"Transformers" (1984) TV series 1984-1987

Director:

Peter Wallach

Writer:

Roger Slifer (live-action sequences)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

17 September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

More than meets the eye!

Plot:

Two opposing camps of alien transforming robots fight in a war that has the fate of Earth in the balance.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Robot | Battle | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | High Tech

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 14 of 68)

Frank Welker	...	Megatron / ... (72 episodes, 1984-1987)
Peter Cullen	...	Optimus Prime / ... (63 episodes, 1984-1987)
Chris Latta	...	Starscream / ... (63 episodes, 1984-1987)
Corey Burton	...	Spike Witwicky / ... (58 episodes, 1984-1987)
John Stephenson	...	Thundercracker / ... (54 episodes, 1984-1987)
Dan Gilvezan	...	Bumblebee / ... (51 episodes, 1984-1987)
Casey Kasem	...	Teletraan I / ... (51 episodes, 1984-1986)
Don Messick	...	Ratchet / ... (49 episodes, 1984-1986)
Michael Bell	...	Prowl / ... (48 episodes, 1984-1987)
Jack Angel	...	Ramjet / ... (41 episodes, 1985-1987)
Scatman Crothers	...	Jazz (34 episodes, 1984-1986)
Gregg Berger	...	Grimlock / ... (30 episodes, 1984-1986)
Ken Sansom	...	Hound / ... (30 episodes, 1984-1985)
Michael Chain	...	Hoist / ... (29 episodes, 1985-1986)

Also Known As:

Super God Robot Force
Tatakae! Chô robot seimeitai Transformer (Japan)
The Transformers (USA) (new title)
Transformer 2010 (Japan) (third season title)
Transformers: Generation 1 (USA) (informal title)

Runtime:

Argentina:30 min | USA:30 min (98 episodes)

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U (video rating) | Singapore:G | Canada:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:TV-Y7 | Australia:G (some episodes)

Company:

Sunbow Productions

Trivia:

The first ever Transformer to appear on the series was Wheeljack, episode 0.01 "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1".

Goofs:

Continuity: The cartoon is notorious for its lack of continuity and the number of its plot-holes - at least compared to later Transformers shows. For example, robots that could fly in one episode suddenly lose this ability, the Decepticon group called the Constructicons have three contradicting origins, and it is also common for newcomer characters to simply appear in an episode with no explanation given as to why they haven't been seen before. As such, it is not surprising that most of the cast ended up being ignored and forgotten when new characters had to be added.

Quotes:

Cyclonus: He must be hiding in the crypt.
Scourge: Good... then we won't have to take him anywhere when we're done.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Community: Comparitive Religion (#1.12)" (2009)

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye.

One of the best cartoons to come out in the 80's along with G.I. Joe and Visionaries.

This story is about two waring Robot factions, The Autobots (the good guys) lead by Optimus Prime, and The Decepticons (the evil nasty pieces of work) lead by the maniacal Megatron.

The show starts off with the Autobots leaving their home planet of Cybertron to find a new source of energy to win the war, having depleted their own planet of energy they set off in their space craft (known in the comics and the Beast Wars TV Series as The Ark) to find new sources of energy to help win the war and replenish there own planets energy supplies, but unknown to them The Decepticons already new about their plan and set off to follow them in their own space craft, The Decepticons ambush The Autobots in space and board there ship but the ship is caught in the magnetic pull of earths atmosphere and the ark crashes into a volcano and lies dormant for 4 million years, before an eruption re-activates the ships computer (teletraan I) which rebuilds and reactivates The Transformers giving them Human vehicles designs and the war starts all over again.