Watching the OG Fred Wolf Series

[MrAustin]

Hi Everyone! Hope you?re all doing as well as can be.

In a totally un-unique story, I loved TMNT as a kid (I grew up with the 4Kids show) but somewhere around 2011 I lost interest. Flash forward to February of this year and I stumbled upon the IDW comic and my interest in the franchise significantly bloomed; I became pretty obsessed with the idea of reading as many of the comics and watching as many of the shows/movies/ConcertAbominations as possible and to that end, I've accomplished quite a bit.

The other day I finished my marathon of the Fred Wolf cartoon and it was such a rollercoaster. By the end of it, my brain was leaking and my soul felt weak, but I did it! It's interesting, despite the often shameless plot repetition episode-to-episode, despite the lack of narrative momentum or consistency in animation, as a whole, the show just glows.

Of course, it's maybe a double edged sword in how it exploded the franchise's popularity while also keeping its ability to evolve in a bit of limbo, but there's something magnetic about the show, almost in spite of itself?

Well, now on to The Next Mutation and finishing up the Archie comic run.

What do you guys think about the OG show? Especially those who didn't necessarily grow up with it.

[CyberCubed]

The original TMNT cartoon was basically The Simpsons, Pokemon, or Spongebob of its day where it could have theoretically run forever on the same basic plots like those shows do.

It's the longest lasting cartoon of it's time with 194 episodes and 10 seasons, and still to this day one of the longest lasting non-adult comedy cartoons of all time.

[Leo656]

I can't come up with too much to say that I haven't already said a million times.

Loved it as a kid, liked the movie better. Liked the Archie comics mostly-better. Kinda lost a little patience for the cartoon around '93 due to how stagnant it was, while the movie and Archie comics seemed to have actual stakes and personal growth for the characters. Kept up with it off-and-on until it was cancelled. Liked Red Sky more than most people do, simply because it at least tried to evolve and was more fitting with what "action" cartoons were doing in that time period, while the previous seasons were all still squarely locked into what was standard for 1989. A change was welcome and long overdue, although Red Sky had its own share of problems which kept me from really embracing it, but I admired the attempt at evolution. Better to aim high and fall short than just keep spinning your wheels forever.

It's all over the place. Some episodes I think hold up very well, and there's a lot where I have to wonder how dumb they thought we were to put up with it. I've seen the entire series more than once but I can't marathon it. So far I just can't push through; after a while, the bad stuff gets SO bad, with a lot of really crappy episodes packed very close together for a significant stretch, that it hits a point where I don't even care that it's not always gonna be that bad, I just can't keep watching it and have to do something else for a long, long time. It's not ALL that bad, not even close, but when this show was bad it was VERY bad. And while the Good Ones are more Good than the Bad Ones are Bad, there are so many Bad-To-Mediocre ones that it drags the entire show's "batting average" down substantially. I wish they'd had about a third as many total episodes and just had them all be as relatively consistent as the first two seasons were; that'd be preferable to almost 200 episodes of "Some Gems, Some Meh, and a Lotta Junk Taking Up Space".

I'm very critical of it, but I don't hate it. There's definitely a lot of episodes I could watch anytime and they'd be entertaining. They're just vastly outnumbered by ones I have to be in the mood for, and ones I need to be drunk for.

[sdp]

I posted all my thoughts on the whole series season by season of the Fred wolf tmnt show here (https://miscrave.com/articles/tmnt-1987/)

Good show , also didn't really watch it as a kid much so not a lot of bias

[ABrown]

I grew up with the series. When the first episode aired, I was six years old. When the final episode aired, I was 15 years old. I didn't initially get into the series when it became popular. It wasn't until after the movie came out in 1990 that I started to really enjoy the cartoon. Even as a child though, I wanted the cartoon to be more like the "red sky" era. Unfortunately, that didn't end up coming to be until I was a teenager. I do feel that the original cartoon can be a very entertaining show. Just don't take it too seriously, and enjoy it for what it is.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

Season one was good. It had a beginning, middle and a kinda satisfying end.

Season two wasn't as good, but still had a beginning, middle and an end, although nowhere near as satisfying or focus

Season 3 completely lost me about 5 episodes in. Haven't seen anything more than that, and I don't plan on ever watching more. The Show just isn't my thing

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I posted all my thoughts on the whole series season by season of the Fred wolf tmnt show here https://miscrave.com/articles/tmnt-1987/



I always thought Baxter Stockman was arrested for causing destruction of property. His mousers destroyed entire buildings, and leftover pieces from the the mousers were probably found.

[mikey0]

Raphael is the character to watch for in the original series. Also, Shredder and Krang are very similar to Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple. It?s hard to forget the over the top episodes (Donatello?s Degree).

I wish there were a series for the original Playmates toyline. Double strapped belts on Donatello and Leonardo, shirtless Shredder, April with a handgun, and Krang with his brain-drain gun. I wouldn?t miss an episode of that.

[Sumac]

It's a good series for the time and for what it was: simple childish comedy with references to the contemporary stuff.

[PizzaPower1985]

Hi Everyone! Hope you?re all doing as well as can be.

In a totally un-unique story, I loved TMNT as a kid (I grew up with the 4Kids show) but somewhere around 2011 I lost interest. Flash forward to February of this year and I stumbled upon the IDW comic and my interest in the franchise significantly bloomed; I became pretty obsessed with the idea of reading as many of the comics and watching as many of the shows/movies/ConcertAbominations as possible and to that end, I?ve accomplished quite a bit.

The other day I finished my marathon of the Fred Wolf cartoon and it was such a rollercoaster. By the end of it, my brain was leaking and my soul felt weak, but I did it! It?s interesting, despite the often shameless plot repetition episode-to-episode, despite the lack of narrative momentum or consistency in animation, as a whole, the show just glows.

Of course, it?s maybe a double edged sword in how it exploded the franchise?s popularity while also keeping its ability to evolve in a bit of limbo, but there?s something magnetic about the show, almost in spite of itself?

Well, now on to The Next Mutation and finishing up the Archie comic run.

What do you guys think about the OG show? Especially those who didn?t necessarily grow up with it.

Welcome to the forums, friend. Greetings! IDW got me BACK into the TMNT
as well, after a long absence. If you don't mind me asking, what's your age range? Younger audiences seem to be able to handle the FW toon far better than young adults or old near middle aged fogies like myself.

Your path is very similar to mine as after I read IDW I too went on a TMNT binge and watched, read and consumed EVERYTHING.

[Wesley]

I grew up loving the show and still kinda like it as an adult, but it?s a guilty pleasure with ups and downs. Haven?t watched most of the episodes in years and wouldn?t consider it to be a ?good? series, but I?ve enjoyed most eps I?ve seen recently (primarily from seasons 1, 2 and 7).

It?s one of the shows I have to be in the mood for watching it, though, as the pizza jokes and catchphrases can become tiresome after a while. Best watched in small doses. Could never do a marathon of the entire series.

[TigerClaw]

I loved the series, It was the gold standard at the time and i think still is. Many of the current iterations borrowed from it. The characters who were originally from the series appeared in other comics and other media and became canon to the mythology.

[mikey0]

The Fred Wolf cartoon is the Batman ‘66 to the TMNT universe. It’s the most iconic children’s TV show of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

[PizzaPower1985]

The Fred Wolf cartoon is the Batman ?66 to the TMNT universe. It?s the most iconic children?s TV show of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

That's a good analogy.
Never thought of it in those terms.

[Leo656]

I think it was probably, or just maybe, "the best" kids' cartoon on the air from the first couple seasons until Batman: TAS showed up, but if we're being honest, what else was going on at that exact moment? He-Man was long in re-runs and "New Adventures" was ignored for being "meh". G.I. Joe was pretty much on the way out, same thing. "Super-Friends" ("Super Powers" by then) was off the air for years and not even in re-runs. There were no really, really "good" cartoons that conveniently enough also had an accompanying toy line. The door was wide open and TMNT slipped right in, but it was definitely a Right Place/Right Time situation.

The only other real "competition" I can think of for the FW TMNT cartoon when it first came out was "The Real Ghostbusters", which was generally a much better show than TMNT, or anything else, really, early on in its run, but by that point was already winding down as well. I'd have to check but I think by the time TMNT came out RGB had already tacked on the abysmal "Slimer and the RGB" stuff that was pretty much the death rattle for the series. And Ghostbusters was always more aimed at boys and didn't have as much cross-over appeal as things like TMNT ended up having, partly by design. The brand got a nice kick in the butt for a minute when Ghostbusters 2 came out, but even with that, all the kids pretty much knew that the party was over. The only people I knew who were still buying RGB toys or watching the cartoon in 1989-ish were very, very fanatical, like me. Keep in mind that kids have very, very short attention spans and are always impatiently waiting to move on to the next thing (and make fun of other kids for still liking The Old Thing), and TMNT was perfectly positioned to be the "Next Thing" after He-Man/RGB/G.I/Joe/etc. all died out.

Point being, I don't say this to disparage the original TMNT cartoon, but timing is everything. And people may not want to admit this, but when TMNT came out and for the first couple seasons until X-Men and Batman, it benefited greatly from being the best of a very, very weak crop of kids cartoons. If it had came on TV two years earlier or two years later, it probably would not have become the phenomenon that it did. They caught fire at exactly the right time and had the market to themselves, briefly. Thus, "Turtlemania". Once Batman:TAS, X-Men, and Spider-Man came along, a lot of the heat died down, and once Power Rangers came along, TMNT was dead in the water. None of the reboot shows have had anywhere near the success the original had, because there's always been a lot of competition when they've come out and they haven't had the whole stage to themselves ever since the very first couple FW seasons. When kids had other things to watch, TMNT became one of many things they watched. When there was nothing else to watch, it was a "phenomenon", but not at any other time in its existence.

It was definitely one of the better kids shows of its era for a while and I'm not saying it wasn't, and I do think that it was always going to be successful, because it was better than a lot of the shows that came before and after it. But it was only ever "huge" when there was absolutely no competition for it, and I feel like that fact shouldn't be overlooked. And that's why people are kind of trapping themselves when they yearn for or aim for recapturing that whole "Turtlemania" thing; that show came along at a time when it almost had to succeed and had an empty stage on which to perform. That's a huge deal.

[neatoman]

"OG Fred Wolf Series"? Strange way of putting it.

Fred Wolf only produced a single TMNT show and the franchise did not start with them.

[MrAustin]

I posted all my thoughts on the whole series season by season of the Fred wolf tmnt show here (https://miscrave.com/articles/tmnt-1987/)

Good show , also didn't really watch it as a kid much so not a lot of bias

Looking forward to reading through that! Thank you for sharing :)

[MrAustin]

Welcome to the forums, friend. Greetings! IDW got me BACK into the TMNT
as well, after a long absence. If you don't mind me asking, what's your age range? Younger audiences seem to be able to handle the FW toon far better than young adults or old near middle aged fogies like myself.

Your path is very similar to mine as after I read IDW I too went on a TMNT binge and watched, read and consumed EVERYTHING.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I'm 26 and it's been about 12-13 years or so since I was *really* into TMNT. It's kind of cool to binge 'everything' isn't it?

What would you say the highlights and lowlights were for you?

So far, the IDW comics are my absolute favorite version of the mythos and characters with the 4kids show not too far behind. I'm super excited to watch the 2012 Nick show though and to finish up the Archie comics!

[MrAustin]

"OG Fred Wolf Series"? Strange way of putting it.

Fred Wolf only produced a single TMNT show and the franchise did not start with them.

That's true, but my post was about the Fred Wolf TMNT show.

[PizzaPower1985]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I'm 26 and it's been about 12-13 years or so since I was *really* into TMNT. It's kind of cool to binge 'everything' isn't it?

What would you say the highlights and lowlights were for you?

So far, the IDW comics are my absolute favorite version of the mythos and characters with the 4kids show not too far behind. I'm super excited to watch the 2012 Nick show though and to finish up the Archie comics!

For me, the absolute pinnacle of TMNT is the 1990 movie. I'm in my 30s and grew up on it. Love that so much. But my preferred media is comics so I love the IDW books as a close second to the 1st movie. After that I love the 4Kids show and Mirage comic books about equally as well. Great stuff. Also a big fan of the pilot season (Season 1) of the 87 cartoon, mainly for nostalgia. I'm simply too old for the 2012 show. I like the Archie books a lot, but it's not a favorite. I really enjoy playing the old arcade games tho. And there's a lot of TMNT paintings and artwork that captures my imagination also.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

I can't help but think that Transformers G1 was a much better show than the FW Turtles show

[neatoman]

I can't help but think that Transformers G1 was a much better show than the FW Turtles show

In what way?

[mikey0]

For me, the absolute pinnacle of TMNT is the 1990 movie. I'm in my 30s and grew up on it. Love that so much. But my preferred media is comics so I love the IDW books as a close second to the 1st movie. After that I love the 4Kids show and Mirage comic books about equally as well. Great stuff. Also a big fan of the pilot season (Season 1) of the 87 cartoon, mainly for nostalgia. I'm simply too old for the 2012 show. I like the Archie books a lot, but it's not a favorite. I really enjoy playing the old arcade games tho. And there's a lot of TMNT paintings and artwork that captures my imagination also.

The 1988 episodes were the pilot season. The 1987 miniseries was made to advertise the first basic assortment figures to the original Playmates toyline. In the pilot season, we are introduced to the Punk Frogs and Baxter the fly. Both of which turned up in the second basic wave. The 2nd and 3rd (CBS SATAM toons) seasons was the best out of them all because they were on when the new action figures (Casey Jones, Rat King, and Slash) were in stores. The seasons that came after the 3rd season (with the exception of Red Sky) were never as memorable as the 2nd season and 3rd season (to some extent).

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

In what way?

Better characters for one thing. I've never liked the way the 80s turtles act or speak. The G1 cast have more distinct and interesting personalities. Megatron and Starscream's bickering I found funnier than Shredder and Krang's (I can never stress enough how much I hate Krang as a character). Bebop and Rocksteady never failed to irritate me either.

The main thing was progression. G1 actually had some level of plot progression, whereas the OT never had much, save for the first 2 seasons and the red sky seasons.

[ABrown]

I can't help but think that Transformers G1 was a much better show than the FW Turtles show

If I was on a deserted island and could only have one or the other, I would take the original Transformers cartoon over the original TMNT cartoon (though I'm not sure exactly how I'm watching the show on a deserted island). For one, I was a Transformers fan first. So I feel I owe a bit of loyalty to that franchise. But regardless, the Transformers cartoon was much more of what I wanted in an action cartoon. It and G.I. Joe set the bar for me for action cartoons in the 80's. The original TMNT cartoon finally got to what I was looking for, when they transitioned to the "red sky" era. But by that point there was only 24 episodes in that style.

I feel I should note though, I would probably take the 4Kids TMNT series over any of the action cartoons that I've enjoyed though out my life.

[MrAustin]

For me, the absolute pinnacle of TMNT is the 1990 movie. I'm in my 30s and grew up on it. Love that so much. But my preferred media is comics so I love the IDW books as a close second to the 1st movie. After that I love the 4Kids show and Mirage comic books about equally as well. Great stuff. Also a big fan of the pilot season (Season 1) of the 87 cartoon, mainly for nostalgia. I'm simply too old for the 2012 show. I like the Archie books a lot, but it's not a favorite. I really enjoy playing the old arcade games tho. And there's a lot of TMNT paintings and artwork that captures my imagination also.

It sounds like we love very similar parts of this franchise, although, I started the 2012 show the other day and so far, I'm loving it. It's so cute.

[IMJ]

Better characters for one thing. I've never liked the way the 80s turtles act or speak.

-geeze- and you were there for it, right? That era, I mean. What was it that made you a TMNT fan then?

Not that any other exposure would be impossible, but most people from this generation were introduced to TMNT via the Fred Wold show, so to be there and find your fandom from another incarnation after disliking the original show is fairly unique I'd say.....

[Sumac]

I can't help but think that Transformers G1 was a much better show than the FW Turtles show
I've tried to watch G1 about 10 years ago. Couldn't watch past first 3 episodes.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

-geeze- and you were there for it, right? That era, I mean. What was it that made you a TMNT fan then?

Not that any other exposure would be impossible, but most people from this generation were introduced to TMNT via the Fred Wold show, so to be there and find your fandom from another incarnation after disliking the original show is fairly unique I'd say.....

I grew up with the 2003 series

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I didn't grow up with the Fred Wolf show (My formal introduction was the 2007 movie, and bits of the 2003 show during that time), but I grew on to love it nonethless, till the point where it eternally stands as my favourite incarnation.

Since I do not have the time or motivation to sit through 193 episodes again, my ideal ways to watch the shows from time to time are as follows:

1. Watch seasons 1, 2 and 3 and then stop. I would argue that these 3 seasons represented the cartoon at its best, before it all went downhill for a good stretch of episodes. You get to watch 65 episodes here.

2. Watch seasons 6 and 7, as they have consistent animation, many good episodes with reccuring side-characters, and were the point in the show's run where it was getting better and better. You get to watch 30 episodes this way.

3. Watch the Red Sky seasons, as they have tight-knit continuity, good animation for the most part and much more action oriented with less comedy which makes it easier to take more seriously. This way, you have 24 episodes to watch.

[CyberCubed]

I didn't grow up with the Fred Wolf show (My formal introduction was the 2007 movie, and bits of the 2003 show during that time), but I grew on to love it nonethless, till the point where it eternally stands as my favourite incarnation.

Since I do not have the time or motivation to sit through 193 episodes again, my ideal ways to watch the shows from time to time are as follows:

1. Watch seasons 1, 2 and 3 and then stop. I would argue that these 3 seasons represented the cartoon at its best, before it all went downhill for a good stretch of episodes. You get to watch 65 episodes here.

2. Watch seasons 6 and 7, as they have consistent animation, many good episodes with reccuring side-characters, and were the point in the show's run where it was getting better and better. You get to watch 30 episodes this way.

3. Watch the Red Sky seasons, as they have tight-knit continuity, good animation for the most part and much more action oriented with less comedy which makes it easier to take more seriously. This way, you have 24 episodes to watch.

There's also some real good eps in Season 4 and 5, if you skip over the duller eps and watch some of the best ones.

[sdp]

Yeah season 3 really drags, not as much as 4 but I remember my first time watching through all of Season 3 was when they were releasing dvds and I think they relased a dvd every 6 months or so, it took forever to release season 3. After that they opted for seasons, thank god since season 4 would've taken another 3 years.

[IMJ]

I've tried to watch G1 about 10 years ago. Couldn't watch past first 3 episodes.

LOL! I know man! I couldn't believe it - what was easily the most "drama filled" and "suspenseful" show in my youth had become incredibly unwatchable in adulthood.

I literally experienced exactly the same thing..... It was so bad that I didn't even want to jump to the post Movie Rodimus episodes that were even a bit darker. Just couldnt be bothered.

[ssjup81]

I liked the show as a kid. It introduced me to the franchise and made me a fan of Rob Paulsen. The only gripe I had with the show, back then, was that Mikey couldn't use his nunchucks after a while without knowing why until years later. Thank you Europe! >< lol

Anyway, as of now...there are still some eps I find enjoyable, despite the cheesiness...like that ep where Donatello was shocked and thought he was like Batman and wanted to literally kill Shredder. I liked that episode so much. Mr. Nice Guy was another favorite of mine from back then that I still like now. Raphael Meets His Match is another since I really liked Mona Lisa and thought it was sad that she didn't come back. Her character was a wise ass like Raph, which was what I liked about his character. I was always drawn to wise-alleck characters. There are some others, but those stand out for me. I also seemed to like the self-referential humor and 4th wall breaking. Two jokes that have always remained with me were the ones in reference to Japanese language. One had them going through dimensions and the characters were speaking English (think it was the Usagi Yojimbo ep) and Raph was like, "An ancient Japanese dimension...of course they speak English." lol The other one was when some creature or spirit or whatever was turning NYC into ancient Japan and Donatello was wondering why the ancient released demon or whatever was speaking English. Raph said, without missing a beat, "This show can't afford subtitles." I love that type of humor and those lines are still funny to me now because it reminds me of how I felt when seeing the third movie. I hated hearing all of that English and wanted Japanese. lol

I think the show can be enjoyable if you view it as a product of its time and not really try comparing it to more modern expectations and standards. It was a kid's show that had to be mild because it was aimed at a younger audience and felt the show was a bit better when it was still syndicated and before it was put on CBS Saturday mornings, which had to tone things down even more.

[Wesley]

I think the show can be enjoyable if you view it as a product of its time and not really try comparing it to more modern expectations and standards. It was a kid's show that had to be mild because it was aimed at a younger audience and felt the show was a bit better when it was still syndicated and before it was put on CBS Saturday mornings, which had to tone things down even more.

Agreed. Also, a lot of the humor such as Raph?s sarcastic remarks and the banter between Shredder and Krang went over my head as a kid, so parts of the show are actually more enjoyable to me as an adult, weirdly enough. I get the self-aware and 4th wall jokes now. And my current signature is taken from one of the best dialogue in the series imo.

[ssjup81]

Agreed. Also, a lot of the humor such as Raph?s sarcastic remarks and the banter between Shredder and Krang went over my head as a kid, so parts of the show are actually more enjoyable to me as an adult, weirdly enough. I get the self-aware and 4th wall jokes now. And my current signature is taken from one of the best dialogue in the series imo.For the original series, it's stuff like this that made Raphael my favorite (Mikey was a close second). I like sarcastic humor and when revisiting the series nearly 10 years ago, I felt the same way.I love how they even acknowledged how absurd some things were, even for their universe/show. Anyway, as I was saying, I got the jokes that went over my head as a kid and that makes it more enjoyable.

[neatoman]

I didn't grow up with the Fred Wolf show (My formal introduction was the 2007 movie, and bits of the 2003 show during that time), but I grew on to love it nonethless, till the point where it eternally stands as my favourite incarnation.

Since I do not have the time or motivation to sit through 193 episodes again, my ideal ways to watch the shows from time to time are as follows:

1. Watch seasons 1, 2 and 3 and then stop. I would argue that these 3 seasons represented the cartoon at its best, before it all went downhill for a good stretch of episodes. You get to watch 65 episodes here.

2. Watch seasons 6 and 7, as they have consistent animation, many good episodes with reccuring side-characters, and were the point in the show's run where it was getting better and better. You get to watch 30 episodes this way.

3. Watch the Red Sky seasons, as they have tight-knit continuity, good animation for the most part and much more action oriented with less comedy which makes it easier to take more seriously. This way, you have 24 episodes to watch.

So, your "favourite incarnation" is one you discourage people from watching 74 out of the 193 episodes? You realise that's 38% of the entire series, right? That's pretty damn close to half, only 12 episodes away from being half in fact.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

So, your "favourite incarnation" is one you discourage people from watching 74 out of the 193 episodes? You realise that's 38% of the entire series, right? That's pretty damn close to half, only 12 episodes away from being half in fact.

Whats up with the quotation marks? Do you have doubts about my favourite incarnation genuinely being FW?

I'm merely suggesting those viewing orders in the interest of time (while getting the best of the show) , since it can be pretty daunting for the average person to sit through 193 episodes.

[Wesley]

I didn't grow up with the Fred Wolf show (My formal introduction was the 2007 movie, and bits of the 2003 show during that time), but I grew on to love it nonethless, till the point where it eternally stands as my favourite incarnation.

Since I do not have the time or motivation to sit through 193 episodes again, my ideal ways to watch the shows from time to time are as follows:

1. Watch seasons 1, 2 and 3 and then stop. I would argue that these 3 seasons represented the cartoon at its best, before it all went downhill for a good stretch of episodes. You get to watch 65 episodes here.

2. Watch seasons 6 and 7, as they have consistent animation, many good episodes with reccuring side-characters, and were the point in the show's run where it was getting better and better. You get to watch 30 episodes this way.

3. Watch the Red Sky seasons, as they have tight-knit continuity, good animation for the most part and much more action oriented with less comedy which makes it easier to take more seriously. This way, you have 24 episodes to watch.

Sounds good. I agree they?re the best ways to watch the series. I used to kinda do that myself in the early 00s when the show was still being regularly rerun on RT? Two in Ireland.

[neatoman]

Whats up with the quotation marks? Do you have doubts about my favourite incarnation genuinely being FW?

I'm merely suggesting those viewing orders in the interest of time (while getting the best of the show) , since it can be pretty daunting for the average person to sit through 193 episodes.

If you watch 6 episodes per day (roughly 2 hours), you'll be done in about a month. It's not really that daunting

[Leo656]

If you watch 6 episodes per day (roughly 2 hours), you'll be done in about a month. It's not really that daunting

In Theory.

I personally don't think I could commit to that, frankly, although it sounds reasonable on paper. For one, I don't think I could manage six episodes per day of FW TMNT after the second or third Season, I just don't think I could stomach it, it would be a chore at multiple various points. For two, I have too many other hobbies demanding my attention, so even the idea of "I'm gonna watch TMNT every day for 2-3 hours for the next few weeks" sounds like a bad marriage with no upside.

I can easily clear an entire week to do the entire run of "Twin Peaks" and then bang the whole series out in like four days in 6-10 hour chunks, despite that being emotionally exhausting. But still... that's GOOD television. :trazz: Kinda easier to get up for that exercise.

Which reminds me... we're on Month 4 of "lockdown" and I haven't done another "Twin Peaks" run since before it started. WHAT THE F*CK HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE IF NOT THAT?!?! Now I'm annoyed.

[mikey0]

The best episodes of the FW cartoon to watch are the ones with new characters and machines that were made into toys. My cousin always thought the FW cartoon works best as a 30 toy commercial. He did not like the silliest episodes that weren?t toy commercials.

[Leo656]

Because THAT'S the way people pushing 40 wanna be entertained. :lol:

Meh. Rather watch Laura Palmer get murdered again. :lol:

........Or maybe she DIDN'T? I'unno, the ending of "The Return" series was confusing. :lol: Either way... this is some damn fine coffee.

https://i.imgflip.com/3l6rpt.jpg

[ssjup81]

The best episodes of the FW cartoon to watch are the ones with new characters and machines that were made into toys. My cousin always thought the FW cartoon works best as a 30 toy commercial. He did not like the silliest episodes that weren?t toy commercials.The entirety of the 80s in general felt like a decade-long commercial as far as kids shows went. :P:lol:

[Leo656]

Great to have ya back!

[Sumac]

I marathoned FW TMNT in 2010 - one episode per day. Took me from January up to October, i think.

And then I marathoned 2k3 series and the movies.

Damn, it was almost like yesterday.:cry:

[neatoman]

In Theory.

I personally don't think I could commit to that, frankly, although it sounds reasonable on paper. For one, I don't think I could manage six episodes per day of FW TMNT after the second or third Season, I just don't think I could stomach it, it would be a chore at multiple various points. For two, I have too many other hobbies demanding my attention, so even the idea of "I'm gonna watch TMNT every day for 2-3 hours for the next few weeks" sounds like a bad marriage with no upside.

I can easily clear an entire week to do the entire run of "Twin Peaks" and then bang the whole series out in like four days in 6-10 hour chunks, despite that being emotionally exhausting. But still... that's GOOD television. :trazz: Kinda easier to get up for that exercise.

Which reminds me... we're on Month 4 of "lockdown" and I haven't done another "Twin Peaks" run since before it started. WHAT THE F*CK HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE IF NOT THAT?!?! Now I'm annoyed.

Which is kind of my point. If a show really is worthwhile, why skip out on more than a third of it? It's not like the Simpsons where you have this show that completely ranout of creative steam after 200+ episodes and then slowly turned into an unwatchable mess. We're talking about a show here that did not quite last 200 episodes, numerous flaws have been pointed out over the years and the fan recommendation is to skip out the middle 74 episodes?

Plus the fact that if you're really not feeling a show, you can just drop it. Right now I'm trying to watch all of the Battlestar Galactica reboot (halfway through season 2) but I'm taking a break because I don't really feel it and might drop it entirely, which is OK.

[Leo656]

Eh, I'unno, lots of good shows had a rough patch. The last couple seasons of Real Ghostbusers after Slimer became the focus were pretty dreadful, but its overall batting average still puts it among the best cartoon shows ever.

Just because you can have a large chunk of episodes that are no good doesn't mean the entire show isn't any good.

[mikey0]

The entirety of the 80s in general felt like a decade-long commercial as far as kids shows went. :P:lol:

True. Some of the 90s, also.

[neatoman]

Eh, I'unno, lots of good shows had a rough patch. The last couple seasons of Real Ghostbusers after Slimer became the focus were pretty dreadful, but its overall batting average still puts it among the best cartoon shows ever.

Just because you can have a large chunk of episodes that are no good doesn't mean the entire show isn't any good.

Sure, that's true. The example I brought up, The Simpsons, started of with about 200 good episodes and the almost 500 (...wow...) that came after tend to suck really hard.

But the bigger the chunk of terrible episodes are in proportion to the series as a whole, it does drag the series whole down ever lower. In fact, it feels kind of weird saying "The Simpsons is one of the greatest cartoons of all time" if I don't also add "But only the first nine seasons", because by now about 70% of the show sucks ass.

[Leo656]

Yeah, but at least Marge smokes pot now. :lol:

[CyberCubed]

I've seen the entire original cartoon in full 10-15 times, but probably more than that since when I was a kid I'd always watch it on TV whenever it aired. But since the DVDs probably 10-15 times.

The original TMNT cartoon is a show similar to Simpsons/Spongebob/Pokemon,etc. where it could have theoretically run forever. The original TMNT cartoon could have gone on for 500+ episodes or even 1000+ episodes and it would be fine.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

If you watch 6 episodes per day (roughly 2 hours), you'll be done in about a month. It's not really that daunting

Depends, If anyone does have the time, I would definetly encourage them to watch the entire FW series, since there are many good episodes in seasons 4 and 5 despite them being the show's lowest points imo.

That being said, I certainly couldn't manage watching 6 episodes per day now as there simply isn't enough time after other commitments and other hobbies which are higher on my priority list.

[CyberCubed]

That being said, I certainly couldn't manage watching 6 episodes per day now as there simply isn't enough time after other commitments and other hobbies which are higher on my priority list.

What do you do other than watch TV?

[Leo656]

More reasonable would be, "Why does anyone even bother watching TV when there's a million better things to do?"

Age and perspective sure can change a person. When I was a kid I would literally fight for my right to watch as much TV as I wanted; right now, my wife's not even home and I could watch anything I want, I just seriously can't be bothered. It's boring. It's the single least-productive thing a person can do besides Nothing.

[MrAustin]

In Theory.

I personally don't think I could commit to that, frankly, although it sounds reasonable on paper. For one, I don't think I could manage six episodes per day of FW TMNT after the second or third Season, I just don't think I could stomach it, it would be a chore at multiple various points. For two, I have too many other hobbies demanding my attention, so even the idea of "I'm gonna watch TMNT every day for 2-3 hours for the next few weeks" sounds like a bad marriage with no upside.

I can easily clear an entire week to do the entire run of "Twin Peaks" and then bang the whole series out in like four days in 6-10 hour chunks, despite that being emotionally exhausting. But still... that's GOOD television. :trazz: Kinda easier to get up for that exercise.

Which reminds me... we're on Month 4 of "lockdown" and I haven't done another "Twin Peaks" run since before it started. WHAT THE F*CK HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE IF NOT THAT?!?! Now I'm annoyed.

Watching roughly six episodes a day was how I was able to marathon the show so quickly; it definitely melted my brain and I would never recommend that to anyone.

I also haven't re-watched Twin Peaks during 'lockdown' and I don't know how.

[Leo656]

I think for about or less than $50 you can get all of Twin Peaks on Blu-ray. Both the Original Series (plus "Fire Walk With Me" and "The Missing Pieces"), as well as "The Return" season, are usually around $30 each for either set.

See, THAT show, I have to watch at least 6 episodes at a time. Sometimes more if we start early in the day. Can't take breaks or you forget the little details that turn out to be huge later on! Plus it's just so much fun.

You know you're on a roll with something when your wife says to you, "Put on one more; we can stay up until 5am, it's not like we have to get up early." :lol:

But again... that's a GOOD TV show. :trazz:

[neatoman]

More reasonable would be, "Why does anyone even bother watching TV when there's a million better things to do?"

Age and perspective sure can change a person. When I was a kid I would literally fight for my right to watch as much TV as I wanted; right now, my wife's not even home and I could watch anything I want, I just seriously can't be bothered. It's boring. It's the single least-productive thing a person can do besides Nothing.

There's also the fact that literal TV sucks compared to almost any other way you can get programming.

No ad block, no pausing, it literally runs on a schedule, there are very few niches, bonus content is rare and if you to keep personal copies at... ahem, "a very cheap cost", you'll have to painstakingly record it.

[CyberCubed]

I haven't watched live TV in about a decade, maybe even more. Everything I watched is streamed or on blu-rays. I can't imagine sitting through commercials anymore.

[Leo656]

I'd just rather Do Something than Watch Something at this point, unless it's something REALLY good.

At this point in my life, the TV's always on because my wife pays attention to it, but I'm usually reading or doing crafts or if she's not watching anything I'll play a video game. I generally can't just sit still watching stuff on a screen unless it's something either really good or at least semi-informative; like if I'm bored I'll binge a few videos about wrestling history or video game history, but even then I might be more listening while I read or do something else, it depends.

If I'm going to "really" watch something then I kill all other distractions, but at some point, I'm guaranteed to have the thought "I could literally be doing anything else right now except just sitting here". Unavoidable at this point.

Some people are gonna realize right before they die that when they weren't sleeping or at work, they spent 95% of their life staring at a damn screen, and the last thing they ever think is gonna be "Man, what a giant waste of time THAT was" and wish they could do it over. Life shouldn't be about watching other people pretend to do things.

Its not that I hate TV or anything, it's just that as entertainment goes it's entirely too passive.

[PizzaPower1985]

I'm not a TV guy either. If I can't find a show online, it's not worth my time.

I enjoy cartoons a lot and if I'm gonna watch something I go online. THE WEB is so vast that I use it as my primary entertainment. Articles, videos, looking at art etc. Millions of things to do online!

[ssjup81]

Great to have ya back!If that was aimed at me, thanks! It was also fun chatting with ya a couple of weeks ago. :)True. Some of the 90s, also.Yeah, it probably was, just didn't notice it as much I suppose since the FCC was getting stricter with the content aimed at kids by the time the 90s rolled around.

There's also the fact that literal TV sucks compared to almost any other way you can get programming.I feel the same way about television now. I was just talking about this yesterday. I miss when I was excited about watching a certain program or anxiously awaiting the next episode of whatever it was I was watching...both live-action and animated, especially as a kid. No ad block, no pausing, it literally runs on a schedule, there are very few niches, bonus content is rare and if you to keep personal copies at... ahem, "a very cheap cost", you'll have to painstakingly record it.Hm, yeah, back then you had to make a genuine effort to watch television shows, especially if two shows aired at the same time that you wanted to watch. You either had to just watch one over the other, switch back and forth between them during commercials (this was Saturday mornings for me, jumping back and forth mainly between CBS and NBC in the 80s it seemed), or luckily have another television with a VCR to record it.

As bothersome as all of that would be by today's standards...there's something a bit nice about it. I think we balanced our time better back then because of instances like this. Like, back in the late 80s, I don't recall the time exactly it aired when syndicated and before it was on CBS in my area and also before the Disney Afternoon was a thing, but TMNT came on in the evenings. I knew that if I had my homework done by a certain time or whatever else I had to do, I would be able to watch it. Same as I got older. If there was a show I watched, I had it planned out so that I'd be able to watch it...as time has gone on, I rarely do this because I can watch stuff at any time because of the net.

I rarely watch television now...?ept for maybe the local news and sometimes reruns of Quantum Leap on one of the stations we get with the antenna...but it's not the same. Even as far back as the early 2000s, my television watching was starting to go down due to the lack of shows that interested me enough to watch.

[Leo656]

If that was aimed at me, thanks! It was also fun chatting with ya a couple of weeks ago. :)

Yes it was. And Yes! It was! :tgrin:

[Wesley]

I'd just rather Do Something than Watch Something at this point, unless it's something REALLY good.

I agree, especially during the Summer when the weather is usually great. Most tv shows don?t interest me either.

[Leo656]

"Dark Side of the Ring" is the only Must-See show in all of television, for me. I'll stop everything to watch that show, but that's not even fair because nothing else really comes close to it.

[mikey0]

Yeah, it probably was, just didn't notice it as much I suppose since the FCC was getting stricter with the content aimed at kids by the time the 90s rolled around.

The 90s had the CBS SATAM episodes of FW TMNT, Pirates of the Dark Water, Bucky O Hare and the Toad Wars, the final episodes of The Real Ghostbusters, Toxic Crusaders, Conan the Adventurer, Biker Mice From Mars, Street Sharks, and Exosquad to give you examples.

[ssjup81]

The 90s had the CBS SATAM episodes of FW TMNT, Pirates of the Dark Water, Bucky O Hare and the Toad Wars, the final episodes of The Real Ghostbusters, Toxic Crusaders, Conan the Adventurer, Biker Mice From Mars, Street Sharks, and Exosquad to give you examples.CBS TMNT became sillier because it aired on a Saturday morning and was on a network station where the rules are a bit more strict. Ghostbusters went through this too. The syndicated eps running along the ABC eps during the first couple of seasons were different in some ways...like how in the syndicated version they were allowed to reference the Necronomicon by name, but couldn't for the ABC Saturday morning version. They also made it sillier as it went on, toned down the ghost aspect as the concept of humans having died was supposedly not good for kids, and made it Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters, making the Ghostbusters secondary. They even had that cartoon within the show about Slimer and that scientist dude or something. I vaguely remember it and not watching the show as much at that point. First couple of seasons were great though. It wasn't the Slimer show yet and Ghosts being the spirits of humans was still allowed.

The other stuff mentioned weren't on the "big 3" (pretty sure Fox did...I know it was for Pirates of Dark Water). The other channels could be a bit more lax in their programming. Sorry I wasn't more specific about that. I was focusing on the networks.

[Leo656]

No more long vacations, please, you're really good at this.

[IMJ]

CBS TMNT became sillier because it aired on a Saturday morning and was on a network station where the rules are a bit more strict. Ghostbusters went through this too. The syndicated eps running along the ABC eps during the first couple of seasons were different in some ways...like how in the syndicated version they were allowed to reference the Necronomicon by name, but couldn't for the ABC Saturday morning version. They also made it sillier as it went on, toned down the ghost aspect as the concept of humans having died was supposedly not good for kids, and made it Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters, making the Ghostbusters secondary. They even had that cartoon within the show about Slimer and that scientist dude or something. I vaguely remember it and not watching the show as much at that point. First couple of seasons were great though. It wasn't the Slimer show yet and Ghosts being the spirits of humans was still allowed.

Awesome post. I remember all of this clearly. The first CBS TMNT episode was highly anticipated and I remember watching it as a kid and then calling my buddy down the street and we "analyzed" the episode for anything "new". I had to be in fifth grade at that point, I think.

The Slimer segments of TRG - did not like 'em.... I felt like it was geared towards some other demographic even though I was still a kid at the time.

[sdp]

I haven't watched live TV in about a decade, maybe even more. Everything I watched is streamed or on blu-rays. I can't imagine sitting through commercials anymore.

Except on youtube when you're nostalgic of old commercials and now watch them because you want to. I can't stand watching anything on disc anymore, the loading kills the experience for me everytime.

[cammy85]

For whatever reason, they marketed the CBS run as the comic book come to life. My young mind interpreted this as us getting some of the Archie comics adapted to the screen as the comic did with the first seven episodes. D'oh!! I still enjoyed them and I still love The Dimension X Story, Fly and Cufflink Caper.

[ssjup81]

No more long vacations, please, you're really good at this.I will do my best. :)Awesome post. I remember all of this clearly. The first CBS TMNT episode was highly anticipated and I remember watching it as a kid and then calling my buddy down the street and we "analyzed" the episode for anything "new". I had to be in fifth grade at that point, I think.

The Slimer segments of TRG - did not like 'em.... I felt like it was geared towards some other demographic even though I was still a kid at the time.In all honesty, those Slimer segments, I don't remember liking all that much, which is why I personally wasn't watching. Those later eps of Ghostbusters must wasn't very memorable to me as much as the earlier episodes either because I'd completely forgotten Janine's change. My memory of Janine was always sassy with her Brooklyn accent. I somehow blocked out Kath Soucie. Same with Peter and Slimer acting more friend like (which was boring) and Dave Coulier taking over for Lorenzo. I completely forgot that. I still think of Lorenzo as Peter. Slimer wasn't used as much in the earlier eps either. I mean, he was there, but he wasn't the focus. Oh and I liked Peter wanting to blast Slimer from time to time...but had to make it more kid-friendly, I guess. -_-

I'm not sure how other kids at the time felt about the show...but I know I was one of the ones who didn't watch the entire run out of boredom and was switching to the other stations, unless it happened to be an older episode....before the main four became secondary characters in their own show.

[Leo656]

I mean, you address a good point. I LOVE Kath Soucie in just about everything. And for many years, watching cartoons was like a giant game of "HEY, there she is!" because her body of work was huge. She was like the 80s/90s version of Tara Strong (between the fact that they're both so prolific and even have very similar voices with some of their characters; Strong basically gets the kind of roles Kath used to get when she was younger).

I didn't even know she did Real Ghostbusters until a few years ago. And I absolutely watched the episodes she was in because now that I know it was her, I remember it. But those later episodes just didn't sit well with me AT ALL, they weren't as memorable as the earlier seasons. Once they put such a focus on aiming younger and going all-in on Slimer, that really wrecked the balance of the show all the way around. Even the "regular" parts of the show simply weren't as good.

[ssjup81]

I mean, you address a good point. I LOVE Kath Soucie in just about everything. And for many years, watching cartoons was like a giant game of "HEY, there she is!" because her body of work was huge. She was like the 80s/90s version of Tara Strong (between the fact that they're both so prolific and even have very similar voices with some of their characters; Strong basically gets the kind of roles Kath used to get when she was younger).She did do a lot of voice over work, didn't she? I think comparing Tara Strong to her is a really good comparison. They do have similar voicing styles with the types of characters they do/did. Now I'm trying to recall who voiced the goth girl on Extreme Ghostbusters...I don't recall if it was Tara or Kath. lolI didn't even know she did Real Ghostbusters until a few years ago. And I absolutely watched the episodes she was in because now that I know it was her, I remember it. But those later episodes just didn't sit well with me AT ALL, they weren't as memorable as the earlier seasons. Once they put such a focus on aiming younger and going all-in on Slimer, that really wrecked the balance of the show all the way around. Even the "regular" parts of the show simply weren't as good.Yeah. I think what also hurt it was the fact that I guess the network execs felt that ghosts were too scary for kids. Of course in my mind, as an adult, am thinking, "If your kid is scared of ghosts, then don't watch a show called Ghostbusters! If you know what a ghost generally is and you're scared of that, don't watch the damn show!" Sad how the ghosts got more and more monstrous like because ghosts being the spirits of dead humans was an issue. One of my favorite episodes, was the one with that old woman who had a haunting. The Ghostbusters dealt with it and at the end, Peter decided to stay and talk with the lady because he knew she was lonely and he started to say something about his own mother, but cut himself off. I dunno...just a nice character moment for him and I really enjoyed that. Another ep I liked, was the one with that ghost detective who couldn't pass over until he solved some case he died before he had a chance to solve.

You know, also thinking back on the show, I really favored Janine. She was a fun female character. She didn't take any mess and she was written as an actual character. She was Janine first, woman second, unlike most things now that are trying too hard to force an agenda, imo. I liked how sassy she was and I always liked the accent. I hated her change when remembering about it. She became so boring and motherly. Also, the episode that they did to try and retcon the change made it even worse to me. She was changing to get noticed by Egon when he was already kind of noticing her back in the earlier eps. They'd even had a date. I felt it was a terrible character change.

Using Kath Soucie for weak Janine I guess worked, but I know that Kath was capable of pulling off an accent and stuff. I've heard her do other works. Wish they could redub the entire series and bring her original voice actress back and kick out Kath...too bad you can't do that with Lorenzo, though.

My bias is totally showing here... ^^;

[Leo656]

Oh, man oh man I am so with you on just about all of that. That one episode with Peter staying to chat with the old lady always gets me righthere, man. The early seasons of that show had some absolutely stellar writing.

A lot of the ghosts unnerved me a bit as a 5-year old but that's what I liked about Ghostbusters. :lol: Stuff like Sandman, Boogeyman, and Samhain were definitely pushing the limits but that's what made it great! That's what made it memorable!

Like, the episode with Egon and the Boogeyman is such a classic, and it really puts over a great lesson for the kids. Boogeyman is legit horrifying in that show, through a 5-year old's eyes, and they sell that even Egon as a grown-ass man is terrified... but that he overcomes it because he has a job to do. That's what growing up is, realizing that you can't just stick your head in the sand and hide when things are scary or "uncomfortable", you push through it, not run from it. It reminds me of an issue of Superman from around 2008 when he and Supergirl have to fight Brainiac, who Supergirl's never met before, but she's terrified of him because he destroyed the city where she grew up back on Krypton when she was a kid. And she doesn't wanna fight him because she's afraid. And Clark just smiles and says, "It's OKAY to be afraid." And then they go to work. Same thing.

Egon was totally "triggered" but he was able to man up and do the deal. What a great role model! What a well-written show! I stuck around off-and-on for most of it, but those earliest seasons were the best.

I didn't much care for Janine's revamp, either. I thought she was hot already. :lol: I didn't think she needed any "help".

[cammy85]

Boogeyman was the second episode I watched after bbeing introduced to Saturday morning cartoons by some friends who had cable and sent a VHS full of the day's block coming from the big three US networks. Mrs. Rogers was my first. I moved away from my current home that summer and showed one of the cartoons; just not RGB for obvious reasons. I could get RGB where I lived, but it came in very poor quality; grainy and changing from colour to black and white.

Intereresting to note that the Gummi Bears episode "Gummi In A Guilded Cage" which introduced the Carpies was also on there, but didn't scare either. That one is pretty intense now.

On topic of TMNT: i don't remember my first episode, but I do remember compiling a VHS for another friend in the same situation later. Enter The Rat King scafed him more than anything shredder did. Go figure.