ThunderCats (1985 TV series)
ThunderCats is an American animated science fantasy television series produced by Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment and Leisure Concepts. It debuted in 1985, based on the characters created by Tobin Wolf. The series, for which Leonard Starr was the head writer, follows the adventures of a group of catlike humanoid aliens. The animation for the episodes was provided by the Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation, with Masaki Iizuka as production manager. The studio was acquired in 1989 to form Walt Disney Animation Japan. Season 1 of the show aired in 1985, consisting of 65 episodes. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 each contained twenty episodes, starting with a five-part story.
The series was originally distributed by Rankin/Bass' then-parent company Telepictures Corporation, which would merged with Lorimar Productions in 1986. In 1989, Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by and folded into Warner Bros., whose television syndication arm assumed distribution of the show; Warner Bros. had the rights to the series from that point on. Leisure Concepts, which helped co-develop the show, acted as a licensing agent for the series.
It also aired on Cartoon Network as part of the Toonami block.
There were also several comic book series produced: Marvel Comics' version, 1985 to 1988; and five series by Wildstorm, an imprint of DC Comics, beginning in 2003.
A film adaptation of the series was announced in June 2007; Aurelio Jaro was making an animated feature film of ThunderCats, based on a script written by Paul Sopocy. Jerry O'Flaherty, veteran video game art director, had signed on to direct. The film was planned to be produced by Spring Creek Productions. It was originally set for a summer 2010 release, but the movie has since been put on hold. Concept art for the film has also been leaked online.
The music for the series, including the theme tune, was written by Swiss-born Bernard Hoffer. Craig Snyder played the electric guitar.
Production
The first season cost $15 million to make. Stanley Weston oversaw the creation of the series.Plot
ThunderCats follows the adventures of the eponymous team of heroes, cat-like humanoid aliens on a planet called Third Earth. The series plot begins with the dying planet Thundera meeting its end, forcing the ThunderCats to flee their homeworld. The fleet is attacked by the Thundereans' enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, who destroy most of the starships in the "ThunderFleet", but spare the flagship hoping to capture the legendary mystic Sword of Omens they believe is on board.The sword holds the Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats' power, which is embedded in the hilt. Though the Mutants damage the flagship, the power of the Eye drives them back. The damage to the ship means the journey to their original destination is not possible, instead having to journey to "Third Earth", which will take much longer than they had anticipated.
The eldest of the ThunderCats, Jaga, volunteers to pilot the ship while the others sleep in capsules. He dies of old age in the process, but not before ensuring they will reach their destination safely. The flagship contains the young Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O, as well as the ThunderCats Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf.
When the ThunderCats awaken from their suspended animation on Third Earth after ten "galacto-years", Lion-O discovers that his suspension capsule has slowed, rather than stopped, his aging. He has now become essentially a child in the body of an adult. Together, the ThunderCats and the friendly natives of Third Earth construct the "Cat's Lair", their new home and headquarters, but before long, the Mutants have tracked them down to Third Earth. The intrusion of these two alien races upon the world does not go unnoticed, as a demonic, mummified sorcerer calling himself Mumm-Ra recruits the Mutants to aid him in his campaign to acquire the Eye of Thundera and destroy the ThunderCats, so that his evil may continue to hold sway over Third Earth.
Episodes
Setting
Season 1
The basic plot above sets the stage the first season of the show, and serves as the basis for stories mixing elements of science fiction and fantasy into a traditional good-versus-evil tale, introducing recurring allies and villains into the world of the ThunderCats. Futuristic technology is just as central to the series as magic and myth, but even in the midst of all this action, the series never underemphasizes the importance of moral values in solving problems. Each episode normally includes a short dénouement, featuring the characters recuperating after the events of the story and taking the time to single out a personal value or wholesome approach that helped save the day, or could have done so if they had seen it.The first half of Season 1 featured a gentle continuity, with early episodes following on from one another and establishing recurring concepts, although this became less common as the season transitioned into its second half, which comprised mostly incidental one-shot adventures. Tying the second half of season one together was the overarching five-part adventure written by series head writer Leonard Starr, "Lion-O's Annointment", in which an unarmed Lion-O faced off against first each of the other ThunderCats, and then Mumm-Ra, so he could truly earn his title as Lord of the ThunderCats. The five parts were:
- "Day One: The Trial Of Strength" – Lion-O had to out-do Panthro in a strength contest.
- "Day Two: The Trial Of Speed" – Lion-O had to beat Cheetara in a race.
- "Day Three: The Trial Of Cunning" – Lion-O had to outwit both of the "ThunderKittens", WilyKat and WilyKit, in an underground location.
- "Day Four: The Trial Of Mind-Power" – Lion-O was pitted against Tygra in a mind-based challenge.
- "Last Day: The Trial Of Evil" – Lion-O had to defeat Mumm-Ra. In his "Trial Of Evil", Lion-O discovered that Mumm-Ra was highly dependent on the sarcophagus inside which he had been mummified.
Although intended to be viewed consecutively, the five parts of the mini-series were erroneously aired with multiple other episodes between each installment.
Season 2
When the series returned in 1987, it was revealed that the evil wizard Mumm-Ra had survived. "ThunderCats – Ho!" and its follow-up, "Mumm-Ra Lives!", set the pattern for the following three seasons, each of which began with a five-part mini-series—again written by Leonard Starr—that established the new characters and concepts that would go on to influence the rest of the season. In the case of "Mumm-Ra Lives!", these concepts included the debut of the villainous Lunataks, which became a third faction that existed for the rest of the series, and the new team of ThunderCats from ThunderCats – Ho! receiving their own headquarters and vehicles.Season 3
The 1988 season began with the Peter Lawrence-scripted "ThunderCubs" which, though named for its plot about the ThunderCats being transformed into children, was principally about Mumm-Ra reconstructing Thundera in order to retrieve both the weapon that had originally destroyed it and the legendary Treasure of Thundera. In the course of the adventure, the treasure—containing the Book of Omens, a tome holding all the secrets of the ThunderCats, and many other mystical items—was scattered across the New Thundera, ushering in a new concept for the series: a season with an actual story arc. Continuity between episodes became tighter as the ThunderCats, Mutants, Lunataks and Mumm-Ra alternated their adventures between Third Earth and New Thundera, searching for the treasure and exploiting its powers.The season featured the running theme of the Ancient Spirits of Evil having to take a more active hand in pushing Mumm-Ra into action, culminating in another unique feature of the season—an actual finale episode, "The Last Day", in which the Ancient Spirits of Evil give Mumm-Ra one last chance to destroy the ThunderCats by sunset. Besides demonstrating their threat by making Ma-Mutt disappear, the Ancient Spirits of Evil stated that Mumm-Ra's failure will also have the Mutants and the Lunataks removed from Third Earth. Ultimately, Mumm-Ra failed and the Ancient Spirits of Evil exiled him to the farthest corner of the Universe.
Season 4
In the opening miniseries, Peter Lawrence's "Return to Thundera!", the ThunderCats returned to New Thundera to rebuild their society, but before departing, they destroyed Mumm-Ra's pyramid. This enraged the Ancient Spirits of Evil to the point that they brought Mumm-Ra back and installed him within a new pyramid on New Thundera.The season proved to be quite divorced from what had gone before, with adventures consigned almost entirely to New Thundera, and most villainous opposition coming from either Mumm-Ra or assorted new villains. The Mutants, Lunataks, and Captain Cracker all returned for one episode each. In the series finale, several conclusions are reached:
- Mumm-Ra stands up to and successfully asserts himself over the Ancient Spirits of Evil.
- The mystery of the Book of Omens is at last solved.
- The tumultuous and terrifying environment of Thundera is at last rendered peaceful and pristine.
Cast
1986's "Thundercats—Ho!" added Gerrianne Raphael to the cast as the voice of Pumyra, while 1987's "Mumm-Ra Lives!" saw the addition of Doug Preis as the voice of Alluro.
| Voice actor | Regular Heroes | Regular Villains | Recurring characters |
| Larry Kenney | Lion-O | Jackalman Tug-Mug | Ratar-O Snarf Eggbert |
| Earle Hyman | Panthro | Red-Eye Ancient Spirits of Evil | N/A |
| Earl Hammond | Jaga | Mumm-Ra Vultureman Amok | Snarf Oswald Ro-Ber-Bill RoBear Berbils Snowman of Hook Mountain Hammerhand Captain Cracker |
| Peter Newman | Tygra WilyKat Bengali | Monkian | Hachiman |
| Lynne Lipton | Cheetara WilyKit | Luna | Willa Nayda Mandora the Evil Chaser |
| Bob McFadden | Snarf Lynx-O Snarfer | Slythe | Grune the Destroyer Driller Molemaster Quickpick Captain Shiner |
| Gerrianne Raphael | Pumyra | Chilla | Jagara |
| Doug Preis | n/a | Alluro | N/A |