Forum - View topic

The Mike Toole Show - Orbots Almighty

I was in diapers when this show was on, but I do remember my dad talking about it when I was young. Did see a clip of the show on youtube some years ago and noticed that the main guy was the original Donatello. And yes, that theme song is awesome. Never really bought Warner Archive stuff yet, but might have to check this out.

Regarding the lack of Japanese dub, I would presume Warner wouldn't have those materials. The Wikipedia entry claims the dub was done in 1988, but Turner bought MGM's back catalog in 1985. I think it would be more likely for that track to turn up on a home video release in Japan, if there ever is one.

The most successful of TMS international collabs was Bakugan (which will get a reboot next year), but unfortunately that wasn't exactly an animation standout.

I don't know how, but I actually remember this title-- the title, mind, not the show!

I remember this show.
It was a neat-looking series. It was only on the one season and disappeared into oblivion after that year.
I was NEVER rerun on American TV as far as I know and I'm sure they would have rerun it on USA Network, CN, or Boomerang had anybody known WHO owned it.
That is a problem, btw, with these conglomerates. They own so much crap that it's hard to keep track of who has what rights to which show!

I do wish it had been released through something other than Warner Archive. They do next to no restoration on any of the films released on that label and the titles are pretty much all printed on DVD-R.

GeorgeC wrote:

They do next to no restoration on any of the films released on that label and the titles are pretty much all printed on DVD-R.

IMO this is a big problem, many cartoons from Hanna Barbera are getting the same shitty DVD-R format. I would have preferred a remastered blu-ray release, it would have been very nice if they included the japanese and spanish dubs, but they can't at least do a normal dvd release?

As a side comment, the cover arts is the worst I have seen in years, could they have taken a good screenshot instead?

If Warner needed some kind of metric to know how much discs they need to print, they could have streamed it first on netflix, that is what Funi does nowadays, there is no guessing involved.

I remember the ALF cartoon. Sadly. I also remember Burger King running a promo where you could receive 1 of 4 ALF hand puppets to tie in with the show, but my memory can't discern if that promo was a tie in to the cartoon or the live action TV show.

But Rainbow Brite was my girl despite my saddest childhood memory involving receiving RB's plush horse as an apology for not taking me to Disneyland because I got chicken pox a day before we were supposed to go. Good Times.

I don't recall watching Orbots, but that might have also been because my parents shuttled me around to extracurricular activities as a little tyke, so I rarely got to stay home on Saturday mornings to watch these shows.

I do remember Gummi Bears (one of the better Disney Afternoon shows) and, of course, Tiny Toons. I'm probably not the only one on this thread looking forward to new Animaniacs episodes. I've missed Yakko, Dot and the Great Wakkarotti (sp?) fiercely.

Never watched the show on tv, but recently stumbled upon a video on youtube. It had this amazing transformation sequence stupenduously animated and the music was very catchy. One of the few instances where an american song in animation wasn't outright stupid.

Mighty Orbots. A pity only 12 episodes were ever made. It sure looked way way better than Mask or Gobots ever did.

A fascinating relic from a time where breaking into programming on network TV was completely different. These days, no one would have bothered with this workaround, they would have just dubbed God Mars. Especially now with Netflix buying anime like a family buying groceries as a warehouse store.

Regarding the lack of Japanese dub, I would presume Warner wouldn't have those materials. The Wikipedia entry claims the dub was done in 1988, but Turner bought MGM's back catalog in 1985. I think it would be more likely for that track to turn up on a home video release in Japan, if there ever is one.

I was in diapers when this show was on, but I do remember my dad talking about it when I was young. Did see a clip of the show on youtube some years ago and noticed that the main guy was the original Donatello.

I don't know if I ever saw this (outside of YT clips), but we are really showing our ages here in this thread.

I remember watching this show as a kid but not knowing why it got canceled. If I remember correctly, I used to think it was the time slot it was in. I believe it was on at the same time as SatAM juggernauts The Smurfs (NBC) and Muppet Babies (CBS).

I know I'd certainly lose that argument of what to watch when I'd often spend the weekend with my cousin and his annoying little sister (who was very similar to the one on Everybody Hates Chris). I had kinda heard about them getting sued off the air over GoBots, but never heard much. I loved it back then, but I do wonder if I'd still enjoy it now.

All in all, a revival/reboot of it is still on my "probably never gonna happen" wish list along with a live-action Gunsmith Cats.

Thank god some of these shows made it into American Television in the 1980s.

Star Blazers & Robotech (as much i hate the latter company who adapted for US TV, even to this DAY) truly was my go-to and matured me to true anime fan back in the day.

Too bad Mighty Orbots was rip on God Mars, i actually knew it was. My mother was a spend-holic, and she regularly got me unique gifts from Japanese Importer Toy Store, she unknowly bought the original big God Mars toy itself,. As soon I saw Orbits, i knew it was borrowing from the original show. I've not seen Godmars, but i doubt it be as adaptable for younger audience the American Television producers were fixing to hook into.

I'm Galaxy Rangers made it into DVD, it hasn't age too well though, but i'm glad i got it.

Considering the level of mass censorship Dungeons and Dragons (a contemporary of Orbots) faced where the main hero couldn’t wield a sword, God Mars would NEVER fly.

I'm kind of getting to this late.

I do remember some ads for the toys shown on Saturdays. But it was first and the last time you ever saw them.

Orbots while it's not the first Japanese/US collaboration it was something new to come about after a long time. At 13 episodes you'd think it was longer if you hadn't watched it from start to finish. Which I hadn't. Fans wanted more. It definitely had the potential for more. Sadly that wasn't the case.

Battle of the Planets ended. Starblazers started and ended. There were a fews shows here and there, but not much more. It would be years up until 'Robotech' came on the scene. And that was a door soon opened and more shows involving TMS would appear. We later got Galaxy Rangers at 65 episodes. A show that all the (seniors I knew) people in my HS watched. But then that was taken off the air because somehow the ratings dropped because the networks love moving shows around. So if you didn't watch it when it was airing and recording it then, there was no way to catch every episode in order.

Then came Gobots, Transformers, GI Joe, Visionaries and later Bionic Six. By this time everyone I knew who was into anime or discovering it knew TMS' house style. By the time the early 90's came in and we were getting shows like Tiny Toons and Batman the Animated series, while not everyone would know when TMS was on the scene those that DID know from consciously checking the credits did. You knew what to look for. No matter what they were involved in if the animation was clean and slick you knew it was TMS.

For years I only looked at TMS as the overseas animation studio that did work for Western companies.

It would be years later that I could look at them as a Japanese animation studio that also did work for the homeland. So when I see their name on Japanese animated shows it’s an odd feeling. But it's also acquired knowledge throughout the years. If that makes any sense.

As of this article (finally reading over the weekend) and I’m on Amazon right now and I’m actually shocked to finally see ‘Mighty Orbots’ on DVD FINALLY!!! THAT COVER IS ATTROCIOUS!!!But it’s a shame that no one was able to get the license to this and doctor it up better. I’m familiar with Warner’s Archive series. They need to do a better job with it. But they won’t. This is Warner we’re talking about. Hell, if they can’t release proper versions of their own animated shows why should I expect them to treat something like this with care. But the important thing is that it’s finally out. I guess that’s all that matters.