Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on DVD...

[Sawyer]

Anyone know if the studio that owns the 1980s TMNT cartoon plans to release it on DVDs that are, you know... good?

I've looked at how the DVDs are... apparently the first five or six volumes are made up of 6-10 episodes per set, then they decided to do season sets for awhile, and now they release four different single disc sets to make up season 7. How consistent...

I dont think it would be too much to ask for DVDs like the ones Warner Bros. has done for Batman the Animated Series or Justice League, or the ones that are being done for Transformers and GI Joe: A Real American Hero.

What does everyone else think?

[Dread]

Lion's Gate is the company that has the rights to the original Ninja Turtles cartoon from 1987-1996, and has been releasing them. They're the same company behind both recent PUNISHER films as well as the Marvel animated DTV's, among other projects. They usually work with low to modest budgets for their projects and can be erratic.

For further confusion, the rights to other Turtle material are all over the place. The NEWER cartoons, from 2003 to present, are distributed by 4Kids, which is part of FUNimation, which is somehow tied to Warner Brothers. The WB also circulated and sold the 2007 "TMNT" movie, and the DVD release of that. Warner Brothers also supposedly has the distribution rights to the 3 original movies, which have been released and re-released individually and in a box set many times.

I haven't bought any of the original Ninja Turtles DVD's. While I worshiped that show as a kid, as an adult it offers little but nostalgia, while the newer series offers that along with more modern expectations of mine. Still, though, I do agree that a saner distribution plan would be good. The problem, though, was that the Ninja Turtle's episode run per season was erratic. The first season in 1987 had five episodes; FIVE. The second in 1988 had a more expected number, 18 episodes. The third season in 1988 had, get this, 44 episodes. Once the show was picked up for syndication by CBS in 1990 (and started airing on Saturday mornings instead of weekdays), the seasons also ranged from 30-40 episodes to as low as 8, the amount of episodes the last seasons had in 1995-1996. Thus, the Season 1 DVD only had 5 episodes because technically, Season One of TMNT in 1987 only HAD 5 episodes (and they added the final 4 episodes from 1996 that didn't air in America as "bonuses"). After that it looks like they started selling 12-13 episodes a collection, until Vol. 4 that had 40 episodes, then going back to collections of 16-18 episodes. I agree, it does seem erratic.

In total, the original Ninja Turtle cartoon had 194 episodes. I suppose the easiest way would be to chop them up as equally as possible, but maybe there are reasons why not doing that isn't done. At the very least, the episodes are readily available; until a few years ago, nearly a decade went by without the series being available in any format.

Granted, it took Disney 11 years to put X-MEN on DVD, and while those are selling like hotcakes (in two weeks, both volumes sold almost a quarter million copies), many fans are bemoaning the lack of any extras of any sort, and even that the video transfer is average at best. I've not bought them but some screen-shots don't look a whole lot better than some of my bootlegs.

Still, it is quite something that in the wake of a 25th anniversary, the TMNT are still on TV, still selling DVD's, and still selling merchandise.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Dread

Lion's Gate is the company that has the rights to the original Ninja Turtles cartoon from 1987-1996, and has been releasing them. They're the same company behind both recent PUNISHER films as well as the Marvel animated DTV's, among other projects. They usually work with low to modest budgets for their projects and can be erratic.

For further confusion, the rights to other Turtle material are all over the place. The NEWER cartoons, from 2003 to present, are distributed by 4Kids, which is part of FUNimation, which is somehow tied to Warner Brothers. The WB also circulated and sold the 2007 "TMNT" movie, and the DVD release of that. Warner Brothers also supposedly has the distribution rights to the 3 original movies, which have been released and re-released individually and in a box set many times.

I haven't bought any of the original Ninja Turtles DVD's. While I worshiped that show as a kid, as an adult it offers little but nostalgia, while the newer series offers that along with more modern expectations of mine. Still, though, I do agree that a saner distribution plan would be good. The problem, though, was that the Ninja Turtle's episode run per season was erratic. The first season in 1987 had five episodes; FIVE. The second in 1988 had a more expected number, 18 episodes. The third season in 1988 had, get this, 44 episodes. Once the show was picked up for syndication by CBS in 1990 (and started airing on Saturday mornings instead of weekdays), the seasons also ranged from 30-40 episodes to as low as 8, the amount of episodes the last seasons had in 1995-1996. Thus, the Season 1 DVD only had 5 episodes because technically, Season One of TMNT in 1987 only HAD 5 episodes (and they added the final 4 episodes from 1996 that didn't air in America as "bonuses"). After that it looks like they started selling 12-13 episodes a collection, until Vol. 4 that had 40 episodes, then going back to collections of 16-18 episodes. I agree, it does seem erratic.

In total, the original Ninja Turtle cartoon had 194 episodes. I suppose the easiest way would be to chop them up as equally as possible, but maybe there are reasons why not doing that isn't done. At the very least, the episodes are readily available; until a few years ago, nearly a decade went by without the series being available in any format.

Granted, it took Disney 11 years to put X-MEN on DVD, and while those are selling like hotcakes (in two weeks, both volumes sold almost a quarter million copies), many fans are bemoaning the lack of any extras of any sort, and even that the video transfer is average at best. I've not bought them but some screen-shots don't look a whole lot better than some of my bootlegs.

Still, it is quite something that in the wake of a 25th anniversary, the TMNT are still on TV, still selling DVD's, and still selling merchandise.

It's too bad that they arent in a better studios hands...

[Dread]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

It's too bad that they arent in a better studios hands...

Buena Vista/Disney hasn't been doing a much better job with the 60's-90's Marvel cartoons that they have rights to. The original Ninja Turtles cartoon at least made it to DVD in less than a decade after it ended on TV.

But, yeah, Lion's Gate has their hits and misses.

The Ninja Turtles show was originally released by FAMILY HOME ENTERTAINMENT in the 80's, although the last VHS of the show was released in 1996, the year it ended. They usually only had 2-3 episodes per tape if you were lucky, usually in no real sequential order after the first two seasons or so. Some episodes were only released commercially via exclusive BURGER KING KIDS CLUB or HI-C promotions! The company would later become ARTISAN ENTERTAINMENT, and LION'S GATE bought the rights to that company years ago, I think around or after 2002.

Believe it or not there are even a few LASER-DISCS of the original cartoon show floating about.

Still, regardless of quality, the Turtles have been on home video since 1988.

I believe Casey Jones was in about five episodes out of the 194 episode run of the original series. Technically, TMNT have had two cartoon series that have lasted at least 7 seasons with well over 150 episodes. TMNT: BACK TO THE SEWERS brings the 2003 incarnation to episode #156, even if for many of us, the series wasn't the same after the end of the NINJA TRIBUNAL arc, which was episode #116.

In May the Turtles were officially 25 (the first printing of TMNT #1 from Mirage was in May 1984) and there's still a lot to celebrate, and they still have a presence on the small screen, even if a diminished one from the late 80's-early 90's when they were bigger than POKEMON ever was.

[Gatchamanjp]

I shelled out greenbacks for the first...7 seasons of...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the releases have been just excellent. Season 7 was released in 4 parts so that Lionsgate could celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the TMNT, by including a mini action figure of each of the 4 Turtles. Since Season 8 is...Shredder's last stand, Hopefully he will get his own action figure then.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Dread

Buena Vista/Disney hasn't been doing a much better job with the 60's-90's Marvel cartoons that they have rights to. The original Ninja Turtles cartoon at least made it to DVD in less than a decade after it ended on TV.

But, yeah, Lion's Gate has their hits and misses.

The Ninja Turtles show was originally released by FAMILY HOME ENTERTAINMENT in the 80's, although the last VHS of the show was released in 1996, the year it ended. They usually only had 2-3 episodes per tape if you were lucky, usually in no real sequential order after the first two seasons or so. Some episodes were only released commercially via exclusive BURGER KING KIDS CLUB or HI-C promotions! The company would later become ARTISAN ENTERTAINMENT, and LION'S GATE bought the rights to that company years ago, I think around or after 2002.

Believe it or not there are even a few LASER-DISCS of the original cartoon show floating about.

Still, regardless of quality, the Turtles have been on home video since 1988.

I believe Casey Jones was in about five episodes out of the 194 episode run of the original series. Technically, TMNT have had two cartoon series that have lasted at least 7 seasons with well over 150 episodes. TMNT: BACK TO THE SEWERS brings the 2003 incarnation to episode #156, even if for many of us, the series wasn't the same after the end of the NINJA TRIBUNAL arc, which was episode #116.

In May the Turtles were officially 25 (the first printing of TMNT #1 from Mirage was in May 1984) and there's still a lot to celebrate, and they still have a presence on the small screen, even if a diminished one from the late 80's-early 90's when they were bigger than POKEMON ever was.

Yeah, but Buena Vista isnt the only studio out there (though I do wish Marvel Animation could get all their stuff back, so we could get better releases, but thats another story).

[Dread]

Originally Posted by Gatchamanjp

I shelled out greenbacks for the first...7 seasons of...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the releases have been just excellent. Season 7 was released in 4 parts so that Lionsgate could celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the TMNT, by including a mini action figure of each of the 4 Turtles. Since Season 8 is...Shredder's last stand, Hopefully he will get his own action figure then.

Well, technically the Shredder and Krang would return in the 10th and last season in 1996 for several episodes. Seasons 8-10 had eight episodes each. Season Nine in 1995 was the only season without Shredder or Krang, relying instead on the Dimension X warlord Dregg. I recall being unimpressed by Dregg and at the time CBS had pitted the show time-slot wise against FoxKids' SPIDER-MAN in New York, and my choice was clear. I sort of loosely mark 1993 as the year I started losing interest in the Ninja Turtles as a kid. After some 5-6 years, their third film was a mess, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and X-MEN were making history on TV and catching my interest. Ninja Turtles tried to have a more serial story by the end of their run, but for me it was too late. Once it was pitted against SPIDER-MAN at the same time and I had to choose one, though, it was usually about when I stopped watching often.

Saki's dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, though, would never return after the end of Season 8.

The "2k3" series, though, allowed me to enjoy TMNT again as an adult viewer without compromising my standards, which is always something I will be grateful for.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Yeah, but Buena Vista isnt the only studio out there (though I do wish Marvel Animation could get all their stuff back, so we could get better releases, but thats another story).

Yes, it certainly is.

[Eric Brooks]

Originally Posted by Dread

I haven't bought any of the original Ninja Turtles DVD's. While I worshiped that show as a kid, as an adult it offers little but nostalgia, while the newer series offers that along with more modern expectations of mine.

I couldn't agree more. Although I have all 7 seasons on DVD, after running through them once, that's more than enough fill for at least a couple of years.

When you're a full grown adult and you watch this series, you realise just how bland, slow, stupid and corny it really is. The new animated series that ran in 2000 (around that time) is so much more SUPERIOR in every aspect its ridiculous.

I actually envy the children growing up with TODAY's turtle cartoons as oppose to most of us here who grew up with the 80's cartoons that now.........just flat out SUCK

I honestly can't see why I use to worship this show

[Gatchamanjp]

Dread, Thank You for the update, Shredder in the first TMNT series is my favorite character after Raphael, even though he tried to make...Soup of the Heroes on the half shell.

Eric Brooks, I still love the original TMNT series, and the only other animated TMNT, I enjoy is Imagi's. I am jealouls that Wii owners also have 2 exclusive games I definitely would have bought (I own a 360 and PS2) Tatsunoko Vs Capcom and TMNT Smash Up (character designs based on...Imagi's TMNT film.)

[bullets]

I hate Krang

[Gatchamanjp]

bullets, Krang is such a...Brainiac, isn't he? I think he works well with both Shredder, his Foot Clan Ninja as well as the brainless Be Bop and Rocksteady, as a circle of EEEEEEEEEEvil Villainy, that is as destructive, as humorously incompetent.

[bullets]

I still hate Krang. Slash and the Rat king were some good ones. I loved Be bop and Rocksteady.

[Gatchamanjp]

bullets, Rat King was very cool.