Little odd observation from the OS...

[Sariele]

After watching so much of the new series and the original movies lately, where there is a general emphasis on the turtles specifically being brothers, it came to my attention that in the original series episodes that I've seen, there are no such references. The guys always refer to each other as their buddies/friends/etc., and even Splinter calls them "my young friends" on occasion.

The only reference I can recall is when Mike and Leo are transformed back into little kids, and one of them refers to Raph and Don as "our big brothers". But aside from that, nothing else.

I'm just curious as to why the original series might have this little difference compared to other incarnations?

[Jester]

Splinter also seldom calls them "my sons" but "students" and "friends." One notable exception is in Enter: The Shredder when he tells them to "Head upward, my sons, find a way around all this."

On another note, I think the turtles in the OT seldom use nicknames like Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey but rather opted for the longer names Leonardo, Raphael (and to be honest I never liked Barry Gordon's pronunciation of it...Rah-fee-el), Donatello, and Michelangelo. An exception in this case is in Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X when Raph says "Book 'em Don-o" but this is just to pull of the parody joke on the line "Book 'em Dan-o".

The OT was good for making the TMNT a huge success but lacked in pulling of the family dynamic of the comics (even the Archie comic, oddly enough based on the OT, Splinter called them sons, they were brothers, and they used the nick names), movies and the new series.

[Sewer Bull]

Originally Posted by Jester

Splinter also seldom calls them "my sons" but "students" and "friends."

Or "my young wards".

[Rooish]

I've noticed that, too. It's a shame, really. It was hard to tell, in the old 'toon, exactly what the characters meant to each other. April didn't seem to truly care about anybody. But anyway, it was a younger kid's action cartoon... you can't expect too much emotion.

[mikey2007]

well i've heard that they weren't biological brothers, but kinda became that way in the psychological sense, as splinter became their "father", is this true in all incarnations? or is this just hearsay?

[Mandi-chan]

Originally Posted by mikey2007

well i've heard that they weren't biological brothers, but kinda became that way in the psychological sense, as splinter became their "father", is this true in all incarnations? or is this just hearsay?

The only version of TMNT that I'm aware of that stated that was the Next Mutation series...

And the only reason why they did that was because of Venus.

The story goes that she was in the same jar as them...so that would make them siblings...which would be wrong for the kiddies watching since the guys (Mike especially) were drooling all over her! So, in the second ep I think, Leo comments to her that Don checked their DNA somehow and discovered that they weren't blood releated.

None of the other versions have said they weren't related.

[Sariele]

Originally Posted by Jester

On another note, I think the turtles in the OT seldom use nicknames like Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey but rather opted for the longer names Leonardo, Raphael (and to be honest I never liked Barry Gordon's pronunciation of it...Rah-fee-el), Donatello, and Michelangelo. An exception in this case is in Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X when Raph says "Book 'em Don-o" but this is just to pull of the parody joke on the line "Book 'em Dan-o".

Yeah, actually, this kind of annoys me too. But I suppose they might have thought something along the lines of "always call characters by their full names otherwise the younger kids might get a little confused", or something like that.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Sariele

Yeah, actually, this kind of annoys me too. But I suppose they might have thought something along the lines of "always call characters by their full names otherwise the younger kids might get a little confused", or something like that.

I'd thought of that as an excuse...but then again they had so many color flubbs, who knows what they thought...

[mikey2007]

Originally Posted by Mandi-chan

The only version of TMNT that I'm aware of that stated that was the Next Mutation series...

And the only reason why they did that was because of Venus.

The story goes that she was in the same jar as them...so that would make them siblings...which would be wrong for the kiddies watching since the guys (Mike especially) were drooling all over her! So, in the second ep I think, Leo comments to her that Don checked their DNA somehow and discovered that they weren't blood releated.

None of the other versions have said they weren't related.

thanks for the clarification, cuz i had watched the next mutation episodes like a month or so ago, and got that thought in my mind, and made me wonder if they ever actually said that they were indeed biological brothers in the other series, cuz i figured that was why they weren't related because of venus, but just wasnt sure otherwise

[Sariele]

Originally Posted by Jester

I'd thought of that as an excuse...but then again they had so many color flubbs, who knows what they thought...

Lol, so true!! I cracked up the other day when I was watching an episode where Raphael was missing, and the others were talking about their search for him... then he showed up for a second in one particular frame (instead of Leo) and I couldn't help but think, "look, guys, he's standing right next to ya!" Hehe.

Hmm, I have no life...

[gobo]

Originally Posted by Sariele

Hmm, I have no life...

Having a life is overrated anyway (what I tell myself every day). But, look on the bright side. At least you have good taste!

[Warhorse]

Good observation. On the OT.

But I can't help but think of them as brothers.

On the no life issue. If you are obsessing over your interests, not hurting anybody. and are happy and content with your life, your quality of life is far more greater than those that tend to destroy and belittle others into seeing things in their point of view.

And you're a Turtle Fan! There is not a better life than that of a Turtle Fan!

[Sage Ninja]

i always assumed the old toon turtles where brothers, if not by blood then by the simple fact that they grew up together and shared their lives together, making them in a sence adoptive brothers. And Old toon Splinter may have refered to the turtles as his students alot, but he did label (and acted as) a sort of father figure to them.

And it is pretty obvious the old toon turtles look to him as a father and love him. How many times did the old toon turtles get scared or upset when Splinter was in a dangerous situation. Old toon Splinter also showed loving concern for the turtles safety also when they where in trouble.

[Cascadia]

So true....there is another example in which he refers to them as brothers. In Green with Jealousy, Splinter called them brother turtles to Donnie when he finished the mixture of ingredients to undo the effects of the love potion and put them on a pizza.

[Sage Ninja]

exactly! I think with the old toon they just had its emphsis on diffrent themes other than the family dynamic. But if you notice the old toon turtles do act like brothers. The old toon turtles where nothing if not ataganistic of one another in the old toon, which is something you find among siblings. Heck! half the plot devises in most episodes was because one of the turtles teases the other to much or takes one for granted and they get mad over it runs off, or tries to remedy it...and a plot ensuses.