Favourite Season

[Krangstein]

Now here is a thread thats seriously lacking originality. :) What is your favourite season?
Mine is sesaon 3. Perfect blend of action and humor.

[Ryona]

Mine is the first one. Mainly because it was the most serious one of them all (excluding RedSky)... well as serious as they get. Also because it's the season I remember the best (thanks to the DVD).

[Sewer Bull]

Season One as well. Some serious fighting and a good story arc.

[Krangstein]

Season One as well. Some serious fighting and a good story arc.

Do you know why there were only 5 episodes in the first season??

[Sewer Bull]

No, please do tell.

[Utrom]

Do you know why there were only 5 episodes in the first season??

It was a pilot designed to see if the show would be successful. If it had received poor ratings, the show would have ended there. Fortunately, it did very well in the ratings, so a second season was made, then a third, then a fourth, and so forth.

Now, what is my favorite season? That would definately have to be season three. In 1989, the turtles were at the height of their popularity with 47 episodes being produced for the third season, a live action movie, and tons upon tons of merchandize. This season will always be my favorite as it was able to retain much of the serious tone of the previous two seasons, but also contained a great deal of humor. These episodes were a lot more "fun" and, while many episodes weren't as good as others, with 47 episodes, there were enough good ones in this season to outweigh the bad. Not to mention the three-part season finale that I personally feel was never topped.

And while I love the third season, I also greatly enjoyed the fourth and fifth despite their flaws. Season 6, however, was severely lacking in quality. David Wise finally brought season 7 back to basics and delivered some of the best episodes of the series. And he then took it a step further with season 8. Season 9 was kind of mediocre, but the best part of the Red Sky years came shortly after with the season 10 "Turtles in Time" arc that brought back Shredder and Krang.

All in all, I still feel that season 3 is the best season because it offered the best balance of action and humor. I really feel this is the season that most fans tend to remember from their childhood and with good reason.

[Krangstein]

It was a pilot designed to see if the show would be successful. If it had received poor ratings, the show would have ended there. Fortunately, it did very well in the ratings, so a second season was made, then a third, then a fourth, and so forth.

Now, what is my favorite season? That would definately have to be season three. In 1989, the turtles were at the height of their popularity with 47 episodes being produced for the third season, a live action movie, and tons upon tons of merchandize. This season will always be my favorite as it was able to retain much of the serious tone of the previous two seasons, but also contained a great deal of humor. These episodes were a lot more "fun" and, with 47 episodes, while many episodes weren't as good as others, with 47 episodes, there were enough good ones in this season to outweigh the bad. Not to mention the three-part season finale that I personally feel was never topped.

And while I love the third season, I also greatly enjoyed the fourth and fifth despite their flaws. Season 6, however, was severely lacking in quality. David Wise finally brought season 7 back to basics and delivered some of the best episodes of the series. And he then took it a step further with season 8. Season 9 was kind of mediocre, but the best part of the Red Sky years came shortly after with the season 10 "Turtles in Time" arc that brought back Shredder and Krang.

All in all, I still feel that season 3 is the best season because it offered the best balance of action and humor. I really feel this is the season that most fans tend to remember from their childhood and with good reason.

I agree the three part fine is fantastic. The best 3 episodes of the entire run. I also love season 3 for the great humor. Season 3 also intoduced many new characters, some from the original comis, like Letherhead, Rat King, Casy Jones and Usagi Yojimbo. The 2 Baxter Stockman episodes are also great. Did you notice that the best episodes of Season 3 were the ones that Michael Reeves and David Wise wrote? I just wish Michael Reeves had written more episodes.

[Space Lieutenant Josh]

The season I remember best from childhood was the first one, and I find myself thinking back to it all the time, so I'll have to go with season one.

I was too afraid as a child of the villains to watch it on tv... Rat King scared me especially, as did Baxter Stockman. Also I was scared of Casey Jones on that show, even though he was a good guy. I'd mostly watch the first episode over and over and just hide under a table when Krang came on.

I was one pathetic kid, huh?

[ZariusTwo]

Definatly the first three season. The show was just handled more professionally in syndication, continuity was given care, characters were pretty dark, Shredder was nowhere near the goof he became by the fourth season and onwards, and April at the least was'nt as shallow as she was in between and maybe even during Red Sky.

The fourth season I'm much kinder to now because of the early Wise episodes, "Plan 6 From Outer Space" takes place almost 24 hours after "Big Blow Out", giving us an immediate follow up on the fate of The Technodrome, which unfortunatly was'nt really topped for much of the season with the exception of the character heavy Turtle showcases like "Donatello's Degree" and selected episodes of the European Vacation, which did'nt know what to be other than educational programming.

Fifth season has rare classics, if any, "Mutagen Man" "The Ice Creature Cometh", and "Planet of the Turtloids" were all Wise episodes, and hence were flowers in a dustbin. Season Six had the first three episodes, and nothing else. And I should also note Wise wrote all three of them.

[Krangstein]

Definatly the first three season. The show was just handled more professionally in syndication, continuity was given care, characters were pretty dark, Shredder was nowhere near the goof he became by the fourth season and onwards, and April at the least was'nt as shallow as she was in between and maybe even during Red Sky.

The fourth season I'm much kinder to now because of the early Wise episodes, "Plan 6 From Outer Space" takes place almost 24 hours after "Big Blow Out", giving us an immediate follow up on the fate of The Technodrome, which unfortunatly was'nt really topped for much of the season with the exception of the character heavy Turtle showcases like "Donatello's Degree" and selected episodes of the European Vacation, which did'nt know what to be other than educational programming.

Fifth season has rare classics, if any, "Mutagen Man" "The Ice Creature Cometh", and "Planet of the Turtloids" were all Wise episodes, and hence were flowers in a dustbin. Season Six had the first three episodes, and nothing else. And I should also note Wise wrote all three of them.

I must say I like season 4 very much especially the episodes that Davis Wise and Michael Reeves wrote. This season was so funny. In fact it some times reminds me of Futurma in some episodes. Funny aliens and creatures and silly stories with funny characters.

In my opinion Michael Reeves wrote the best episodes though.Followed closely by David Wise who also wrote great episodes, especially for the first four seasons. He kinda was out of ideas after that. He did make a come back in the Seventh season though.

David Wise co-wrote the first 5 episodes. I'm wondering,since he wrote the episodes, and most of the series, did he create Rocksteady and Bebop, and Krang, or was it the producers, Frank Wolf (the creator of the show) who created those new characters? Does any one know?

[Lady Venus]

Mine is the very first Season cuz it was very funny.

[ZariusTwo]

Eastman and Laird created Rocksteady and Bebop, and their variation shines right through in the first season, then Wise and Reaves toned them down. As for Krang, they probably did develop his character's concept, but Wise gave Krang his characteristics.

[Krangstein]

Eastman and Laird created Rocksteady and Bebop, and their variation shines right through in the first season, then Wise and Reaves toned them down. As for Krang, they probably did develop his character's concept, but Wise gave Krang his characteristics.

Are you sure Eastman and Laird created Rocksteady and Bebop and Krang? I always thought it was F.Wolf and Wise. I kinda got the idea that Laird thought Krang was an Utrom rip-off and that Rocksteady and Bebop were silly. Thats why he was so passionate about creating the new series. Also, who decided to make April a reporter and to have Shredder and Krang living in the Technodrome??

[ZariusTwo]

Are you sure Eastman and Laird created Rocksteady and Bebop and Krang? I always thought it was F.Wolf and Wise. I kinda got the idea that Laird thought Krang was an Utrom rip-off and that Rocksteady and Bebop were silly. Thats why he was so passionate about creating the new series.

True, but if you watch the first season, Rocksteady and Bebop were close to what Eastman and Laird envisioned them to be, then were gradually reduced to bumbling goofs, the kind of goofs that FOX wanted to use in the second movie which they fought against.

Laird's more of an in-closet original series fan than he cares to admit, it amuses me how so many readers have told him to stop "picking on it" when so many references, homages, and in-jokes he's personally made show otherwise.

[Sakirules]

As I thought. some chose the 1st as their number one season while others chose the 3rd season as their number 1 season.

[Krangstein]

True, but if you watch the first season, Rocksteady and Bebop were close to what Eastman and Laird envisioned them to be, then were gradually reduced to bumbling goofs, the kind of goofs that FOX wanted to use in the second movie which they fought against.

Laird's more of an in-closet original series fan than he cares to admit, it amuses me how so many readers have told him to stop "picking on it" when so many references, homages, and in-jokes he's personally made show otherwise.

But why did they create R&B and Krang? Were they asked to help create new characters for the cartoon? I thought Laird and Eastman didn't have any thing to do with the old cartoon??

[ZariusTwo]

But why did they create R&B and Krang? Were they asked to help create new characters for the cartoon? I thought Laird and Eastman didn't have any thing to do with the old cartoon??

They created Krang, Rocksteady and Bebop because the studios insisted on giving Shredder some alien and mutant allies, Laird and Eastman did'nt want the Utroms to be seen as anything other than benevolant at the time (something that Laird has since gone back on, incorporating evil Utroms into the comics and modern series) so they refused to make Krang a Utrom and made him the brain of an alien warlord.

[Krangstein]

But who created the Technodrome??

[ZariusTwo]

Your mom.

And maybe Drakus.

[VaughnMichael]

Your mom.

And maybe Drakus.
you know it was Drakus aka Bazerko! *shakes fist at the trator Krang!*

[Anarchistguy]

True, but if you watch the first season, Rocksteady and Bebop were close to what Eastman and Laird envisioned them to be, then were gradually reduced to bumbling goofs, the kind of goofs that FOX wanted to use in the second movie which they fought against.

Laird's more of an in-closet original series fan than he cares to admit, it amuses me how so many readers have told him to stop "picking on it" when so many references, homages, and in-jokes he's personally made show otherwise.

I have the EXACT history of how the original cartoon was created. (as told by Eastman) Would you like me to post it?

Another thing that still makes me think is why the hell they decided to take out the helmet Rocksteady wore in season 1. He looked pretty badass with it.

[Krangstein]

I have the EXACT history of how the original cartoon was created. (as told by Eastman) Would you like me to post it?

Another thing that still makes me think is why the hell they decided to take out the helmet Rocksteady wore in season 1. He looked pretty badass with it.

Oh yes, I would love it if you could post it. :)

[Sage Ninja]

ZariusTwo where do you find out all this information?

Any way I liked pretty much all the seasons because I think each season brought something to the table for the viewers to munch on.

I liked season one through three because it was a good balnce of action seriousness and mature-ish humour. I liked season four because I thought it was just as good three, just not as strong continuity wise.

In season five I liked how there was quite a few character center episodes, and maybe its just me, but I eat up episodes that focus on one character and bring some in sight to that character. Although there where some lemons in that season :dead: I didn't like the senour citizen episode or Hokum Hare episodes that much.

Season six was good, I don't know why it has such a poor reputation, I noticed in this season that some of the episodes had a slighty more ominous settings to it. Nightmare in the Lair was a good episode and really sticks in my mind, it even freaked me out just a little when I was a kid.

But my all time favorite is season seven, it had some of the best episodes ever, that I ebjoyed and the turtles fougfht better than before, but yet it still remained quirky and houmorous. Season eight of Red Sky is the only I can tolerate of that arc!

All in all season seven.

[Anarchistguy]

Oh yes, I would love it if you could post it. :)

Okay, I posted this a while back.

Here goes....

" WE TEMPORAIRLY INTERRUPT THIS COMIC BOOK FOR A
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Did you ever have a secret, a really neat one, that you were just dying to tell everyone right away...but you couldn't, because if you letit out too soon it could spoil things? Well, we've been in that quandry since last year - but now we can finnaly let the out of the bag (So to speak!).

It all started back in August of 1986 when, out of the blue, we got a call from a gent named Mark Freedman, who was calling us because he had been talking to kevin Siembieda from the Palladium Books role-playing game company; and, as he put it. "fell off his chair laughing" when he heard the name Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... and now he wanted to be our agent for licensing! After a couple of meetings, we were sold...and signed up.

Whitin an amazingly short period of time, Mark had lined up a potetial deal for a major toy line: action figures, vehicles, the works. So we were flown out to sunny La Mirada, California, to meet with the fine folks at Playmates Toys. Things went well, everybody seemed to think that the TMNT's could be a really nifty toy line, and we returned home with visions of blister packed TMNT action figres dancing in our heads.

Of course, what's a line of action figures without an animated series backing them up? After a couple of false starts, Murakami/Wolf/Swenson was chosen to be the company that would produce the animation - initially, a five part miniseries in half-hour episodes. We went west once more to meet with these folks, and were happy to find out that not everyone in Tinseltown is a wingnut-these guys were nice and talented!

So, for the last year these things have been in progress, and if things go as planned, you should see the toys start appear in stores in January of 1988, and the cartoon series the last week of December (we'll keep you updated as more definite dates come in). As you might well imagine, we were near bustin' at the seams with the urge to tell you all-but in deference to the wishes of our agent and the toy company, we agreed to keep it under our hats 'til now.

What's to come? - well, in the toy line there will be ten action figures to start with: all four turtles, Splinter, April, The Shredder, a Foot soldier, and two new evil characters- Rocksteady, a mutant cammando rhinoceros, and Bebop, a punk mutant warthog. (We had a lot of input on the design of these two characters, and they are wild!). Each figure is poseable and comes with a weapons pack. Following these figures will come a redesigned turtle van, a turtle blimp (yeah, it sounds nutty, but wait 'til you see it-it's great!), the Technodrome(The Shredder's headquarters), the Technorover (a ground car for the Foot soldiers), and the turtles' headquarters playset. Then there's the-two high stuffed turtle plush doll, with interactive voice box.

As for the animation, Murakami/Wolf/Swenson has adapted our stories from the first few issues, with some of their own ideas thrown in. You'll see Baxter Stockman and his mousers, the Shredder and the Foot, and an evil alien called Krang who bears more than a little ressemblance to the TCRI aliens. The five half-hour episodes stand by themselves as stories, but allcome together to make a neat five-part series. We've read all the scripts, heard all the voice tracks and seen the first two episodes...and they're great!

While all this has been happening, Mark Freedman was not twiddling his thumbs. Two more deals he's lined up are with Random House, which will publish TMNT coloring books (and puzzles and board games through their subsdiary, the Warren Company); and with Responsive Marketing, for a TMNT fan club. Also on the boards is a full color comic book based on the TV series; currently, it looks like Archie comics will be publishing that, and Micheal dooney will be drawing it.

Lest it seem like we are counting our chickens before they've hatched , let us just say that we have our fingers crossed, hoping that everything that is planned (and in production now) will actually happen, But it looks good, and promising, we're dealing with good people. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if our faithful readers started going around to their local toy stores and started asking them if they're going to carry all TMNT toys...!"

I also have the VERY FIRST ad for the TMNT toys. I'll post it later.

[Krangstein]

Thanks so much.

[Sage Ninja]

ugh...it was all for toys...I feel dirty :dead:

[Anarchistguy]

Isn't it obvious?! It was an 80s cartoon. What'd you expect...?

[Krangstein]

Does any one else agree with me that sesaon 4 is really good and seriously underrated?

[ZariusTwo]

Does any one else agree with me that sesaon 4 is really good and seriously underrated?


Like I said earlier, I've become more attached to the fourth latley, it just lacked a finale.

[ZariusTwo]

ugh...it was all for toys...I feel dirty :dead:

Everything was back then, the only difference between the 80's and the present state of the industry that has returned to the commercial approach is that we had good writing on most of our shows, whilst that can be only be said for a few now.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

My favourite seasons i have to say is the ones i saw as a kid, which was the 88 and 89 seasons. 87 season is not far behind, which i think i did see as a kid on video. I think all the other seasons just aren't as good and well-structured as the first 3. I definetely feel there was a decent-sized drop in quality as we went from season 89 to 90. However, i did not see the 90 season until last year, and maybe i cannot imagine myself as a kid again and tell if i would've liked this as much as the previous one. It is sort of dissappointing that seasons 90 and 92 did not really have a finale.

I do like the quite slick looking red sky seasons, but you do miss the humor of Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady.

[Sage Ninja]

Everything was back then, the only difference between the 80's and the present state of the industry that has returned to the commercial approach is that we had good writing on most of our shows, whilst that can be only be said for a few now.

ICAM!! they did have good writting back then!

I definetely feel there was a decent-sized drop in quality as we went from season 89 to 90. However, i did not see the 90 season until last year, and maybe i cannot imagine myself as a kid again and tell if i would've liked this as much as the previous one. It is sort of dissappointing that seasons 90 and 92 did not really have a finale.

you know I have been defending seasons of the orignal TMNT as being "watchable" and "still kick-ass and funny", but to be honest I am basing my defence on how I liked them when I first saw them. It has littlerly been years since I have seen many of the episodes after season three, and I'm starting to wonder now if maybe I am looking at them through rose-colored glasses, and will still think they are great when I view them again now.

I think I'll still like the episodes from seasons four through six, pretty much as a did when I was kid, based on how I still geniuanly like the episodes from seasons one through three so far as i did back then...in fact now that I'm older I find that I have more apprication for some of the episodes that I didn't normally like. But then these are supposed to be the hight of the classic toons quality so I don't know.

Has any one here veiwed the series after season three recently? What dod you think of the episodes do you think they are still pretty decent? I know that ZariusTwo has said that he/she thinks seaon four is pretty decent particularly ones written by David Wise and Micheal Reeves.

[ZariusTwo]

I'm a pretty objective fan, so none of the original series episodes during the first three seasons are in any way bad, they have pros that outweigh the cons in different forms.

[Krangstein]

Has any one here veiwed the series after season three recently? What dod you think of the episodes do you think they are still pretty decent? I know that ZariusTwo has said that he/she thinks seaon four is pretty decent particularly ones written by David Wise and Micheal Reeves.

I have seen sesaon 4 and 5 recently and they are just as good as number 3. Season 4 has some VERY good episodes, particularly the David Wise and Michael Reeves episodes. I wish Michael Reeves hadn't left TMNT. He was really the best writer. This is never more obvious than in season 3 and 4. David Wise had his ups and downs after the third season. I also want to mention Francis Moss. He wrote very good episodes in Season 3 and 4.

[Sage Ninja]

ok this has been bothering me, just who exactly had creative control of the series? Could the writters pretty much write what ever they wanted or did they have guidlines to follow. Did some writters have more creative control than others, because it doesn't make sence to me that the quality of one episode could vary so much from writter to writter. Was it just some writters just choose to write goofy story lines for an episode and others (like David Wise and Michael Reeves) choose to write more complex and engaging episodes.

Some one mentioned that Laid and Eastman made up Bebop and Rocksteady and they where portrayed as street thugs, and then they where toned down by the writters for ever reason. Now I know Eastman and Laird had no say in what happened to the characters but who did? If this is a dumb question I'm sorry but i really have no idea how things like this is handled.