Transformers: EarthSpark
Transformers: EarthSpark | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Based on | Transformers by Hasbro Takara Tomy |
Developed by |
|
Voices of |
|
Composer | Crush Effect |
Country of origin |
|
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 36 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Running time | 23–45 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Nickelodeon Paramount+[1] |
Release | November 11, 2022 present | –
Transformers: EarthSpark is an animated children's television series based on the Transformers toyline by Hasbro. It was developed by Dale Malinowski, Ant Ward and Nicole Dubuc for the streaming service Paramount+ and sister cable network Nickelodeon. The series premiered on November 11, 2022 and was produced by Entertainment One in partnership with Nickelodeon Animation Studio, with animation services provided by Icon Creative Studio. A second season, produced by Hasbro Entertainment, premiered on June 7, 2024.
Premise
[edit]Fifteen years after the space bridge to Cybertron is destroyed, ending the civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, the Malto family relocates from Philadelphia to the small town of Witwicky, Pennsylvania. There, young Robby and Mo Malto witness the birth of a new breed of Earth-born Transformers called Terrans, who become emotionally bonded to the two via special cyber-sleeves on their arms. Now adopted into the family and being mentored by Bumblebee, the Terrans work with the Autobots, the former Decepticon leader Megatron, the organization G.H.O.S.T., and the children to protect their new life from the remaining rogue Decepticons and other villains while finding their place in the world.[2]
Season 2 starts one year later. A group of Decepticons led by Starscream goes rogue sometime after the shattering of the Emberstone. It is up to the Terrans, the Autobots, the humans, and those Decepticons on their side (namely Megatron) to collect the shards before those Decepticons that sided with Starscream do. This leads to the creation of the Chaos Terrans and the discovery of some secrets about Witwicky itself.
Characters
[edit]Terrans
[edit]- Twitch Malto (voiced by Kathreen Khavari in the TV series, Farah Rishi in Expedition) is an inquisitive and competitive Terran Transformer and Robby's partner. She transforms into a flying Cybertronian drone and her weapons are a pair of laser blades.[3]
- Thrash Malto (voiced by Zeno Robinson in the TV series, Chris Long in Expedition) is a fun-loving and impulsive Terran Transformer and Mo's partner. He transforms into a motorcycle with a sidecar that also serves as a shield and a throwing disk.[3]
- Hashtag Malto (voiced by Stephanie Lemelin in the TV series, Lauren Weisman in Expedition) is an excitable media-savvy second-generation Terran Transformer. She transforms into a G.H.O.S.T. surveillance van. While she does not have a weapon, she makes up for it with the ability to hack into electronic systems via wireless networks. In season 2, she switches her alt mode to that of a pickup truck due to her viewing her previous form obsolete.
- Jawbreaker Malto (voiced by Cyrus Arnold in the TV series, Bill Rogers in Expedition) is a sensitive second-generation Terran Transformer. He transforms into a Stygimoloch (now referred to as a younger Pachycephalosaurus) making him the Dinobot of the group. Though he does not have a weapon, he makes up for it with brute strength and durability.
- Nightshade Malto (voiced by Z Infante in the TV series, Aaron Landon in Expedition) is a creative and scientifically minded second-generation Terran Transformer. Nightshade is the first character in Transformers to be identified as non-binary, using singular they pronouns.[4] They transform into a Northern hawk-owl and their weapons are a pair of greaves on their forearms that function as blades and dart launchers while also having clawed fingers.
Autobots
[edit]- Optimus Prime (voiced by Alan Tudyk in the TV series, Bill Rogers in Expedition) is the leader of the Autobots. He transforms into a semi-trailer truck.[3] He is one of the Cybertronians to be successfully brought back to life by Robby and Mo's cyber-sleeves in the episode, "The Last Hope, Part 2".
- Bumblebee (voiced by Danny Pudi in the TV series, Joe Zieja in Expedition) is a former Autobot scout and currently Autobot veteran in hiding who becomes the Terrans' mentor. He transforms into a yellow sports car with black racing stripes,[3] though it was shown he originally scanned a similarly colored Compact car.
- Elita-1 (voiced by Cissy Jones) is the Autobots' second-in-command. She transforms into an all-terrain SUV.[3] She is one of the Cybertronians to be brought back to life by Robby and Mo Malto's cyber-sleeves in "The Last Hope, Part 2".
- Wheeljack (voiced by Michael T. Downey) is an Autobot mechanic engineer inventor and scientist. He transforms into a rally car.[5] Wheeljack was responsible for the drones that were scanned by Twitch who would later nickname him "Dad 2". He is one of the Cybertronians successfully brought back to life by Robby and Mo's cyber-sleeves.
- Arcee (voiced by Martha Marion) is an Autobot soldier. She transforms into a muscle car.[5] She is among the Cybertronians to be successfully restored to life by Robby and Mo Malto's cyber-sleeves.
- Grimlock (voiced by Keith David in the TV series, Barron Bass in Expedition) is a Dinobot warrior who transforms into a Tyrannosaurus. In the first part of the episode "Home", Grimlock was mind-controlled by Mandroid in fighting in an illegal Bot Brawl. After the Autobots freed Grimlock and ended the illegal Bot Brawl, they found that Grimlock had already left. In "A Stygi Situation" after recovering from the mind-control, Grimlock becomes Jawbreaker's mentor, especially after the Terran becomes a Dinobot and seeks help in controlling his beast mode.
- Cosmos (voiced by "Weird Al" Yankovic) is an Autobot who was kept trapped in his alt mode by Fairmeastro until he was freed by the Malto's. He transforms into a flying saucer that served as a carnival ride.
Decepticons
[edit]- Megatron (voiced by Rory McCann) is the former leader of the Decepticons and member of the Autobots who has renounced his evil ways to ensure the survival of the Cybertronians by sending the Allspark through the Space Bridge to Cybertron and has occasionally collaborated with Dorothy Malto. This move put Megatron at odds with some of the Decepticons. This incarnation speaks in a Scottish-accent and transforms into an armored tiltrotor which pays homage to "Animated".[3]
- Swindle and Hardtop (both voiced by Nolan North) are a pair of criminal Decepticon brothers. They transform into an SUV and a dune buggy respectively.[5] Swindle was detained and Hardtop's right arm was stolen by Mandroid into a prosthetic replacement for his own. When Mandroid got away after his first fight with the Autobots, Hardtop was among those detained as he claims to Megatron that he was not himself. Swindle would later try to dupe Thrash and Mo into helping find Hardtop by stealing the Energon Scanner only to be repelled by Bumblebee. Hardtop was among those accidentally freed by Hashtag as G.H.O.S.T. worked to contain him and the other escapees. In "Disarmed" and "What Dwells Within", Swindle was detained and placed in G.H.O.S.T. custody where he tried to escape with Starscream, Soundwave, Skywarp, and Nova Storm only to be thwarted by a forcefield barrier. In "The Last Hope", Swindle and Hardtop are among the Decepticons that help the Autobots fight Mandroid.
- Skullcruncher is a Croctobot who is in the possession of Mandroid and can transform into a crocodile. He was later put into G.H.O.S.T. custody after his defeat by the Maltos and Autobots. Skullcruncher was among those accidentally freed by Hashtag as G.H.O.S.T. worked to contain him and the other escapees. He was defeated by Bumblebee. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 1, Skullcruncher was freed by Nightshade and Twitch and left where he was unwilling to help fight Mandroid.
- Soundwave (voiced by Sean Kenin) is a Decepticon who works with his cassette-bots minions. He transforms into a stealth Cybertronian aircraft and has a particular grudge against Megatron, believing he has abandoned the Decepticons.[5] Soundwave was among those that were accidentally freed by Hashtag as G.H.O.S.T. worked to contain him and the other escapees. In "What Dwells Within," Soundwave tried to escape with Starscream, Soundwave, Skywarp, and Nova Storm only to be thwarted by a forcefield barrier. In "The Last Hope", Soundwave was among the Decepticons that help the Autobots and the Terrans fight Mandroid.
- Ravage is one of Soundwave's mini-cassette minions, taking on a black panther-like robot mode.
- Laserbeak (voiced by Jake Green) is one of Soundwave's mini-cassette minions, taking on a bird-like robot mode.
- Frenzy (voiced by Tiana Camacho) is one of Soundwave's mini-cassette minions and the only one with a traditionally humanoid robot mode.
- Starscream (voiced by Steve Blum) is a Decepticon who transforms into a jet, formerly serving as the faction's Air Commander in the great war. After the war ended, Starscream was seen in the custody of G.H.O.S.T. by the time Soundwave was incarcerated. In "What Dwells Within", Starscream escapes from G.H.O.S.T. custody alongside Skywarp and Nova Storm. After Starscream and Hashtag were saved from the Dweller, Starscream teleported away after Megatron offered him, Skywarp, and Nova Storm a safe place. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 2, Starscream was among the Decepticons who helped the Autobots and the Terrans fight Mandroid. He does try to get revenge on Megatron before Mandroid's super-weapon briefly deactivates him. Starscream is one of the Cybertronians to be revived by Robby and Mo Malto's cyber-sleeves. He later becomes the new leader of the Decepticons in season 2, though he is secretly using them for his own personal gain. His treachery is revealed to the Decepticons in "Witwicky" Pt. 2. Blum reprises his role from Transformers: Prime and Robots in Disguise.
- Skywarp and Nova Storm (both voiced by Nicole Dubuc in the TV series, Alex Cazares in Expedition) are a pair of Decepticon Seekers forced to work for Mandroid. They both transform into jets. Skywarp can teleport. Nova Storm wanted to be an Autobot, but Skywarp talked her out of it.[5] In "What Dwells Within," Skywarp and Nova Storm escape from G.H.O.S.T. custody with Starscream. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 2, Skywarp and Nova Storm are among the Decepticons that help the Autobots and the Terrans fight Mandroid.
- Tarantulas (voiced by Alfie Allen) is a Decepticon scientist who transforms into a tarantula. Residing under a Witwicky cemetery, Tarantulas wants to be left alone and is shown to be caring when it comes to protoforms. He even gives Nightshade some advice regarding alt-modes. Tarantulas' look in this show is based on his Transmetal form from Beast Wars: Transformers.
- Breakdown (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) is a Stunticon who is one of a few Decepticons to renounce his evil ways and is close friends with Bumblebee. He transforms into a race car and ended up in GHOST custody as of episode 14 "Security Protocols" as he sacrifices himself to save Bumblebee. In "The Last Hope", Breakdown is among the Decepticons that help the Autobots and the Terrans fight Mandroid.
- Shockwave (voiced by Troy Baker) is the Decepticons' former chief scientist who has a vendetta against Megatron ever since he sided against the Autobots in keeping the Allspark safe and trapping him in stasis. He transforms into a Cybertronian four-legged walking tank and has referred to the Terrans as "Cybrids". In "The Last Hope", Shockwave was briefly drained of his Energon by Mandroid. He was among the Cybertronians that were revived by the cyber-sleeves of Robby and Mo.
- Brawl is a Decepticon who was forced to fight in an illegal Bot Brawl for Energon to survive. He was later found to have been drained of his Energon alongside the other captive Cybertronians. This was caused by Mandroid who took his left arm.
Insecticons
[edit]The Insecticons are Cybertronians that have insect-based beast modes and can create holographic clones.
- Shrapnel is an Insecticon who is in the possession of Mandroid and can transform into a stag beetle. He was later put into G.H.O.S.T. custody after his defeat by the Maltos and the Autobots. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 1, Shrapnel was freed by Nightshade and Twitch where he was uninterested in helping to fight Mandroid.
- Bombshell is an Insecticon who is in the possession of Mandroid and can transform into a Japanese rhinoceros beetle. He was later put into G.H.O.S.T. custody after his defeat by the Maltos and the Autobots. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 1, Bombshell was freed by Nightshade and Twitch where he was uninterested in helping to fight Mandroid.
Chaos Terrans
[edit]The Chaos Terrans are Earth-based Transformers created by corrupted Emberstone shards and have no leader.
- Aftermath (voiced by Flea) is a Chaos Terran who was created by a corrupted shard from the Emberstone and can transform into a tow truck.
- Spitfire (voiced by Zelda Williams) is a Chaos Terran who was created by a corrupted shard from the Emberstone and shares a strong resemblance to Twitch. Like her, she also transforms into a flying Cybertronian drone.
Humans
[edit]- Robby Malto (voiced by Sydney Mikayla in the TV series, Joshua Evans in Expedition) is a 13-year-old boy (14 in Season 2) adjusting to his new life after being forced to move to a small town.[3]
- Morgan Violet "Mo" Malto (voiced by Zion Broadnax in the TV series, Tunisia Hardison in Expedition) is Robby's optimistic 9-year-old sister (10 in Season 2). [3]
- Dorothy "Dot" Malto (voiced by Benni Latham) is Robby and Mo's mother and Alex's wife, who is a park ranger and ex-soldier. In "Age of Evolution" Pt. 1, it is revealed she has lost her right leg in the great Cybertronian war and sports a prosthetic leg.[3] Dot is also a member of G.H.O.S.T.
- Dr. Alex Malto (portrayed by Jon Jon Briones in the TV series, Alex Christian in Expedition) is Robby and Mo's father and Dot's husband who is a college professor with a Ph.D. in Cybertronian History.[3]
- Mandroid / Dr. Meridian (voiced by Diedrich Bader in the TV series, Bill Rogers in Expedition) is a mad scientist and roboticist who seeks to destroy all Cybertronians. His real name is Dr. Meridian and was given the nickname "Mandroid" against his wishes by Thrash.[3] Mandroid had lost his original right arm in the Cybertronian war back when he used to work for G.H.O.S.T. and begins replacing his body parts with those of the Transformers he captures like Hardtop's right arm and Brawl's left arm. Mandroid was later approached by Croft where she allowed him to use one of the G.H.O.S.T. facilities. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 1, Mandroid recruits two Sharkticons to his side and later kills Croft. In "The Last Hope" Pt. 2, Mandroid activated a super-weapon to shut down all Cybertronian lifeforms and died due to the side effect of energon infusion making him vulnerable to said weapon while falsely believing that he won. His victory was short-lived, as Robby and Mo Malto used their cyber-sleeves to successfully revive all the Autobots, Decepticons and Terrans.
- The Arachnamechs are the spider-like creations of Mandroid.
- Mr. Smelt (voiced by Daran Norris) is a teacher at Witwicky Charter School.[5]
- Isabel/Izzy (voiced by Siena Agudong) is a girl that Robby befriends at a carnival. It turns out they have a lot in common, and it may be implied that he has a crush on her.
- Fairmaestro (voiced by Richard Ayoade) is a collector of Cybertronian technologies and artifacts, whom he keeps in his tent at the carnival.
G.H.O.S.T.
[edit]Short for Global Hazard Ordinance Strike Team, this human organization has the goal of rebuilding the relationship between humans and the Cybertronians.
Besides Dot, the known members of G.H.O.S.T. are:
- Executive Agent Karen Croft (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) is a high-ranking member of G.H.O.S.T.[5] She is shown to be obsessed with keeping the rogue Decepticons from causing havoc where she even went far as to secretly be behind an illegal Bot Brawl and secretly allow Mandroid to access some of the Decepticon prisoners in one of the G.H.O.S.T. facilities as seen in "Home" Pt. 2. Croft's treachery is revealed in "Stowed Away, Stowaways". She is subsequently killed by Mandroid in "The Last Hope" Pt. 1 where he used his super-weapon to disintegrate her due to the device he gave her had spiked her body with Energon.
- Special Agent Jon "No H" Schloder (voiced by Marc Evan Jackson) is a member of G.H.O.S.T. and the brother of Agent Croft.[5] While he is familiar with some of the Autobots and Megatron, he does get suspicious when it comes to the sighting of the Terran Transformers who are in the Malto family's possession and the fact that Bumblebee faked his death. He eventually figures out about the Terrans and that Bumblebee is still alive and also readily helps them defeat Mandroid.
- Agent Bala (voiced by Krizia Bajos) is a member of G.H.O.S.T.
- Agent Bhagheri (voiced by Kathreen Khavari) is a member of G.H.O.S.T.
- Kwan (voiced by Sherry Cola) is a G.H.O.S.T. cadet. She is named and modeled after series storyboarder Alex Kwan.
- Conway (voiced by Jason Marsden) is a G.H.O.S.T. cadet. He is named and modeled after series storyboarder J.J. Conway.
- Rosato (voiced by Kaitlyn Robrock) is a G.H.O.S.T. cadet. She is named and modeled after series storyboarder Jordan Rosato.
Other
[edit]- Quintus Prime (voiced by Clancy Brown) is an ancient Cybertronian and one of the original Thirteen Primes created by Primus who served as the scientist of the group. His artifact the Emberstone is responsible for bringing the Terrans (and other alien races) into existence as he is shown to speak through it.
- The Sharkticons are a race of shark-like Cybertronian beings from another planet that were oppressed by an unnamed alien race until Mandroid liberated it.
- Blitzwave (voiced by Nolan North) is a Sharkticon recruited by Mandroid in the two-part season one finale. Despite the fact that Blitzwave was deactivated by Mandroid's super-weapon, he was among those revived by Robby and Mo's cyber-sleeves.
- Razor-Fin (voiced by Steve Blum) is a Sharkticon recruited by Mandroid recruited by Mandroid in the two-part season one finale. Despite the fact that Razor-Fin was deactivated by Mandroid's super-weapon, he was among those revived by Robby and Mo's cyber-sleeves.
- V.A.L (Virtual Assistant Liasion) (voiced by Cissy Jones) is an AI who is part of Hashtag's new upgrade.
- The Quintesson Executioner (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is a Cybertronian being who has a bad history with Quintus Prime.
- Terratronus (voiced by Claudia Black) is a Terran Titan who is the progeny of Quintus Prime where she guards his legacy. Her inert body was covered in mounds of soil that later became the site of Witwicky.
Episodes
[edit]Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First released | Last released | |||
1 | 26 | 10 | November 11, 2022 | |
8 | March 3, 2023 | |||
8 | July 28, 2023 | |||
2 | 20 | 10 | June 7, 2024 | |
10 | TBA |
Season 1 (2022–23)
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date [6][7] | Nickelodeon air date [6][7] | U.S. linear viewers (millions) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Secret Legacy" | Alex Kwan & Jordan Rosato | Nicole Dubuc & Dale Malinowski | Aaron Brewer, Alex Nyerges, Carl Peterson, Nathan Jones, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez & Sol Choi | November 11, 2022 | November 11, 2022 | 0.20[8] | |||||||||
2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
The Malto family recently moves into Witwicky, though when Robby attempts to runaway for Philadelphia, the first Transformers born on planet Earth become involved in both family drama and the start of a new conflict when they run into the mysterious Mandroid who has made use of his Arachnamechs and some Decepticons. | |||||||||||||||||
3 | 3 | "Moo-ving In" | J.J. Conway | Isabel Galupo | India Swift, Meg Lloyd, Milo Gould & Veronica Liu | November 11, 2022 | February 10, 2023 | 0.12[9] | |||||||||
As Bumblebee moves in with the Maltos to train the Terrans, he quickly discovers that the task at hand is far more difficult than what he had originally expected. He then gets few lessons by other Autobots, which include trying to scare them so they listen (from Megatron) and do what makes them happy (by Elita-1). | |||||||||||||||||
4 | 4 | "House Rules" | Jordan Rosato | Ian Busch | Carl Peterson, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez & Sol Choi | November 11, 2022 | February 10, 2023 | N/A | |||||||||
A number of incidents involving Mo and Thrash results in the pair being tricked by Swindle as he tries to find and rescue Hardtop while targeting an Energon Scanner, but the family's previous relation strains quickly comes under fire. | |||||||||||||||||
5 | 5 | "Classified" | Alex Kwan | Nathan Ramos-Park | Aaron Brewer & Nathan Jones | November 11, 2022 | February 17, 2023 | 0.18[10] | |||||||||
A series of nightmares from Robby results in the entire family getting involved in a number of situations involving G.H.O.S.T. including keeping the Terrans safe from their triggerhappy agents led by Agent Schloder. Upon finding out, Optimus Prime works to hide Robby, Mo, Twitch, and Thrash while Bumblebee helps Alex to stall Agent Schloder. | |||||||||||||||||
6 | 6 | "Traditions" | Jordan Rosato & Matthew Humphreys | Maasai Singleton | Carl Peterson, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Sol Choi & Stephanie Ressler | November 11, 2022 | February 17, 2023 | 0.15[10] | |||||||||
During the day of a family tradition that involve hunting for a vampire bird called the Wakwak, Twitch discovers Wheeljack while looking for Alex as Wheeljack learns that Twitch scanned one of his drones. Though they and Robby quickly get ambushed by the Arachnamechs sent by Mandroid to find more Cybertronians as he finds difficulty operating a laser with Hardtop's arm. | |||||||||||||||||
7 | 7 | "Friends and Family" | J.J. Conway | Brian Hohlfeld | David Maximo, Kevin Reed, Milo Gould, Stephanie Ressler, Veronica Liu & Zheping Xu | November 11, 2022 | February 24, 2023 | 0.16[11] | |||||||||
It is the first day of school for Robby and Mo and they are nervous about it and so are Thrash and Twitch, whom fear that they might get replaced by new friends. After a falling out, more similarities between Humans and Terrans are revealed. | |||||||||||||||||
8 | 8 | "Decoy" | Alex Kwan | Isabel Galupo | Aaron Brewer, Alex Nyerges, Michael Nanna, Nathan Jones & Rachel Buecheler | November 11, 2022 | February 24, 2023 | 0.14[11] | |||||||||
While Optimus and Megatron bicker about the current situation regarding the treatment of former Decepticons, Bee pawns off his duties to Arcee so he can get back in the field....a decision he finds to be a very bad idea when Soundwave releases Ravage into a G.H.O.S.T. facility where some Decepticon inmates are imprisoned. | |||||||||||||||||
9 | 9 | "Age of Evolution" | J.J. Conway | Nicole Dubuc & Dale Malinowski | Anissa Espinosa, India Swift, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Meg Lloyd, Milo Gould & Veronica Liu | November 11, 2022 | March 3, 2023 | 0.16[12] | |||||||||
10 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
The Autobots and the Maltos begin to search for the origin of the Terrans, but Mandroid sends Skywarp and Nova Storm to target Optimus Prime's left arm. This causes a hostage situation and a rescue operation is in effect....with reinforcements. | |||||||||||||||||
11 | 11 | "Hashtag: Oops" | Matthew Humphreys | Bernard Badion | Kalvin Lee, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Byron Penaranda, Carl Peterson & Sam Syszmanski | March 3, 2023 | June 12, 2023 | 0.22[13] | |||||||||
Bumblebee charges Twitch and Thrash to help the new Terrans find their alt modes. After Twitch convinces Hashtag to pick one, she chooses a G.H.O.S.T. van and inadvertently causes mischief in their headquarters where Hashtag accidentally frees Soundwave, Hardtop, Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Skullcruncher from their cells. Meanwhile, Nightshade is preparing a surprise for the family. | |||||||||||||||||
12 | 12 | "Outtakes" | Alexandria Kwan | Maasai Singleton | Aaron Brewer, Nathan Jones & Alex Nyerges | March 3, 2023 | June 13, 2023 | 0.15[14] | |||||||||
Jawbreaker is struggling to find an alt mode for himself. Hashtag tries to help him by interviewing other Transformers like Bumblebee, Megatron, and Elita-1 and making a film out of it. he learns about the T-Cog that enables Cybertronians to transform into their alt-modes. Things go wrong when Alex's camera gets snatched by a reactivated Arachnamech and now they must stop it before the footage is revealed. | |||||||||||||||||
13 | 13 | "Missed Connection" | Matthew Humphreys | Mae Catt | Rachel Buecheler, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Carl Peterson, Stephanie Ressler & Samuel Syszmanski | March 3, 2023 | June 14, 2023 | N/A | |||||||||
Nightshade has trouble communicating with the family when Robby and Malto have a day off from school as Nightshade works to make a Smart Trainer. After meeting the lone Decepticon scientist Tarantulas beneath a Witwicky cemetery, they bond over their mutual passion for science and later the fact that both are hiding from G.H.O.S.T. while also getting advice on picking alt modes. | |||||||||||||||||
14 | 14 | "Security Protocols" | J.J. Conway | Lorin Williams | Julia Braid, Jules Bridgers, Milo Gould, Karen Guo, Veronica Liu, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Ifesinachi Orjiekwe & Nas Pasha | March 3, 2023 | June 15, 2023 | 0.15[15] | |||||||||
G.H.O.S.T. has been doing some Cybertronian hunting at the Witwicky Raceway as Bumblebee trains for the Witwicky 500 in order to find his old Decepticon friend Breakdown. Agent Schloder is suspicious that Bumblebee didn't get lost during the war when he visits the Maltos as Robby, Mo, and the Terrans get trapped in their hideout's lockdown mode for 10 hours. G.H.O.S.T. discovers Bumblebee who manages to escape thanks to Breakdown, but leaves the Maltos in order to keep them safe. | |||||||||||||||||
15 | 15 | "Bear Necessities" | Alex Kwan | Isabel Galupo | Aaron Brewer, Nathan Jones & Alex Nyerges | March 3, 2023 | August 19, 2023 | 0.16[16] | |||||||||
On Mother's Day, the Malto family throw a party for Dot. Twitch's misunderstanding of getting a gift for Dot causes the Malto family a lot of mishaps involving an American black bear cub when she mistakes it for a teddy bear that Robby listed as one of the suggestions. When Dot, Robby, and Twitch go to return to the American black bear cub, its mother shows up at the Malto farm to look for its cub while the others are working on a special play for Dot. Dot, Robby, and Twitch discover a toxic threat to nature when they find discarded G.H.O.S.T. items that end up mutating the mother American black bear upon eating the infected larva. | |||||||||||||||||
16 | 16 | "Warzone" | Matthew Humphreys | Greg Johnson | Matthew Kim, Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Carl Peterson & Stephanie Ressler | March 3, 2023 | August 19, 2023 | 0.13[16] | |||||||||
Megatron takes Robby, Mo, and the Terrans into the Space Bridge Memorial Park where the Transformers war ended and contains the memorial wall for those who perished. He explains that if the Allspark, and by extension Cybertron, is lost in the Space Bridge explosion. In addition, Megatron states the Terrans are their race's hope for the future and must not repeat their mistakes. The Decepticon's mad scientist Shockwave, who was put into stasis by Megatron at the end of the war, reawakens and plans his revenge on Megatron while his special laser called the Immobilizer on the Terrans. | |||||||||||||||||
17 | 17 | "Home" | J.J. Conway & Alex Kwan & Sebastian Montes | Teleplay by : Mae Catt, Nicole Dubuc & Dale Malinowski Story by : Mae Catt, Nicole Dubuc, Isabel Galupo, Dale Malinowski & Maasai Singleton | Aaron Brewer, Milo Gould, Nathan Jones, Veronica Liu, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Alex Nyerges & India Swift | March 3, 2023 | August 26, 2023 | 0.08[16] | |||||||||
18 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
Bumblebee participates in the underground Bot Brawl on a mission to find Grimlock, unaware that it is hosted by Mandroid who is looking for more Cybertronian parts and energon for himself. The Malto siblings decide to have nighttime stroll at the city where they realize that the transformers are not welcome on Earth by everyone and later accidentally become involved in Bumblebee's mission and their familial bond is tested when the madman brainwashes Hashtag with his recent project. Luckily, the Maltos and their Terran siblings use the energy from the Terran's birthplace cave to successfully rescue Hashtag from Mandroid's mind control. | |||||||||||||||||
19 | 19 | "A Stygi Situation" | Matthew Humphreys | Isabel Galupo | Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Carl Peterson & Stephanie Ressler | July 28, 2023 | April 6, 2024 | N/A | |||||||||
With Grimlock back on the Autobots' side, Jawbreaker is eager to learn how to fight from the Dinobot, but his questions and comments end up sparking some unpleasant memories from the bot brawls. | |||||||||||||||||
20 | 20 | "Disarmed" | Matthew Humphreys | Maasai Singleton | James Nguyen, Florent LaGrange & Steve Go | July 28, 2023 | April 6, 2024 | N/A | |||||||||
The Autobots and Maltos seek to expand upon the powers of the Cyber-Sleeves after Swindle is detained in his latest attempt to spring Hardtop from his imprisonment. When Mandroid begins eavesdropping, the group discovers that their training sessions have just become a fight for survival. | |||||||||||||||||
21 | 21 | "What Dwells Within" | Sebastian Montes & Alex Kwan | Mae Catt | Aaron Brewer, Nathan Jones & Alex Nyerges | July 28, 2023 | April 13, 2024 | 0.09[16] | |||||||||
A series of coincidences leaves Robby, Mo and the Terrans trapped underground with the Seekers, though Starscream is constantly irked by their positive view of Megatron at the time when he, Skywarp, Nova Storm, and Soundwave plan their escape. This leads to an encounter with a spacefaring Energon-eating creature called the Dweller. | |||||||||||||||||
22 | 22 | "Prime Time" | J.J. Conway | Isabel Galupo | Milo Gould & India Swift | July 28, 2023 | April 13, 2024 | 0.06[17] | |||||||||
Robby's worsening condition causes Mo to break down in fear for his health, but Mandroid's possession of the Emberstone end up putting the entire family in jeopardy. | |||||||||||||||||
23 | 23 | "Stowed Away, Stowaways" | Matthew Humphreys | Gavin Hignight | Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Carl Peterson & Stephanie Ressler | July 28, 2023 | April 20, 2024 | 0.08[18] | |||||||||
The Terrans give Bumblebee some secret assistance as he goes to infiltrate G.H.O.S.T. HQ, but everyone discovers that the organization harbors some dark secrets. | |||||||||||||||||
24 | 24 | "The Battle of Witwicky" | Sebastian Montes & Alex Kwan | Mae Catt | Aaron Brewer, Nathan Jones & Alex Nyerges | July 28, 2023 | April 20, 2024 | 0.08[18] | |||||||||
Agent Croft's true colors are revealed after Bumblebee's failed mission, and every Cybertronian available is quick to come to the rescue when she attacks the Malto farm. | |||||||||||||||||
25 | 25 | "The Last Hope" | Matthew Humphreys & J.J. Conway | Dale Malinowski | Marvin Madrid Rodriguez, Carl Peterson, Stephanie Ressler, Milo Gould, India Swift, Veronica Liu & Kevin Molina-Ortiz | July 28, 2023 | April 20, 2024 | 0.09[16] | |||||||||
26 | 26 | ||||||||||||||||
The Maltos and Terrans begin the fight of a lifetime to rescue their family when Mandroid begins his final plan to eliminate all Cybertronians on Earth. |
Season 2 (2024)
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date [6][7] | Nickelodeon air date [6][7] | U.S. linear viewers (millions) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 1 | "Aftermath" | Sheldon Vella | Dale Malinowski | Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Christopher Luc & Alan Wan | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
One year after Mandroid's endgame, the Autobots and the Decepticons work together to locate the scattered shards of the Emberstone, but the latter under Starscream's command betray them and seek the shards for their conquest. A fight over a shard causes the creation of a Cybertronian (dubbed Chaos Terran by the Maltos) named Aftermath who joins the Decepticons. Robby hatches a plan to lure the decepticons away from their base and take their shards but it fails and they're forced to retreat. | |||||||||||||||||
28 | 2 | "In Ruins" | William Ruzicka | Ian Busch | Cheska Anilao, Craig Yamamoto, Veronica Liu & J.J. Conway | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
Mo and Thrash come across a ruin where a Quintesson executioner lies. After awakening him, the executioner seeks to capture Mo and have her stand trial for what the Quintessons believe are Quintus' crime against them. | |||||||||||||||||
29 | 3 | "Control Alt Delete" | Vinton T. Heuck | Gavin Hignight | Eric Meister, Milo Gould, Josh McKenzie & Adam Van Wyk | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
Hashtag decides to find a new alt.mode after hearing the G.H.O.S.T. vehicles are being repurposed, with the help of her new upgrade V.A.L (Virtual Assistant Liasion) she manages to find one while trying to keep a data file belonging to Croft from Shockwave's reach. | |||||||||||||||||
30 | 4 | "The Butterfly Effect" | William Ruzicka & Scooter Tidwell | Jen Bardekoff | Cheska Anilao, Richard Chi, Lillian Fiedler & Craig Yamamoto | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
Robby, Mo, Twitch and Thrash go into a amusement park and find an Emberstone shard in the possession of an evil collector called Fairmaestro who also has Autobot Cosmos as prisoner, Robby also meets a girl named Isabel and falls in love with her. | |||||||||||||||||
31 | 5 | "Togetherness" | Vinton T. Heuck | Matt Wayne | Josh McKenzie, Eric Meister & Adam Van Wyk | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
While the Maltos try to find the secret behind Twitch and Thrash combining, Jawbreaker comes across Aftermath who requires nutrition. The two of them combine as well and after dealing with mutant mushrooms come across some cave water. the Maltos' reserve runs out due to combining taking energy and they realize Aftermath took it all. | |||||||||||||||||
32 | 6 | "Spitfire" | Sheldon Vella | Halima Lucas | Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Christopher Luc & Richard Chi | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
Twitch and Wheeljack are testing new drones when they discover a new shard where a scuffle with Soundwave results in the creation of a new Chaos Terran named Spitfire whom despite having a striking resemblance to Twitch turns out to be the exact opposite. | |||||||||||||||||
33 | 7 | "The Imposters" | William Ruzicka & Scooter Tidwell | Ian Busch | Cheska Anilao, Michael Borkowski, Christian Gossett Vilá & Lillian Fiedler | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
After lightning strikes them during their fight, Twitch and Spitfire swap bodies. Twitch is taken by Aftermath to the decepticons where she learns they intend to take mandroid's cyber slayer and tries to warn the Autobots while Spitfire wishes to take it for herself. | |||||||||||||||||
34 | 8 | "Dude Where's My Trailer" | Scooter Tidwell | Russ Carney & Ron Corcillo | Cheska Anilao, Michael Borkowski & Christian Gossett Vilá | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
Robby and Hashtag take Optimus's trailer for a car wash to prepare it for a trailer photo shoot but it is stolen and damaged by the Decepticons multiple times. | |||||||||||||||||
35 | 9 | "Witwicky" | Vinton T. Heuck & Sheldon Vella | Dale Malinowski, Amy Wolfram & Matt Wayne | Eric Meister, Josh McKenzie, Samuel Montes, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Christopher Luc, Richard Chi & J.J. Conway | June 7, 2024 | TBA | N/A | |||||||||
36 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
While the family is celebrating the finding of all of the Emberstone shards, Mo is forced to finish her school project and along with Hashtag learns a big secret about Witwicky and more about the origin of the Emberstone. Meanwhile, Starscream is preparing to put his plan in motion. |
Production
[edit]In February 2021, Hasbro announced two animated series based on the Transformers brand. The first was a series based on the BotBots line for Netflix, and the other was a then-untitled series set to air on Nickelodeon in 2022.[19] The animated series' official title, Transformers: EarthSpark, was revealed one year later with a release window set for the fourth quarter of 2022.[20][21] In March 2022, it was announced that the series would debut on the Paramount+ streaming service in November 2022.[1] The voice cast and a preview for the series was later revealed during the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con.[3] Owned and distributed by Hasbro,[22][23] the series is a co-production between Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Entertainment One (later Hasbro Entertainment), for which Mikiel Houser and Kari Rosenberg, respectively, oversaw the production. It is executive-produced by Ant Ward, Nicole Dubuc and co-executive-produced by developer Dale Malinowski. Claudia Spinelli of Nickelodeon developed the series for television.[24][25]
Release
[edit]The series consists of twenty-six episodes, the first ten of which debuted on Paramount+ in the U.S. on November 11, 2022.[19][21][26] The second batch of episodes began streaming on March 3, 2023, bringing the total episode count to eighteen.[27] The remaining episodes of season 1 were released on July 28, 2023.[28] In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, which will premiere on June 7, 2024.[29][30] The series was licensed to Netflix internationally in June 2023.[31] The first ten episodes were released on DVD on May 16, 2023, by Paramount Home Entertainment.[32] The rest of the sixteen episodes was released on DVD on February 13, 2024.[33]
Video game
[edit]An action-adventure game developed by Tessera Studios, titled Transformers: EarthSpark – Expedition, was revealed in June 2023 by its publisher Outright Games. The game received a North and South American release on October 13, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S.[24][34][35] A single-player video game, the player controls Bumblebee and can explore three biomes in a three-dimensional environment with the goal of defeating the villain Mandroid. Bumblebee uses physical attacks and attack combos to defeat enemies and enhance his skills.[34]
Reception
[edit]Controversy
[edit]In May 2023, the character Nightshade and their designation as non-binary received strong backlash.[36] The controversy arose on Twitter, where the account Libs of TikTok shared a clip from the episode "Home" which showed Nightshade talking to a human character named Sam (voiced by Alisha Mullally), who uses she/they pronouns. During the conversation, Sam addressed Nightshade as "non-binary", leading to Nightshade's confusion as they didn't know the term. Sam apologized and explained that non-binary people identify as neither male nor female, to which Nightshade expressed gratitude and excitement on learning a word that accurately describes their experience.
Several commentators, such as Megyn Kelly slammed the series for the show's LGBT message.[37] Laura Ingraham likewise panned the show on The Ingraham Angle for teaching children about being non-binary and it feeling incredibly ham-fisted and forced.[38] In Japan, there was controversy surrounding Nightshade being referred to as a female.[39] The scene with Nightshade explaining their gender was later edited out of the BBC airing of the episode.[40]
Accolades
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR for Short Form Animation Broadcast Media | "Age of Revolution" - Brad Meyer (supervising sound editor); Natalia Saavedra Brychcy (sound effects editor); Christine Gamache (dialogue editor); Carol Ma (foley editor) | Nominated | [41] |
2024 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR for Short Form Animation Broadcast Media | "Security Protocols" – Brad Meyer (supervising sound editor); Natalia Saavedra Brychcy (sound effects editor); Christine Gamache (dialogue editor); Carol Ma (foley editor) | Nominated | [42] |
GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Kids and Family Programming | Transformers: EarthSpark | Nominated | [43] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lynch, Jason (March 24, 2022). "Nickelodeon Expands Franchises in Upfront In-Person Return". Adweek.
- ^ "Paramount+ Expands Kids' Slate with New 'Transformers,' 'Dora,' 'TMNT,' 'SpongeBob' & More from Nickelodeon". Animation Magazine. 15 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Petski, Denise (July 22, 2022). "'Transformers: EarthSpark': Paramount+ Series Sets Voice Cast, Teaser Trailer – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ Mercante, Alyssa (November 14, 2022). "New Transformers Series Introduces Its First Nonbinary Robot [Update]". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "'Transformers: EarthSpark' Official Trailer Debuts at NYCC". 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Transformers: EarthSpark Episode Listings". The Futon Critic.
- ^ a b c d "Transformers: EarthSpark Episode Guide". Zap2it.
- ^ Mitch Salem (November 14, 2022). "Friday 11.11.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ Mitch Metcalf (February 13, 2023). "Friday 2.10.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Mitch Salem (February 21, 2023). "Friday 2.17.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Mitch Metcalf (February 27, 2023). "Friday 2.24.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Mitch Salem (March 6, 2023). "Friday 3.3.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Mitch Metcalf (June 13, 2023). "Monday 6.12.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Mitch Salem (June 14, 2023). "Tuesday 6.13.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Mitch Salem (June 16, 2023). "Thursday 6.15.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Transformers: EarthSpark". USTVDB. 26 August 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Ratings Report (April 8-14, 2024)". Nielsen Media Research. April 16, 2024.
- ^ a b "Nickelodeon Ratings Report (April 15-21, 2024)". Nielsen Media Research. April 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (February 25, 2021). "Nickelodeon Orders Transformers Animated Comedy Series Based On Hasbro Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (February 17, 2022). "Transformers: EarthSpark Animated Series Rolling Out on Nickelodeon". CBR.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (February 15, 2022). "'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Villain Movies, 'Transformers' Series & More Heading To Paramount+ & Nickelodeon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "Hasbro, Inc. trademark for Transformers: Earthspark". February 15, 2022.
- ^ "eOne Family Brands Distribution Catalogue". WorldScreen. April 2022.
- ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (June 23, 2023). "Transformers: Earthspark - Expedition Game Launches for Xbox, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC in Fall 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (July 22, 2022). "Sneak Peek: Nickelodeon, eOne Set 'Transformers: EarthSpark' Cast". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (September 12, 2022). "Nick, Paramount+ Set 'Transformers: EarthSpark' Premiere and NYCC Plans". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "Transformers: Earthspark New Trailer Debuts Grimlock and Reveals Return Date". denofgeek. February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2023-07-10). "'Transformers: EarthSpark' Final S1 Episodes Premiere July 28". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ "Paramount+ Announces Greenlight for Second Season of Original Animated Series "Transformers: EarthSpark"" (Press release). CBS. February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ "Video: Paramount+ Reveals the Official Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of "Transformers: EarthSpark," Premiering Friday, June 7" (Press release). CBS. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Moore, Kasey (2023-06-19). "'Transformers: EarthSpark' Licensed to Netflix Internationally; Renewed for Season 2". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ "Transformers: EarthSpark: Season 1 – Episodes 1-10". Amazon. 16 May 2023.
- ^ "Transformers: EarthSpark - Season One Episodes 11-26 [DVD]". Amazon. 13 February 2024.
- ^ a b Lyons, Ben (June 22, 2023). "Transformers: Earthspark - Expedition to offer a Bumblebee adventure this October". Gamereactor. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (June 22, 2023). "Transformers: EarthSpark – Expedition announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ Mayer, Chloe (May 13, 2023). "Transformers' first non-binary character sparks backlash". Newsweek.
- ^ Shannon Thaler (5 May 2023). "Megyn Kelly slams Transformers kids' show with non-binary characters as 'disgusting'". NEW YORK POST. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Bailey, Kayla (May 13, 2023). "Laura Ingraham torches woke 'Transformers': 'Shoving' pronouns down kids' 'throats' with 'corrosive lies'". Fox News.
- ^ Peters, Megan (February 12, 2024). "Transformers: New Dub Sparks Debate Over Nightshade's Apparent Misgendering". ComicBook.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Reference To Non-Binary Character's Gender Identity Is Edited Out Of Transformers Cartoon On BBC iPlayer". Huffpo.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (2023-01-09). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (2024-01-16). "'Oppenheimer' Leads Feature Noms of MPSE Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "AwardsWatch - GLAAD Media Awards Nominations: 'All of Us Strangers,' "Bottoms,' 'Our Flag Means Death' and More". AwardsWatch. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
External links
[edit]- Transformers animated television series
- 2020s American animated television series
- 2020s American LGBT-related animated television series
- 2020s American science fiction television series
- 2022 American television series debuts
- 2022 animated television series debuts
- 2020s Canadian animated television series
- 2020s Canadian science fiction television series
- 2022 Canadian television series debuts
- American children's animated action television series
- American children's animated space adventure television series
- American children's animated comic science fiction television series
- American children's animated science fantasy television series
- American children's animated superhero television series
- American computer-animated television series
- Canadian LGBTQ-related animated television series
- Canadian children's animated action television series
- Canadian children's animated space adventure television series
- Canadian children's animated comic science fiction television series
- Canadian children's animated science fantasy television series
- Canadian children's animated superhero television series
- Canadian computer-animated television series
- Canadian English-language television shows
- LGBT-related controversies in animation
- LGBT-related controversies in television
- Paramount+ original programming
- Paramount+ children's programming
- Animated television series about children
- Teen animated television series
- Television series by Lionsgate Canada
- Television shows based on Takara Tomy toys
- Television shows set in Pennsylvania
- Nicktoons