Your honest opinion of the 1987 cartoon - Then and Now

*LeotheLateBloomer* · 08-09-2014, 07:35 AM

Many of us grew up with the 1987 cartoon and it's what got us into the turtles. A lot of the merchandise that was released around the time were pretty awesome. However, now that we are grown up and delve deep within the TMNT mythos such as the Mirage comics, the movies and the 2003 series, over the years many of us have noticed that the show hasn't aged as well as we like. Some dislike the aspects of what it has left on other turtles incarnations. There are also those who only like that show and a few of the movies.

This isn't to start a war or anything but I want to ask you guys. What is your honest opinion of the 1987 cartoon now? Especially in comparison to the Mirage roots. Do you still think it is still as good as it used to be? Do think it holds up well? Are you appreciative for what it has done? What do you guys think of it?

*Whatswiththeheadbands?* · 08-09-2014, 07:55 AM

To me, Season 1 is the best. If the whole series were like Season 1, I could watch the whole series. I don't really like Cartoons where the whole series is episodic and doesn't have a focus. This makes the 1980s TMNT series a chore to watch, for me. In fact, upon my first viewing, I didn't make it halfway through season 3.

So yeah, in summary I Respect the series and what it did, but it's not for me.

*Prowler* · 08-09-2014, 08:00 AM

It's a huge part of my childhood. When I was a kid I thought it was the cream of the crop of action cartoons and viewed the turtles as "the cool kids in school" more or less

As I got older and watched more episodes it became clear to me that they weren't that badass after all and the show wasn't meant to be taken seriously. Still, I actually expected them to kill Shredder on the last episode. Boy I sure was naïve

Nowadays? I re-watch an episode once in a while. It's always fun to go back and relive it.

*CyberCubed* · 08-09-2014, 08:22 AM

The show is still great fun and entertaining highly as an adult. I enjoy about 75% of the OT's episodes. There are 25% that are bad, but considering this is a nearly 200 episode series I'd say more than half is good.

*Warhorse* · 08-09-2014, 08:40 AM

I still love the 80's toon, for what it was. The best thing I can say is, when I watched Turtles Forever, while it was in the 2k3 toon, my semi favorite of the cartoons, I had the biggest smile on my face when the FW Turtles showed up. And I still think the 80's toon Mikey was the best out of all of the toons we got, (yeah, he was a party dude, but if by some strange miracle I got zapped into the 80's toon and stuck with Mikey, I feel he could protect me alot more than the 2k3 or 2012 Mikey's could)

And I tip my hat because the 80's toon gave each Turtle equal fighting skills, no one outshone no one else, heck, in season one, Raph jumped behind Shredder and picked him up and threw the dude across the room. Today's cartoons would never allow that to happen.

So, I love the show for what it is, I still get old Turtle stuff when I see it (last night, I even bought an old school TMNT coffee mug while waiting for my movie to start) and despite me growing up, the 1990 movie shaping the way I would see the franchise from here on out, the old cartoon will forever have it's place in my heart.

*turtlefanforever* · 08-09-2014, 08:55 AM

Timeless to each generation

*RaphaelinSTL* · 08-09-2014, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The show is still great fun and entertaining highly as an adult. I enjoy about 75% of the OT's episodes. There are 25% that are bad, but considering this is a nearly 200 episode series I'd say more than half is good.

What CyberCubed said.

I hold the original cartoon very dear to my heart as it's what got me into this property and how almost 23 years later as a 26 year old dude, I still love everything about the TMNT. It's funny, exciting and holds up very well.

Aaronardo · 08-09-2014, 10:07 AM

Back when I was younger, the show was so great to me. My favorite show of all time at the time. I don't remember what exactly I loved about it so much, I guess I just loved the humor and the action.
Now, I barely watch any episodes (Except Seasons 1 and 7-10), since mostly, it just doesn't have that same spark it used to have. I will say, though, it was sort of ahead of its time with the jokes

*Netkeeper* · 08-09-2014, 10:10 AM

As a kid, I liked it enough, but I preferred the movies. My favourite thing about the 87 show was its opening.

Nowadays... eh. It's something to watch if I want to just put on a show I don't have to think about, just like a lot of other cartoons I watch. If I want something thoughtless to do while I play Pokémon, it works. But by itself with no multitasking... I can usually only handle like one episode per sitting. It's still funny, but more in an "it's an aged cartoon" kinda way.

T-U-R-T-L-E POWA! · 08-09-2014, 10:24 AM

I watched it religiously then and I honestly still like it now. I like the fact that it throws in pop culture references and things like that. I know it's not the greatest animation and all that but the characters do shine in it and are still very memorable. I feel without the 87 series the Turtles would have forever been a cult classic comic book.

*DarkFell* · 08-09-2014, 10:33 AM

I enjoy the 80's-90's TMNT the most; maybe some of the episodes were campy but most of them were great and I enjoy them more so now as an adult. The humor within the series is prevalent and you tell that everyone in the studio and the voice actors in the recording booth(s) enjoyed the work that they did for the show. So they definitely left us fans -of all ages- something to actually enjoy, and I really appreciate that.

CombatColdCuts · 08-09-2014, 10:35 AM

The original show was a key component to my childhood. I watched it every time it was on tv and I had loads of figures and play sets. I was a child then so I didn't have any knowledge of the comics or the concept of a storyline. I just liked to see the turtles in action and all the cool characters that guest starred every week.

Now that I am older it is just a laborious task to watch the original show. They rarely ever use their weapons except to cut bags of sand to have it fall on their enemies or something lame like that. The story lines and 80's dialogue is awful. The Shredder is a whiny baby that always has the turtles where he wants them but ends up monologuing instead and they slip away.

My favorite episodes from when I was a child hold a lot of value for nostalgic reasons but when I watch them back today they don't seem the same. I think as a child I was too busy trying to act like a turtle or making my action figures re-enact the fight scenes in the show to focus too much on the plot. So seeing the turtles in a blimp trying to reverse Krang's gravity lifter or whatever it was called appealed to me. I didn't realize then that the story line was pretty lame I just liked the gravity boots the turtles stole from Rocksteady and the foot soldiers. I laughed at Rocksteady having a sock with a hole in the toe and reeking of stench. Silly things like that appealed to me as a 2-10 year old which is the ages wherein I watched the program.

Children are easy to entertain with just flashes of cool images and I think the turtles were just a fun Saturday morning cartoon back then. Now they are extremely dated and a bit lame..

I know it was intended for kids and it mastered that market but I don't think the show is interchangeable between childhood and adulthood. I still like the way they looked and if there is merchandise based off of that era I usually buy it or become interested in it. As far as watching the show in my late 20s though, it's not for me anymore.

terrorblade · 08-09-2014, 10:51 AM

I think it's still the most influential and most important version of the turtles by far. The changes they made and the characters they introduced remained staple to the franchise.

Obviously the show itself doesn't really hold up well but what action cartoons made in the 80s are still good by today's standard? Even the early-mid 90s cartoons are getting harder and harder to watch.

*ObiWanFan4life* · 08-09-2014, 10:59 AM

For me, the first five episodes are the ones with the most rewatch value and the most consistent. The Later seasons are entertaining, but aren't as well animated, and are too corny for my tastes.

RaphAndDonnie · 08-09-2014, 11:05 AM

It's my second favorite cartoon series as far as the three cartoons go and it's what got me into TMNT. I like a good majority of it, I like how cheesy and campy and funny it is and honestly the only stuff I asolutley cannot stomach is the European Vacation episodes and the Red Sky seasons.

*ssjup81* · 08-09-2014, 11:08 AM

Personally, I can still watch the OT series. I still love it. Not sure if it's just the nostalgia talking, though, but there are some eps I do find painful to watch....like the European Vacation eps, but even as a kid I didn't like them very much.

Other than a few exceptions, I enjoy the show more than when I did as a kid, flaws and all. The jokes I may have missed as a kid I fully get now. I just like that type of humor, I guess. I like campy humor, even as an adult. It's like You Can't Do That On Television. I can still watch that show because of that style of humor....minus the toilet humor which I've never been a fan of.

*Slade* · 08-09-2014, 11:10 AM

Used to love, not so much anymore.

*Autbot_Benz* · 08-09-2014, 11:12 AM

I grew up with it myself but I find it hard to watch now the stupid puns and breaking the 4th wall jokes annoy me. I prefer the darker shows like 2003/Nick Cartoon.

In My opinion I think the 80's cartoon can get Overrated at times.

*ssjup81* · 08-09-2014, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autbot_Benz

I grew up with it myself but I find it hard to watch now the stupid puns and breaking the 4th wall jokes annoy me. I prefer the darker shows like 2003/Nick Cartoon.

In My opinion I think the 80's cartoon can get Overrated at times.

Hm, this is probably why I can still tolerate the OT series. I've always enjoyed bad puns.

Mutagen · 08-09-2014, 11:29 AM

Well, as I said in a different thread,
I love the animation style, with painted backgrounds, love the designs and the quirkiness of it. The show realy shows everything that was cool about the 80s, it has originality, uniqueness and its just whacky and bizarre. Its like Bizzarro's World, thats what I love about it. Like in Turtles Forever cartoon, the 03 turtles said this 80s world is weird and odd, and thats precisely why i love it. its designs, feel, everything is so crazy and downright surreal. The technodrome - Death Star with a big eye, krang - a brain in a stomach of a fat guy looking like the mutated guy from Goonies with 80s techno sunglasses, its all great, its all bizarre, I enjoy the insane surrealism of it all. And Shredder is the cream of the crop, i love his visual design and i love the fact that (intentionally) he does resemble Darth Vader and they also voiced him with a black actor.

its simply a lot of fun, even for an adult, and especially for art fans, such as myself, i love the art of older cartoons, especially the good old max fleisher cartoons, and tmnt resemble that a bit with the background work. Im a big fan of that animation style

Aside from the background, the characters animation actually resembled a lot the classic Disney films

given, most of late 80s early 90s cartoons had the same style, be it The New Adventures of He Man or The Real Ghostbusters, but none had as much quirkiness and surrealism as this show

its a lot of fun still, the whacky, surreal 80s, its the same fun in the vein of killer klowns from outer space or House (movie)

08-09-2014, 07:35 AM	#1
LeotheLateBloomer Foot Elite Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 3,117	Your honest opinion of the 1987 cartoon - Then and Now Many of us grew up with the 1987 cartoon and it's what got us into the turtles. A lot of the merchandise that was released around the time were pretty awesome. However, now that we are grown up and delve deep within the TMNT mythos such as the Mirage comics, the movies and the 2003 series, over the years many of us have noticed that the show hasn't aged as well as we like. Some dislike the aspects of what it has left on other turtles incarnations. There are also those who only like that show and a few of the movies. This isn't to start a war or anything but I want to ask you guys. What is your honest opinion of the 1987 cartoon now? Especially in comparison to the Mirage roots. Do you still think it is still as good as it used to be? Do think it holds up well? Are you appreciative for what it has done? What do you guys think of it?

08-09-2014, 07:55 AM	#2
Whatswiththeheadbands? The Weed of Crime Join Date: May 2013 Location: The Shadow's Sanctum Posts: 3,007	To me, Season 1 is the best. If the whole series were like Season 1, I could watch the whole series. I don't really like Cartoons where the whole series is episodic and doesn't have a focus. This makes the 1980s TMNT series a chore to watch, for me. In fact, upon my first viewing, I didn't make it halfway through season 3. So yeah, in summary I Respect the series and what it did, but it's not for me. __________________ Who knows what Evil lurks in the hearts of Men? The Shadow knows...

08-09-2014, 08:55 AM	#6
turtlefanforever Foot Elite Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,098	Great then great now Timeless to each generation

08-09-2014, 10:07 AM	#8
Aaronardo Mad Scientist Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: :noitacoL Posts: 1,043	Back when I was younger, the show was so great to me. My favorite show of all time at the time. I don't remember what exactly I loved about it so much, I guess I just loved the humor and the action. Now, I barely watch any episodes (Except Seasons 1 and 7-10), since mostly, it just doesn't have that same spark it used to have. I will say, though, it was sort of ahead of its time with the jokes __________________ "Shredder, you gotta listen to reason!" - Leonardo "Oh Turtles! Oh Turtles! Chew your gum properly." "If I miss this week's Kirby, heads are gonna roll." - Raphael "The Biosites have almost finished healing my flesh." - Shredder "Because we're takin' the heart and you're goin' to jail!" - Donatello

08-09-2014, 10:10 AM	#9
Netkeeper tactical blackquill Join Date: May 2014 Location: Texas, but not for much longer Posts: 3,645	As a kid, I liked it enough, but I preferred the movies. My favourite thing about the 87 show was its opening. Nowadays... eh. It's something to watch if I want to just put on a show I don't have to think about, just like a lot of other cartoons I watch. If I want something thoughtless to do while I play Pokémon, it works. But by itself with no multitasking... I can usually only handle like one episode per sitting. It's still funny, but more in an "it's an aged cartoon" kinda way. __________________

08-09-2014, 08:00 AM	#3
Prowler Emperor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,998	It's a huge part of my childhood. When I was a kid I thought it was the cream of the crop of action cartoons and viewed the turtles as "the cool kids in school" more or less As I got older and watched more episodes it became clear to me that they weren't that badass after all and the show wasn't meant to be taken seriously. Still, I actually expected them to kill Shredder on the last episode. Boy I sure was naïve Nowadays? I re-watch an episode once in a while. It's always fun to go back and relive it.

08-09-2014, 08:22 AM	#4
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,829	The show is still great fun and entertaining highly as an adult. I enjoy about 75% of the OT's episodes. There are 25% that are bad, but considering this is a nearly 200 episode series I'd say more than half is good.

08-09-2014, 08:40 AM	#5
Warhorse Emperor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 5,544	I still love the 80's toon, for what it was. The best thing I can say is, when I watched Turtles Forever, while it was in the 2k3 toon, my semi favorite of the cartoons, I had the biggest smile on my face when the FW Turtles showed up. And I still think the 80's toon Mikey was the best out of all of the toons we got, (yeah, he was a party dude, but if by some strange miracle I got zapped into the 80's toon and stuck with Mikey, I feel he could protect me alot more than the 2k3 or 2012 Mikey's could) And I tip my hat because the 80's toon gave each Turtle equal fighting skills, no one outshone no one else, heck, in season one, Raph jumped behind Shredder and picked him up and threw the dude across the room. Today's cartoons would never allow that to happen. So, I love the show for what it is, I still get old Turtle stuff when I see it (last night, I even bought an old school TMNT coffee mug while waiting for my movie to start) and despite me growing up, the 1990 movie shaping the way I would see the franchise from here on out, the old cartoon will forever have it's place in my heart.

08-09-2014, 10:24 AM	#10
T-U-R-T-L-E POWA! Stone Warrior Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Knoxville,TN Posts: 996	I watched it religiously then and I honestly still like it now. I like the fact that it throws in pop culture references and things like that. I know it's not the greatest animation and all that but the characters do shine in it and are still very memorable. I feel without the 87 series the Turtles would have forever been a cult classic comic book. __________________ Go Ninja! Go Ninja! GO!

08-09-2014, 10:35 AM	#12
CombatColdCuts Random Punk Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 20	The original show was a key component to my childhood. I watched it every time it was on tv and I had loads of figures and play sets. I was a child then so I didn't have any knowledge of the comics or the concept of a storyline. I just liked to see the turtles in action and all the cool characters that guest starred every week. Now that I am older it is just a laborious task to watch the original show. They rarely ever use their weapons except to cut bags of sand to have it fall on their enemies or something lame like that. The story lines and 80's dialogue is awful. The Shredder is a whiny baby that always has the turtles where he wants them but ends up monologuing instead and they slip away. My favorite episodes from when I was a child hold a lot of value for nostalgic reasons but when I watch them back today they don't seem the same. I think as a child I was too busy trying to act like a turtle or making my action figures re-enact the fight scenes in the show to focus too much on the plot. So seeing the turtles in a blimp trying to reverse Krang's gravity lifter or whatever it was called appealed to me. I didn't realize then that the story line was pretty lame I just liked the gravity boots the turtles stole from Rocksteady and the foot soldiers. I laughed at Rocksteady having a sock with a hole in the toe and reeking of stench. Silly things like that appealed to me as a 2-10 year old which is the ages wherein I watched the program. Children are easy to entertain with just flashes of cool images and I think the turtles were just a fun Saturday morning cartoon back then. Now they are extremely dated and a bit lame.. I know it was intended for kids and it mastered that market but I don't think the show is interchangeable between childhood and adulthood. I still like the way they looked and if there is merchandise based off of that era I usually buy it or become interested in it. As far as watching the show in my late 20s though, it's not for me anymore. Last edited by CombatColdCuts; 08-09-2014 at 10:40 AM.

08-09-2014, 10:51 AM	#13
terrorblade Foot Soldier Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 179	I think it's still the most influential and most important version of the turtles by far. The changes they made and the characters they introduced remained staple to the franchise. Obviously the show itself doesn't really hold up well but what action cartoons made in the 80s are still good by today's standard? Even the early-mid 90s cartoons are getting harder and harder to watch.

08-09-2014, 10:59 AM	#14
ObiWanFan4life Mad Scientist Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,724	For me, the first five episodes are the ones with the most rewatch value and the most consistent. The Later seasons are entertaining, but aren't as well animated, and are too corny for my tastes. __________________ "The force will be with you, always" - Obi-Wan Kenobi

08-09-2014, 11:08 AM	#16
ssjup81 Foot Elite Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Central Virginia (Back in the US) Posts: 4,734	Personally, I can still watch the OT series. I still love it. Not sure if it's just the nostalgia talking, though, but there are some eps I do find painful to watch....like the European Vacation eps, but even as a kid I didn't like them very much. Other than a few exceptions, I enjoy the show more than when I did as a kid, flaws and all. The jokes I may have missed as a kid I fully get now. I just like that type of humor, I guess. I like campy humor, even as an adult. It's like You Can't Do That On Television. I can still watch that show because of that style of humor....minus the toilet humor which I've never been a fan of.

08-09-2014, 11:10 AM	#17
Slade god status Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Louisiana Posts: 3,291	Used to love, not so much anymore. __________________ Do not concern yourself with what I've already done: rather tremble at the thought of what I am about to do. Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=48140

08-09-2014, 11:12 AM	#18
Autbot_Benz Hellblazer Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Ventura California Posts: 9,173	I grew up with it myself but I find it hard to watch now the stupid puns and breaking the 4th wall jokes annoy me. I prefer the darker shows like 2003/Nick Cartoon. In My opinion I think the 80's cartoon can get Overrated at times. __________________ I respect what FW cartoon did for the turtles franchise but it is the most overrated and hard to watch of the 3 turtles cartoons.

08-09-2014, 11:29 AM	#20
Mutagen Random Punk Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 32	Well, as I said in a different thread, I love the animation style, with painted backgrounds, love the designs and the quirkiness of it. The show realy shows everything that was cool about the 80s, it has originality, uniqueness and its just whacky and bizarre. Its like Bizzarro's World, thats what I love about it. Like in Turtles Forever cartoon, the 03 turtles said this 80s world is weird and odd, and thats precisely why i love it. its designs, feel, everything is so crazy and downright surreal. The technodrome - Death Star with a big eye, krang - a brain in a stomach of a fat guy looking like the mutated guy from Goonies with 80s techno sunglasses, its all great, its all bizarre, I enjoy the insane surrealism of it all. And Shredder is the cream of the crop, i love his visual design and i love the fact that (intentionally) he does resemble Darth Vader and they also voiced him with a black actor. its simply a lot of fun, even for an adult, and especially for art fans, such as myself, i love the art of older cartoons, especially the good old max fleisher cartoons, and tmnt resemble that a bit with the background work. Im a big fan of that animation style Aside from the background, the characters animation actually resembled a lot the classic Disney films given, most of late 80s early 90s cartoons had the same style, be it The New Adventures of He Man or The Real Ghostbusters, but none had as much quirkiness and surrealism as this show its a lot of fun still, the whacky, surreal 80s, its the same fun in the vein of killer klowns from outer space or House (movie) Last edited by Mutagen; 08-09-2014 at 04:54 PM.