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1987 Original Animated SeriesUpon the request of Playmates Toys, a five episode TMNT miniseries was produced and aired before toy production began. The series continued into a second season and became an instant hit. The show ran until 1996 with 193 episodes and even aired 5 days a week between 1989 and 1993.
Though the 1987 series was based off of the comic, many elements were changed. The turtles wore the identifying color masks featured on the action figures as well as belts with the first letter of their names. To make the show more family friendly, much of the violence from the comic was toned down and humor was played up. |
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1997 The Next MutationThis live action series was cancelled after only one season with 26 episodes. The storyline seemed to be a continuation of the original film trilogy. A fifth, female turtle was introduced in this series but did not reappear in any of the following interpretations.
The live action television series may have been an attempt to play off of the success of the live action movie trilogy of the early 90's. Unfortunately, this series did not have the budget of the movies and it's quality suffered. It did not reach the level of popularity attained by the movies. |
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2003 Second Animated SeriesThe second animated series ran from 2003 to 2009 and was co-produced by Mirage Studios. Because of this, it more closely resembled the darker style of the original comic while still being appropriate for children.
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2012 Third Animated SeriesAfter gaining rights to TMNT, Nickelodeon is producing a new animation series for 2012. The series has already been renewed for a second season.
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