other controlling intelligence. Its most distinguishing ability would be its ear-piercing screech. It could shoot laser beams, shoot energy prisons, and could mind control its victims.

• The Sorcerer - A masked wizard who is one of Emperor Gorganus' most cunning and nefarious monsters. He can use magical attacks and can teleport.

• Voldek - An electrical knight monster that could produce static electricity.

• Slaygar - A toxic waste monster.

• Octodroid - Octodroid is an octopus-themed monster. He has the ability to turn freshwater into saltwater, drain the moisture from others, and attack with his tentacles.

• Isolus - A female ice-elemental monster. Besides her usual ice attacks, she wields a sword and shield with her sword also able to shoot ice beams.

• Culebra - A cobra-like monster who can breathe heat.

• Predaraptor - A dinosaur-like monster that is nearly indestructible. He creates a light above the ridge of his head before he emits a deadly beam.

• Culebra - A snake monster. He can shoot lasers from his hands.

Other characters

• Nimbar (voiced by Glenn Shadix) - Nimbar is a gelatinous blob with high intelligence that calls the teens together, controls and retains their powers and opens portals to and from Earth at will. Nimbar is the Head Protector of the Power Portals and he grants his soldiers tattoos with which to communicate and open portals near simply by swiping an arm-like extension over their wrist. He has failed in the past to protect a world from Gorganus and will stop at nothing to insure Earth does not meet the same fate.

• Diane Henley (played by Dani Douthette) - Gordon's mother and the Mayor of Beverly Hills. In "The Ghost Warrior," she temporarily learns that Gordon is Taurus until the Memory Fader is used on her after the Sorcerer's defeat.

• Nicole Nash (played by Janna Lowell) - Drew's aunt who is a movie star. She also owns the Coffee House where the Galactic Sentinels hang out.

• Janessa Francks (played by Megalyn Echikunwoke) - Laurie's friend and Swinton's love interest. She finds out early on that they are the Galactic Sentinels, but doesn't tell she knows and figures ways to cover them when they go on a mission.

• Roland Sawyer (played by Charles Walker) - Swinton's father. In "Mind Games," he planned to transfer Swinton to Billwood Academy.

• Sam (played by Jeff Doucette) - The manager of the Coffee House that Nicole owns.

• Pixel (voiced by Debi Derryberry) - An alien from Hunab Ku that appears in "The Opiate from the Future". Her kind has the ability to predict the future and must be in a light source in order to communicate with anyone. Emperor Gorganus had captured her in order to predict his future until Pixel tricked Lechner into letting her out. The Galactic Sentinels rescue her from Slaygar as she tells them to form Knightron. When asked by the Galactic Sentinels if they will be able to defeat Emperor Gorganus, her predictions come up as yes and no. After Slaygar is defeated, Nimbar uses his technology to portal the rock that Pixel is in back to Hunab Ku.

• Dr. Bradford Clamtin (played by Beans Morocco) - A psychiatrist who appears in the two-part episode "The Psychiatrist". He is called in by Nicole Nash to do some therapy on Drew when it is claimed that Drew has compulsive lying syndrome. He does discover the truth about the Galactic Sentinels during their fight with Culebra. Before he can start his new book about his encounters, Drew subjects him to the Memory Fader, causing Dr. Bradford Clamtin to forget what he has seen and being called in by Nicole Nash.

Episodes

• 1. In The Beginning
• 2. The Note
• 3. How Time Flies
• 4. Switch
• 5. Perceptions
• 6. Three Cheats To The Wind
• 7. The Spy
• 8. Commitments
• 9. The Quitter
• 10. The Rat
• 11. The Ghost Warrior
• 12. The Brain Drain
• 13. Trust
• 14. Mind Games
• 15. A Nightmare on Rodeo Drive
• 16. The Universal Hitchhiker
• 17. The Y Files
• 18. Gordon Cries Wolf
• 19. The Cover-up
• 20. Bully For You
• 21. The Leech
• 22. The Opiate Of The Future
• 23. Déjà vu
• 24. Penny For Your Thoughts
• 25. The Chocolate War
• 26. The Monster Among Us
• 27. Mr Popularity
• 28. Turncoat
• 29. Winner Takes All
• 30. Beverly Hills 902-Oblivion
• 31. The Imposter
• 32. Ozone. O Moi
• 33. The Glitch
• 34. The Last People On Earth
• 35. Emperor For A Day
• 36. The Primal Scream
• 37. Take Two Galactic Sentinels And Call Nimbar In the Morning
• 38. The Psychiatrist - Part 1
• 39. The Psychiatrist Part 2
• 40. It s a Gorganus Life

DVD release

On October 1, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment (under license from DHX Media) released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.^[3]

References

External links

• Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills at DHX Media Ltd.
• Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills at the Internet Movie Database