Teenage mutant hero turtles?

[snake]

Yes, I know about the uk call them "hero turtles", but I always wondered, why?
So why did they call them hero turtles?
If you can't make any sense of what I'm saying, see for yourself
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9pew1_teenage-mutant-hero-turtles-intro_shortfilms#.URkf5Wt5mK0
It's hilarious how much trouble they went through to edit out Mikey's nunchaku and the word "ninja" it's funny.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

The UK tryed to tone down the violence a little bit. Nunchucks were used in gangs, so they tried to tone it down. The video game "Shadow of the Ninja" became "Blue Shadow" (which also affected other places in the PAL Region).

[Discogod]

Basically, for about 25 years Ninjas and anything to do with them were pretty much banned from British media - that included weapons like nunchaku and shuriken - no matter what, whether it was an "18" rated movie or cartoon like TMNT (although things like comics & video games were exempt). This was pretty much because the guy who was in charge of ratings board hated all that kind of stuff and would refuse a rating to anything Ninja-related (effectively banning it from legal distribution). Once he popped his clogs, the "ban" was lifted.

This resulted in the TMNT cartoon being absolutely butchered and rendered it virtually unwatchable.

[snake]

Basically, for about 25 years Ninjas and anything to do with them were pretty much banned from British media - that included weapons like nunchaku and shuriken - no matter what, whether it was an "18" rated movie or cartoon like TMNT (although things like comics & video games were exempt). This was pretty much because the guy who was in charge of ratings board hated all that kind of stuff and would refuse a rating to anything Ninja-related (effectively banning it from legal distribution). Once he popped his clogs, the "ban" was lifted.

This resulted in the TMNT cartoon being absolutely butchered and rendered it virtually unwatchable.

Oh, I could just imagine the episode titles

"hero sword of nowhere"

[Zulithe]

The UK fanbase has my sympathy :P To think you still remained fans all through that BS is really cool. Respect! Glad those days are behind all of us.

[ZariusTwo]

I could never forget lines like "We were the TEENAGE MUTANT....TURTLES"

[Ryanator008]

Can I get a clip of this?

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Oh, I could just imagine the episode titles

"hero sword of nowhere"

It's just "Sword of Nowhere". I don't know "The Unknown Ninja".

Those were the only episode titles with "Ninja", see

http://www.thetechnodrome.com/eplist.shtml

[snake]

Can I get a clip of this?

Yeah, there's one in the first post.

[Ryanator008]

Yeah, there's one in the first post.

I meant in the actual show. Not just the theme song.

[Galactus]

Basically, for about 25 years Ninjas and anything to do with them were pretty much banned from British media - that included weapons like nunchaku and shuriken - no matter what, whether it was an "18" rated movie or cartoon like TMNT (although things like comics & video games were exempt). This was pretty much because the guy who was in charge of ratings board hated all that kind of stuff and would refuse a rating to anything Ninja-related (effectively banning it from legal distribution). Once he popped his clogs, the "ban" was lifted.

I think that's over egging it a bit. The movie and the merchendise like the tie comic, novelisations, magazine etc were done with the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles name. When The Epic Begins was shown on Sky Movies it was also with the original name. (Using Nunchuks was still a no, no though)

It wasn't exactly uncommon to see the odd bit of generic turtle merchendise with the original name either.

This resulted in the TMNT cartoon being absolutely butchered and rendered it virtually unwatchable.

I wouldn't say unwatchable. There's a few things here and there that stand out that even as a kid you know missed something usualy down to music skipping or as Zarius pointed out the clunky way people called them "Teenage Mutant...Turtles" but for the most part nothing major that you wouldn't know unless you watched the original episode.

Bizarrely Bravo during the 2000s when it was airing TMHT randomy showed an episode of one the Red Sky seasons with Ninja intact. It even keeps the "enter the action zone" intro.

[CyberCubed]

I wish it didn't cause them to get rid of Mikey's nunchuckes from Seasons 5 and up.

Damn UK.

[Ryanator008]

I wish it didn't cause them to get rid of Mikey's nunchuckes from Seasons 5 and up.

Damn UK.

Now that I agree with.

[Galactus]

I wish it didn't cause them to get rid of Mikey's nunchuckes from Seasons 5 and up.

Damn UK.

Pretty sure that was CBS that made that call. I doubt they made any cosideration for UK or European audiences in that regard.

[CyberCubed]

Pretty sure that was CBS that made that call. I doubt they made any cosideration for UK or European audiences in that regard.

You really think only Mike's weapons would be targeted if it weren't for the UK?

[Triceraton Jones]

Honestly I'm glad it was changed to hero. I dread to think how my life would of turned out if I had to see and hear such a violent word as ninja everyday.
On a separate note us people from the U.K are known for our sarcasm ;)

[Blossombrooks]

Honestly I'm glad it was changed to hero. I dread to think how my life would of turned out if I had to see and hear such a violent word as ninja everyday.
On a separate note us people from the U.K are known for our sarcasm ;)

:lol: amen.

[Coola Yagami]

I hate how they did that cause of the UK. It's like, it's an American cartoon for US. If you can't take it, make your own UK action show and leave out show alone It would be like skipping out the shower scenes out of anime shows shown in Japan because American audiences can't take it.

[pannoni1]

It still irks me that Germany forced SoTO to a 12-an-up only rating upon its initial release, which cost up to half of its potential audience. But if the show was really called TMHT had I seen it for the first time, I would think that there was no Asian element. Also notice that a scene from the intro consists of the Technodrome in Season 2, as the show didn't begin in the UK for over a year after it first aired, which meant that the UK censors studied the original and simply edited it out. The original voice actors never recorded any alternate dialogue, so any replacement had to be dubbed in the UK if it wasn't edited out. But when you see the upcoming TV schedule and see that the Turtles are only on for 20 minutes, you know something's missing. At least you didn't have to sit through any commercials in the UK, and it did come on at a good timeslot in the late afternoon.

[Candy Kappa]

The UK fanbase has my sympathy :P To think you still remained fans all through that BS is really cool. Respect! Glad those days are behind all of us.

Didn't just affect the UK, Norway got most that Hero crap as well.

But most people said Ninja then Hero thanks to the Live Action movie still had Ninja in its title, unsure bout the video games, I can't remember that. But the toys, Archie comics and Fred Wolf series had Hero in it.

but Norway is also the same country where the Christian People Party tried to ban American Superhero comics because Superman did not teach good Christian Family values, no joke.

The first TMNT movie had a age 15 rating

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Didn't just affect the UK, Norway got most that Hero crap as well.

But most people said Ninja then Hero thanks to the Live Action movie still had Ninja in its title, unsure bout the video games, I can't remember that. But the toys, Archie comics and Fred Wolf series had Hero in it.

but Norway is also the same country where the Christian People Party tried to ban American Superhero comics because Superman did not teach good Christian Family values, no joke.

The first TMNT movie had a age 15 rating

TV3 had a studio in the UK. They boradcasted the show to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This made the turtles famous as the "Hero Turtles". But there were always videotapes in Denmark, Norway and Sweden using the original titles.

But are there any family values in Superman?

[Candy Kappa]

But are there any family values in Superman?

Not really, but still, trying to ban Superhero comics are pretty whacked. But not too surprising with which politician that wanted it.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Not really, but still, trying to ban Superhero comics are pretty whacked. But not too surprising with which politician that wanted it.

You really mea they tried to use a law in the parliament of Norway against it, saying something like?
"US superhero comics are banned in Norway. Everyone who's caught by the Norwegian police selling them shall be sentenced to prison."

[Candy Kappa]

You really mea they tried to use a law in the parliament of Norway against it, saying something like?
"US superhero comics are banned in Norway. Everyone who's caught by the Norwegian police selling them shall be sentenced to prison."

basically, yes. There was a serious attempt in the mid 80's to ban American Superhero comics in Norway.

[Galactus]

You really think only Mike's weapons would be targeted if it weren't for the UK?

Why not? It's not just TV stations in the UK that had a problem with Mikey using his chuks. Otherwise the UK and other EU countries would have kept editing out him using his chuks as it had been doing.

[CyberCubed]

Why not? It's not just TV stations in the UK that had a problem with Mikey using his chuks. Otherwise the UK and other EU countries would have kept editing out him using his chuks as it had been doing.

So blades and sai's were OK? Mike's chucks were targeted because of the UK banning them. Since Fred Wolf probably didn't want to bother producing two versions of the show they just got rid of them altogether.

[Galactus]

So blades and sai's were OK? Mike's chucks were targeted because of the UK banning them. Since Fred Wolf probably didn't want to bother producing two versions of the show they just got rid of them altogether.

I don't get what you're trying to say? It's ridiculous that anyone would deem swords and daggers as well okay but nunchuks offensive but people do both sides of the pond.

Fred Wolf didn't produce two versions of the show. Whoever edits the show in the UK would do that simply by cutting small pieces were Mike used his chuks or most times the word "ninja" is spoken. Even if they were both allowed in the UK they'd have to do some editing here and there to accomadate the different times UK TV places ad breaks.

[Candy Kappa]

Nunchaku is easier to make then swords and Sai.

[Longview01]

It was amazing when I finally got my hands on the first season of the original Series on Region 1 dvd and there was parts I had never seen before due to the stupid censorship we had here in the UK.

Still got my old TMHT videos and now they are a cool part of my collection

[Shark_Blade]

If I remember correctly, they edited the theme song too. That annoyed me to no end (along with the edited logo. "Hero"? PAH!)

[ZariusTwo]

As messed up as the TMHT theme is, the title sequence they came up with isnt actually all that bad, I loved the shot of the four of them running towards the lake at the end with the dissolve fade logo for one thing. More effective than the U.S one. Plus the UK intro even incorporated Krang into the sequence where as he's left out in the U.S intro.

[JoshDA7X]

When I watched it as a kid I didn't notice and now I just don't care. Censorship is a messed up thing.
And Mr Cubed, I'd rather be living in the UK with 'TMHT' than have to put up with some of the stuff that goes on over in the U.S on a regular basis.
:)

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Was the light bulb scene in "New York's Shiniest" also edited out.

[pferreira]

As messed up as the TMHT theme is, the title sequence they came up with isnt actually all that bad, I loved the shot of the four of them running towards the lake at the end with the dissolve fade logo for one thing. More effective than the U.S one. Plus the UK intro even incorporated Krang into the sequence where as he's left out in the U.S intro.
I remember when the movie came out I was confused about whether it was 'The Hero Turtles' or 'The Ninja Turtles'. The thing about is if you watch the Hero intro Michelangelo's nunchucks are supposed to be edited out via using footage from Season 2 but still appear in some shots quite clearly. They didn't even totally remove them so what's the point, either edit them out or leave them in. By the way when Turtles first started in the UK on BBC I was slightly confused when they started with the second season and not the first. It's only a couple years later Sky One showed Season 1 although still as a Hero Turtles edit. But it was better than nothing.

[grungethemovie]

here in Brazil, we're so hardcore we never even bothered to call them "Teenage" and "Mutant" we just call them "NINJA"
And all the kids would make their own nunchakus back in the day, oh..the good ol' times...

if you think about it, Don's bo should have been censored too, it was damn easy to get the stick out of mom's broom and break things all around, oh yeah!

[TMNachoT]

How come foreigners tv stations had so much power to make FW change mike´s weapons?

[JoshDA7X]

How come foreigners tv stations had so much power to make FW change mike´s weapons?

It is not necessarily that they had power, more that FW wanted to make it available to as many viewers as possible with as little alteration as possible.

[TMNachoT]

It is not necessarily that they had power, more that FW wanted to make it available to as many viewers as possible with as little alteration as possible.

Ok, thank you. So the tv stations wrote a note or something to FW asking them to make some changes, right? From which episode did FW make the changes? Cheers.

[snake]

What did they replace mikes nunchaku with?

[Discogod]

A grappling hook.

[snake]

A grappling hook.

That's nuts! Did they at least put care into editing it or did it look like someone pasted it there?

[Galactus]

That's nuts! Did they at least put care into editing it or did it look like someone pasted it there?

I think there's a bit of a mix up. They did not paste anything into the Hero Turtles episodes. Mike still had his nunchuks it was just certain instances were he actualy used them in battle that was edited out.

The grappling hook was what replaced Mike's nunchuks in the actual US made show when it moved channels to CBS in Season 4 onwards.

[snake]

I think there's a bit of a mix up. They did not paste anything into the Hero Turtles episodes. Mike still had his nunchuks it was just certain instances were he actualy used them in battle that was edited out.

The grappling hook was what replaced Mike's nunchuks in the actual US made show when it moved channels to CBS in Season 4 onwards.

Oh, I thought he had them season 9, but alright then.

[jmfoxfire]

if you think about it, Don's bo should have been censored too, it was damn easy to get the stick out of mom's broom and break things all around, oh yeah!

i used to make don's bo back in the day :)

[Andrew NDB]

I think pretty much all TMNT incarnations save for the Mirage material should go by the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle moniker. They're really not ninjas in anything but that.

[rpd123]

I think pretty much all TMNT incarnations save for the Mirage material should go by the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle moniker. They're really not ninjas in anything but that.

You do have a point. Mirage Turtles are the only incarnations that behave like real ninjas. Yeah in the rest they train as ninjas and say they're ninjas, but that doesn't make it so.

[Keroscene]

I hate how they did that cause of the UK. It's like, it's an American cartoon for US. If you can't take it, make your own UK action show and leave out show alone It would be like skipping out the shower scenes out of anime shows shown in Japan because American audiences can't take it.

Umm... the BBC had to edit the cartoons because if they hadn't, there would have been even more of an uproar over something perceived as "violent" being shown to kids. And that controversy over violence wasn't restricted to the UK. Don't blame us, blame the ridiculous attitude that people had towards children's shows in the 80s (in America as well as here). I doubt the BBC had either the power or the inclination to force anyone into putting in grappling hooks. (Incidentally, TMHT was aired all over Europe, not just in the UK).

If the people making the show decided to take European sensibilities into account, maybe it's because we were watching it, buying the merchandise and contributing just as much as anyone else. It's not YOUR cartoon any more than anyone elses. Also, I would be amazed if animes are never ever cut on US television. LOADS of stuff gets cut in all countries.

[oldmanwinters]

I think pretty much all TMNT incarnations save for the Mirage material should go by the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle moniker. They're really not ninjas in anything but that.

The man does have a point!

[bwwd]

haha arent 2 swords more leathal than 2 sticks on a chain? :lol:
Uk is full of hypocrites in media, they pretend they protect kids from bad nunchucks and ninjas but they also airing in news info about woman being stabbed with knife 14 times :roll: yeah, they love to give out details like this on radio shows.

[ZariusTwo]

I think pretty much all TMNT incarnations save for the Mirage material should go by the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle moniker. They're really not ninjas in anything but that.

Mirage Turtles didnt act like Ninjas for donkeys years after a short while either. Love how you play "selective memory" where that's concerned.

[Jephael]

Love how you play "selective memory" where that's concerned.

Dude, why does Andrew's opinion upset you so much? Life's too short to bellyache over such trivial nonsense!

[Coola Yagami]

Also, I would be amazed if animes are never ever cut on US television. LOADS of stuff gets cut in all countries.

I think you missed the point. TMNT was an American cartoon meant for American audiences, so if Europe doesn't like, too bad for them. Of course anime gets cut in the US, but anime was made for Japanese audiences in the first place so when they bring it here cuts and edits have to be made. However the point I'm trying to make is, we don't see anime in Japan being drawn a certain way or changed for American audiences in mind. They just do what they do in their country and let the American censors deal with it whenever they decide to dub it here. Instead of them giving Mike a different weapon, they should have kept it as is and let the European censors deal with it.

[snake]

I think you missed the point. TMNT was an American cartoon meant for American audiences, so if Europe doesn't like, too bad for them. Of course anime gets cut in the US, but anime was made for Japanese audiences in the first place so when they bring it here cuts and edits have to be made. However the point I'm trying to make is, we don't see anime in Japan being drawn a certain way or changed for American audiences in mind. They just do what they do in their country and let the American censors deal with it whenever they decide to dub it here. Instead of them giving Mike a different weapon, they should have kept it as is and let the European censors deal with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQAQohS0On4

[Keroscene]

I think you missed the point. TMNT was an American cartoon meant for American audiences, so if Europe doesn't like, too bad for them.

No I think you've missed the point. American cartoons are not made exclusively for American audiences. That hasn't been the case in decades. The 87 cartoon never would have bothered with the grappling hooks if that European audience wasn't a significant factor in the show's success. Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland all aired the TMHT versions of those cartoons - if the grappling hooks were really a way to placate European networks (rather than a way to placate angry US parents, which is just as likely) then it was because those audiences were just as important as the US audiences.

Do you really think people making American cartoons don't expect them to be shown elsewhere and plan accordingly? It's ridiculous arrogance to think that the US audience is the only audience anyone could or should give a damn about.

[Keroscene]

haha arent 2 swords more leathal than 2 sticks on a chain? :lol:
Uk is full of hypocrites in media, they pretend they protect kids from bad nunchucks and ninjas but they also airing in news info about woman being stabbed with knife 14 times :roll: yeah, they love to give out details like this on radio shows.

1) People weren't using katanas in street gangs in the UK in the 1980s, that's why they weren't edited out.

2) People get stabbed to death everywhere, if it's more likely to be reported in the UK that's probably because it's considered a bigger deal.

3) What the hell does one thing have to do with the other anyway? Editing out the nunchuks was probably pointless and misguided, but so what? It says nothing at all about UK society or about what "hypocrites" we supposedly are. Anyone can pick two unrelated events in any random society and say "there you go, everyone in that country is a hypocrite." But it's nonsense, because unless the same people who stabbed someone to death are the people who were demanding that nunchuks be edited out of cartoons in the 1980s, you may as well be comparing Russians and Australians.

[Discogod]

It's ridiculous arrogance to think that the US audience is the only audience anyone could or should give a damn about.

Yes, but that's a typically American attitude...:roll:

[Ryanator008]

Yes, but that's a typically American attitude...:roll:

Let's stop this country discrimination and get back on topic.

[snake]

Let's stop this country discrimination and get back on topic.

How about YOU stop being a mod.

[rpd123]

How about YOU stop being a mod.

....He's trying to get the thread on topic and stop it from being a pissing contest between different countries. But you're right, how dare he!? :roll:

[Keroscene]

Yes, but that's a typically American attitude...:roll:

I don't think it is, I think there are people in every country who are prone to self-aggrandizing their own nations, it's not about Americans acting one way or another, it's about certain individuals within various nations.

But I don't want to start some kind of nationalistic rivalry flamewar, so I'll shut up now.

[Candy Kappa]

But you're right, how dare he!? :roll:

it's not the first time

[Longview01]

I've still got aload of my hero turtles comics in the loft...maybe I will dig them out tomorrow and put some pics up

[snake]

I've still got aload of my hero turtles comics in the loft...maybe I will dig them out tomorrow and put some pics up

That would be MUCH appreciated.

[Longview01]

That would be MUCH appreciated.

I would do it now but its 12am and my wife would kill me if she woke up to find me pulling boxes out the loft looking for turtles comics lol.

But I was at my parents house on Sunday and they had aload of old stuff out and there was some of my toys as a kid and I spotted my Cheapskate so decided to bring it home.

Here's a pic of that for now :P

Was really hard to get a pic so excuse the crappy quality

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426538_10200773691610404_1050652076_n.jpg

http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/601518_10200773692530427_1856332554_n.jpg

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/64722_10200773691410399_637304174_n.jpg

[Coola Yagami]

I'm not seeing it as 'America is number 1' or whatever, but why did we have our cartoon show altered for what other countries think? Has there ever been another example of this? Has some cartoon in France or whatever been changed and added extra 'American references' because otherwise Americans wouldn't have liked it?
It's like anime being completely tame and censored in its native country because Americans or some other country can't take it.

I'm just curious.... has there been any other cartoon changed or messed because of what some other country thinks? Was the Batman and Robin butchered because people in Ireland wanted it to be like the Adam West version?

[Avatar Yuffie]

It happens.

For example, Robotech is the mutation of three different anime shows (Macross, Sothern Cross and Mospeada) squished together and insisted it's one timeline/universe.

Then we have Voltron Lion/Voltron machines.

[snake]

It happens.

For example, Robotech is the mutation of three different anime shows (Macross, Sothern Cross and Mospeada) squished together and insisted it's one timeline/universe.

Then we have Voltron Lion/Voltron machines.

Ya ever hear of power rangers......

[Keroscene]

I'm not seeing it as 'America is number 1' or whatever, but why did we have our cartoon show altered for what other countries think? Has there ever been another example of this? Has some cartoon in France or whatever been changed and added extra 'American references' because otherwise Americans wouldn't have liked it?
It's like anime being completely tame and censored in its native country because Americans or some other country can't take it.

I'm just curious.... has there been any other cartoon changed or messed because of what some other country thinks? Was the Batman and Robin butchered because people in Ireland wanted it to be like the Adam West version?

You're still not getting it. It's not "your" cartoon, it's a cartoon that happened to be made in America for international audiences. If it hadn't appealed to international audiences, it may well have been considered a failure. And it's not "what other countries think," it's a couple of incredibly minor alterations made in line with broadcasting guidelines in other countries. To say it was butchered is an exaggeration, because the vast majority of TMHT was the same as TMNT.

Given that the turtles hardly ever used their weapons by season 4 anyway, and were more likely to use a pizza or a watermelon in a fight, getting rid of the nunchuks in the original American version made hardly any difference. It's not like this was a hardcore ninja action show and mean old Britain forced America to change it into something else. The people who produced the show obviously felt it was worth making those changes because the international audience was important to the show.

[Ryanator008]

Ya ever hear of power rangers......

At least in the later seasons they stopped.

[HeroTurtlesFan]

Hey all!

Long time lurker, first time poster etc etc. In fact, it was this thread that finally motivated me to register. Felt like I had to defend us Brits!

Some here are decrying it as all the UK's fault that Michaelangelo lost his weapons from season 5. But are you ready for a shock? THE UK NEVER GOT SEASON 5!

In fact, the only complete seasons that were edited into "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" were seasons 2-3. These were the only seasons that were broadcast by the BBC. Season 1 was also hacked up into a VHS release called "How It All Began".

So, if the makers of the show really did do that for little old us, they were wasting their time...

Not sure if other parts of Europe got more (probably).

On the "Hero Turtles" point, maybe it's my age; maybe it's not being a diehard fan; maybe it's nostalgia... but am I the only one who has fond memories of those HERO Turtles?

Even as a 10 year old, I knew they were "Ninja" in the States (my uncle lived in America around this time, and would bring me back some Ninja-branded toys and trading cards), but I hardly felt that I was being deprived. I WAS annjoyed that we got an edited version of the live-action movie though (I knew it was edited, as I'd seen the unedited version via less-than-honest means).

I still have all my Hero Turtles comics, books, figures etc and they'll always be "my" turtles!

Incidentally, the sensitivity around nunchukus seemed to get worse between 1987-1989 here in the UK. "Thundercats" was first broadcast in 1987, and the episodes were complete with Panthro's nunchuku action. Fast forward to the 1989 repeat run, and the very same episodes were edited to remove all such scenes. TMHT debuted January 1990, obviously suffering the same fate.

[Longview01]

In fact, the only complete seasons that were edited into "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" were seasons 2-3. These were the only seasons that were broadcast by the BBC. Season 1 was also hacked up into a VHS release called "How It All Began".

I'm going to have to pull you up on this as I am from the UK.

There was seasons past season 3 that were edited into "hero Turtles" but they were not broadcast on the BBC they were broadcast on Sky one during the DJ Cat Show upto 95 when it was cancelled.

DJ Cat even used to wear a Hero Turtles T-shirt and they constantly referenced it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klu9Lmau08g

[pferreira]

Yeah I remember being really happy to come home and watch new episodes of the show you couldn't see on the BBC. Sky 1 even showed Season 1 which made Season 2 make much more sense.

[hudemx]

Knowing this it's much clearer why Season 1 was skipped in Germany as well (only the Edited together Epic Begins was shown as a special for the Seriespremiere back in 1990. Season 1 was eventually properly shown after Season 3 had completed it's run...

[Wesley]

In Ireland, the cartoon was initially known as Ninja Turtles and the intro was unedited when it debuted with the airing of the second season. After the first two episodes were broadcast, the name was changed to Hero Turtles and the intro was edited, except for season one. The names of episodes like The Unknown Ninja were left intact. In 2007-2008, episodes were aired in their unaired US form.

[LadyTMNT]

Pssh.... doesn't make sense, its better done this way:

After Ninja Turtles there is Samurai Turtles... keep the Asian Martial Arts alive, you know.

[Davetello]

I still don't get why nunchaku were banned in UK entertainment but katana swords and sais weren't. I mean, if someone breaks into my house and threatens me, I'd far rather have a katana hiding behind the sofa than a nunchuck.

Then there's Shredder who's covered head to toe in blades and sharp metal.

That's censorship for you.

[discordiatookie]

I still don't get why nunchaku were banned in UK entertainment but katana swords and sais weren't. I mean, if someone breaks into my house and threatens me, I'd far rather have a katana hiding behind the sofa than a nunchuck.

Then there's Shredder who's covered head to toe in blades and sharp metal.

That's censorship for you.


I think it was more to do with how easy it was for kids to replicate the weapons. Or something. Heh, I did make my own nunchucks using toilet roll tubes and string, stuffing the tubes with newspaper for a bit of weight. I probably could've been arrested for that :P Hell, I don't even remember the censorship. Also, the figures still had the 'chucks.

[Discogod]

I still don't get why nunchaku were banned in UK entertainment but katana swords and sais weren't. I mean, if someone breaks into my house and threatens me, I'd far rather have a katana hiding behind the sofa than a nunchuck.

Then there's Shredder who's covered head to toe in blades and sharp metal.

That's censorship for you.

It was pretty much down to one man, James Ferman, who was the head of the BBFC from 1975-99. He had a mad hate for nunchuks, and wouldn't pass any film that featured them unless they were edited out. TMNT just happened to be one of the highest profile casualties of his regime...

[Kingoji]

Is it a fact that we in the UK only censored series 2 & 3? Because I remember that the first episode I saw (and it was definitely on it's first time airing) was the first appearance of Bebop and Rocksteady as mutants, and I remembered it being 'Hero' at that time...

[Discogod]

Is it a fact that we in the UK only censored series 2 & 3? Because I remember that the first episode I saw (and it was definitely on it's first time airing) was the first appearance of Bebop and Rocksteady as mutants, and I remembered it being 'Hero' at that time...

The whole series was edited, but only seasons 2 & 3 aired on the BBC.

[Wesley]

The whole series was edited, but only seasons 2 & 3 aired on the BBC.

Disco god is right. In Ireland, the whole series was shown on RTE Two and most of it was edited.

[Hannurdock]

Here are some hero turtle stuff I pulled out of my stash.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/682bdce3-41e7-4965-a6f3-c17666ce8c4a.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/682bdce3-41e7-4965-a6f3-c17666ce8c4a.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/b124094e-86d5-42b6-8b64-84e2c65eace8.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/b124094e-86d5-42b6-8b64-84e2c65eace8.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/20141012_133039.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/20141012_133039.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/20141012_132937.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/20141012_132937.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/3f30cf3a-7473-4ac0-8f83-7b0e9947b0f6.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/3f30cf3a-7473-4ac0-8f83-7b0e9947b0f6.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/e516ccb2-8567-442f-9de6-dca178ba6051.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/e516ccb2-8567-442f-9de6-dca178ba6051.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/hannurdock/d31f88fd-bb67-4fc4-8096-764d0d6c4523.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/hannurdock/media/d31f88fd-bb67-4fc4-8096-764d0d6c4523.jpg.html)

[Davetello]

I think it was more to do with how easy it was for kids to replicate the weapons. Or something. Heh, I did make my own nunchucks using toilet roll tubes and string, stuffing the tubes with newspaper for a bit of weight. I probably could've been arrested for that :P Hell, I don't even remember the censorship. Also, the figures still had the 'chucks.

That's a fair point.

It was pretty much down to one man, James Ferman, who was the head of the BBFC from 1975-99. He had a mad hate for nunchuks, and wouldn't pass any film that featured them unless they were edited out. TMNT just happened to be one of the highest profile casualties of his regime...

Thanks for the information pal. I will google him and read more about it.

[Prowler]

In my country we got episodes from both versions. It was a mess. Everyone called them the Ninja Turtles, though. In fact, in south European countries such as mine, Spain, Italy and France; the property was advertised as "Ninja Turtles". Maybe not officially since my brother's copy of the first NES game says "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" on it(probably the PAL release for every European country) and I'm guessing some action figures said "Hero" instead of "Ninja" as well. But we all called them "Tartarugas Ninja" and that's how the subbers subbed them as well.

Damn you, UK lol :P

[pferreira]

I only found out that the correct title was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when the 1990 movie was released. There are still some people today who think it was always called Hero Turtles. :lol:

[neatoman]

Usually subsituting "Ninja" for "Hero" would be dumb but the fact that it was the Fred Wolf cartoon they were marketing, I'm fine with it. After all, it was the series where the Turtles happily did battle in broad daylight.

[pferreira]

After all, it was the series where the Turtles happily did battle in broad daylight.Oh no, Fred Wolf just didn't get the budget to animate people so he didn't have worry about that. :D