Cartoon Networks Boomerang will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its U.S. television debut of BATTLE OF THE PLANETS with an all-day special edition of Boomeraction, the networks weekly showcase for animated action-adventure programming. The 24-hour salute starting at 8:00 am April 25, 2004 will showcase newly remastered versions of the landmark series first 16 episodes of the epic interplanetary struggle that inspires five young orphans to join forces to help save the Earth and other planets from malicious invasion. Additional remastered serial episodes will then assume a regularly scheduled spot on Boomerangs Sunday lineup, playing at 9:00 am, 5:00 pm and 1:00 am, respectively.
As the home for classic cartoon programs from televisions golden age, Boomerang is delighted to present this rare opportunity to revisit one of Japans best-ever animé fantasy/adventures, said Mark Norman, svp/gm of Boomerang. Making its U.S. premiere 25 years ago at the height of the STAR WARS craze, BATTLE OF THE PLANETS proved to capture a similar spirit of awe-inspiring heroism in the face of overwhelming odds set against a fantastic, make-believe world. This truly is a groundbreaking series that is more than worthy of the special attention we hope to bring to its important 25-year milestone. And these newly remastered episodes will give viewers the best viewing experience possible, with something special to look forward to each Sunday.
BATTLE OF THE PLANETS (known originally as GATCHAMAN) ran in Japan from October 1972 to September 1974. It was produced by Tatsunko Prod. and was the first major Japanese import hit since 1967s SPEED RACER, which that company also produced. Set in the year 2020, the series centers around the daring exploits of G-Force, a protective squad, commandeered by Mark Venture, of four war orphans: Jason, Tiny, Princess and Keyop. Headquartered beneath the seas of Earth at Center Neptune, the G-Force rallies together to stem the megalomaniacal schemes and advances of Zoltar, insidious leader of the withering planet Spectra, whose wicked denizens are forced to conquer new worlds and galaxies in order to survive.
Purchased for U.S. first-run syndication by exec producer Sandy Frank, the show was adapted into English by Hanna-Barbera veterans Jameson Brewer and Alan Dinehart III, who renamed BATTLE OF THE PLANETS. They commissioned new animation of an R2D2-like robot character named 7-Zark-7 to narrate and bridge continuity gaps left from edited scenes of the more graphically violent passages. Frank also hired veteran voice actors Casey Kasem (Mark Venture), Janet Waldo (Princess), Keye Luke (Zoltar), Alan Young (Keyop/7-Zark-7), Ronnie Schell (Jason) and Dinehart himself (Tiny) to star in the 85 Americanized episodes.
Riding a new wave of popular nostalgia, BATTLE OF THE PLANETS will enjoy licensing and merchandising support that includes Rhino Home Video releasing 85 episodes in multi-DVD sets in May for its 25th anniversary. Also, 3DGroove will market a new BATTLE OF THE PLANETS multiplayer Internet videogame in April. Other projects include BATTLE OF THE PLANETS comic books, graphic novels and manga issues, produced by TOP COW from art director Alex Ross. Additional ventures this summer and fall include collector items from Dynamic Forces, T-shirts and other apparel from Blue Grape, a nonfiction book covering the history of BATTLE OF THE PLANETS from Tomorrow Publications, music from Silva Screen and high-end collectibles from Udon.
Boomerang is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s 24-hour cable/satellite network offering classic animated entertainment. Drawing from the world's largest cartoon library, the channel showcases Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Warner Bros. classic characters. In the past year, its distribution has grown to nearly 12 million homes. For more information visit Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
