"Beast Wars: Transformers" (1996) TV series 1996-1999

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

6 August 1996 (Canada)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Animation | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Transformers story continues in the acclaimed sequel!

Plot:

Two spaceships, one manned by benevolent Maximals, the other by evil Predacons, crash-land on a pre-humanoid planet while en route to Earth...

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Battle | Robot | Spaceship | Alien

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Scott McNeil	...	Dinobot / ... (51 episodes, 1996-1999)
Gary Chalk	...	Optimus Primal / ... (50 episodes, 1996-1999)
Ian James Corlett	...	Cheetor / ... (49 episodes, 1996-1999)
Richard Newman	...	Rhinox / ... (49 episodes, 1996-1999)
David Kaye	...	Megatron (47 episodes, 1996-1999)
Venus Terzo	...	Blackarachnia (39 episodes, 1996-1999)
Alec Willows	...	Tarantulas (35 episodes, 1996-1999)
Jim Byrnes	...	Inferno (28 episodes, 1997-1999)
Doug Parker	...	Terrorsaur / ... (25 episodes, 1996-1997)
Don Brown	...	Scorponok (23 episodes, 1996-1997)

Also Known As:

"Beasties: Transformers" (Canada: English title)
"Beasties" (Canada: English title)
"Transformers: Beast Wars" (USA) (last season title)

Runtime:

30 min (52 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (1997-) | Matrix Surround (1996-1997)

Certification:

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

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

The Maximals and Predacons are the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons from "Transformers" (1984). Before they accidentally landed on prehistoric Earth, they lived on Cybertron some 300 years after the end of the original series.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the episode "Fallen Comrade", during the fight over the bridge, Waspinator is missing his stripes on his posterior. They are missing again when he and Terrorsaur are attempting to open the stasis pod

Quotes:

Optimus Primal: Can you reactivate her Maximal programing?
Rhinox: It's tricky and dangerous. It could dump her entire core and leave her a blank.
Optimus Primal: And if we do nothing.
Rhinox: She'll be a Predacon forever.
Optimus Primal: That might be too big of a risk to take right now. Let's go find her.
Blackarachnia: [listening in] So that's the way it is, huh? Nobody's unzipping this girl's core.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Transformer Beast Wars Metals: Gekitotsu! Gangan Battle (1999) (VG)

WOW!!

I absolutely love this show! It has everything going for it: top-quality animation from Mainframe, an excellent voice cast, great music, and the most intricate story lines I've seen in a while. This should be a reference guide as to how a quality TV series should be done. I must state that my favorite character by a longshot is Dinobot. The animators did a wonderful job on him. His facial expressions combined with Scott McNeil's incredible performance drive home the point that he is a complex character. He is cunning, yet noble and in deep thought. Even thought he leaves the Predacons for the Maximals, you are never quite sure what he is going to do next. In a sense, he is neither Maximal nor Predacon; he fights on his own side. I thought the "Code of Hero" episode was sad, yet fitting for him.