Godzilla: The Series

Godzilla: The Series

Opening Title
Genre
Based on Godzilla
by Toho
Developed by
Written by
  • Jeff Kline
  • Richard Raynis
  • Steven Melching
  • Marty Isenberg
  • Robert N. Skir
  • Steve Perry
  • Neil Ruttenberg
  • Len Wein
  • Marv Wolfman
  • Baz Hawkins
  • Harry 'Doc' Kloor
  • Scott Lobdell
  • Gregory K. Pincus
  • Brooks Wachtel
  • Steve Cuden
  • Carl Ellsworth
  • Janna King
  • William Stout
  • Jeffrey Wynne
  • Angel Dean Lopez
  • Craig Miller
Directed by
  • David Hartman
  • Sam Liu
  • Frank Squillace
  • Audu Paden
  • Alan Caldwell
  • Nathan Chew
  • Brad Rader
  • Christopher Berkeley
  • Sean Song
Voices of
Theme music composer Jim Latham
Opening theme Godzilla: The Series theme song
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 40
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Audu Paden
Editor(s)
  • C.K. Horness
  • Adam Weiss
  • Richard C. Allen
Camera setup Myung Soo Song
Running time 23 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor Sony Pictures Television
Release
Original network
Original release September 12, 1998 (1998-09-12) – April 22, 2000 (2000-04-22)
Chronology
Preceded by Godzilla

Godzilla: The Series is an American animated television series which originally aired on Fox Kids in the United States. The show premiered on September 12, 1998, and is a direct continuation of the 1998 American Godzilla film.[1] Malcolm Danare, Kevin Dunn and Michael Lerner reprise their roles from the film.

Plot

Using an art style similar to that of Adelaide's previous productions Men in Black: The Series and Extreme Ghostbusters, the series follows the Humanitarian Environmental (or Ecological, in "Area 51") Analysis Team (H.E.A.T.), a research team led by Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) as they battle giant mutant monsters which frequently appear in the wake of the events depicted in the 1998 film Godzilla. Godzilla, the only hatchling of its species to survive in the movie, imprints on Nick and becomes the chief weapon summoned against the other mutations encountered by the human characters. The series also introduces two new characters: Monique Dupre, a French secret agent assigned by Philippe Roache to keep an eye on Godzilla and H.E.A.T., and Randy Hernandez, an intern of Nick's who specializes in computer hacking.

Characters

H.E.A.T.

Godzilla on the Empire State Building as depicted in the opening to Godzilla: The Series.

Others

Monsters

Episodes

Season One

# Title Air Date Summary
1 New Family: Part 1 9/12/98 While scouring the sewers of New York, Nick Tatopoulos discovers one of Godzilla's eggs has survived. The hatchling that emerges escapes and by the time the team finds it again it has grown into a massive (but thankfully harmless) adult. As the team try to study the new Godzilla, the U.S. military, responding to a series of disappearances in Jamaica, attack and seemingly kill Godzilla.
2 New Family: Part 2 9/19/98 With Godzilla seemingly dead, the team journey to Jamaica to help the U.S. military investigate the ongoing disappearances in Jamaica. The team discover that a group of giant squids and a hideous mutant crustacean — Crustaceous Rex — are responsible and Godzilla (who has survived the attack) arrives to fight the beast off. Nick must now battle to help Major Hicks defeat C-Rex, and then convince him that Godzilla is more useful alive than dead.
3 D.O.A. 9/26/98 H.E.A.T. are called to help the Central America Republic of Costo Rojo to deal with "El Gusano Gigante", a mutant worm that is devouring untold amounts of crops. The country's ruler, General Albondiga, uses an experimental bio-weapon against the worm and Godzilla, but the worm is only strengthened by the attack. Mendel must synthesise an antidote for the poisoned Godzilla, then find a way to defeat El Gusano Gigante without Albondiga interfering.
4 Talkin' Trash 10/3/98 In response to a sanitation workers' strike, a colony of petroleum-eating microbes, controlled by nanotechnology, are released to try to curb New York's garbage problem. Unfortunately, the microbes quickly grow out of control and now the team and Godzilla must find a way to stop the colony before it devours Manhattan.
5 The Winter of Our Discontent 10/10/98 After Godzilla battles robotic insects, the team encounter their creator: Cameron Winter, a powerful technology mogul and an old rival of Nick's from college. He wants H.E.A.T. to work with him, but Nick refuses, suspecting his old enemy has ulterior motives. But can he find out what they are before Winter's schemes have fatal consequences for Godzilla?
6 Cat and Mouse 10/31/98 The team not only have to contend with a plague of mutant giant rats roaming the sewers of New York, but a trio of redneck hunters named Dale, Bill and Hank who are seeking to make Godzilla the ultimate hunting trophy.
7 What Dreams May Come 11/7/98 When a strange electrical creature known as the Crackler attacks seemingly random locations in Manhattan, the team investigate. But the Crackler is not behaving like the mutations H.E.A.T. have fought before, and what is its connection to mild-mannered insomniac Sidney Walker?
8 Leviathan 11/14/98 The team are called to help a rescue mission for xenobiologist Alexander Preloran, who disappeared while on a mission to explore the Leviathan, an alien spacecraft buried at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for 65 million years. But once they go down, the team discover the ship's alien crew are very much alive... and they have plans for Earth.
9 Hive 11/21/98 H.E.A.T. investigates the tropical island of Santa Marta in the wake of a devastating volcanic eruption. But what they find on the island is that, due to irradiated lava, a hideously mutated ecosystem has developed, including carnivorous plants and gigantic bees. As the volcano begins to erupt again and Godzilla confronts the bees' queen, the team must find a way to escape the island alive.
10 Bird of Paradise 12/5/98 When villages in Mexico are attacked by a strange winged creature, ornithologist and Elsie's old fiance Lawrence Cohen calls H.E.A.T. for help. They quickly discover the beast is Quetzalcoatl, an evolutionary hybrid of bird and dinosaur capable of breathing fire and protected by impenetrable feathers. The team must find a way to stop the creature, but matters worsen when Quetzalcoatl takes Elsie to feed to its hungry young.
11 DeadLoch 2/6/99 H.E.A.T. heads for Scotland after Dr. Hugh Trevor (voiced by Roddy McDowall in his last role before his death) of the Pisces Marine Research Institute claims his facility was attacked by the Loch Ness Monster. Once Nick is convinced of Nessie's existence, he discovers that the facility is hiding a terrible secret: Trevor has captured Nessie's baby and plans to sell it on the black market. Now the team must convince Godzilla to work with Nessie if they are to save her young and ensure her safety in Loch Ness.
12 Monster War: Part 1 2/13/99 As tension threatens to break up the H.E.A.T. team for good, major problems arise: a Giant Bat is terrorizing the countryside of Nigeria, the U.S. military have dredged the Leviathan ship from the bottom of the Pacific, and worst of all, the aliens are back, with an army of mutations under their control and plans to conquer Earth.
13 Monster War: Part 2 2/20/99 From their secret base on Isle del Diablo, the aliens assemble their forces. H.E.A.T. desperately fights to resist, but are easily defeated. Once captured and brought to the aliens, they are told that the mutation army — including a brainwashed Godzilla — will be used to attack major cities across the world in preparation for a full-scale invasion of Earth. At its head marches the aliens' ultimate weapon: Cyber-Godzilla, a reborn cyborg version of the first Godzilla.
14 Monster War: Part 3 2/27/99 As the aliens and their mutation allies attack Earth, H.E.A.T. escapes captivity. They battle to defeat the alien onslaught and free the mutations from their control to help humanity fight back and save the planet from conquest.
15 Competition 3/6/99 A trip to Japan to investigate a number of mysterious disappearances leads to a battle of wills between H.E.A.T. and the Japanese military, who perceive Godzilla to be a threat. However, the real threat is revealed to be an ophidiaphobic's nightmare: a mutant King Cobra. Things lead to a climactic showdown in Tokyo between the King Cobra and Godzilla.

Note: this episode is chronologically the King Cobra's first appearance, but it was broadcast after the "Monster War" trilogy-its chronologically second appearance-had aired.

16 Freeze 3/13/99 H.E.A.T. are dispatched to aid investigation into the disappearance of a search party looking for oil in Antarctica. The team must now not only battle against the monsters responsible — a pack of mutant "Ice Borers" — but also against the energy company who employed the men, who are determined to brush all record of the incident under the rug.
17 Bug Out 3/20/99 Godzilla is throwing infantile tantrums and H.E.A.T. are growing worried about their ability to control him. When Audrey lets this slip on live TV, despite being told in confidence by Nick, their relationship looks set to be torn apart. Meanwhile, when called in to investigate extensive deforestation in the Amazon rain forest, they discover that a mutant termite colony is devouring the forest at an alarming rate. H.E.A.T. must find a way to destroy the voracious insects before they devour the entire rain forest.
18 Web Site 5/1/99 H.E.A.T. is charged by the Pentagon to investigate the growing population of spiders near an Army base in the Canary Islands. The team quickly discover that a massive mutant female black widow spider has been laying millions of eggs. They must find a way to destroy the baby spiders and help Godzilla defeat the mother.
19 An Early Frost 5/8/99 When Godzilla is accused of attacking New York, the military call in H.E.A.T. to help contain him. But Phillipe Roache has returned from France...with orders to terminate Godzilla. However, H.E.A.T. discover the real culprit is a hideous mutation called the Chameleon, genetically engineered by Cameron Winter (who has escaped from jail) to frame Godzilla. Can they stop Winter and reveal the truth before it is too late?
20 Trust No One 7/31/99 Acting on confidential information from Phillipe, H.E.A.T. investigate an abandoned lab in the Amazon rain forest where, 50 years before, French scientists succeeded in creating a creature made of pure DNA. The creature is capable of mimicking the shape of any living creature it touches and soon the team are put on edge, uncertain who to trust. They must find a way to aid Godzilla and destroy the creature before it can reproduce and go on to create a new master race of monsters.
21 Juggernaut 8/14/99 The Techno-Sentient, an alien piece of technology, falls to Earth and begins to bond with all manner of human technology, growing to gargantuan proportions. Worst of all, it taps into the Internet and learns of the location of humanity's weapons of mass destruction. The team and Godzilla must find a way to stop the Techno-Sentient before it takes control of an arsenal of nuclear missiles.

Season Two

# Title Air Date Summary
1 Future Shock 9/18/99 While pursuing a mutant jellyfish, a mysterious storm propels the H.E.A.T. team into the year 2022. There, they discover a post-apocalyptic future where Godzilla and the other mutations are all dead, humanity is all but extinct, and the world is overrun by terrifying creatures known as Dragmas. As the team battle for survival alongside future versions of Craven and Hicks, they discover that the Dragmas were created by the scientist Johnathan Insley (voiced by Nick Jameson). After narrowly making their way back to the past, they decide to stop him before he can create the monster race. But Insley's Democratic Resurgence Against a Global Mechanized Armageddon (D.R.A.G.M.A.) project is ready to be activated, and now the team must battle to destroy Insley's work before the Dragmas are unleashed and the bleak future they saw becomes a reality.
2 Cash of the Titans 9/25/99 In the middle of an attack on H.E.A.T. headquarters by a giant water beetle, the team is shocked to find Godzilla is not responding to their distress call. After fending off the beetle, the team discovers that the billionaire Maximillian Speil (voiced by Clancy Brown) is hosting a monster fighting ring - with Godzilla as his new main attraction. Now with Audrey and Animal in tow, the team must save Godzilla from a brutal fight to the death against other mutations.

Note: the Shrewster, a mutation from the episode "The Twister", makes its chronologically second appearance in this episode, but again, like the previous season's episodes with the King Cobra, it was broadcast before the aforementioned chronologically first appearance had aired.

3 S.C.A.L.E. 10/2/99 Told in a documentary style and from the point of view of cameras (either Animal's video camera or Monster Island's security cameras), the H.E.A.T team are called to Miami to deal with Skeetera, a giant mutant female mosquito, when they come under attack from S.C.A.L.E. (Servants of Creatures Arriving Late to Earth), an eco-terrorist group - led by Alexandra Springer (voiced by Linda Blair) - who believe mutations are the next stage of evolution. After capturing the rampaging insect, H.E.A.T transports Skeetera to Monster Island so she can be studied by the U.S. military. But unknown to them, they have unwanted guests: Animal and Audrey have stowed away on board the 'Heat-Seeker' hoping for a good story and S.C.A.L.E. has tracked them to Monster Island. When the terrorists take over Monster Island with plans to release the mutations already held there, the only hope lies in the combined forces of Godzilla, H.E.A.T, Major Hicks and his troops, and Audrey and Animal.
4 Protector 10/9/99 Archaeologists in Egypt accidentally reawaken Norrzug the Iron Lion, a gargantuan sphinx-like monster that once served as the guardian of the ancient city of Amon-Ra. H.E.A.T. discover from ancient texts that the people of the city deliberately rusted the creature to stop its rampage after it turned on them. Now the team must find a way to repeat the feat before this mythological terror devours every last drop of oil in the Middle East.
5 Freak Show 12/11/99 When circus ringmaster Theodore P. Bunkum (voiced by Dorian Harewood) brings his "Weird World of Wonders" mutation circus to Manhattan, things go badly wrong when a mutant sea anemone called Medusa escapes her tank and goes on the rampage. When the team discover the creature is sucking water out of her victims, as she needs the electrolytes found in water to survive, the race is on to stop Medusa before she drains every drop of water on the planet.
6 End of the Line 12/18/99 While on a romantic cruise to Alaska, Nick and Audrey's ship is attacked by a mutant turtle, but they are saved - not by Godzilla, but by Komodithrax, a mutant Komodo dragon. When Godzilla heads for Alaska to find Nick and H.E.A.T. follows, they make a shocking discovery: Godzilla and Komodithrax are in love and Godzilla has become surrogate father to an egg laid by Komodithrax. But with the menacing turtle still nearby and the U.S. military ordered to destroy all monsters in the area, can Nick and the team protect the two gargantuan reptilian lovers?
7 What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been 1/15/00 While fighting a giant mutant germ named the Bacillus, Godzilla is infected by the bacterium and left fighting for his life. While Elsie, Randy and Mendel create an antibiotic to weaken the bacterium, Nick and Monique must enter Godzilla's body and destroy the infection at its source before Godzilla dies.
8 Wedding Bells Blew 1/22/00 When Elsie's estranged parents come to New York for her spoiled sister's wedding, she is forced to attend as maid of honour instead of helping H.E.A.T capture a mutant manta ray. When the military's battle with the creature ends up interrupting the wedding, Elsie is determined not only to catch the creature, but also to prove to her parents that she is not the screw-up that they think she is.

Note: Robert Forster voices Elsie's father: Jack Chapman and Alice Hirson voices Elsie's Mother: Peg Chapman

9 Metamorphosis 1/29/00 Shortly after receiving an anonymous check for $5 million, H.E.A.T. are called to Illinois, where a gigantic mutant chilopod, the Megapede, is devouring thousands of dollars worth of crops. The team are unable to stop the creature when they first encounter it and upon finding it again, they discover it has metamorphosed into a Giant Cicada. The insect's mating call is disrupting all radar in Chicago and now H.E.A.T must find a way to silence the creature long enough to launch a counterattack.
10 Area 51 2/5/00 Just as H.E.A.T has had it with Randy, Elsie convinces the rest of the team to investigate a possible mutation sighting at Area 51, where they discover the real secret of Area 51 is not aliens but mutations, created by underground nuclear testing. When one of the captive mutations - a mutant thorny devil (a species of lizard) - breaks out of its cage, the team and Godzilla must stop the creature from escaping the base and destroying nearby Las Vegas.

Note: Doug Savant starred in Godzilla (1998) as Sgt. O'Neil, but he voices a different character in this episode.

11 The Twister 2/12/00 During a nice relaxing day at the beach, the team is caught off-guard by a twister. They trace its origins to an experimental energy experiment at a local power plant, as well as discovering strange tracks near the plant. When the twister strikes again, H.E.A.T. discover that a giant mutant shrew has been bonded to the twister, creating a "Shrewster", and now the race is on to defeat it before its ravenous metabolism drives it to eat everything in New York.
12 Shafted 2/19/00 On their way to an expo in an attempt to win a research patent, the team meets a lost young girl named Meg (voiced by Mae Whitman). She asks the team to rescue her two brothers Steven (voiced by Mikey Kelley) and Kevin (voiced by Robbie Rist), who went into a silver mine where a gang of miners disappeared without trace fifty years before. While Monique is left babysitting Meg (much to her displeasure), the rest of the team encounters the Silver Hydra: a monster capable of encasing anyone unfortunate enough to meet it in silver and able to regenerate itself every time it is harmed. Now the race is on to defeat the Hydra before Kevin, Steven, Elsie and Godzilla end up as lifeless silver statues.
13 Where Is Thy Sting? 2/26/00 While tracking Godzilla to Fort Armstrong, New Mexico the team discover that a gigantic mutant scorpion, called Ts-eh-go by the locals, is on the rampage. But when they try to contain the mutation, they come under fire from the U.S. military under the command of Colonel William Tarrington (voiced by Michael Chiklis), an old friend of Hicks, who is out to destroy both Ts-eh-go and Godzilla. When H.E.A.T discover Ts-eh-go was created by the army's "First Wave" program, and that Tarrington is planning to use the creature's offspring - codenamed the "Second Wave" - as bioweapons, H.E.A.T and Hicks must convince Tarrington to abort the mission when the scorpions get out of control.
14 Lizard Season 3/11/00 Cameron Winter springs Dale, Bill and Hank, the redneck hunters from "Cat And Mouse", from jail and uses them to pilot the "Lizard Slayers": three extremely well-armed battle mechs (a giant robot, a tank and a jet plane) programmed with one mission: to destroy Godzilla. When Cameron takes control of H.E.A.T.'s computer systems to stop them from intervening, Nick and the others must get rid of Cameron, then find a way to save Godzilla from the three hunters.
15 Vision 3/18/00 The team are called to San Francisco, where a flock of giant mutant hummingbirds are attacking aircraft. The creatures move too fast for the naked eye to see them, making them impossible for Godzilla to fight them. Now Craven must rig up a special set of goggles that will allow Godzilla to see the birds, giving him a chance to fight back.
16 Underground Movement 4/1/00 The team is split up due to a lawsuit by the state of Miami (over damages caused by a giant mutant vampire bat). While Nick, Monique, and Elsie deal with the lawsuit, Randy and Craven decide to deal with a mutation (without Nick's permission) in Michigan. The mutation in question is Armillaria, a giant fungus with the ability to suck the amino acids out of any living thing. It swiftly proves too much for the duo, who end up trapped in the wilderness with nothing but their wits and the clothes on their backs. Once the others hear of their antics, the race is on to rescue the duo and defeat Armillaria before it sucks Godzilla dry.
17 Ring of Fire 4/22/00 The Fire Fly, a strange creature made of living flame, attacks an oil platform in New Mexico. When H.E.A.T. and Godzilla arrive to stop it, Randy and Craven sense a chance to make a lot of money if they can exploit the monster's ability to regenerate energy. Once H.E.A.T has taken the creature out, Randy and Mendel sneak it back to headquarters for study, but things go badly wrong when the Fire Fly regains consciousness and starts burning down everything in its path.
18 The Ballad of Gens Du Marais unaired While in New Orleans covering Mardi Gras, Audrey hears rumours of a strange "Swamp Beast" and decides to call in H.E.A.T.. The creature swiftly proves itself a match for Godzilla and the team begin to suspect something is afoot when the locals claim the beast is the swamp's revenge against corrupt local politician, Paul Dimanche (voiced by Jesse Corti), who wants to mine oil in the bayou. But can they prove it before the Swamp Beast destroys New Orleans?

Note: This episode did not air, but it was shown at the 2001 Asian Fantasy Film Expo in New Jersey.

19 Tourist Trap unaired The Deep-Dweller, a huge mutant frogfish, begins to attack boats and fishing ships off the coast of New Jersey. H.E.A.T. must help Godzilla drive the creature back to deeper waters and also deal with the interference of the sleazy and obnoxious tour promoter Milo Sanders (voiced by Stuart Pankin), who runs a mutation boat tour called the Manhattan Mutant Line and hopes to make even more money by getting good footage of Godzilla.

Note: This episode did not air, but it was shown at the 2001 Asian Fantasy Film Expo in New Jersey.

Reception

The series did well during Fox Kids' Saturday morning line-up. Ultimately, however, it was overshadowed by the late 1990s Pokémon/Digimon war between Kids WB and Fox Kids during the 1999-2000 season. As a result, Godzilla: The Series was placed in different timeslots on Saturdays to accommodate many of the Digimon marathons and back-to-back episodes (this would also affect other Fox Kids shows as well). For a brief period of time, episodes of Godzilla: The Series were either never repeated, or skipped over and rescheduled. There was a brief period where the show was taken off the schedule to accommodate new shows for mid-season, resulting in two episodes that were never broadcast in the US. The overall reception from the Godzilla fans was more positively received than the film it was based on, bearing more resemblance to the original Godzilla fans were familiar with.

Home video and DVD

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released two separate episode collections on VHS: Trouble Hatches, composed of the two-part pilot episode (which was actually titled "New Family" when it first aired), and Monster War, featuring the three-part episode of the same name. [2] Columbia TriStar Home Video has also released nine episodes on DVD, spread out onto three separate volumes: The Monster Wars Trilogy, consisting of the same three-part episode previously released on the VHS version, Monster Mayhem, which included "What Dreams May Come", "Bird of Paradise", and "Deadloch", and Mutant Madness, which contained "S.C.A.L.E.", "The Twister" and "Where Is Thy Sting?".

Also, the special edition DVD of the 1998 film titled Godzilla: Monster Edition also contains three episodes of the TV series: "What Dreams May Come", "Monster War: Part 1" and "Where Is Thy Sting?".[3]

As of July 2008, minisodes of Godzilla: The Series can be streamed on Sony owned Crackle. In addition, Kabillion syndicates the series on Comcast's On Demand service as well as online.

As of October 2010, the entire series is available on the Netflix Instant Streaming service.[4]

On April 29, 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released Godzilla: The Series - The Complete Animated Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[5] The 4-disc set features all 40 episodes of the series, including the two never officially aired in the US. All of the episodes were released in chronological order instead of broadcast order.

Video games

Two video games were released for the Game Boy Color. They were developed by Crawfish Interactive and published by Crave Entertainment. Godzilla: The Series was released in 1999 and Godzilla: The Series - Monster Wars was released in 2000.[6][7]

See also

References

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