Fluctuation in OT episode numbers

[The Fifth Turtle]

So I just finished my complete 10 "season" marathon and I have to question: What's up with the screwy episode count from season to season. Here's the breakdown.

Season/ Episode #:

1 / 5
2 / 13
3 / 47
4 / 39
5 / 22
6 / 16
Europe / 13
7 / 14
8 / 8
9 / 8
10 / 8

I get the 5 episodes from season one. It's the pilot year they're testing the waters yada yada yada. But 47 episodes in season three then 8 in season eight? Am I missing something? Anyone have any thoughts or inside info?

[cammy85]

Season 1 was a week long pilot as you said.

Season 2 was a once a week 13 episode season.

Season 3 was a syndicated season that combined 47 episodes with the 18 that aired earlier to make 65, the standard number of episodes for kids shows in the 80s.

Season 4 had 26 episodes on Saturdays (13x2) plus the 13 extra syndicated episodes to make 39, while somehow The Turtles and the Hare and Once Upon a Time Machine end up in Season 5.

Season 5, 6 and 7 had weird numbers because they decided they had to have to air back seasons to push the number to 13/26 to go by the standards.

Season 8, 9, and 10 were down to a half hour block with some markets airing a classic episode afterward with no Turtle Tip during 8 and 9 (I think?), so eight episodes each with a classic episode during the five week break to make 13.

The cartoon world is confusing. :P

[The Fifth Turtle]

The cartoon world is confusing. :P

Wow! You're not kidding. Thanks for the info! I have been wondering what the deal was ever since mid marathon.

[ABrown]

Season 8, 9, and 10 were down to a half hour block with some markets airing a classic episode afterward with no Turtle Tip during 8 and 9 (I think?), so eight episodes each with a classic episode during the five week break to make 13.

I get everything through season seven. But why 8 episodes during seasons 8-10? Why not just make them 13 episode seasons? I don't quite understand.

I remember that during the 1996-97 broadcast sason, CBS aired both seasons 9 and 10. So there was 16 episodes being aired appoximately three times each throughout that year.

[cammy85]

I get everything through season seven. But why 8 episodes during seasons 8-10? Why not just make them 13 episode seasons? I don't quite understand.

I remember that during the 1996-97 broadcast season, CBS aired both seasons 9 and 10. So there was 16 episodes being aired approximately three times each throughout that year.

They keep cutting them down every year and I don't know why. Maybe to allow for more reruns of the older CBS episodes. In Season 6, there were only five episodes with Shredder and Krang in the ocean and seven in total out of 16 which really irked me when I was younger.

It's the same with Seasons 9 and 10. I only got to watch Season 10 as my CBS affiliate changed for two years and aired an E/I zoo program in place of TMNT. >:( I actually saw Get Shredder as a post Season 9 rerun paired with Slash's first episode and a few weeks later, Season 10 started. To add to your post, they aired the eight Season 10 episodes, then five of the Season 9 episodes (The unknown Ninja, The New Mutations, The Showdown, the awesome Split Second and Carter The Enforcer) to make 13 episodes.

[The Fifth Turtle]

I get everything through season seven. But why 8 episodes during seasons 8-10? Why not just make them 13 episode seasons? I don't quite understand.

I remember that during the 1996-97 broadcast sason, CBS aired both seasons 9 and 10. So there was 16 episodes being aired appoximately three times each throughout that year.

By seasons 9 and 10 the popularity of turtles was starting to dwindle....perhaps this may have had an affect on the episode count?

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

I always did think that the number of episodes in the OT were weird.

Reminds me of the Transformers G1 series, where season 4 is only 3 episodes.

[CyberCubed]

Season 8 definitely needed to be 13 episodes.

[ABrown]

Reminds me of the Transformers G1 series, where season 4 is only 3 episodes.

I personally don't even consider those three episodes to be a "season". I just look at them to be an extension of season three. It's kinda interesting how the first five episodes of the original G.I. Joe series are generally considered to be just an extension of its first season, even though G.I. Joe didn't get a full season order under two years later. However, the first five episodes of the original TMNT cartoon IS considered to be a full season.

I used to think of TMNT's five part "season 1" to be just an extension of 13 episodes that followed. However, after enough years of people calling the first five episodes a "season", I've come to think of it as a full season. I think G.I. Joe's first 10 episodes (the first two 5 episode mini-series(es)) should be considered that show's first season. But TMNT's first five episodes should be combined with the following 13 episodes, and considered to be an 18 episode first season.

[cammy85]

The first season isn't considered as a season by some people, but more like a five part mini-series to introduce the series, like the five part version of She-ra's "Secret of the Sword". It was meant to introduce the series, so they could get on with "Return of the Shredder" and so forth.

[blindturtle02]

I'm glad someone decided to make a thread about the weird episode number fluctuation. I also finished rewatching my OT DVDs for the umpteenth time recently and couldn't help but notice the last 3 seasons only lasting 8 episodes.

I thought I remembered them airing a few reruns from earlier seasons during the last two or three CBS seasons. I was pretty disappointed when they cut back to only one half hour episode a weekend for a while. Didn't they do a little of that in season 7 too or were they still airing back to back eps then? I seem to remember, for instance, Legend of Koji airing with Convicts from Dimension X back to back when they first premiered. Didn't they air most season 7 eps as double episode blocks? It's a little difficult to recall that for certain, however. They'd do that with most season 7 eps, I think. Or at least during reruns. I try to watch each double episode block the way they were originally aired when I get to the CBS seasons, so I have to do allot of DVD switching because Lionsgate didn't put the season 5, 6, and 7 episodes in airing order. You'd get a Shredder ep, then a random mobster or mad scientist ep right after when they aired. Sure I have to do allot of DVD flipflopping, but it's fun watching them the way I remember CBS airing them. The episode guides on TV.com help out quite allot. I suppose if you add the Europe stuff during your season 4 run, you'd have even more Dimension X eps to mow through. That's the way I watch them, anyway. I'm never sure when to watch the Easter episodes, so I put them during season 4 too since I remember watching those week day afternoons on our local Fox station in the early 90's in the first batch of syndicated Dimension X eps after Big Blowout. Does anyone else watch Planet of The Turtleoids at the very end of season 5? I taped the original Prime Time premier before s5 even started, but seem to remember it airing a second time at the end of s5 in the usual double ep block on Saturday morning. So that's when I watch it now that we've finally got it. This number fluctuation can also be a bit frustrating when attempting to watch stuff in chronological order. I guess I don't really think about individual seasons when going through the OT, but have definitely noticed the number fluctuations when reading the ep guides online.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I came into the series a bit late- AFTER I'd discovered the movie (1990) so I don't really recall how the first two seasons originally aired. I think I came in somewhere around the middle of season three, because one of the first ones I remember watching was "The Gang's All Here", and it's still one of my faves to this day- for obvious reasons. (Especially so to anyone who's been reading along on my fan-fics, LOL! That ep tends to get referenced a LOT....) However, due to my slightly OCD nature when it comes to things I enjoy, I did make a list of the episodes in the order they appeared where I lived once they started doing the entire series in syndication- I started with the first five pilot eps, and worked my way from there to note the title of every episode, every time it came on. I still have that list, too, and I think it was pretty accurate. I never really noticed it breaking into seasons, though, since it was on pretty much every afternoon in my area. I'd come home from school and watch it first thing, and jot down the ep title afterward. I think I have all of them.


Edit: Nope- scratch that- only a few of them are in the right order; either they got aired out of order on some eps, or I missed some and had to go back and write them in later. Huh, that's weird. But I think I have most of them. Might be missing a few from the last season or two. Hard to tell now without having something to compare it to that's both complete and in order.

[blindturtle02]

I came into the series a bit late- AFTER I'd discovered the movie (1990) so I don't really recall how the first two seasons originally aired. I think I came in somewhere around the middle of season three, because one of the first ones I remember watching was "The Gang's All Here", and it's still one of my faves to this day- for obvious reasons. (Especially so to anyone who's been reading along on my fan-fics, LOL! That ep tends to get referenced a LOT....) However, due to my slightly OCD nature when it comes to things I enjoy, I did make a list of the episodes in the order they appeared where I lived once they started doing the entire series in syndication- I started with the first five pilot eps, and worked my way from there to note the title of every episode, every time it came on. I still have that list, too, and I think it was pretty accurate. I never really noticed it breaking into seasons, though, since it was on pretty much every afternoon in my area. I'd come home from school and watch it first thing, and jot down the ep title afterward. I think I have all of them.


Edit: Nope- scratch that- only a few of them are in the right order; either they got aired out of order on some eps, or I missed some and had to go back and write them in later. Huh, that's weird. But I think I have most of them. Might be missing a few from the last season or two. Hard to tell now without having something to compare it to that's both complete and in order.

Oh that's awesome! You should upload that list. It'd be fun to read. Sure wish I'd done things like that back then. I think they'd air a few eps at random from time to time, but it's difficult to remember for sure. I know they aired the big 3 part season 3 finale in order. Of course, I saw that one in reruns. Then of course they aired the first 13 or so dimension X eps. I do remember seeing Plan 6 the day after Blowout, so guess they were pretty much on the ball.

[cammy85]

snip

For seasons 5-7 (and maybe 8 and 9??) they aired a certain number of episodes and then so many reruns to make it to 13 weeks, then start again. Now that I think of it, each season had a different number of episode blocks. Ex. Season 7 had 7 weeks/14 episodes then 8-10 had eight. Weird indeed!!

[snake]

If only season 9 was longer. I really think it could've been better if it was just a few episodes longer.

[CyberCubed]

Lord Dregg got 16 episodes total, that was enough.

It was Season 8 that needed to be longer so we could have seen more of Shredder and Krang at the Hall of Science.

[MikeandRaph87]

Lord Dregg got 16 episodes total, that was enough.

It was Season 8 that needed to be longer so we could have seen more of Shredder and Krang at the Hall of Science.

Agreed. It was a nice concept that did not get time to play out effectively. The show may needed a refresh but minimizing Shredder and Krang then dropping them almost completely was not the answer.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Oh that's awesome! You should upload that list. It'd be fun to read. Sure wish I'd done things like that back then. I think they'd air a few eps at random from time to time, but it's difficult to remember for sure. I know they aired the big 3 part season 3 finale in order. Of course, I saw that one in reruns. Then of course they aired the first 13 or so dimension X eps. I do remember seeing Plan 6 the day after Blowout, so guess they were pretty much on the ball.

I might do that, if I ever find the time. Usually I'm too busy working on my various tales (TMNT, Red-Back, and my dark elf fantasy novels) or surfing the net or picking up new pics or music for inspiration.

[CyberCubed]

It's kind of funny how Season 7 had a 13-episode order like a "normal show" while all the seasons before it and after it had weird episode counts.

I don't think anyone really knew what they were doing with the original cartoon. Back then they also probably didn't know how long it would be on the air, so they weren't sure what to do.

I think we can all be greatful the show wasn't canceled on some random filler episode like a mad scientist episode. The series could have been canceled at any time.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Surely you jest, good sir!

[CyberCubed]

Imagine if the show was canceled after Season 4? The last episode would have been "Unidentified Flying Leonardo" which was just a random mad scientist episode about a guy controlling fruit.

LOL. I always wonder why they ended some seasons on random episodes, not even a big Shredder/Krang ep like Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 7 had.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Could be worse- they could have canceled it after the European Vacation eps. *shudders*

[CyberCubed]

Could be worse- they could have canceled it after the European Vacation eps. *shudders*

Pretty sure those episodes were made at the same time Season 4 was, even if they didn't air till years later.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Still would have been worse. I rest my case.....