Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
File:Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles logo.png Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles logo
Genre	Action/adventure Comedy Science fantasy
Created by	Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (original characters)
Written by	Joshua Sternin J.R. Ventimilia
Directed by	Michael Chang Alan Wan
Voices of	Sean Astin Jason Biggs Clancy Brown Greg Cipes Kelly Hu Phil LaMarr Christian Lanz Hoon Lee Nolan North Rob Paulsen Kevin Michael Richardson Mae Whitman
Opening theme	"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
Ending theme	"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (instrumental)
Composer	Sebastian Evans II
Country of origin	Template:TVUS
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26 (11 aired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ciro Nieli Joshua Sternin J.R. Ventimilia Peter Hastings
Producers	Ant Ward (supervising) Macgregor Middleton
Production companies	Nickelodeon Animation Studio Mirage Studios
Original release
Network	Nickelodeon
Release	September 29, 2012 (2012-09-29)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American cartoon series by the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in the franchise of the same name, premiered on September 29, 2012 on Nickelodeon. On October 2, 2012, Nickelodeon renewed the series for a second season with 26 episodes.

Plot

When ninjutsu master Hamato Yoshi and his four pet turtles are exposed to mutagen (a chemical from another world that transforms anyone who comes in contact with it into mutant creatures), they undergo major physical transformations: Hamato Yoshi becomes a humanoid rat under the name of Splinter and the turtles become human/turtle hybrids. Splinter retreats to the New York City sewers, where he raises the four turtles as his sons and imparts to them his knowledge of ninjutsu.

After venturing to the surface for the first time, the teenage Turtles discover an alien race called the Kraang is planning to take over New York City with their plans involving the same mutagen that created the Ninja Turtles. The Ninja Turtles befriend April O'Neil when she and her father Kirby have been abducted by the Kraang. While Kirby remains a prisoner of the Kraang, April becomes an ally of the Ninja Turtles as they help her to find out where the Kraang have taken her father.

The Ninja Turtles also learn that Splinter's old enemy, The Shredder, is leading the Foot Clan into tracking down Splinter and his sons to put an end to their clan.

Characters

Heroes

File:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debut at the Nick Hotel.jpg

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida. From left to right: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - A team of anthropomorphic freshwater turtles who are the protagonists of the series:
  • Leonardo (voiced by Jason Biggs) - "Leo" is an enthusiastic ninjutsu student, learning how to be an effective leader for his three often unruly brothers. He wears a blue mask and fights with two katana swords called Niten Ryu. Aside from his sensei, he takes leadership references from his favorite sci-fi cartoon series, "Space Heroes," which annoys his brothers to no end, especially Raph.
  • Raphael (voiced by Sean Astin) - "Raph" often lets his impulsiveness get in the way of rational thinking. He wears a red mask and fights with two sai. While hot-headed, Raphael has a soft side, as demonstrated by his interactions with his pet turtle, Spike.
  • Donatello (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - "Donnie" is in charge of the design and manufacture of all of the tools and weapons in the Turtles' arsenal, and he is also a gifted hacker. He wears a purple mask and fights with a rokushakubo which converts to a naginata. He has a crush on April since the first time he saw her. This incarnation of Donatello is also depicted with a gap in his front two upper teeth. Rob Paulsen, who voices Donatello, was also the voice for Raphael in the original 1987 TV series.
  • Michelangelo (voiced by Greg Cipes) - "Mikey" loves video games, skateboarding, pranks and pizza. He wears an orange mask and fights with two nunchaku, which convert into kusarigama. Though he possesses a child-like innocence, Mikey always brings his best game to a fight. This incarnation of Michelangelo is also depicted with freckles.

• April O'Neil (voiced by Mae Whitman) - The 16 year-old daughter of Dr. Kirby O'Neil who likes to play video games and eat pizza. April befriends the Ninja Turtles after the Kraang kidnap her and her father. After the Kraang get away with her father, April's aunt takes her in, and the Turtles promise to help her find her father and take down the Kraang. In "Monkey Brains," Splinter learns April has a special spiritual sensitivity and offers to train her to be a kunoichi (a female ninja).

• Splinter (voiced by Hoon Lee) - Splinter was born a human named Hamato Yoshi and resided in Japan where he became an expert of ninjutsu. When his friend Oroku Saki sought the affections of Splinter's wife Tang Shen, Saki wished to discredit Yoshi in front of her. Yoshi lost his temper and the altercation ended their friendship culminating in a battle that burned down Yoshi's home killing Tang Shen and their daughter Miwa. After moving to New York City, Yoshi had just purchased four pet turtles when he stumbled upon an exchange in an alley between two Kraang droids. Seeking to silence Yoshi before he could share what he had seen, a fight ensued and the canister the droids had been carrying smashed open splashing both Yoshi and his turtles with an alien chemical called mutagen. As the result, Yoshi (having had contact with a rat upon entering an alley) changed into a humanoid rat. Realizing he could no longer live a normal life topside, Yoshi retreated to the New York sewers where he raised his pets as sons and taught them the ancient Japanese fighting art of ninjutsu.

Villains

• Foot Clan - A ninja organization that is led by the Shredder:
  • Shredder (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - One of the primary antagonists of the series and leader of the Foot Clan. In contrast with the show's other lighthearted villains, he is much more serious and so far lacks any comedic elements. While once friends with Hamato Yoshi in Japan, Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi had a falling out after falling for the same woman named Tang Shen. A final battle at Yoshi's home resulted in a fire that not only burns down Splinter's home but also kills Tang Shen and Splinter's infant daughter Miwa. He has since sported burns to his face from that same fire. Fifteen years later, Shredder learns that Splinter is alive and in New York after seeing Hamato Yoshi's family crest on a shuriken left behind by the Turtles following their fight with the Kraang and Snakeweed. Seeking to finish his business with Yoshi, he and his Foot Clan relocate to New York. Initially, Shredder sends Chris Bradford and Xever to deal with them, but after their failed attempts in "New Friend, Old Enemy" and "Never Say Xever" causes Shredder to plan to deal with them himself. In "The Gauntlet," the Ninja Turtles have their first encounter with Shredder following their fight with the Kraang and after Chris Bradford and Xever have mutated into Dogpound and Fishface.
  • Dogpound (voiced by Clancy Brown) - Chris Bradford is a famous martial artist who is secretly Shredder's apprentice and a member of the Foot Clan. Bradford was sent to New York with Xever with orders from Shredder to find Splinter. After his first encounter with the Turtles, he befriends Michelangelo on a social media website in an attempt to entrap them, even going so far as to teach Mikey his secret kata, "The Death Dragon". Bradford later captures Mikey and baits the Turtles to rescue him and lead the Foot to Splinter. However, the plan fails after Splinter recognizes the "Death Dragon" move during the Turtles' sparring. Bradford is defeated by Mikey's use of the "Death Dragon" before he and Xever are flushed down the sewers. In "The Gauntlet", as Bradford and Xever attempt to flee from the Turtles, Bradford stabs open a container of mutagen, which sprays mutagen over Xever and himself. Bradford transforms into an akita/human hybrid, which Mikey dubs "Dogpound".
  • Fishface (voiced by Christian Lanz) - Xever is a Brazilian street thug who works for the Foot Clan ever since he was taken in while he was still a street urchin. He knows his ways around the underworlds of each city. Shredder assigned Xever to assist Chris Bradford into looking for Splinter. Chris Bradford and Xever fought the Ninja Turtles where their fight led into the sewers. The Ninja Turtles were able to defeat Chris Bradford and Xever and then flushed them down the sewers. In "Never Say Xever," Xever tells Shredder that he has put a word out on the street to look for the Ninja Turtles and to report back when they have been sighted. When the Ninja Turtles find the Purple Dragons's hideout at the abandoned Fortune Cookie factory, they end up fighting the Purple Dragons, Xever, and Chris Bradford where Xever fought Leonardo and Michelangelo. The Ninja Turtles retreated from Chris Bradford and Xever when the Foot Ninjas arrived. Xever then attacks the Purple Dragon member for leading the Ninja Turtles into their hideout. Xever later captures Mr. Murakami and leaves a note for the Ninja Turtles to meet him on the roof of the Fortune Cookie factory. After the Ninja Turtles subdued Chris Bradford, the Ninja Turtles meet up with Xever, the Foot Ninjas, and the Purple Dragons with a trade to get back Mr. Murakami. This results in a fight between the Ninja Turtles, the Foot Clan and the Purple Dragons leading up to the fight with Xever. When Chris Bradford and Xever double-team the Ninja Turtles and plan to dispose of them, a Purple Dragon member kicked Leonardo's sword to him as he cuts the water tower to flush away the bad guys. In "The Gauntlet", Chris and Xever go after the Ninja Turtles again and find them in one of the Kraang's hideouts. When Chris stabs open a container of mutagen when he and Xever were escaping from the Ninja Turtles, Xever ends up mutating into a fish-like mutant called Fishface (with the mutation being contributed by Xever previously touching a weird-looking fish) who sports venomous fangs. Following his mutation, Fishface had to reside in the water in Shredder's hideout in order to survive. Fishface wears a water-breathing rig and has mechanical legs since his original legs became a fish tail.

• The Kraang (voiced by Nolan North) - One of the main antagonists of the series. The Kraang are a race of brain-shaped aliens that pilot robotic bodies. The Kraang have not mastered English and communicate in redundant speech, making them extremely comedic. When they arrived on Earth, they brought along the mutagen. It was the Kraang who attacked Hamato Yoshi/Splinter while he was holding his new pet turtles causing them to fall into the mutagen that transformed the turtles into their turtle/human hybrid state. When it came to "The Gauntlet," the Ninja Turtles found info left by Kirby O'Neil that the Kraang have been abducting scientists so that they can help modify the ooze's properties. It was also revealed that turning humans into monsters with the mutagen, (even if it was modified), is merely a byproduct of the Kraang's endgame. They are similar in appearance and technological advancement to the Utroms from the original TMNT comics and share a homophonous link to the villain Krang from the 1987 cartoon series.
• Purple Dragons - A street gang that claims to own the streets and have been attacking different spots demanding protection money and have become allies with the Foot Clan. In "Never Say Xever," the Purple Dragons attack Mr. Murakami's Noodle Shop. The Ninja Turtles arrived and fended them off. Leo is about to deliver a final blow on Fong, but does not, due to an act of mercy. Finding a lead in the Purple Dragons, the Ninja Turtles find the Purple Dragons' hideout in a local Fortune Cookie factory. It turns out that the Purple Dragons were tipped off on looking for the Ninja Turtles by Xever. When the Ninja Turtles find the Purple Dragons's hideout at the abandoned Fortune Cookie factory, they end up fighting the Purple Dragons, Xever, and Chris Bradford where Xever fought Leonardo and Michelangelo. The Ninja Turtles retreated from Chris Bradford and Xever when the Foot Ninjas arrived. Xever then attacks Fong holding him responsible for leading the Ninja Turtles into their hideout. After the Ninja Turtles subdued Chris Bradford, the Ninja Turtles meet up with Xever, the Foot Ninjas, and the Purple Dragons with a trade to get back Mr. Murakami. This results in a fight between the Ninja Turtles, the Foot Clan and the Purple Dragons leading up to the fight with Xever. When Chris Bradford and Xever double-team the Ninja Turtles and plan to dispose of them, Fong threw down one of Leonardo's swords to him as he cuts the water tower down to flush away the bad guys. Members of the Purple Dragons include Fong (voiced by Andrew Kishino), Sid (voiced by Andrew Kishino) and Tsoi (voiced by James Sie).

• Baxter Stockman (voiced by Phil LaMarr) - Baxter Stockman is an inventor who plotted revenge against a company called TCRI, after he was fired spilling copier toner. A running gag is that the Turtles seem to misprounce his name as "Dexter Spackman." The Turtles first encounter Stockman in his rudimentary battle armor, while he attempts to break into a building. The Turtles defeat him, but Stockman obtains Donatello's T-Pod, which contains a military-grade artificial intelligence chip, and incorporates it into his battle armor. The next time the Turtles run into Stockman, his battle armor has upgraded itself. Eventually, the Stockman battle armor and the T-Pod merge into a destructive robotic being, which Mikey dubs "The StockmanPod." The StockmanPod makes quick work of the Turtles, causing them to flee. Using wisdom from Splinter about "fighting the person inside the armor," the Ninja Turtles engage the StockmanPod again, and make use of a simple beehive, to cause the StockmanPod to fall off a building. The Ninja Turtles deactivate the T-Pod and throw Baxter Stockman in the dumpster again. Following the incident with the Mousers, Baxter Stockman ends up in the services of the Shredder.
• The M.O.U.S.E.R.S. - The M.O.U.S.E.R.S (short for Mobile Offensive Underground Search Excavation and Retrieval Sentries (are small robots that were created by Baxter Stockman in order to steal stuff for him. They can attack anything that has radio-isotopes on them.

• Snakeweed (voiced by Danny Jacobs) - Snake was a street thug who was working for the Kraang. The Ninja Turtles end up interrogating Snake for information on where the Kraang are holding April and Kirby O'Neil. When the Ninja Turtles find out where the Kraang are holding April and Kirby O'Neil, a truck full of mutagen that the Ninja Turtles send towards the Kraang crashes into the base exposing Snake to the mutagen turning him into a plant monster that Michelangelo dubs "Snakeweed" (with the mutation being contributed by Snake being near some weeds). When the Turtles were trying to rescue April O'Neil and her father from the Kraang, they are attacked by Snakeweed. Leonardo lures him into the vicinity of a power core where Snakeweed is electrocuted and blown up. After the Ninja Turtles left, Snakeweed's heart started beating again.

• Spider Bytez (voiced by Lewis Black) - Vic was a crabby middle-aged New Yorker who videotaped the Ninja Turtles on his cellphone during a rooftop battle with the Kraang after one of the Ninja Turtles knocked out his satellite dish. When Vic attempts to sell his video to the Kraang, they kidnap him. During the Ninja Turtles attempt to rescue Vic, he is splashed with mutagen and transforms into a giant spider-like monster who Michelangelo dubs "Spider Bytez" (with the mutation being contributed to a spider climbing onto his cellphone). In this form, Spider Bytez blames the Ninja Turtles for his mutation. Besides using web attacks, Spider Bytez can also shoot a yellow acid-like substance from his mouth. After a fight with the Ninja Turtles in which they broke his cellphone, Spider Bytez vowed revenge and fled.

• Dr. Victor Falco (voiced by Jeffrey Combs) - Dr. Victor Falco is a scientist who was working for the Kraang on an experiment involving mutagen and monkey DNA. Believing that he was close to developing a neurochemical that could make him psychic, Falco tested the hybrid chemical on his colleague Dr. Rockwell transforming him into a man/monkey monster who could read emotions. After the Turtles figured out that Dr. Falco was lying about Rockwell's involvement in the research, they confronted him. Dr. Falco had injected himself with the chemical, making himself psychic and able to predict the Turtles' every move. Donatello figured out how to close off his mind from Dr. Falco to defeat him. Dr. Falco escaped before the Ninja Turtles could interrogate him about the Kraang's plot.

Other characters

• Kirby O'Neil (voiced by Keith Silverstein) - A scientist who is April O'Neil's father. He and April were captured by the Kraang. Although April was rescued by the Ninja Turtles, the Kraang made off with Kirby. In "The Gauntlet," the Ninja Turtles find information left by Kirby O'Neil that the Kraang have been abducting scientists so that they can help modify the unstable mutagen.

• Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe (voiced by Jim Meskimen) - A local TV newsman who reports on the Turtles' activities.

• Dr. Tyler Rockwell (voiced by Frank Welker) - Dr. Tyler Rockwell was a scientist. He and his partner Dr. Victor Falco were approached by the Kraang in their human disguises to work on an experiment that involved mutagen, a neurochemical, and monkey DNA. A news report mentioned that Dr. Tyler Rockwell was missing. April and the Turtles discovered that Dr. Falco had injected Rockwell with chemicals that transformed Rockwell into a monkey-like monster that can read emotion. The Turtles fought and defeated Falco and released the monkey monster into the city.

• Mr. Murakami (voiced by Sab Shimono) - A blind, skillful Japanese chef who runs a noodle shop. He becomes a friend to the Turtles after they save him from an extortion attempt by the Purple Dragons. Despite being blind, he knows what the Ninja Turtles are. Murakami rewards the Turtles with a dish called "pizza gyoza" (a type of Japanese-style dumpling that is stuffed with pizza ingredients) which the Ninja Turtles love. The Turtles also address Mr. Murakami as "Murakami-san. On a related note, Sab Shimono (who voices Mr. Murakami) also potrayed Lord Norinaga who was one of the two main antagonists in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

• Pete (voiced by A. J. Buckley) - A pigeon that was mutated by the Kraang. Pete learned to talk and befriended Kirby O'Neil who used him to send a message to his daughter.

• Leatherhead - Leatherhead is a mutant alligator that was originally owned by a boy until his parents flushed him. He was founded by the Kraang where they took him to their dimension and mutated him followed by some experiments conducted on him. Leatherhead had escaped from the Kraang with a piece of the Kraang power cell that would power the portal. When Leatherhead has been attacking sewer workers, the Ninja Turtles investigate where they find Leatherhead attacking the Kraang. The Ninja Turtles end up springing into action and fend off the Kraang as Michelangelo suggest they take his unconscious body back to the lair. Leatherhead comes to in the Ninja Turtles' lair and starts attacking the Ninja Turtles until it was tasered. Splinter learns about Leatherhead and his encounter with the Kraang as he tells Michelangelo to befriend him and learn about what the Kraang are up to yet has to chain him up as a precaution. While the other Ninja Turtles find the Kraang power cell, Michelangelo introduces himself to Leatherhead and befriends him. When the other Ninja Turtles return, they find that Leatherhead had been unchained and ask about the Kraang. Leatherhead reacts when the other Ninja Turtles have the power cell that he had hidden and goes on the rampage until Splinter arrives and fends off Leatherhead as Michelangelo goes after him. Michelangelo finds Leatherhead in the abandoned subway system. After the other Ninja Turtles arrive and learn Leatherhead's history, some of the Kraang soldiers arrive and attack the Ninja Turtles and Leatherhead. Leatherhead buys the Ninja Turtles some time so that Donatello can hook up the power cell to the subway car. While the Ninja Turtles get away, Leatherhead defeats the Kraang soldiers.

• Karai (voiced by Kelly Hu) - Her role is yet to be revealed.

Episodes

Main article: List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) episodes

Production

Jason Biggs voices Leonardo and Rob Paulsen, who voiced Raphael in the 1987 series, portrays Donatello. In June 2011, it was confirmed that Sean Astin is playing Raphael and Greg Cipes is Michelangelo. In August 2011, it was revealed that Mae Whitman will be the voice for April O'Neil. In April 2012, it was announced that Phil LaMarr will be playing the role of Baxter Stockman and Nolan North will be playing a race of aliens known as the Kraang. Actress Kelly Hu confirmed her role as Karai in May 2012.

Production art was leaked on the Nickelodeon website before it was taken down. The images showed the designs of all four Turtles, Shredder, Splinter, a teenage April O'Neil and the Kraang, an alien race that combines elements of both Krang and the Utroms. A trailer for the series was released on June 21, 2012, on Nickelodeon USA.

Merchandise

Playmates Toys created a new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles consumer products to go along with the show. The Lego Group will create a LEGO theme of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2013.

Broadcast

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States and on YTV in Canada on September 29, 2012. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series premiered on October 1, 2012 on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons. The series also premiered on October 8, 2012 on Nickelodeon Australia & New Zealand.

Reception

IGN has given the episodes of the show positive reviews, giving it an overall score of 7.6/10, and seven episodes have been given the "Editor's Choice" title. "The Gauntlet" received the highest review of 9.1/10. The series premiered in the U.S. to 3.9 million viewers.

External links

• Official website
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at IMDb