Retro Sci Fi TV: A look at shows from the past that may not have stood the test of time and/or that are relegated to their era, but many of us still have fond memories of them.
What Is It? The intelligent, transformable machines known as the Autobots and the Decepticons came to the Earth from their homeworld of Cybertron ages ago in search of resources, but crashlanded and went dormant for four million years. The evil Decepticons are awoken and begin to ravage the planet, but the Autobots are also revived and stand against their enemies in defense of the Earth.
Aired: 1984-87, Syndication, 4 Seasons Totaling 98 Episodes
Starring: Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, Christopher Collins, Corey Burton, Dan Gilvezan, Victor Caroli
Created By: Hasbro, Takara
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi? Possibly. The franchise has since become ubiquitous, so it is worth watching a sampling of episodes from the original series. But diminishing returns set in quickly.
The Skinny: Prior to the 1980s, restrictions were in place that limited the amount of product promotion included in children’s television shows. But these were eased in the ’80s, especially in the syndication market, which led to an onslaught of toy-based television shows on the tube such as G.I. Joe, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and of course The Transformers. The latter began as the Diaclone toy line in Japan and was transformed for the U.S. market (pun accepted) by Hasbro. Once the toys hit the shelves, they were supported by a Marvel comic book as well as a three-part mini-series on television that introduced the Transformers and filled in their backstory. From there, these transformable figures launched into a multi-billion franchise that continues to live on in books and comics, on the big screen, and across multiple television series.
The original series worked from a fairly simplistic idea that pitted the good Autobots against the evil Decepticons and resulted in weekly battles that usually saw the good guys coming out on top. There were some ongoing storylines across the show’s first four years, but nothing as complex as Robotech which would arrive in afternoon syndication one year later in 1985 (more on that one at this link). Some would say that The Transformers counts as classic sci fi TV, and an argument for that could be made. But the series hardly presented challenging television nor did it do much to advance the genre. It was a kid’s show designed for easy consumption on a daily basis without concerning itself too much with jogging the gray matter.
But then again, that was also the beauty of the show and that was what many of the original fans enjoyed. It may not have been daring television, but the show has proven its staying power and has delighted many viewers in the years that followed with both the original series and its many offshoots. It delivers a simple and easy-to-understand story of good vs. evil with memorable characters (and the toys were fun to play with). And the show certainly sparked the imagination of many young viewers. Not all sci fi has to be ground-breaking, sometimes it can succeed by just being fun. And the original Transformers scores points on that level which has helped the franchise to remain viable across multiple decades, with many still having fond memories of the show’s original run in the ’80s.
Cancelled Too Soon? No. The original series produced four seasons totaling 98 episodes which is considered a lengthy run for an animated series. And the story was picked up again within a few years, so fans were definitely not left wanting more from this franchise.
Revival: The franchise has generated over two dozen separate series with more currently on the way from Netflix. In addition, there have been seven feature films (including the ’80’s animated movie) plus countless comics and books. It’s future on the big screen is currently uncertain–though 2018’s Bumblebee seemed to revive interest–but the franchise itself will not be going away anytime soon.
Interesting Fact: The success of the toys played a large part in the success of the overall franchise. During the afternoon animated TV explosion of the ’80s, the shows that did the best were the ones that sold the most toys. And whether the TV series was driving the sales or the toys were promoting the show, they went hand-in-hand to determine the overall success of the line. Shows like Robotech and The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers may have had more critical acclaim and are looked back on as more solid sci fi entries, but the lack of support from toy sales saw those fade from the schedule quickly after their initial runs. (The highly recommended book Rise and Fall of the 80s Toon Empire takes an in-depth look at animated television in the 1980s).
Where Can You Watch It? The entire series has had multiple DVD releases over the years, though it has not received the Blu-ray treatment yet. It is currently available for streaming (as are several of the later series) on the free service Tubi TV.
Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com
More Retro Sci Fi TV at This Link
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
