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Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV series)

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Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Genre
Based onCharacters
by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman
Showrunners
Voices of
Theme music composerMatt Mahaffey
ComposerMatt Mahaffey
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerLouis J. Cuck
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.

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted on Paramount+ on August 9, 2024, with all 12 episodes to positive reviews from critics.

Premise

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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

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Main

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Recurring and guest

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byStoryboarded byOriginal release date
1"Leo Nardo Stands Alone!"Kalvin Lee (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Christopher YostEleisiya Arocha, Gabriela Camarillo, Ian Higginbotham and Kenji OnoAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
2"Mikey Does the Right Thing"Kenji Ono (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Matthew BassSebrina Gao, Jerry Gaylord and Laura GilleAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
3"Raph Thinks It Through"Jennifer Bennett (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Christopher YostPeter Foltz, Ian Higginbotham, Kam Kalambay, Lindsay Simpson and Jaxon SorbyAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
4"Donnie Hangs Tough"Kalvin Lee (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Alex HansonEleisiya Arocha, Gabriela Camarillo, Lindsay Simpson and Tim YanAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
5"Bishop Makes Her Move!"Jennifer Bennett (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Haley ManciniIan Higginbotham, Jaxon Sorby and Jasmine SuggsAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
6"Night of the Mechazoids"Kenji Ono (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Kevin ShinickSebrina Gao, Jerry Gaylord and Laura GilleAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
7"Raph vs. Water"Kalvin Lee (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Matthew BassPhil Allora, Lindsay Simpson and Tim YanAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
8"Mikey Takes Charge"Jennifer Bennett (storyboard), Colin Heck (supervising)Alex HansonIan Higginbotham, Jasmine Goggins and Jaxon SorbyAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
9"Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish"TBATBATBAAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
10"Donnie Goes Deep"TBATBATBAAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
11"Leonardo Saddles Up"TBATBATBAAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
12"The Pearl"TBATBATBAAugust 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)

Production

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Development

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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.[7]

In July 2023, Variety reported that a film sequel and a 2D animated television series follow-up for Mutant Mayhem had been greenlit.[8] The series, titled Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was reported to act as a bridge between Mutant Mayhem and the film sequel,[8] which has been scheduled to release in theaters in 2026.[9][10] Yost and Wan were announced as executive producers and showrunners.[8] Lukas Williams was set to oversee production for Point Grey Pictures which co-produces with Nickelodeon Animation Studio.[8] 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,[8] 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]

Writing

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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.[11] Just like with the film, the showrunners emphasized the teenage aspect of the Turtles.[11] 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] Yost frequently watched the film Superbad (2007) in an effort to capture the teenage voice for the series.[12] The showrunners described the world presented in the series as being more grounded than those of previous incarnations of Turtles.[11]

The series sees the Turtles being split up and having to work alone. This idea was conceived by Yost and Wan during discussions with Rogen and Goldberg early during the series' development as a way to distinguish from previous Turtles series by exploring each Turtle's personality and growth outside of their relationships with each other.[13] Yost wanted to do a different take on Bishop, a character who first appeared in the 2003 Turtles series.[14] In addition, he sought for the Turtles to deal with a villain very different from Superfly, the villain of Mutant Mayhem, and wanted robots to be involved. Their end goal was to create a version of the character that was unique from the original 2003 take, but one that still ended up in a "weirdly similar place".[14] The team made efforts to integrate April O'Neil into the stories and make sure she did not feel too distant from the Turtles.[14]

Casting and voice recording

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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 as the four Turtles.[8] Ayo Edebiri was later confirmed to reprise her role as April O'Neil in February 2024.[2] In June 2024, Alanna Ubach and Pete Davidson were confirmed to guest star in the series as Bishop and Rod respectively.[15] In July 2024, Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, and Post Malone were confirmed to reprise their roles from Mutant Mayhem, with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Timothy Olyphant, Jillian Bell, and Danny Trejo joining the cast as new characters.[16][5] Later that month, it was announced that Carlin James and Jamila Velasquez voiced Hun and Angel.[4]

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 voiced by Jackie Chan in Mutant Mayhem, only speaks in a gibberish language called "vermin" in the series.[6] Ubach was unaware of what her character, Bishop, looked like until the first day of voice recording. Upon seeing a picture, she instantly knew what direction she wanted to take her performance in.[18]

Animation and music

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Independent animation studio Titmouse provides the animation for the series.[1][19] 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.[11] Wan also felt that the art style paid homage to the original Turtles comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.[20] The series uses comic book drawings by Leonardo as a framing device, which the showrunners also added as an homage to the comics.[12] 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.[20] The series' opening theme was composed by Matt Mahaffey, who previously composed the score for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 2022 film continuation.[13]

Release

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Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted on Paramount+ on August 9, 2024, with all of its ordered 12 episodes.[15]

Marketing

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Two teaser trailers were released on February 8, 2024 and April 25, 2024, respectively.[21][22] An official trailer was released during the IGN Live event on June 7, 2024.[23] Becca Caddy of TechRadar praised the humor and visuals, and felt that the series would "deliver the beloved mix of colorful action, sharp wit, and humor" associated with the franchise.[24] Wes Davis of The Verge said that the series looks to be "just as gorgeous as the 3D-animated movie it sprang from", and Joey Paur of GeekTyrant remarked that "this looks like it’s going to be a totally radical show!"[25][26] The series' title sequence debuted at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024.[13] James Whitbrook of Gizmodo called it a "really cool, stylish riff on transitioning the film’s aesthetic to a 2D form".[27] A first look at action figures by Playmates Toys was unveiled in March 2024.[28][29]

Reception

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Tyler Robertson of IGN gave the series an 8 out of 10 rating, praising the voice performances, animation, and action but criticizing the pacing and "downgrade" in the score and soundtrack. They concluded that while it does not reach the heights of Mutant Mayhem, it still retained many of its best elements.[30] Mike Thomas of Collider gave the series an 8 out of 10 rating and commended its performances and character work. He however criticized the pacing and occasionally stiff animation, comparing the latter unfavorably to Mutant Mayhem and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[31] Tim Stevens of The Spool gave the series a 7.2 out of 10 rating, referring to it as a as a "decent Saturday morning-type spinoff of Mutant Mayhem". He commended the action sequences and voice performances but ultimately felt that the series was a step down from its film predecessor.[6] Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter referred to the series as a "worthy follow-up" to Mutant Mayhem. She commended the animation, action, character work, and familial themes, though felt the show was limited by its younger skewing target audience.[32]

References

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  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 c d e 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 f g h i j k l m n o "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 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ a b 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.
  13. ^ a b c 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.
  14. ^ a b c 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.
  15. ^ a b "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.
  16. ^ Perry, Spencer (July 18, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Confirms New, Returning Voice Actors (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 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. ^ Vincent, Maxance (June 22, 2024). "Tales Of The TMNT's Mutant-Hunting Villain Teased By Series Star". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Peralta, Diego (February 8, 2024). "High School Meets Crime Fighting in First 'Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Trailer". Collider. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  22. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (April 25, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Exclusive Teaser Trailer". IGN. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  23. ^ "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Official Trailer (2024) Ayo Edebiri | IGN Live 2024". IGN. June 7, 2024. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  24. ^ Caddy, Becca (February 9, 2024). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is getting a Paramount Plus sequel show, and it looks gorgeous". TechRadar. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  25. ^ Davis, Wes (June 9, 2024). "The first Tales of the TMNT trailer reveals an August 9th release". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  26. ^ Paur, Joey (June 8, 2024). "Rad New Trailer For TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Animated Series". GeekTyrant. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Whitbrook, James (July 25, 2024). "SDCC 2024: Tales of the TMNT Reveals Artsy Title Sequence". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Fallon, Sean (March 13, 2024). "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Playmates Figures Revealed (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  29. ^ "Playmates Toys' New Mutations Mix N' Match Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures Announced". aNb Media, Inc. March 14, 2024. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ 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.
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