"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:

Robot | Alien | Battle | Good Versus Evil | Alien Civilization

Cast

Frank Welker	...	Megatron / ... (68 episodes, 1984-1987)
Peter Cullen	...	Optimus Prime / ... (63 episodes, 1984-1987)
Chris Latta	...	Starscream / ... (63 episodes, 1984-1987)
Corey Burton	...	Spike Witwicky / ... (55 episodes, 1984-1987)
John Stephenson	...	Thundercracker / ... (51 episodes, 1984-1987)
Casey Kasem	...	Teletraan I / ... (51 episodes, 1984-1986)
Dan Gilvezan	...	Bumblebee / ... (50 episodes, 1984-1987)
Don Messick	...	Ratchet / ... (49 episodes, 1984-1986)
Michael Bell	...	Prowl / ... (46 episodes, 1984-1987)
Jack Angel	...	Ramjet / ... (37 episodes, 1985-1987)
Scatman Crothers	...	Jazz (34 episodes, 1984-1986)
Ken Sansom	...	Hound / ... (30 episodes, 1984-1985)
Michael Chain	...	Hoist / ... (28 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:

Alpha Trion is the only Transformer in the series who aged since the beginning of the war between Autobots and Decepticons till the present time, judging by the difference in his look at "War Dawn" and "The Search for Alpha Trion".

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:

Apeface: Yuck. Noble Autobots make me wanna puke.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Future-Drama (#16.15)" (2005)

Adult oriented as well as child oriented

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Golly gosh,is Transformers really nearly 20 years old?This timeless celebration of colourful good machines versus bad machines is a piece of genius.I was channelsurfing today,and saw this on one of the channels.It was an episode I remember called The Revenge Of Bruticus.That holds your attention as well now as it did when you were a young kid.In fact,strangely enough,it almost seems better caught up in the pretentiousness of adult life.I would be very happy if they made a big hollywood blockbuster movie adaptation of the series,even though this would contradict my movie laws no end.Maybe the heartless marketing moguls at hollywood should leave this old classic alone,and let it stand the test of time in it's current posistion.*****