How should the 2003–2009 animated TV-series continued post-season 4?

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

In general, most people agree that seasons 1–4 of the 2003–2009 animated TV-series were the best. After that, the opinions differ (Ninja Tribunal, Fast Forward, Back to the Sewer). So how should the producers instead allowed changes, but keep making the series interesting?

[TMNachoT]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

In general, most people agree that seasons 1–4 of the 2003–2009 animated TV-series were the best. After that, the opinions differ (Ninja Tribunal, Fast Forward, Back to the Sewer). So how should the producers instead allowed changes, but keep making the series interesting?

Maybe more stores with Mirage characters that were not seen in the cartoon and some episodes based on mirage issues, and of course, some mor eoriginal characters and plots

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I thought they should do a more ordinary mission to Japan.

[ToTheNines]

So the whole plot of the Mystics freeing themselves, and then the introduction of the Tribunal in the season 4 finale were all great, but they completely bungled the whole thing once season 5 started.

First mistake was the 4 human acolytes, or at least the fact that they didn't stay dead. Boring waste of screen time. There was already an abundance of characters, and some episodes had a few of the turtles only having 2 or 3 lines.

Then all the inconsistencies and continuity errors that they overlooked. Splinter knew about Utrom Shredder the whole time, Demon Shredder looked and talked exactly like Utrom Shredder even though he was entombed thousands of years before Mortu and Ch'rell got to Earth, and for some reason they had Yoshi kill Demon Shredder, even though they never met.

And dragon turtles. Get rid of all that crap and the dragon turtles and it wouldn't have been half bad.

FF was fine, they just wrote a handful of awful episodes. BttS would have been better off without the "cyber" gimmick

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

So the whole plot of the Mystics freeing themselves, and then the introduction of the Tribunal in the season 4 finale were all great, but they completely bungled the whole thing once season 5 started.

First mistake was the 4 human acolytes, or at least the fact that they didn't stay dead. Boring waste of screen time. There was already an abundance of characters, and some episodes had a few of the turtles only having 2 or 3 lines.

Then all the inconsistencies and continuity errors that they overlooked. Splinter knew about Utrom Shredder the whole time, Demon Shredder looked and talked exactly like Utrom Shredder even though he was entombed thousands of years before Mortu, and for some reason they had Yoshi kill Demon Shredder, even though they never met.

And dragon turtles. Get rid of all that crap and the dragon turtles and it wouldn't have been half bad.

FF was fine, they just wrote a handful of awful episodes. BttS would have been better off without the "cyber" gimmick

I at least liked the series ending with a April O'Neil-Casey Jones wedding.

[ToTheNines]

Yeah, I'm glad BttS happened. We definitely needed a season "back home" after the future stuff.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I didn't mind Fast Forward at all, Id only want Btts to be replaced by something else. I liked the concept of season 5 and enjoyed the actual season but would've preferred it was executed differently. Seasons 1-4 I don't have a problem with, I thought they were all great.

[k_lala]

They should have ended it after Tribunal.

If they did however continue, they should have kept the same design team, same animation, etc. Have Peter still be involved and have the story be maybe 10-15 years into the future when the turtles were older, have it be based off the comic I know Peter never really finished what happen in the books but figure something out. Keep the dark edgy nature, not goofy tone how FF and BTTS was.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by k_lala

If they did however continue, they should have kept the same design team, same animation, etc. Have Peter still be involved and have the story be maybe 10-15 years into the future when the turtles were older, have it be based off the comic.

Sounds like a great idea, just naming such seasons "Ninja Turtles".

[CyberCubed]

None of Volume 4's "plots" would have carried a season. They're stretched out in the comic because comics only have 20-30 pages an issue and Pete wasted pages on pointless exposition...but in cartoon form all those plots would get done in about 5-10 episodes max.

Hell the whole Don/talking dinosaurs/Utrom story where he gets really small would have just been a 2-parter at most in the cartoon, wheres in Volume 4 that nonsense went on for nearly 15 issues.

[k_lala]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

None of Volume 4's "plots" would have carried a season. They're stretched out in the comic because comics only have 20-30 pages an issue and Pete wasted pages on pointless exposition...but in cartoon form all those plots would get done in about 5-10 episodes max.

Hell the whole Don/talking dinosaurs/Utrom story where he gets really small would have just been a 2-parter at most in the cartoon, wheres in Volume 4 that nonsense went on for nearly 15 issues.

I'm not too familiar with the books but 5-10 is good enough I think Peter was done mentally writing books but at least 4kids had writers and they could have helped and just create new episodes based off that concept.

Anything better than btts

[Chris]

Personally I enjoyed it all, but yes BTTS is the weakest season and I'd probably have preferred the planned second season of FF instead. That said it was nice for the last season to be back in the present day with April and Casey.

Doing it all over again I'd have liked them to leave Serling in the future and ditch the cyber stuff. The guys have been away for a year, plenty could have changed, new threats could have risen, I think that could have been more interesting to explore. Save Shredder for his last appearance in Turtles Forever.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by k_lala

They should have ended it after Tribunal.

If they did however continue, they should have kept the same design team, same animation,

They couldn't financially swing it. Thats why the animation style was changed. The FF design and BTTS was cheaper to produce than seasons 1-5

[TMNachoT]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

They couldn't financially swing it. Thats why the animation style was changed. The FF design and BTTS was cheaper to produce than seasons 1-5

I thought they changed the designs to pair it with the 2k7 movie.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

4Kids should have concentrated instead on using Karai and the Foot Clan, Bishop and the Earth Protection Force, Baxter Stockman, Hun and the Purple Dragons, and the Rat King. Preexisting villains with tons of potential.[/B]

The ongoing fight against Bishop could've gone for literally seasons; there's enough potential there. Same for Karai.

Oh, and Mirage Volume 4 had plenty of potential for adaptation as well, with the Utroms arriving on Earth, the Venezuelan Utroms and the dinosaurs, Baxter's ongoing revenge on April, Splinter's death, Battle Nexus doubles, Mikey and the Regenta, the Triceraton/Styracodon war...

And Tales Volume 2 had plenty to adapt, too; the Foot Mystics and their attacks, the Utrom militants, Hamato Hana, more Marlin hunting Leatherhead, Leo being blinded, Loops, the Mistress (Tang Shen's older sister)...

PLENTY of GOOD material, villains and stories, all ripe for adaptation. And we've seen that 4Kids can produce good new villains and ideas (they'd already done Hun, Bishop, and the Foot Mystics).

[k_lala]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

They couldn't financially swing it. Thats why the animation style was changed. The FF design and BTTS was cheaper to produce than seasons 1-5

Yep that's what i heard too, i was just going off of the what if question on what would i do etc. But also I find it weird that they still had enough money to do all those FF and BTTS episodes. I rather have quality than quantity. Even if it were just a few episodes with the same team to spread out the budget, that or just call it quits right after Tribunal and then do the Turtles Forever movie.

Speaking of that, they still had to have enough money to do the Turtles Forever movie. Too bad they never released it in the movie theaters, also not happy how they messed up the blu ray/dvd release. Putting the non uncut version and putting the ugly dvd cover on it. Made no sense!!

Also was never a fan of the artwork on Fast forward and beyond and then carrying that over to the movie, didn't like it. The turtles were also taller too, i didn't like that either, even though you can argue they grow taller with age. Sorry now i'm getting off topic.

[dragonside]

I love this kind of topic.

Because the 2003 Series was pretty good overall. Actually I would have preferred if they finished up their post season 4 stuff.


Ninja Tribunal - seemed to have wrapped up nicely.

Fast Forward - where there definitely some loose ends to tie up.
They were thinking about a Future Shredder/Triceraton Shredder - I would have liked to see that.

Another piece of the fast forward universe that I would have liked to see is a proper conclusion for the Dark Turtles. I feel like they could've been that era's heroes/anti-heroes and how they adapted to becoming heroes (definitely some spin off potential). I would've liked a hand off moment.

Back to the sewers, the ending was pretty good. However, I would totally scrap this season's and rewrite it.

Viral was OK for Fast Forward, but overstayed her welcome. The whole Splinter lost in cyber space was more to develop Donnie (like Emo Leo). SCRAP.

I would've liked to see a season where the brothers decided grow apart to pursue what they really want. This is kind of crazy fan fic, but here's what I would imagine.


Leo would be seeking greater challenges and mastery - so maybe he is spending time in the Battle Nexus or travelling dimensions to fight and learn from the greatest swordsman in the Battle Nexus - I'd like have Miyamoto Usagi as his travelling bro and I'd like to see Leo's look evolve from a student to a real MASTER (maybe even getting students of his own). I'd like to see a time travel adventure where Leo trains under Master Yoshi.

Mikey will be pursuing a full time hero team up as the Turtle Titan, showing that he has matured (due to graduating as a Chunin), and eventually saving that kid who's descendant becomes Turtle Titan 2. Maybe in personal reflection he decides to write his own comic using the shadow pen name "Michelangelo" and then lets go of the Mantle.

Donatello - Usually Donatello gets the shaft (pun intended) and I think BBTS really tried to give him more character development. I still want that, however, I would go with a completely different take. I think would be doing more time/space/dimension research and realized that something big is coming. Something so big, that he and other alien scientists are working together to defeat it. And I bet they defeat and then realizes that its lonely without his brothers. All scientists there respect him, however, no one there can replace his brothers.

Raphael - OKAY. Really for Raph, he can just go stump wrestling in a Black Ninja Suit. I feel as if Raph is actually the center piece of this whole imagined season. Because he is used to be the loner but without his brothers with him, he is truly alone. I'm going to go Old Man Logan on this. He is the one who remains with Master Splinter and is frustrated because he doesn't know what else to do, while all his brothers are growing beyond him. Master Splinter and Raphael go on a training arc and Raph recognizes how frail his Master is, and how much fighting without his brothers is too hard...

I think Raphel and Master Splinter being in danger gets Leo, Mikey and Donnie together to save them.

LOL sorry for the long fanfic

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

What the heck is a Triceraton Shredder?