How regularly did you watch the original series back when it was new?

[CyberCubed]

Since I was about 4, I used to watch the series any chance I could get. I think I didn't start till Season 3, but of course the show was rerun to death so I wound up seeing everything before many times.

Likewise the series held my interest the whole way. Since I started, I watched all the way through Season 10 regularly and was saddened when it was canceled.

From there I went straight to Next Mutation right after, so I technically never, "stopped" till the franchise took a hiatus till the 4kids series started, (which I also watched regularly.)

[John Pannozzi]

When I was a wee lad, I don't think I actually watched the show on TV much. I mostly rented the VHS tapes. I do remember watching a few of the season 9 episodes on CBS when they premiered (and thinking it was odd that Shredder wasn't in them, despite still being mentioned in the opening theme song) and watching a rerun or two on USA.

[Cowabunga Carl]

I watched it for years. I got the figure/vhs pre hey watch this show when it comes out pack. I watched it when it came on everday, me and my friends would tape them and watch it over and over. Back then when I was little it was the greatest thing in the world.

[CyberCubed]

I seem to remember the series airing 4 times a day at one point.

Wasn't it like two eps in the morning around 7-8, and another at 6-7pm?

I remember having to leave for school in the morning and being upset I couldn't finish watching the episode that was airing, and this is on a weekday.

[Eiko]

I use to watch it all the time when it was on. I use to rush home from school
just to watch it. Then they moved it to the morning cartoon show before School. Lucky my mum let me watch it was like that till it was cancelled. then NM came and i thought that show was just awful.

[Abnormal Freak]

I grew up on TMNT. Born '86, I probably started watching the show around age two or three. I remember when my mom bought me an April O'Neil toy—'cos I absolutely loved the character (and not for her chest)—and some kid yanked it out of a bag sitting in my mom's cart when we were on our way to the car and ran off with it. :\ Pretty distressing.

Getting into TMNT was helped by my older brother, who's six years older and was of course a fan of the toys and cartoon from the very start (and was also really big into Transformers and had a ton of the toys), and my mom had bought for my older brothers an NES, so we had the first NES game and of course the arcade port when that came out.

So yeah, I watched the show every day it was on. I remember being bummed when no new episodes were being made, but super excited when the "red sky" episodes began airing. However, I think I may not have liked it very much, so didn't follow it—that or some other cartoon like Batman was on at the same time, and that took precedence.

[AT-Man]

I only watched the few episodes I had on VHS and were dubbed in Finnish. Some friend had also fes episodes taped from satellite channels which were in English, I was so mad when I saw just the first episode of the Incredible Shrinking Turtles and never saw the rest.

[Sword Slicin' Leo]

one word: Regiously

[Venom]

I watched every time I could. Very VERY few times did I miss an episode. When the European Vacation eps aired on USA I was supposed to go my grandma's. Needless to say, she had to wait until the following weekend to see me! :D

Then when USA's Cartoon Express aired Turtles in the morning I watched them, and turned it up REAL LOUD so I could hear it in the shower.

2K3, not so much...the most eps I caught was when it was on Cartoon Network. I tried staying up are waking up to watch it but I had an overnight job and would just crash around 6-7AM.

[CyberCubed]

2K3, not so much...the most eps I caught was when it was on Cartoon Network. I tried staying up are waking up to watch it but I had an overnight job and would just crash around 6-7AM.

Did you watch all the 2k3 eps later on though, or did you never watch the series properly?

[gobo]

Everyday I knew it would be on, I watched it unless life got in the way... like being kidnapped or inexplicably stranded in an alternate dimension.

[Andrew NDB]

one word: Regiously

But it's not.

I too remember the two episodes in the morning, two episodes in the afternoon thing and I'm pretty sure that's how I'd watch it.

[gobo]

I too remember the two episodes in the morning, two episodes in the afternoon thing and I'm pretty sure that's how I'd watch it.
Never happened in my neck of the swamp... probably a good thing tho.

[Candy Kappa]

TMNT aired on cable in Norway, so I never got the opportunity to see it while it was airing, except for one time I was in Denmark. But it was that a super Irma episode.

There was a couple of VHS at the local rental store

[Powder]

If It was on, I was in front of the TV. USA, CBS, etc, I knew where it'd be & I'd be damned if I was gonna miss it. Repeats included.

[Rise1184]

Since I was about 4, I used to watch the series any chance I could get. I think I didn't start till Season 3, but of course the show was rerun to death so I wound up seeing everything before many times.

Likewise the series held my interest the whole way. Since I started, I watched all the way through Season 10 regularly and was saddened when it was canceled.

From there I went straight to Next Mutation right after, so I technically never, "stopped" till the franchise took a hiatus till the 4kids series started, (which I also watched regularly.)

Just the "Original Series", every morning I can, when I was about 4 or so.

[plastroncafe]

New episodes every Saturday, and the Syndication stuff weekday afternoons.

[Lynn]

I watch it faithfully each time it was on.

[cryan]

I never got in to the figures but I watch the cartoon regularly.When it was picked by CBS 1990,I watched it every saturday morning.What really started it(I know this is going to sound strange)was Mona Lisa.I was hoping she would show up agian.Alas,she never did.I missed a few episodes when the Clarence Thomas hearing were going on.That ticked me off.

[MrPliggins]

I watched all the time. Recorded them on vhs so I could watch them when I wanted.It's no wonder I still remember many episode names today, even after it's been so long since I've watched it.

[Godzilla]

Every weekday afternoon after school, and would wake up 10 mins before 6am on a Saturday morning just to watch the new episodes.

So yeah, I was pretty serious about TMNT.

[Walkabout]

Every day it was on, religiously.
Id stopped watching by 92 or so,and was working by the time the 2003 series out was out, but if I was home Id watch it (in the mornings)

[Fugitoid Jones]

I watched the OT whenever I could, although sometimes things like baseball games would prevent me, which I hated. I'd be in the middle of right field picking my ass thinking about how I could be at home watching Turtles and playing with my figures instead of wasting my time catching nothing and striking out. I kinda stopped watching the OT around the time of the first season of the Red Sky eps. Around that time I was kinda growing out of the Turtles and I wasn't crazy about the new mutations the Turtles were going through.

The 4Kids toon I would tape every saturday, because I worked most saturday mornings at the time.

[Scandia]

Whenever I could get around to it. Often in reruns. I was usually in art class on Saturday mornings- which I liked, but I liked TMNT as well.

[Venom]

Did you watch all the 2k3 eps later on though, or did you never watch the series properly?

The most regularly of 2K3 I got to watch was when it hit Fast Forward, which I liked. I was able to catch most of BttS, and caught Turtles Forever when it premiered, as well as Mayhem on Monster Island.

[Venom]

But it's not.

I too remember the two episodes in the morning, two episodes in the afternoon thing and I'm pretty sure that's how I'd watch it.

:O Dude, you watched the Fred Wolf series? As much disdain you express toward the old show I thought you would have shunned it back then and only read the comics.

[CyberCubed]

The most regularly of 2K3 I got to watch was when it hit Fast Forward, which I liked. I was able to catch most of BttS, and caught Turtles Forever when it premiered, as well as Mayhem on Monster Island.

So to date you've never actually really watched the 2k3 series?

You're missing out. The series has been over for a while now, I'm surprised some turtle fans who actually enjoy the cartoons haven't made the time to watch it.

[sdp]

Well 2k3 came out during my teenage years and I had outgrown cartoons for the most part I mean I rarely watched them, it was a bit later when I started warming up to cartoons again, I'm sure that may be the case of other people as well.

As for the OT I really don't remember, I used to think I didn't watch them that much as a kid since I never caught it on tv, at least I don't remember many episodes plots, but I recently re-watched the spanish dub and all the voices were extremely familiar and I got flashbacks to watching it a bunch of times, so I think I watched it more than I used to think. I probably stopped watching because it just stopped airing in Mexico. I do remember is the 2 VHS I had that Burger King gave away during that time, I watched those so many times I think I can quote the episodes entirely, I also watched them so much that the english dub is more nostalgic/recognizable to me. The episodes were Sky Turtles and Invasion of the turtle snatchers, they may be mediocre episodes to most but I absolutely love them.

[Venom]

2K3, not so much...the most eps I caught was when it was on Cartoon Network.

So to date you've never actually really watched the 2k3 series?

I've seen City at War, the Ninja Tribunal/Lost Season eps thanks to CW's relentless airing of those arc the past couple of years Turtles were on the air, and a handful of other eps. I've probably seen a total of 2 seasons, not counting FF or BttS.

I've thought about getting the DVDs, and probably will, but I'm hoping regular Nick will air the eps this year and I can catch them then.

My mom, on the other hand, has seen every episode since 2003 lol! I would tell her when it came on so she could "watch it for me". Surprisingly, she would! :D

[BubblyShell22]

We used to watch the old toon every morning before school, but we only caught half of the ep because we'd have to leave for school, so I had to miss the rest of it. That bummed me out so much because I never got to see how a lot of eps ended. We'd also watch them on Saturdays when they were on CBS.

[TheCanadiandrome]

i watched it as often as i could whenever it was on, and when i could find it

[Kendamu]

I watched every new episode as it aired and, outside of that, I watched my VHS tapes and VHS recordings a few times a week.

[Jephael]

The Turtles were on 24/7 at my house! We went through about 3 VCRs because I spent so much time rewinding and fast forwarding all my videos.

[LeoNerdo]

I can only remember watching the OT on Saturday mornings. I had no idea it came on in syndication before or after school as a kid. Usually after school I'd watch some Disney Afternoon stuff and then go outside to play until dark. I eventually lost interest around the time the Red Sky eps started, plus I was easily distracted my other Saturday morning cartoons(Wild West C.O.W.-boys) I didn't even know Next Mutation existed until a few years ago.

When the 2k3 show was on, I was in high school and could not physically wake up before noon on a Saturday for anything. I did tape some episodes, and caught it on CW/CN once in a while. I'm still working my way through the dvd's.

[Wildgoose]

Man oh man those were good times with so many good cartoon shows...I remember waking every weekend to see them...About my age...hm, probably somewhere between 4-6 years old. I loved them.
Later, I was a little too old for the 2k3 but still, if I was waking late at weekend I watched them while eating my breakfast...it was the most decent cartoon I could watch, after One Piece (of course dubbed in my language)

[cartoonistaaron]

Oh man, I used to watch TMNT every afternoon at 5 PM. I'd get home from school around 3:30 and The Real Ghostbusters was on at 4:30. Inspector Gadget was on before that, and I think BraveStarr or some other junk was on before that.

4:30 to 5:30 PM from 1988, I think, 'til 1990... Those were some of the best days ever. I was 9 when the original cartoon came out, just the perfect age.

I still watched both shows when they moved to Saturday mornings... but they lost something once they had network backing. Can't put my finger on it with the TMNT but something just wasn't the same. I watched TMNT less and less when it went "dark" and my local CBS station quit running it the last year or two.

Watched the 2k3 show a couple times but never regularly. Just couldn't get into it. Maybe being a grown man going to school and working full time had somethin' to do with it...

[jacobzking]

one word: Regiously

lol, we knew what you meant ;) and +1

[DonatelloDomeHead31]

I said in a previous thread that I started watching it when I discovered that they ate pizza. So I figured, if these guys like pizza, then they're okay for me to watch.

As far as watching new episodes, it would happen after school or on Saturday morning cartoon variety hour :D

[pannoni1]

For me starting around fall/winter of Season 3 (1989) when I was 4. I pretty much discovered it "by accident" flipping through some channels, as our household didn't get cable until a year later, meaning that there were only about 8 or 9 channels that came through on our dials, meaning that there was a good chance to catch most of "what's on", as opposed to the 800 or 900 that's available on many services today. This meant that TMNT was an easier target to catch with fewer channels available, and is why TV alone can't create new phenomenons without online promo these days. I fairly quickly picked it up and it would come on Channel 20 at 5 PM (followed by Saved By The Bell afterwards), and for about the next three years or so continued to follow them for all the syndicated episodes, even enjoying them in reruns about as much as when I first saw them, and I do remember them airing Season 1 episodes as reruns. It felt so wonderful during that time as it was usually after I did my homework (what little I had since I didn't have much just yet) and just before dinner. Of course I pretty much watched CBS nearly every Saturday for Seasons 4-6, but during Season 7 I started to watch less as I noticed fewer new episodes and more reruns and the transition to darker taking place that alienated me (but I still caught the good stuff on USA's Cartoon Express including some of the Europe episodes, but felt dismayed that the reruns of earlier episodes were edited. Then when I saw that first Red Sky episode on the "correct" channel, I felt lost and I tuned out until Next Mutation where I saw a few episodes, but tuned out about midway through because it just didn't seem like "TMNT" to me. I do miss the lure of commercials rewatching the shows on DVD because it does indeed add some drama between commercial breaks so that you briefly forget the dangers with the lighter and fluffier commercials, so that when the show returns from a commercial break, it suddenly turns tense for a moment (before usually relaxing down again).

[Dirty Blond]

I watched it every day before school. I watched it on CBS, but I missed the USA season. Anyone know where I can catch it?

I was in denial when it was on CBS. The first time I saw Mikey use a grappling hook I thought, "that's new; well, I'm sure they'll give him back his nunchucks next episode . . ." But the series didn't really jump the shark until they started mutating into bigger turtles.

If I were writing for the Nick series, I would crowbar in a joke about the abomination of Mikey having to use a grappling hook.

[gobo]

I watched it on CBS, but I missed the USA season. Anyone know where I can catch it?
Season 7 DVDs, Discs 1 & 2...

[Jephael]

If I were writing for the Nick series, I would crowbar in a joke about the abomination of Mikey having to use a grappling hook.

I remember 4Kids made a sly reference to it in the episode "Unconvincing Turtle Titan", so I'm pretty sure Nickelodeon will do the same!

[Powder]

I suppose the most obvious answer would be "As often as possible!".

[ssjup81]

I'm pretty sure I started watching the series when I was about 7 or 8 on Fox in the afternoons in about 1989 sometime (it was still in syndication I'm sure). I watched it every weekday afternoon. I loved it! I recall one time, when I was in 3rd grade, when I went with my grandmother to babysit my cousins, I wasn't feeling well. I had a headache and eventually got a fever, but I just had to watch my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My grandmother used to go over there every weekday afternoon to babysit. I'd just tag along if I didn't have homework. Anyway, I'd usually watch it there. That particular time, I was half sleep and headachy and everything, but I managed to turn on that TV to watch an episode. Unfortunately, since I was sick, I did fall asleep and woke up as the credits were rolling. :tlol:

When Fox stopped showing it and CBS did I watched it, but in about 1992 or maybe about 1993, my local CBS affiliate started to gradually stop showing Saturday morning shows, 'cept from about 6:00 - 7:00 in the morn. Turtles wasn't apart of that. It was replaced with news and Martha Stewart. >_> Yes, I had a hatred for Martha Stewart for that. :P

So from then on, I saw only scattered eps of the series. This is also why I never saw all of the Red Sky eps. I did see one episode when visiting my aunt (who did still have it in her area on CBS) and was just completely confused. I actually thought that maybe they were all trapped in Dimension X. The rest of my watching of the series was through the USA Cartoon Express.

[Godzilla]

7 days a week once I discovered that the OT was airing on weekday afternoons. Add that in with the Saturday morning episodes, along with me pulling out the VHS releases on Sunday ... pretty much a every day deal there for awhile.