Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV Series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) is an animated television series set primarily in New York City, serving as the first reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage Studios, which owned a third of the show’s rights, and animated by Dong Woo Animation, it aired from February 8, 2003, to November 21, 2009. Initially broadcast on Fox’s 4Kids TV (formerly FoxBox), it later moved to The CW4Kids in its final season. This series is noted for its darker, more mature tone, aligning closely with the original Mirage Comics. It concluded with the 2009 TV movie Turtles Forever, celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary. Viacom (Nickelodeon’s parent company) now owns the rights.
Release
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) premiered on February 8, 2003, on Fox’s 4Kids TV block, with its final season airing on The CW4Kids in 2008-2009. Produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage Studios, it was animated by Dong Woo Animation. The series ran for seven seasons, concluding with the TV movie Turtles Forever on November 21, 2009. On July 25, 2023, Nickelodeon released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection, a DVD box set containing all seven seasons and Turtles Forever.
The WB Proposal
In 2002, Mirage Studios pitched a different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series to Warner Bros. for The WB or Cartoon Network, featuring a more comical art style. The proposal included heroes like the Turtles, Splinter, April O’Neil, and Casey Jones, and villains such as Shredder, Baxter Stockman, and the Triceratons. Warner Bros. declined, leading to the darker, comic-faithful 2003 series on Fox.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Series Details
- Episodes: 155 + Turtles Forever
- Age: 7+ (kid-friendly, but mature themes)
- Runtime: 22 minutes per episode; Turtles Forever 70 minutes
- Publisher: 4Kids Entertainment, Mirage Studios
- Creator: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird
- Format: Animated TV series
- Rating: TV-Y7-FV (U.S.)
Characters
Main Characters
- Leonardo: The disciplined leader, often hard on himself when failing.
- Raphael: Gruff, tough-talking, with a soft spot for kids.
- Michelangelo: The humorous, laid-back prankster.
- Donatello: The quiet, inventive genius with advanced technology.
- Splinter: The Turtles’ wise rat sensei.
- April O’Neil: Ally and friend, runs an antique shop.
- Casey Jones: Vigilante ally, later April’s husband.
- Shredder (Ch’rell): Primary antagonist, an Utrom criminal.
Allies
- Cody Jones: April and Casey’s great-grandson (Fast Forward).
- Hamato Yoshi: Splinter’s master.
- Ninja Tribunal: Kon-shisho, Juto-shisho, Chikara-shisho, Hisomi-shisho.
- Justice Force: Silver Sentry, Zippy Lad, Stainless Steel Steve, others.
- Utroms: Mortu, Utrom Council Trio, Professor Honeycutt/Fugitoid.
- Others: Leatherhead, Traximus, Miyamoto Usagi, Angel, Renet.
Villains
- Foot Clan: Ch’rell (Shredder), Karai (Shredder II), Foot Ninja, Foot Mystics.
- Purple Dragons: Hun, Dragon Face, Two Ton.
- Earth Protection Force: Agent John Bishop.
- Baxter Stockman: Mad scientist, creator of Mousers.
- Tengu Shredder: Ancient demon Shredder (Season 5).
- Fast Forward Villains: Sh’Okanabo, Viral, Darius Dunn.
- Others: Triceratons (Zanramon, Mozar), Garbageman, Rat King.
Seasons Breakdown
The series evolved over its run, with format changes reflecting new story arcs and art styles:
- Seasons 1-4 (2003-2006): Focus on the Turtles battling the Utrom Shredder, Foot Clan, Purple Dragons, and Agent Bishop in New York. Ch’rell (Shredder) is exiled to Mor Gal Tal by Season 3’s end.
- Season 5 (Ninja Tribunal, 2008): The Turtles train with the Ninja Tribunal in Japan, gaining mystic powers to fight the Tengu Shredder. This season concluded the main storyline with original character designs.
- Season 6 (Fast Forward, 2006-2007): The Turtles are transported to 2105, meeting Cody Jones and facing futurist enemies like Sh’Okanabo. Features a brighter tone and new art style.
- Season 7 (Back to the Sewer, 2008-2009): Returning to present-day New York, the Turtles battle the Cyber Shredder. Includes a subplot about April and Casey’s wedding, with redesigned characters inspired by the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.
Turtles Forever
Turtles Forever (2009) is a 70-minute TV movie marking the series’ finale and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise’s 25th anniversary. The 2003 Turtles encounter their 1987 counterparts, transported to their universe. They team up to stop Ch’rell, allied with the 1987 Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, Hun, and Karai, from destroying all realities.
Episodes
- Season 1: 26 episodes (February 8, 2003 – November 1, 2003)
- Season 2: 26 episodes (November 8, 2003 – October 2, 2004)
- Season 3: 26 episodes (October 9, 2004 – April 23, 2005)
- Season 4: 26 episodes (September 10, 2005 – April 15, 2006)
- Season 5 (Ninja Tribunal): 12 episodes (February 9, 2008 – May 3, 2008)
- Season 6 (Fast Forward): 26 episodes (July 29, 2006 – October 27, 2007)
- Season 7 (Back to the Sewer): 13 episodes (September 13, 2008 – February 28, 2009)
Merchandise
Comics
The series inspired comics by Dreamwave Productions and Mirage Studios, drawing heavily from the original Mirage Comics. Characters like Hun, Agent Bishop, and the Triceratons later appeared in Mirage and IDW comics.
Coloring
Character designs differ from the 1987 series, aligning closer to the comics:
- Splinter: Gray fur, brown robes (vs. brown fur, burgundy robes).
- April O’Neil: Long red hair (vs. short brown hair).
- Turtles: Unique skin tones (Leonardo: Kelly green; Raphael: dark green; Michelangelo: dark teal; Donatello: yellowish olive-green). Weapons have bandana-colored handles, and elbow/knee/wrist bands are brown, not color-coded.
Critical Reception
Initially criticized by 1987 series fans for its darker tone and less catchy theme song, the 2003 series later gained widespread acclaim for its fidelity to the Mirage Comics, storytelling, character development, action, consistent animation, and appeal to all ages. It holds an 8/10 on IMDb and 8.8/10 on TV.com, with high ratings on 4Kids TV. Critics praised its mature themes, long-term story arcs, and Peter Laird’s involvement. Seasons 6-7 received mixed reviews for their lighter tone and animation changes, attributed to 4Kids’ influence. The series is considered one of the greatest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adaptations and animated comic-based shows.
Fifth Season and Fast Forward
Season 5 (Ninja Tribunal) was intended as the finale, with the Turtles gaining mystic powers to defeat the Tengu Shredder. Its 12 episodes were shelved for Fast Forward but released on 4Kids’ on-demand channel in 2006 and later on DVD. Fast Forward (Season 6) shifted to 2105 with a comedic tone, new art style, and Cody Jones as a key character. Season 7 (Back to the Sewer) returned to present-day New York, focusing on the Cyber Shredder and April/Casey’s wedding, with designs inspired by the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.
Syndication
After Viacom’s 2009 acquisition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, 4Kids retained broadcast rights until August 31, 2010. Nickelodeon then aired the series on Nicktoons until 2018. It now airs on Totally Turtles alongside the 2012 series. Since October 30, 2020, all seasons are available on Paramount+, and as of May 29, 2023, the series can be purchased digitally on platforms like Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Vudu.
See Also
Development
For insights into the 2003 series’ creation, refer to Mirage Studios’ and 4Kids Entertainment’s documentation on its production and comic adaptation.
