"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987/I) TV series 1987-1996

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Writers:

Joe DiStefano (writer)
Kenny Hotz (one episode)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The adventures of a quartet of humanoid warrior turtles and their friends.

Plot Keywords:

Turtle | Martial Arts | Friend | Ninja | Shredder

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Renae Jacobs	...	April O'Neil (190 episodes, 1987-1996)
Jim Cummings	...	Additional Voices / ... (181 episodes, 1987-1996)
Townsend Coleman	...	Michelangelo / ... (147 episodes, 1987-1996)
Pat Fraley	...	Krang / ... (136 episodes, 1987-1996)
Beau Weaver	...	Additional Voices (131 episodes, 1987-1996)
James Avery	...	Shredder (127 episodes, 1987-1994)

(more)

Series Directed by
Yoshikatsu Kasai		(5 episodes, 1987)

Series Writing credits
Michael Charles Hill		(87 episodes, 1991-1996)
David Wise		(70 episodes, 1987-1995)
Fred Wolf		(60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Michael Reaves		(19 episodes, 1988-1991)
Francis Moss		(15 episodes, 1989-1993)
Misty Stewart-Taggart		(12 episodes, 1990-1993)
Ted Pedersen		(10 episodes, 1990-1993)
Jack Mendelsohn		(9 episodes, 1990-1993)
Michael Edens		(8 episodes, 1989-1993)
Dennis O'Flaherty		(8 episodes, 1991-1993)
Jeffrey Scott		(8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Patti Howeth		(6 episodes, 1987-1988)
Mark Edward Edens		(5 episodes, 1989-1995)
Doug Molitor		(4 episodes, 1989-1993)
David Carren		(4 episodes, 1989)
J. Larry Carroll		(4 episodes, 1989)
Brynne Stephens		(3 episodes, 1988-1989)
Dennis Marks		(3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Martin Pasko		(2 episodes, 1988-1990)
Richard Merwin		(2 episodes, 1988)
Larry Parr		(2 episodes, 1988)
Gordon Bressack		(2 episodes, 1989-1991)
Rowby Goren		(2 episodes, 1989-1990)
Bruce Shelly		(2 episodes, 1989)
Reed Shelly		(2 episodes, 1989)
Bill Wolf		(2 episodes, 1989)
Joe DiStefano		(unknown episodes)
Kenny Hotz		(unknown episodes)
Stan Sakai		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Andy Luckey	....	producer / associate producer (102 episodes, 1990-1993)
Fred Wolf	....	supervising producer (66 episodes, 1987-1990)
Mark Freedman	....	executive producer / associate producer (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Walt Kubiak	....	producer (49 episodes, 1988-1990)
Sung Chul Ha	....	executive producer: A-1 Productions (13 episodes, 1988)
Karl Aaronian	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1987)
Richards Sallis	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1987)
Osamu Yoshioka	....	producer: Toei Animation (5 episodes, 1987)
Rudy Zamora Jr.	....	producer (5 episodes, 1987)
Michael Algar	....	line producer (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
Kara Vallow	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Dennis C. Brown		(65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Chuck Lorre		(65 episodes, 1987-1989)

Series Film Editing by
Michael Bradley		(47 episodes, 1989)
Carol Lewis		(47 episodes, 1989)
Catherine MacKenzie		(47 episodes, 1989)
Brian Baker		(18 episodes, 1987-1988)
Rick Hinson		(5 episodes, 1987)
Charlie King		(5 episodes, 1987)

Series Casting by
Stu Rosen		(5 episodes, 1987)

Series Art Direction by
Frank Rocco		(47 episodes, 1989)
Gary Selvaggio		(13 episodes, 1988)
Peter Chung		(5 episodes, 1987)
Ira Turek		(5 episodes, 1987)

Series Production Management
Eliot Daro	....	production supervisor / production manager (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Michael Lander	....	production manager (47 episodes, 1989)
Vanessa Coffey	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1987)

Series Art Department
Larry Houston	....	storyboard artist (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Joe Horne	....	storyboard artist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Dave Rodriguez	....	storyboard artist / prop master / ... (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
James Simon	....	storyboard artist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Craig Zukowski	....	storyboard artist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Bob Fuentes III	....	storyboard artist (52 episodes, 1987-1989)
Moon Choi	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Dan Fausett	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Melissa Freeman	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Lennie K. Graves	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Auguste Haboush	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Scott Jorgenson	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Don Manuel	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Darrell McNeil	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Emory Myrick	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Swinton O. Scott III	....	storyboard artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Cullen Blaine	....	storyboard artist (13 episodes, 1988)
Thomas E. Decker	....	scenic designer (13 episodes, 1988)
Andrew Gentle	....	scenic designer (13 episodes, 1988)
Edward R. Gutierrez	....	scenic designer (13 episodes, 1988)
David High	....	scenic designer (13 episodes, 1988)
Jim Janes	....	storyboard artist (13 episodes, 1988)
Mario Piluso	....	scenic designer (13 episodes, 1988)
Frank Rocco	....	storyboard artist (13 episodes, 1988)
Dave Simons	....	storyboard artist (13 episodes, 1988)
Will Meugniot	....	storyboard artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Rhoydon Shishido	....	storyboard artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Roy Allen Smith	....	storyboard artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Kamoon Song	....	storyboard artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Roy Wilson	....	storyboard artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Maurice Joyce	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Richard Ory	....	props (unknown episodes)
Dan Schaefer	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Cecil Broughton	....	track reader (47 episodes, 1989)
Patty Grives	....	track reader (47 episodes, 1989)
Peter Grives	....	track reader (47 episodes, 1989)
Thomas Needell	....	assistant sound editor (34 episodes, 1987-1989)
Rick Hinson	....	supervising sound editor / sound effects editor (13 episodes, 1987-1995)
Skip Adams	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Bill Hutten	....	animation director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Walt Kubiak	....	animation director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Tony Love	....	animation director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Hector Martinez	....	background color stylist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Andrew Phillipson	....	background color stylist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Dene Ann Ross	....	color key artist (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Bill Wolf	....	animation director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Paro Hozumi	....	background color stylist (52 episodes, 1987-1989)
Robert Schaefer	....	background color stylist (52 episodes, 1987-1989)
Renee Ilsa Alcazar	....	ink and paint artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Kent Butterworth	....	animation director (47 episodes, 1989)
Steve Butz	....	background color stylist (47 episodes, 1989)
Claude Chiasson	....	overseas animation supervisor (47 episodes, 1989)
Andre Clavel	....	background layout artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Shigeko Doyle	....	ink and paint artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Shelley Gillespie	....	ink and paint artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Maria Hagenow	....	ink and paint artist (47 episodes, 1989)
David High	....	background color stylist (47 episodes, 1989)
Christine Kingsland	....	ink and paint artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Rogerio Nogueira	....	character designer (47 episodes, 1989)
Colette Van Mierlo	....	background layout artist (47 episodes, 1989)
Tom Wooldridge	....	background color stylist (47 episodes, 1989)
Richard Ziehler-Martin	....	background color stylist (47 episodes, 1989)
Gary Eggleston	....	background color stylist (18 episodes, 1987-1988)
Robin Draper	....	color key artist (13 episodes, 1988)
Greg Drolette	....	background color stylist (13 episodes, 1988)
Chi Hyun Hwang	....	animation director: A-1 Productions (13 episodes, 1988)
Michael Kaweski	....	overseas animation supervisor (13 episodes, 1988)
Soo An Kim	....	animation director: A-1 Productions (13 episodes, 1988)
Dae Sik Moon	....	animation director: A-1 Productions (13 episodes, 1988)
Philip Phillipson	....	background color stylist (13 episodes, 1988)
Frank Rocco	....	character designer (13 episodes, 1988)
Diane Albracht	....	color key artist (5 episodes, 1987)
Vicki Banks	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Teresa Birch	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Vincent Davis	....	animation director (5 episodes, 1987)
James Gallego	....	background color stylist (5 episodes, 1987)
Curt Geda	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Haroldo Guimaraes	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Renee Holt	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Jim Janes	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Michael Longden	....	overseas animation supervisor (5 episodes, 1987)
Elyse Pastel	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Mark Taylor	....	character designer (5 episodes, 1987)
Joan Welch	....	color modeler (5 episodes, 1987)
Fred Wolf	....	animation director (5 episodes, 1987)
Andy Wyatt	....	assistant animator (2 episodes, 1989)
Norman Drew	....	animation director: overseas (unknown episodes)
Maurice Joyce	....	layout artist / timing director (unknown episodes)
Russ Mooney	....	animation timer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Brent Eldridge	....	colorist (191 episodes, 1987-1996)
Rich Harrison	....	executive film editor / managing editor (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Kerry Dean Williams	....	supervising editor (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Theresa Gilroy-Nielsen	....	assistant editor (13 episodes, 1988)
David Lynch	....	assistant editor (13 episodes, 1988)
Robert Martel	....	assistant editor (13 episodes, 1988)
Thomas Needell	....	assistant editor (13 episodes, 1988)

Series Music Department
John Mortarotti	....	music supervisor (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Larry Brown	....	music mixer (17 episodes, 1987-1988)

Series Other crew
Michael Charles Hill	....	story editor (88 episodes, 1990-1996)
Susan Blu	....	dialogue director (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Donna Evans	....	production controller (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Trudi Takamatsu	....	production coordinator (65 episodes, 1987-1989)
Bill Hutten	....	sequence director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Walt Kubiak	....	sequence director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Tony Love	....	sequence director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Jack Mendelsohn	....	executive story editor (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Maitzi Morgan	....	assistant dialogue director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Neal Warner	....	sequence director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Bill Wolf	....	supervising director (60 episodes, 1988-1989)
Heather Adams	....	production assistant (47 episodes, 1989)
George Conte	....	controller (47 episodes, 1989)
Lyrl Hailstock	....	production assistant (47 episodes, 1989)
Eric Hitesman	....	production assistant (47 episodes, 1989)
John Kafka	....	sequence director (47 episodes, 1989)
Francis Moss	....	assistant story editor (47 episodes, 1989)
Emory Myrick	....	sequence director (47 episodes, 1989)
Robert Shellhorn	....	sequence director (47 episodes, 1989)
Martin Sokol	....	production assistant (47 episodes, 1989)
Richard Trueblood	....	sequence director (47 episodes, 1989)
Maria Hagenow	....	production assistant (18 episodes, 1987-1988)
Vanessa Coffey	....	production assistant (13 episodes, 1988)
Robert Alvarez	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Dave Brain	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Norm McCabe	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Jamie Mitchell	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Spencer Peel	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
James T. Walker	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Bob Zamboni	....	sequence director (5 episodes, 1987)
Attila Vaski	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1996)
Bradley Bowlen	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Geoffrey Mark	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Billy Pittard	....	title designer (unknown episodes)
Tom Way	....	script coordinator (unknown episodes)
David Wise	....	executive script consultant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Mirage Studios
• Surge Licensing
• Fred Wolf Films (1992-1996)
• Murakami Wolf Swenson (1987-1992)

Distributors

• Canal France International (????) (non-USA) (TV)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1990-1996) (USA) (TV)
• Eyemark Entertainment (1996) (USA) (TV)
• Family Home Entertainment (FHE) (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Group W Productions (1987-1993) (USA) (TV)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• USA Network (1993-1996) (USA) (TV) (repeats)

Other Companies

• A-1 Productions  animation production
• B & B Sound Studios  sound mixing
• Foto-Tronics  telecine transfers

Also Known As:

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (UK)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Series (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (193 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | USA:TV-Y7

Company:

Mirage Studios

Trivia:

As humans, Bebop was African-American and Rocksteady was blond.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the episode "Enter The Rat King", the turtles are climbing up the Channel 6 building, Donatello says "I wish we had those anti-gravity boots from episode 6." He was referring to the episode "Sky Turtles." But Sky Turtles was actually episode 23. Episode 6 was "Return of the Shredder" which did not feature anti-gravity boots.

Quotes:

April O'Neil: For some people, it's an improvement!
[giggles]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Eleva20ren (2008) (TV)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The original animated series!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series is one of My favorites of the 1980s animated programs. When it was on I watched it as much as I could! It has very good animation, cool characters, some humor, great music, and awesome action. The characters are really neat. All of the the Turtles are great, April is so good, Splinter is so spiritual, and Shredder is excellent. I loved how all of the characters have great personalities. In My opinion I don't think there will be a cartoon like this again because it was one of a kind! If you like the Turtles movies but never saw the series and are able to watch it on television or buy it on tapes then do so because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon is a classic!