Jump to content

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Genre
Based onThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created
by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman
Showrunners
Voices of
Theme music composerMatt Mahaffey
ComposerMatt Mahaffey
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
ProducerLouis J. Cuck
Running time21–23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkParamount+
ReleaseAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09) –
present (present)

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series developed for the streaming service Paramount+. Based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, it is set in the universe of the film Mutant Mayhem (2023) and serves as a bridge between the film and a planned sequel. The series follows the Turtles as they navigate their dual lives as both teenagers and heroes in New York City. Christopher Yost and Alan Wan serve as showrunners.

Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, and Ayo Edebiri reprise their voice roles from Mutant Mayhem. During production on the film, its producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were granted approval to develop a canon streaming television series. The series was announced in July 2023, with Yost and Wan attached as executive producers and showrunners. It is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Point Grey Pictures, and Titmouse provides animation.

The first season of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted on Paramount+ on August 9, 2024, with all 12 episodes. A second season was picked up alongside the first and is set to debut on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ in 2025.

Premise

[edit]

Set two months after the events of the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023),[1] the series follows the Turtles as they navigate their dual lives as both teenagers and heroes in New York City.[2] In the first story arc, the Turtles are separated while facing Bishop, a villain who plans to eliminate all mutants. They must deal with being alone for the first time and reunite to save mutant kind.[3][4] In the second arc, the Turtles clash with a group of aquatic mutants known as the East River Three.[4]

Cast and characters

[edit]
Main article: List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters

Episodes

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
112August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
2TBA2025 (2025)

Season 1 (2024)

[edit]
Main article: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season 1
No.TitleWritten byStoryboarded byOriginal release date
1"Leo Nardo Stands Alone!"Christopher YostEleisiya Arocha, Gabriela Camarillo, Ian Higginbotham and Kenji Ono, Kalvin Lee (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
2"Mikey Does the Right Thing"Matthew BassSebrina Gao, Jerry Gaylord and Laura Gille, Kenji Ono (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
3"Raph Thinks It Through"Christopher YostPeter Foltz, Ian Higginbotham, Kam Kalambay, Lyndsay Simpson and Jaxon Sorby, Jennifer Bennett (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
4"Donnie Hangs Tough"Alex HansonEleisiya Arocha, Gabriela Camarillo, Lyndsay Simpson and Tim Yan, Kalvin Lee (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
5"Bishop Makes Her Move!"Haley ManciniIan Higginbotham, Jaxon Sorby and Jasmine Suggs, Jennifer Bennett (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
6"Night of the Mechazoids"Kevin ShinickSebrina Gao, Jerry Gaylord and Laura Gille, Kenji Ono (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
7"Raph vs. Water"Matthew BassPhil Allora, Lyndsay Simpson and Tim Yan, Kalvin Lee (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
8"Mikey Takes Charge"Alex HansonIan Higginbotham, Jasmine Goggins and Jaxon Sorby, Jennifer Bennett (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
9"Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish"Haley ManciniSebrina Gao, Jerry Gaylord and Laura Gille, Kenji Ono (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
10"Donnie Goes Deep"Matthew BassPhil Allora, Lyndsay Simpson and Tim Yan, Kenji Ono (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
11"Leonardo Saddles Up"Elise RoncaceIan Higginbotham, Jerry Gaylord, Jasmine Goggins and Jaxon Sorby, Jennifer Bennett (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
12"The Pearl"Alex HansonSebrina Gao, Laura Gille, Chris Luc and Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Alan Wan (director)August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)

Season 2

[edit]

The second season is set to debut on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ in 2025.[11][12]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

According to Christopher Yost, during the middle of production on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were granted approval to develop a canon streaming television series. Yost was then approached to see if he would be interested in meeting Rogen, and after agreeing, the two discussed what the series could be. Alan Wan was brought in to work with Yost.[1] Together, the two had experience working on the 2003 Turtles series, the 2012 Turtles series, and the 2018 series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[13]

In July 2023, Variety reported that a film sequel and a 2D animated television series follow-up for Mutant Mayhem had been greenlit.[14] The series, titled Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was reported to act as a bridge between Mutant Mayhem and the film sequel,[14] which has been scheduled to release in theaters in 2026.[15][16] Yost and Wan were announced as executive producers and showrunners.[14] Lukas Williams was set to oversee production for Point Grey Pictures which co-produces with Nickelodeon Animation Studio.[14] Production for Nickelodeon was overseen by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President of Nickelodeon Animation, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.[2]

Despite reportedly being greenlit for two seasons on announcement,[14] Yost later said in an August 2024 interview that he was unsure if there would be a second season but said they had plenty of ideas for one.[1] In the January 2025 issue Toy World Magazine, Paramount confirmed that season 2 will debut later that year on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.[11][12]

Casting, voice recording and music

[edit]

Along with the series' announcement in July 2023, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon were confirmed to reprise their voice roles from Mutant Mayhem as the four Turtles.[14] Ayo Edebiri was later confirmed to reprise her role as April O'Neil in February 2024.[2] Unlike with Mutant Mayhem, in which Abbey, Brown, Cantu, and Noon recorded their voice roles together, for Tales, they recorded independently from one another. The actors felt that the decision affected the way they performed and helped them dig deeper into their respective characters.[17] Splinter, who was previously voiced by Jackie Chan in Mutant Mayhem, only speaks in a gibberish language called "vermin" in Tales.[9] Fred Tatasciore provides the voice and is credited as "Splinter Vermin".[10] The series' opening theme and score was composed by Matt Mahaffey,[18][10] who previously composed the score for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 2022 film continuation.[18]

Writing and animation

[edit]

Unlike previous Turtles series, which were developed as television shows first, Tales is a continuation of a film. This meant the showrunners had to use Mutant Mayhem as a guiding map in development.[19] Just like with the film, the showrunners emphasized the teenage aspect of the Turtles.[19] The series is presented from the Turtles point of view. Yost said that they sometimes think of it as "Tales by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", adding that there was a bit of an unreliable narrator element to it.[1] The showrunners described the world presented in the series as being more grounded than those of previous incarnations of Turtles.[19] The team made efforts to integrate April O'Neil into the stories and make sure she did not feel too distant from the Turtles.[20]

Independent animation studio Titmouse provides the animation for the series.[1][21] Like with Mutant Mayhem, which took an unconventional approach to its CG animation, Wan wanted the series to take an unconventional 2D animation look. He wanted to capture a "punk rock" feeling and described the style as rough and raw.[17] The showrunner felt the series' more crude art style helped to distinguish it from its more clean-looking action cartoon peers.[19] Wan also felt that the art style paid homage to the original Turtles comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.[22] The series uses comic book drawings by Leonardo as a framing device, which the showrunners also added as an homage to the comics.[23] For the action sequences, the team drew inspiration from various iterations of Turtles, including Mutant Mayhem, the 1990s live-action films, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[22]

Release and reception

[edit]

The first season of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted on Paramount+ on August 9, 2024, with all of its ordered 12 episodes.[24] The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 12, 2024, by Paramount Home Entertainment.[25] The second season is set to debut on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ sometime in 2025.[11][12]

Critical response

[edit]

For the first season, Rotten Tomatoes reported 100% approval with an average rating of 8.0/10 based on 9 reviews.[26] Overall, the season received positive reviews from critics for its voice performances, animation, and action sequences. Some critics felt that it lived up to standard set up by Mutant Mayhem, while various others opined that it was a downgrade.[27][28][9][29][30][31]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Annie Awards February 8, 2025 Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Rustam Hasanov (for "Night of the Mechazoids") Pending [32]
Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Alan Wan, Colin Heck (for "The Pearl") Pending
Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Laura Gille, Sebrina Gao, Kevin Molina-Ortiz (for "The Pearl") Pending
Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Ayo Edebiri (for "Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish") Pending
Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Caleb Yoder (for "The Pearl") Pending
Hollywood Professional Association Awards November 7, 2024 HPA Award for Outstanding Color Grading – Animated Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature Ara Thomassian (Keep Me Posted) (for "Night of the Mechazoids") Nominated [33][34]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Bennett, Tara (August 2, 2024). "Toon In: Animated TV Highlights for August, from Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Terminator Zero". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Milligan, Mercedes (February 8, 2024). "Paramount+ Unshells First Look at 'Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Animated Series". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Paz, Maggie (June 7, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trailer Sets Release Date for Spin-off Series". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Catig, Gary (July 26, 2024). "SDCC '24: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares new characters and voice talent". AIPT. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Paramount+ Reveals Additional Voice Guest Stars Featured in the All-New Original Animated Series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Premiering on Friday, August 9". The Futon Critic. July 18, 2024. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024 – via CBS.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Felt, Klein (August 5, 2023). "TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Cast & Characters: 16 Main Actors and Who They Play". The Direct. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Anderton, Ethan; Motamayor, Rafael (August 1, 2023). "The Only Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Character Guide You'll Need". /Film. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  8. ^ Kelley, Aidan (March 11, 2023). "'TMNT: Mutant Mayhem' Cast & Character Guide: Who Are the Voices Behind the Heroes in a Half Shell". Collider. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Stevens, Tim. "Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles loses some turtle power". The Spool. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Yost, Christopher (August 9, 2024). "Leo Nardo Stands Alone!". Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Episode 1. Paramount+.
  11. ^ a b c "Popular Is Paramount". Toy World Magazine. No. January 2025. January 9, 2025. p. 106. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Paramount Fetes Upcoming Plans For Dora, PAW Patrol, SpongeBob and TMNT". NickAlive!. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  13. ^ Lovett, Jamie (July 26, 2023). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Sequel, Paramount+ Spinoff Series In the Works". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Lang, Brent (July 26, 2023). "'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' Sequel and Paramount+ Series in the Works (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Stephan, Katcy (February 28, 2024). "'Naked Gun' Remake Set for 2025 by Paramount; 'TMNT' and 'Paw Patrol' Sequels Dated for 2026". Variety. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (February 28, 2024). "Paramount Sets 'Ninja Turtles,' 'Paw Patrol' Sequel Release Dates in 2026". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Crow, David; Stone, Sam (July 26, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cast on Growing the Brothers Up and Apart for TV". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Jackson, Angelique (July 25, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Turtles Opening Title Sequence Revealed At Comic-Con". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d Cecchini, Paul (August 5, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wants to Bring a 'Punk Rock' Aesthetic to the Franchise". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Tyrrell, Caitlin (August 6, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Showrunners Talk A New Bishop & Splitting Up The Turtles". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Jennings, Collier (July 28, 2024). "SDCC '24: Titmouse provided the most unique interview experience in con history". AIPT. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Singh, Jasneet; Kelley, Aidan (July 29, 2024). "Here's the Way Tales of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series Connects to the 2025 Movie". Collider. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  23. ^ Maytum, Matt; Russell, Bradley (July 17, 2024). "The TMNT movie spin-off show is inspired by Superbad and honors the original comics in a unique way". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "Video: Paramount+ Reveals the Official Trailer and Key Art for the All-New Original Animated Series "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Premiering on Friday, August 9". The Futon Critic. June 7, 2024. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024 – via CBS.
  25. ^ Lovell, Kevin (December 19, 2024). "[Blu-Ray Review] Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1; Now Available From Paramount". Screen-Connections. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  27. ^ Robertson, Tyler (August 2, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episodes 1-6 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  28. ^ Thomas, Mike (August 2, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review: Mutant Mayhem Sequel Is a Shell of a Time". Collider. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Han, Angie (August 8, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review: Paramount+'s Winning Mutant Mayhem Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  30. ^ Betancourt, Manuel (August 9, 2024). "Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles doubles down on what made Mutant Mayhem tick". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  31. ^ Gayen, Sayantan (August 9, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shows the Fun in Mayhem". CBR. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  32. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (December 20, 2024). "Annie Awards Nominees: The Wild Robot Leads with 10 Nods". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  33. ^ Buccellato, Maureen (October 3, 2024). "Hollywood Professional Association Awards Nominations Announced". FlickDirect. Archived from the original on October 31, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  34. ^ "Dune 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Win HPA Awards". Variety. November 8, 2024. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Tales_of_the_Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_(TV_series)&oldid=1268614385"