Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Genre Action/Adventure
Science fiction
Comedy-drama
Martial arts
Based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
by Kevin Eastman
Peter Laird
Developed by David Wise
Patti Howeth
Directed by Yoshikatsu Kasai (season 1)
Bill Wolf (seasons 2–7)
Tony Love (seasons 8–10)
Voices of Cam Clarke
Barry Gordon
Rob Paulsen
Townsend Coleman
Peter Renaday
Renae Jacobs
James Avery
Pat Fraley
Jennifer Darling
Tony Jay
Theme music composer Chuck Lorre
Dennis C. Brown
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 10
No. of episodes 193 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Mark Freedman
Producer(s) Rudy Zamora (season 1)
Walt Kubiak
Andy Luckey (seasons 2–7)
Bill Wolf
Kara Vallow (seasons 8–10)
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Murakami-Wolf-Swenson[1](1987–92)
IDDH
(1987–92)
Fred Wolf Films Dublin
(1992–96)
Mirage Studios
Surge Licensing
Distributor CBS Television Distribution
Release
Original network Syndication (1988-1993)
CBS (1990-1997)[2]
Picture format 480i SDTV
Audio format Stereo
Original release December 14, 1987 – November 2, 1996
Chronology
Followed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
Related shows Turtles Forever (2009)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (early known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in some European countries due to controversy at the time) is an animated television series produced by the studio Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and the French company IDDH. The pilot was shown during the week of December 14, 1987 in syndication as a five-part miniseries and the show began its official run on October 1, 1988. Since then the show and franchise has become a world-wide phenomenon. The series featured the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created in comic book form by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The property was changed considerably from the darker-toned comic, to make it more suitable for children and the family.[3] The initial motivation behind the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series was that, upon being approached to create a toy line, Playmates Toys was uneasy with the comic-book characters' small cult following.[4] They requested that a television deal be acquired first, and after the initial five-episode series debuted, the California toy company released their first series of Ninja Turtles action figures in the summer of 1988.[5] The two media would correspond in marketing style and popularity for many years to come.

David Wise and Patti Howeth wrote the screenplay for the first five-part miniseries.[1] When the series continued in the second season, comic artist Jack Mendelsohn joined the show as the executive story editor. Wise went on to write over seventy episodes of the series, and was executive story editor for four later seasons as well. Wise left the series partway through the ninth season, and Jeffrey Scott took over as the story editor and chief writer for the rest of the show's run.

The show was in Saturday morning syndication from October 1, 1988 to September 9, 1989. After it became an instant hit, the show was expanded to five days a week and aired weekday afternoons in syndication in most markets, from September 25, 1989 to September 17, 1993.[2] Starting on September 8, 1990 (with a different opening sequence), the show began its secondary run on CBS's Saturday morning lineup, beginning as a 60-minute block from 1990 to 1993, initially airing a couple of Saturday exclusive episodes back to back. There would also be a brief "Turtle Tips" segment in between the two episodes which served as PSA about the environment or other issues. There were a total of 20 "Turtle Tips" segments produced and aired. Beginning in 1994, the show began airing as a 30-minute block until the series ended. The series ran until November 2, 1996, when it aired its final episode.

The show helped launch the characters into mainstream popularity and became one of the most popular animated series in television history. Breakfast cereal, plush toys, and all manner of products featuring the characters appeared on the market during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[6] A successful Archie Comics comic book based on the animated show instead of the original black-and-white comics was published throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Action figures were top-sellers around the world. In 1990, the cartoon series was being shown daily on more than 125 television stations, and the comic books sold 125,000 copies a month.

Storyline

Seasons 1–7

The origins story in the television series differs greatly from that of the original Mirage Studios comics. In this version, Splinter was formerly human, an honorable ninja master named Hamato Yoshi (ハマト・ヨシ) who had studied art history as a hobby. Yoshi was banished from the Foot Clan in Japan after being deceived by the seditious Oroku Saki, who pinned Hamato Yoshi's dogi to the wall with a knife, preventing him from kneeling before their sensei, which was seen as an insult. When Yoshi removed the knife, the sensei was again insulted, believing that Yoshi was drawing the blade in an attempt to kill the sensei. Exiled from the ninja clan, the disgraced Yoshi moved to the United States, specifically New York City. Being penniless, Yoshi was forced to live in the sewers. Back in Japan, Saki has been given command of the Foot Clan, which he corrupts by teaching his students how to commit robberies and other crimes.

While living in the sewers, with the rats as his friends, Yoshi one day found four turtles, recently bought from a pet store by an unnamed boy who accidentally dropped them in the sewer. Yoshi returned one day from his explorations around New York to find the turtles covered with a strange glowing ooze. The substance caused the turtles, most recently exposed to Yoshi, to become humanoid, while Yoshi, most recently exposed to sewer rats, became a humanoid rat, and given the name "Splinter" by the turtles. This, and the following Archie TMNT Adventures comics, is the only origin story in the TMNT franchise in which the Turtles come to Yoshi before being exposed to the mutagen. The television series also differs in that Yoshi himself becomes a rat, whereas in most other versions, Splinter is Yoshi's pet rat and becomes humanoid after being exposed to mutagen. This is also the only version in which the Turtles become fully grown immediately after exposure to the mutagen, whereas Splinter raises them from infancy in other versions. Yoshi adopts the four turtles as his sons and trains them in the art of ninjitsu. He names them after his favorite Italian renaissance artists: Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (Donatello), Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo), Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (Michelangelo) och Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael). In most versions, the Turtles tend to go by nicknames Don/Donnie, Leo, Mikey and Raph, but in this version they are always addressed by their full names. Each Ninja Turtle wears a mask over his eyes with a distinctive color (blue for Leonardo, purple for Donatello, red for Raphael, and orange for Michelangelo), and is trained in the art of a distinct weapon, with Leonardo wielding katanas, Donatello wielding a bo staff, Raphael wielding sais, and Michelangelo wielding nunchuks (although the nunchuks are later replaced with a grappling hook).[7]

Meanwhile, Oroku Saki has left Japan and tracked Yoshi to New York City, where he intends to destroy him once and for all. He begins working with Krang, a disembodied alien brain who had been banished from his home, Dimension X, where he was a great warlord. Saki has taken on a new persona, donning a suit covered with razor spikes, complemented by a long cape, and a metal mask over his mouth. He has also taken on the pseudonym "The Shredder".[8]

It becomes clear early on in the series that the mutagen that transformed the Turtles and Splinter into their new forms was dumped into the sewers by Shredder in an effort to murder Yoshi, believing it to be a deadly poison as opposed to a transformative agent. The Turtles then set out to find whoever is responsible for Splinter's transformation, and force them to restore Splinter back to human form. When learning that Shredder was behind it, they vow to put an end to Shredder's ongoing criminal career with the aid of Channel 6 news reporter April O'Neil. However, this is also dangerous as it could result in the Turtles reverting back to their original forms and losing their humanoid abilities. The Turtles begin to take on the role of semi-vigilante crimefighters, operating outside of the jurisdiction of law enforcement against any criminals, much like Casey Jones. For the first couple of seasons, it seems as if the Turtles are constantly preoccupied with hiding their existence. This seems to be slowly relaxed and, by the last few seasons, most citizens seem to be well aware of them, recognizing them as semi-heroes. They also frequently have to deal with citizens misunderstanding them, thanks to the efforts of Burne Thompson, April's employer, and Vernon Fenwick, a Channel 6 cameraman, who distrust the Turtles and frequently blame them for the trouble that Shredder and Krang cause. Eventually, the Turtles manage to gain the trust of the broader populace, whom they have saved from Shredder and other villains on numerous occasions. Even at Channel 6, the Turtles befriend secretary Irma from the second season onwards.

Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady (two street thugs mutated into a humanoid warthog and rhinoceros respectively, after they are exposed to Shredder's mutagen), and their Foot robots try to destroy the Turtles and take over the world. Much of their quest for world domination hinges on repowering the Technodrome (Krang's mobile fortress, and their base of operation) and bringing it to the Earth's surface, as it was either stuck in Dimension X (season 2 and 4), the Earth's core (season 3), the Arctic (season 5), or on the sea bottom of the Arctic Ocean (season 6-7). Some episodes features other, usually minor, villains as antagonists.

Seasons 8–10

In the last three seasons, the show, which had already lasted well past the average lifespan of most Saturday-morning cartoon series, went through dramatic changes. The stories within these seasons are typically known among viewers as the "Red Sky" episodes. The animation became darker, the color of the sky in each episode was changed to a continuous and ominous dark-red sky (which was commonplace with newer action-oriented children's programming at the time), the theme song was changed, the introduction sequence added in clips from the first live-action film, and the show took on a darker, more action-oriented atmosphere.[9] The series' main antagonists (Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady), who had hitherto been depicted as dangerous but comically inept villains, were now portrayed as more of a menacing, unified threat. Both Shredder and Krang had lost much of their earlier resentment towards each other, with Shredder in particular evolving into a more vengeful, bloodthirsty version of his earlier self. Bebop and Rocksteady also gained a certain degree of intelligence and joked around much less. The Turtles, likewise, underwent a few changes. Although their personalities remained mostly the same, their demeanor evolved into a more serious and determined one than in prior seasons. In contrast to earlier episodes where the Turtles would spend most of their time relaxing or partying, and only counter a threat when it arises, the Turtles now devoted most of their time and energy to tracking down Shredder, Krang, and/or Lord Dregg, and putting them away for good. At the end of the eighth season, the Turtles finally banish Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady to Dimension X by destroying the engines and the "trans-dimensional portal" of the Technodrome (although the Turtles were able to use the portal at least twice afterwards; the reasons for this are unexplained), preventing them from returning to Earth.[10] Although Shredder and Krang later return for a few episodes in season 10, they are eventually sent back to Dimension X, never to be seen again.[11] A new villain called Lord Dregg, an evil alien warlord, appeared as the new chief nemesis for the final two seasons. Lord Dregg begins a propaganda campaign against the Turtles, turning the general population against them and in favor of him and his forces. The Turtles also suffered from subsequent mutations that would temporarily transform them into hulks with diminished intelligence. During season 9, the TMNT gained a new ally in the form of Carter, a black male who had been exposed to mutagen and contracted an incurable mutation disease before leaving to look for a cure in the future.[12] Dregg is eventually outed as a villain, but the Turtles are never hailed as heroes within the city.[13] In the final episode of the series, the Turtles banish Dregg to Dimension X.[14]

Subsequent works

In 2009, the Turtles, Shredder, Krang, and various other characters from the 1987 series returned for the 25th anniversary crossover movie Turtles Forever, in which they meet up with their counterparts from a series produced in 2003. Due to financial reasons, none of the original voice actors were able to reprise their roles, and replacement actors were used instead. In relation to this particular series, the plot suggests the film is most likely set sometime before Shredder and Krang are banished to Dimension X, during the time the Technodrome is stuck near the Earth's core.

In April 2013, Ciro Nieli, the executive producer of the 2012 Turtles series, confirmed in an interview that the 1987 Turtles would cameo in a one-hour special in Season 2. Cam Clarke, Townsend Coleman, Barry Gordon and Rob Paulsen (who voiced Donatello in the 2012 series) reprise their roles as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, respectively, in the closing of the episode "Wormquake!".[15]

Soundtrack

Through most of the series, the episodes featured a recurring background music which reflected the mood of the situation, as well as ID music for settings such as the Technodrome, the New York City sewers, Channel 6, etc.. The soundtrack was composed by Dennis Challen Brown (credited as "D.C. Brown" and later as "Dennis C. Brown") and Chuck Lorre. Lorre recorded the theme song (and did the spoken parts) and became a successful television producer. The performer of the song was James Mandell (aka Miles Doppler).[16] To date the soundtrack has never been released for retail.

The Channel 6 News theme music also appeared in the Turtles in Time video game.

Voice acting

Casting for the show took place in Los Angeles. During recording of the voice acting, all the main cast recorded together. According to Renae Jacobs, voice-actress of the reporter April O'Neil, working together "was great for camaraderie and relationships. We played off each other...there was a lot of ad libbing."[17]

Also according to Jacobs, the actors frequently undermined the efforts of the show's creators to make the show grittier and more serious, instead embracing silliness and jokes for both children and adults.[17]

"[The Turtle voice actors] were kind of like The Marx Brothers, The Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, Burns and Allen and all of those wonderful, fabulous old radio personalities and early movie personalities all rolled up into one. Those guys put the heart and soul into those turtles and came up with those personalities."
— Renae Jacobs, Interview[18]

Characters

Turtles

Allies

Villains

The Shredder, as seen in the series' opening theme sequence, and some Foot soldiers.

Other characters

Episodes

International broadcasting

In the United Kingdom, TMNT was released under the name Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (TMHT). This was due to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the controversy surrounding ninjas and related weapons such as nunchaku at the time.[19] The intro sequence was heavily edited because of this, replacing the word ninja with hero or fighting, using a digitally faded logo instead of the animated blob, and removing any scenes in which Michelangelo wields his nunchaku, replacing them with random clips from the show with the weapon the grapple tortoiseshell.[20]

The TMHT version was aired in other European countries, including Ireland (except series 1, which had the original title), Belgium, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, in local dubs (the Finnish version was in English with subtitles, while Polish was in English with a voice-over translation). In Denmark, the English censored version was aired on the national broadcaster TV2. It had subtitles as well, however, only seasons 2 and 3 were aired in this fashion. Season 1 was aired as one spliced feature, instead of the original five part miniseries. The movie was titled The Epic Begins, and included heavy edits from each of the five episodes, and was also released to VHS in the USA in 1988.[21]

After the 2 seasons had aired on Danish TV, the show was cancelled; however, it later returned with local dubs of episodes from season 5, and Denmark was also one of the first countries to get to see the episodes in which the turtles travel to Europe. These were also aired with subtitles.

The original series aired in early 2011 during the early morning hours on TV2 in Denmark. All 193 episodes have been re-dubbed, and this time they aired in their original US unedited form.

In Spain, the name of the cartoon was translated to Las Tortugas Ninja (with the word ninja in the title), but at first the TMHT version was still used for dubbing, although the original TMNT version was also alternatively aired. Other European countries (including Bulgaria, France, Italy, Russia, Serbia and Turkey) dubbed the original TMNT version.

In Ireland, the series was initially known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the intro sequence was unedited when it debuted with the airing of the second season. After the first two episodes were broadcast, the name was changed to Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and the intro was edited, except for season one. In 2007–2008, episodes were aired in their original US unedited form.

When shown on the BBC, phrases like "Let's kick some shell!" and "Bummer!" were removed from the episodes (the latter may relate to a British slang term for anal sex). The series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation was also referred to as Hero Turtles, possibly using the term hero to separate the television series from the live action movies. The 2003 television series, however, remained intact when shown in the UK and Ireland. This led the UK and Ireland to have a disambiguation between the two animated series, using Hero Turtles to separate the 1987 television series from the other incarnations of the franchise. In 2009, a DVD of the first two seasons was released under the Ninja Turtles branding, thus bringing this version of the franchise into line with the later versions.

The first season of the show premiered in Australia as a two-part (90 minutes each) prime-time miniseries on the Seven Network, in 1989, before shifting to a 4:30 pm timeslot for Season 2. Later, after ratings fell, it was moved to a morning timeslot on Agro's Cartoon Connection. The show was mostly uncensored, airing under its original name with occasional edits, including the editing of Season 1 into the two-part 90-minute primetime broadcasts. However some "Hero Turtles" branded merchandise was commonly available in the country due to being imported cheaply from the UK.

Reruns

On April 6, 2012 reruns of the series broadcast weekly on Teletoon Retro in Canada until the channel was shutdown on September 1, 2015. There are no other TV reruns of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series currently airing in North America. Although the last episode broadcast on CBS on November 2, 1996, reruns continued to air until August 16, 1997.[22] The series previously reran in North America in Quebec on Super Écran, who rebroadcast the entire series from 2006 to 2008, and on the USA Network's USA Cartoon Express from September 13, 1993 to September 15, 1996. Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Fred Wolf Films own the rights to the show, and they have been responsible for the DVD releases. Neither Mirage Studios nor Viacom, the current owner of the franchise, own the rights to the 1987 television series, so Lionsgate and Fred Wolf are not under any obligation to inform them of future releases.[23] Some reruns were shown for UK audiences on BBC weekday mornings (although they were mostly all from seasons two and three). In the Republic of Ireland, the series ended its original run on August 9, 1998,[24] but the show was regularly rerun on RTÉ Two until 2008.[25] In Yugoslavia the series was broadcast on RTS from 1991 - 1994 and on RTV Pink from 1998 - 2002. In Denmark the show is aired every weekday at 6.00 am on TV 2. In Australia, the rights to the show are now owned by Network Ten, and the show occasionally airs on their digital channel Eleven in the early morning.

Reception

IGN named TMNT as the 55th best show in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows.[26] While the story diverged heavily from the original conception of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the universe of the original Mirage comics, the 1987 television series is largely the most notable and popular incarnation and drove the franchise to the phenomenal status it would achieve in pop culture. Co-creator, Peter Laird, has publicly shared his distaste with the show on numerous occasions but has also acknowledged that it was extremely successful with and beloved by its audience and, while he would've preferred a different approach to the material, it might not have been as popular as what was produced.[27] Retroactively, the cross-over film Turtles Forever established a common multiverse continuity between all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles variations that existed at the time of the 25th anniversary of the original Mirage comicbooks, primarily focusing on this series, and those of the 2003 animated series. Therefore, while not part of the original canon of the Mirage Turtles, the series can be considered part of the wider official turtles canon.

At the time, the series was criticised for its commercialism and violent content.[28][29][30][31][32]

Home video releases

Originally, the series was released to VHS tapes and laserdisc between 1988 and 1996 by Family Home Entertainment while airing back in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Starting in April 2004, DVD releases began.

VHS

VHS name Ep No. Release Date Additional Information
Heroes in a Half Shell 2 1988[33]
The Epic Begins season 1 highlights 1988[33]
Hot Rodding Teenagers 2 1988[33]
The Shredder is Splintered 2 1988[33]
Case of the Killer Pizzas 2 1990[33]
Invasion of the Punk Frogs 1 1988[33]
The Incredible Shrinking Turtles 4 1988[33]
Cowabunga, Shredhead 2 1988?[33]
Super Bebop and Mighty Rocksteady 2 1990[33]
Sky Turtles 1 1990[33] Burger King Promotional Video
The Great Boldini 1 1990[33] Burger King Promotional Video
Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers 1 1990[33] Burger King Promotional Video
April Foolish 1 1990[33] Burger King Promotional Video
Pizza by the Shred 2 1989[33]
Turtles at the Earth's Core 2 1990[33]
Attack of the Big Macc 2 1989[33]
Leonardo Lightens Up 2 1991[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes" series
Raphael Meets His Match 2 1990[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes" series
Donatello's Degree 2 1990[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes" series
Michaelangelo Meets Bugman 2 1990[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes" series
The Turtles' Awesome Easter 2 1991[33]
Turtles VS Turtle Terminator 2 1989[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes 2: The Bad Guys" series
Turtles VS the Fly 2 1988?[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes 2: The Bad Guys" series
Turtles VS Leatherhead 2 1989[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes 2: The Bad Guys" series
Turtles VS Rhinoman 2 1989?[33] part of the "Sewer Heroes 2: The Bad Guys" series
Turtles of the Jungle 2 1991[33] part of the "Hollywood Dudes" series
Rebel Without a Fin 2 1991[33] part of the "Hollywood Dudes" series
Four Turtles and a Baby 2 1991[33] part of the "Hollywood Dudes" series
Planet of the Turtles 2 1993[33] part of the "Hollywood Dudes" series
The Big Rip Off 2 1993[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
The Big Blow Out 2 1993[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
The Big Zipp Attack 2 1993[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
The Big Cuff Link Caper 2 1993[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
Convicts from Dimension X 2 1995[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
The Starchild 2 1995[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
The Legend of Koji 2 1995[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
Shredder Triumphant 2 1995[33] part of the "Bodaciously Big Adventures" series
Funny, They Shrunk Michaelangelo 2 1990[33] Hi-C Fruit Drinks promotional video
Beyond the Donatello Nebula 2 1994[33] part of the Out Of this World!" series
Unidentified Flying Leonardo 2 1994[33] part of the Out Of this World!" series
Planet of the Turtleoids 2 1993[33] part of the Out Of this World!" series
Return of the Turtleoid 2 1993[33] part of the Out Of this World!" series
Return of the Turtleoid 1 1993[33] released with TV Teddy
The Four Musketurtles 1 1990[33]
The Four Musketurtles 1 1993[33] released with TV Teddy
Get Shredder! 1 1996[33]
Cry H.A.V.O.C. 1 1994[33]
Cyber Turtles 1 1996[33]

Laserdisc

Laserdisc name Ep No. Release Date Additional Information
Heroes in a Half Shell 4 ?[33]
Cowabunga, Shredhead 4 ?[33]
Attack of Big Macc 4 1989[33]
Leonardo Lightens Up 4 1989[33]
The Epic Begins season 1 highlights ?[33]
Turtles at the Earth's Core 2 1989[33]

DVD

Region 1

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released the entire series to DVD in Region 1.[34] Initially it was released in volumes, with each volume containing 9–13 episodes in production order, with the exception of the first volume, which included bonus episodes from the last season. After six volumes, it was announced that the series would now be released in season sets, starting with season 4. However, the episodes "Once Upon a Time Machine" and the 1991 prime-time special "Planet of the Turtleoids" were omitted from the Season 5 set, but are included in the Season 10 set as bonus episodes.[35] The DVDs do not include the Turtle Tips PSAs.

On November 13, 2012, Lionsgate released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Classic Series on DVD in Region 1.[36] The 23-disc set features all 193 episodes of the series as well as bonus features. It also contains special collectors edition packaging.

On July 23, 2013, Lionsgate re-released all 47 episodes of season 3 together in a 4-disc box set.[37]

DVD name Ep No. Release Date Additional Information
Season 1 to 2 9 April 20, 2004[38] Contains all 5 episodes of season 1 and 4 bonus episodes from season 10
Season 3 to 4 12 December 6, 2005[39] Contains episodes 1–12 from season 3
Season 5 to 6 40 March 13, 2007[40] Contains all 13 syndicated episodes from Season 4 (including the first episode, which already appears on Season 3, Volume 4), all 26 CBS episodes from Season 4, and one of the final two syndicated episodes of which aired in Season 5, but were left from Season 4.
  • "Under The Shell" with The Shredder: interview with voice actor James Avery.
  • "Under The Shell" with Krang and Slash: interview with voice actor Pat Fraley.
  • Fresh from the Oven: A Recipe for a Cowabunga Cheese Pizza, Fit for a Ninja Turtle.
Season 7 to 8 27 May 12, 2009[41][42][43][44] Contains all 14 episodes from Season 7 and the "Vacation in Europe" mini-series.
  • A Shellabration with Points of Articulation, a look back at the most turtletastic toys!
  • A Shellabration of the Turtles Creation, new interviews with TMNT creators.
  • A Shellabration of Fan-Nomenon Sensation: Devoted and Die-Hard TMNT Fans Speak!
  • A Shellabration of the TV Sensation, new interviews with the cartoon's creative team.
  • Re-released on November 3, 2009 as a complete season set minus the figurines.
Season 9 to 10 8 August 16, 2011[45] Contains all 8 episodes from Season 9.
Complete Series 193 November 13, 2012[46] Packaged inside an exclusive, plastic molded collectible "party van" with DVDs of all 10 seasons (including all the same on-disc bonus content found in the previous individual releases).[47]
Cowabunga Classics 11 July 29, 2014[48] Contains 10 fan-favorite episodes from Seasons 1-7 that were selected from a TV.com poll, including both parts of ""Planet of the Turtleoids".[49]
  • The Turtles: A Ninjatastic Look Back.
  • Exclusive Artist Interviews.
  • A Shellabration of Fan-Nomenon Sensation.

Region 2

The first volume of the 25th Anniversary Edition, containing all episodes from the first two seasons in a PAL format, was released for Region 2 DVDs by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in the UK and Ireland on 25 May 2009.

4 DVDs containing 3 episodes each based around Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelango were released on 19 May 2014.

DVD Name Ep # DVD # Release Date Additional Information
Season 1–2 22 3 May 25, 2009 Contains all episodes from seasons 1 and 2, plus 4 bonus episodes from season 10.
Best of Leonardo 3 1 May 19, 2014 Contains the episodes Hot-Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X, Unidenfied Leonardo, and Leonardo Cuts Loose.

The series has also been released by German distributor KSM GmbH.

DVD Name Ep # DVD # Release Date Additional Information
DVD Collection 24 5 May 17, 2007 (Disk 1 & 2)
July 26, 2007 (DVD Collection)
August 17, 2007 (Disk 3 to 5)		 Contains all episodes from season 8, 9, and 10.
  • First released in 5 Single DVDs entitled "Disks".
  • Later released as a DVD Collection containing this 5 Disks.
  • Both, the Single Release and the Collection only includes the German Audio Track.
Box 1 25 5 March 12, 2009 Contains all episodes from seasons 1 and 2, plus first 7 episodes from Season 3.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
Box 2 5 May 3, 2010 Contains 25 more episodes from Season 3.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
  • The 25 included episodes are announced to be in chronological order.
Box 3 30 6 July 12, 2010 Contains the remaining 15 episodes from Season 3, the first two episodes from Season 4 and the complete "European Vacation" Side-Season.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
  • The 30 included episodes are announced to be in chronological order.
Box 4 6 October 17, 2011 Contains 30 more episodes from Season 4.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
  • The 30 included episodes are announced to be in chronological order.
Box 5 6 December 5, 2011 Contains the remaining Episodes from Season 4 as well as all episode from Season 5 and the first of Season 6.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
  • The 30 included episodes are announced to be in chronological order.
Box 6 29 6 February 12, 2012 Contains the remaining Episodes from Season 6 as well as all of Season 7.
  • Contains the German Hero Turtles TV Version and the Uncut US Version as well.
  • The 29 included episodes are announced to be in chronological order.

Region 4

The Series is being released in Australia by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The first six DVD's are more or less duplicated from the Region 1 discs released in America, however unlike the American release Season 4 was broken down into several separate volumes (7 to 9). The discs are in Region 4, but they are in NTSC picture format, instead of PAL, reflecting the changes in television technology since the original airing of the series in 1990. The released episodes reflect the series initial Australian broadcast in its late afternoon timeslot. Later episodes from when the show was shifted to a morning timeslot (due to declining popularity), have yet to be released.

DVD name Ep No. DVD No. Release date Additional information
Volume 1 9 1 2009 Includes the complete first Season and four episodes from Season 10.
Volume 2 13 1 2009 Includes the entire second Season.
Volume 3 12 1 2009 Includes episodes 1–12 of Season 3.
Volume 4 12 1 2009 Includes episodes 13–24 of Season 3.
Volume 5 12 1 2009 Includes episodes 25–37 of Season 3.
Volume 6 12 1 2009 Includes episodes 38–47 of Season 3 and episode 1 of Season 4.
Volume 7 13 1 2009 Includes episodes 2–14 of Season 4.
Volume 8 13 1 2009 Includes episodes 15–27 of Season 4.
Volume 9 13 1 2009 Includes episodes 28–39 of Season 4 and episode 1 of Season 5.

Magazine

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magazine was a children's magazine published quarterly by Welsh Publishing Group, Inc during the height of TMNT popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was officially licensed by Eastman and Laird and available by subscription.[50]

The $1.95, 32-page magazine featured articles about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a variety of other subjects, including an article on the last page of each issue spotlighting a real life turtle species. Mirage Studios staff artists such as Dan Berger and Jim Lawson provided a majority of the covers and spot illustrations. A pullout poster was available in every issue and was painted by Mirage Studios artist Michael Dooney.

See also

The popularity of the series means that it spawned countless imitators such as:

References

  1. 1 2 Solomon, Charles (1987-12-28). "'Ninja Turtles' Crawls Out, Lands on Back". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  2. 1 2 Carter, Bill (November 26, 1990). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Ninja Turtles Save the Day For CBS Children's Lineup". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  3. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles On TV". IGN. 21 March 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  4. ↑ Simpson, Janice C. (April 2, 1990). "Show Business: Lean, Green and on the Screen". Time. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  5. ↑ McGill, Douglas C. (December 25, 1988). "DYNAMIC DUO: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird; Turning Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Into a Monster". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Shell Schlocked". Entertainment Weekly. October 12, 1990. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  7. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Turtle Tracks"
  8. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Enter the Shredder"
  9. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Get Shredder"
  10. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Turtle Trek"
  11. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "The Power of Three"
  12. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Turtles to the Second Power"
  13. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Mobster from Dimension X"
  14. ↑ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 series episode "Divide and Conquer"
  15. ↑ Truitt, Brian (April 3, 2013). "'TMNT' embraces animated Turtle power in five ways". USA Today.
  16. ↑ "Meet The Original Singer of the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Theme Song!". DISH Nation.
  17. 1 2 "Chatting with April O’Neil – An Interview With Renae Jacobs". TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles.com. April 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
  18. ↑ "Chatting with April O'Neil – An Interview With Renae Jacobs". Teenagemutantninjaturtles.com. 2013-04-09. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  19. ↑ Cohen, Susan (1991-04-07). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Television: Who's winning the battle over kids' TV?". Washington Post Magazine.
  20. ↑ "TMNT: The Renaissance Reptiles Return". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  21. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins". Worldcat. 1988. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  22. ↑ The Daily Herald – August 16, 1997
  23. ↑ "" Official TMNT website'.' Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  24. ↑ RTÉ Guide: 9–15. August 1998. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ↑ "" RTÉ Guide. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  26. ↑ "55, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". IGN. 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  27. ↑ http://peterlairdstmntblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/more-musings-related-to-turtles-as.html
  28. ↑ Doheny, Kathleen (August 27, 1990). "Turtle Trouble : Children: Some parents believe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles encourage aggression. Others say the Turtles are just harmless fun.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  29. ↑ Doheny, Kathleen (August 27, 1990). "Turtle Trouble : Children: Some parents believe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles encourage aggression. Others say the Turtles are just harmless fun.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  30. ↑ "Ninja Influence on Australian Youth". The New York Times. August 16, 1990. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  31. ↑ Gaw, Jonathan (2007-03-23). "Ninja Turtles May Be Luring Kids Into the Sewer - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  32. ↑ KATHLEEN DOHENY (1990-08-27). "Turtle Trouble : Children: Some parents believe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles encourage aggression. Others say the Turtles are just harmless fun. - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 "Classic TMNT VHS Tapes". Ninjaturtles. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  34. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD news: Release Date for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 9". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  35. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD news: Update about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 10: The Complete Final Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  36. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD news: Announcement for The Complete Classic Series Collection". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2012-08-24. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  37. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD news: Box Art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 3: Complete Set". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  38. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Volume 01 (Season 1)". TV Shows on DVD. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  39. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Volume 03". TV Shows on DVD. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  40. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 4". TV Shows on DVD. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  41. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 7, Part 1: The Leonardo Slice". TV Shows on DVD. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  42. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 7, Part 2: The Michelangelo Slice". TV Shows on DVD. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 7, Part 3: The Donatello Slice". TV Shows on DVD. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  44. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 7, Part 4: The Raphael Slice". TV Shows on DVD. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  45. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 9". TV Shows on DVD. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  46. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Classic Series Collection". TV Shows on DVD. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  47. ↑ Lambert, David (August 24, 2012). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The 23-DVD 'Complete Classic Series Collection' Party Van Gift Set!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Cowabunga Classics". TV Shows on DVD. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  49. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Classics DVD". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mag... Magazine by Welsh Publishing Group". Comiccollectorlive.com. Retrieved 2014-08-11.

External links

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