"Transformers" (1984) TV series 1984-1987

User Rating:

8.3/10   

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:

Battle | Alien | Robot | Alien Technology | Space Bridge

Cast

Frank Welker	...	Megatron / ... (44 episodes, 1984-1987)
Peter Cullen	...	Optimus Prime / ... (42 episodes, 1984-1987)
Chris Latta	...	Starscream / ... (42 episodes, 1984-1987)
Corey Burton	...	Spike Witwicky / ... (37 episodes, 1984-1987)
John Stephenson	...	Thundercracker / ... (37 episodes, 1984-1987)
Dan Gilvezan	...	Bumblebee / ... (36 episodes, 1984-1987)
Casey Kasem	...	Bluestreak / ... (36 episodes, 1984-1986)
Michael Bell	...	Prowl / ... (34 episodes, 1984-1987)
Don Messick	...	Ratchet / ... (34 episodes, 1984-1986)
Scatman Crothers	...	Jazz (27 episodes, 1984-1985)
Ken Sansom	...	Hound / ... (25 episodes, 1984-1985)
Gregg Berger	...	Grimlock / ... (22 episodes, 1984-1986)
Neil Ross	...	Slag / ... (18 episodes, 1984-1986)

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:

Optimus Prime was never intended to return to the series after the movie, but a public outcry (which surprised the producers) resulted in him returning

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Animation errors can be found in each and every episode, and some of these are quite noticeable. Characters are colored differently from shot to shot at times, robots that should be dead appear randomly, and sometimes, you can see the same character twice in the same shot. Another issue is the misplacing of animation cels, which resulted in characters appearing to be small/gigantic, and in some instances, full limbs and other body parts are missing.

Quotes:

Optimus Prime: You destroy everything you touch Megatron!
Megatron: That's because everything I touch is food for my hunger. My hunger for power.
Optimus Prime: No! I am going to end your hunger once and for all.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Our World (2007) (V)

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.