Is Next Mutation in the same universe as the movies?

[sdp]

It's clearly based off the movies and in continuity with them. Now this was never officially stated since they're different owners. However the intention is there and plenty of callbacks to the movies. I remember reading how this show had "older" turtles but I haven't been able to find any ads or press releases mentioning that but the fact that the show is not called "Teenage Mutant" seems to help that. Searching you find a lot of old articles referencing that the show is a loose continuation of the OT, I have no idea if that was ever released on a press release or if that was just random false information from an old site that became widespread because there was no news about it in the early days of the internet. However it's interesting to note that the old ninja turtles website included TNM along the OT episode listings. Of course that doesn't mean it has anything to do with the OT because it has absolutely no references to the OT or any similarities whatsoever.

Like I've mentioned the show is pretty much set in the movie universe, which means that TMNT 1 actually takes place in the Power Rangers universe...You might not like that idea and I dont' either but I guess technically all TMNT universes have superheroes in them so it's not really that out of the question. I love how people always mention that it can't be in continuity because Shredder is there yet somehow they never mention that there is no logic to Shredder surviving the first movie and it's more plausible for him to have survived the second movie. The turtles slapstick usage is pretty similar to the one used in TMNT III, in fact I actually think they use it more in TMNT III than the actual TNM show.

Personally I definitely consider it in continuity since all evidence suggests that's what it was intended to be without being more explicit to not have to worry about licensing issues or even later contradicting the movies which would've probably happened if the show had been successful. Now it's weird seeing this being a sequel after watching the first movie since the tone of the two is totally different however if you watch TMNT2 and 3 and then TNM the turtles being the same ones from movie 1 somehow works since you slowly see the umm...change of the characters to the goofy ones they end up as.


Many people like to put TMNT 2007 in continuity with the movies because it's a movie and it had an easter eggs of the past movies but if you read the prequel comics/novels and count that none of the things in the trophy room were too exclusive to the movies and the difference in styles it's safer to assume it's its own beast.