|
Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series created by DiC Entertainment with the partnership of Sega of America, and was loosely based on the video game series. The series aired from September 18, 1993 until May 1995 in the United States. The series had a dark and serious atmosphere about it, which sharply contrasts with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog that premiered in the same month, and was much more lighthearted in tone: Adventures..., for example, had Robotnik as a bungling villian assisted by equally-incompetent robots, while this series portrays him as a ferocious dictator.
After it was canceled, the show's story was continued and even elaborated on through a comic book series of the same name which is still in publication to this day.
Production
After Sonic the Hedgehog was canceled, the series was aired on the USA Network's Action Extreme Team in reruns. The series was also telecast in Canada on the CTV Network. It initially had a complete run on the UK television channel Channel 4 from 1994 to 1996. It began on Saturday mornings for season 1 but for season 2 it was moved to Sunday mornings. Season 1 was broadcast in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ Two in December 1994.[1] The entire series was released on DVD by Shout! Factory on March 27, 2007.
Plot summary
The show takes place on a planet called Mobius sometime in the 33rd century. An infamous mad scientist named Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik (Jim Cummings) who owned a pet robot chicken named Cluck, invaded and conquered a huge city named Mobotropolis, with the help of his assistant and nephew Snively (Charlie Adler) and his army of robot soldiers called SWATbots.
He then used a giant airship called the Destroyer to turn Mobotropolis into a new city, renaming it Robotropolis, a polluted city of factories, warehouses and mining facilities. This invasion occurred on Friday the 13th, 3224, in an unknown month (Blast to the Past Pt. 1 and 2). It is possible though according to a calendar of the future year that the invasion could have occurred on Friday, September 13, 3224 or Friday, December 13, 3224[2].
Robotnik soon abducted the city's king, Maximillian Acorn (Tim Curry), exiling him to a dimensional warp known as "The Void" and made the palace his own personal headquarters. From there, he captured the rest of the citizens, including an intelligent old hedgehog named Sir Charles Hedgehog (William Windom), a.k.a. Dr. Hedgehog and Uncle Chuck, and his nephew's dog Muttski, and used a machine called the Roboticizer to turn them into robot slaves.
Those who managed to escape retreated into the Great Forest and built a village named Knothole to hide from Robotnik, including a group called the Freedom Fighters, among them the protagonist, Sonic the Hedgehog (Jaleel White), Charles' speedy nephew and the main character of the series, as well as his best friend Tails (Bradley Pierce), a young two-tailed fox who can twirl his tails to fly.
Other Freedom Fighters include Rotor (Mark Ballou/Cam Brainard), a walrus with a knack for machines which rivals that of Sir Charles, Antoine D'Coolette (Rob Paulsen), a French coyote and former palace guard with many personality flaws, and Bunnie Rabbot (Christine Cavanaugh), a pretty Southern half-cyborg rabbit. Last is the group's leader (although she at times refers to Sonic as the leader), Princess Sally Acorn (Kath Soucie), the king's only daughter, a squirrel and Sonic's future girlfriend. Sally carries a sentient mini-computer named NICOLE.
For 10 years, the Freedom Fighters constantly foiled Robotnik's schemes. In the show's second season, a winged female dragon named Dulcy (Cree Summer) was a new star. Dulcy's mother Sabina was captured and roboticized along with most of her species. Another character was also introduced: an evil sorcerer named Ixis Naugus (Michael Bell), who was Robotnik's mentor. During the takeover, Naugus discovered a portal into the Void. Requesting Robotnik to bring him back to Mobius, Naugus went through the portal to explore it, but Robotnik betrayed him and sealed it, intent on trapping Naugus forever.
Two other key characters appeared in the second season: One was Ari the Ram (Dorian Harewood), the other was Lupe the Wolf (Shari Belafonte). In the episode Game Guy, Ari led Sonic into a trap set up by Robotnik. Ari was the leader of a group of Freedom Fighters which Robotnik captured. In exchange for their release, Ari reluctantly agreed to help Robotnik capture Sonic. Shortly thereafter, Robotnik broke his half of the deal when he roboticizes Ari's friends and planned to roboticize him. Later, as Robotnik was about to send Sonic into the void, Ari sacrificed himself by saving Sonic and ended up going through the portal himself. He didn't escape the void until the episode The Void.
Lupe is the leader of a group of Freedom Fighters called the Wolf Pack who appeared in Cry of the Wolf. They lived peacefully in a village until Robotnik's forces terrorized them. The Wolf Pack were sent hiding in a cavern until Sonic, Sally and Antoine discovered them. They joined up to attack Robotnik's forces. When Sonic destroyed the last of Robotnik's saucer pods, Lupe and Ari, along with Palo the Rhino and Dirk the Bear, joined all the Freedom Fighters in their ultimate goal to destroy the Doomsday Project and defeat Robotnik once and for all. In the series finale (The Doomsday Project), Lupe and Ari's teams tried to raid Robotnik's factory but were captured. They were rescued when Sonic and Sally used the Deep Power Stones to destroy the factory.
Home video release history
|
|
This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files.
Please review the use of non-free media according to policy and guidelines, correct any violations, then remove this tag once compliant. See the talk page for details. |
DVD releases
| DVD Name |
Cover Art |
Ep # |
Release dates |
Additional Features |
| Region 1 |
Region 2 |
Region 4 |
| The Complete Series |
 |
26 |
March 27, 2007 |
See Below |
TBA |
This four disc boxset includes the entire 26 episodes from the series. Bonus features include: storyboards, concept art, storyboard-to-screen comparisons, deleted/extended scenes, a printable prototype script of the series pilot (Heads or Tails), and interviews with Jaleel White and head writer Ben Hurst. The individual cases and the DVDs themselves also feature fan art submitted to Shout! Factory during the box set's development phase [2].
Cover art by Ken Penders
|
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Super Sonic |
 |
5 |
February 26, 2002 |
- |
- |
This single disc DVD includes five episodes from the series. Bonus features include: "Exciting Interactive Game", "Trailers" and "Scene Access". This DVD was pulled however when Buena Vista claimed to have distribution rights to the series. Some copies are still available to be purchased on Amazon.com and other sites like this. [3] |
| The Complete Series |
 |
26 |
See Above |
September 10, 2007 |
TBA |
This four disc boxset includes the entire 26 episodes from the series. Bonus features include: "Way Past Cool! A Conversation with Sonic Writer Ben Hurst", "The Fastest Thing Alive: A Conversation with Jaleel White", "Storyboard-to-Screen: The Doomsday Project - The complete episode shown with the animated storyboards", "Original Storyboards for an Unproduced Opening Title Sequence" and "Original DiC Concept Art Galleries". As on the R1 set, a "Printable Heads or Tails Pilot Script" is listed on the disc's extra menu, but the PDF file is nowhere to be found on any of the discs. Solicitations for the set also promised "Easter Eggs Galore" and "Fan art", neither of which appeared on the finished product. The boxset is marketed as Region 2, but is in fact Region 0 PAL. [4] |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Boom And Other Episodes |
 |
9 |
- |
September 10, 2007 |
- |
This disc features nine episodes from the series, all from season one. The episodes included are as follows: Sonic Boom, Sonic & Sally, Ultra Sonic, Sonic & The Secret Scrolls, Super Sonic, Sonic Racer, Hooked On Sonics, Harmonic Sonic, and Sonic's Nightmare.[5] |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 1 |
 |
4 |
N/A |
N/A |
2007 |
The first volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. This single disc DVD includes four episodes from the series. The episodes included are as follows: Sonic Boom, Sonic & Sally, Ultra Sonic and Sonic & The Secret Scrolls.
Audio language: Spanish/English. A picture gallery is included as a bonus feature.
|
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 2 |
 |
4 |
N/A |
N/A |
2007 |
The second volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. This single disc DVD includes four episodes from the series. The episodes included are as follows: Super Sonic, Sonic Racer, Hooked on Sonics and Harmonic Sonic.
Audio language: Spanish/English. A picture gallery is included as a bonus feature.
|
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 3 |
 |
4 |
N/A |
N/A |
2007 |
The third volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Sonic's Nightmare, Warp Sonic, Sub-Sonic and Sonic Past Cool.
Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery.
|
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 4 |
 |
4 |
N/A |
N/A |
2007 |
The fourth volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Game Guy, Sonic Conversion, No Brainer and Blast to the Past (Part I).
Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery.
|
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 5 |
 |
4 |
N/A |
N/A |
2007 |
The fifth volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Blast to the past (Part II), Fed Up with Antoine/Ghost Busted, Dulcy and The Void.
Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery.
|
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 6 |
 |
5 |
N/A |
N/A |
2008 |
The sixth and last volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: The Odd Couple/Ro-Becca, Cry of the Wolf, Drood Henge, The Spyhog and The Doomsday Project.
Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery.
|
VHS releases
| VHS Name |
Cover Art |
Ep # |
Release dates |
TV Encode |
Description |
| Hooked on Sonics |
 |
2 |
October 21, 1994 |
NTSC |
Includes the episodes Hooked on Sonics and Warp Sonic. |
| Sonic Racer |
 |
2 |
December 19, 1994 |
NTSC |
Includes the episodes Sonic Racer and Sonic Boom. |
| Super Sonic |
 |
2 |
December 19, 1994 |
NTSC |
Includes the episodes Super Sonic and Sonic and Sally. |
| Sonic Racer |
 |
2 |
February 26, 2002 |
NTSC |
Contrary to popular misconception, this 2002 release entitled 'Sonic Racer' is not a re-issue of the 1994 video cassette of the same title. This release features the episodes Sonic Racer and Harmonic Sonic. Unlike the 1994 release, it does not feature Sonic Boom. This 2002 release also has various edits and sound effect removals. |
| Super Sonic |
 |
2 |
February 26, 2002 |
NTSC |
Like its 1994 counterpart, this 2002 release of 'Super Sonic' features the episodes Super Sonic and Sonic and Sally. However, unlike its 1994 counterpart and broadcast airings, this 2002 release has various edits and sound effect removals. |
Theme song
The most well-known version of the show's theme song ("Fastest Thing Alive") was sung by Noisy Neighbors.
Cast
Episode list
-
Season 1
- Heads or Tails
- Sonic Boom
- Sonic & Sally
- Ultra Sonic
- Sonic & The Secret Scrolls
- Super Sonic
- Sonic Racer
- Harmonic Sonic
- Hooked on Sonics
- Sonic's Nightmare
- Warp Sonic
- Sub-Sonic
- Sonic Past Cool
Season 2
- Game Guy
- Sonic Conversion
- No Brainer
- Blast to the Past (1 & 2)
- Fed Up with Antoine / Ghost Busted
- Dulcy
- The Void
- The Odd Couple / Ro-Becca
- Cry of The Wolf
- Drood Henge
- Spyhog
- The Doomsday Project
Pre–Sonic the Hedgehog
In 1993 an article in Sonic the Comic (the British comic officially licensed by Sega Of Europe), it announced two new television series starring Sonic the Hedgehog, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog. Within the four pages of plot synopsis and concept art, a group of screen shots that greatly differ from the rest appear without explanation. These screen shots have circulated through the Internet contributing to the theory of a cartoon series aborted before production which has been dubbed "The Mystery cartoon" also "Pre-SatAM" by Sonic fans.
The supporting characters in the Pre-Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon are based on the small animals freed from enemies in the original Sonic the Hedgehog game - although wildly different in design, they all bear the same names as those attributed to the various video game animal characters listed in the UK book, Stay Sonic, which were also used in Sonic the Comic strips.
Most notably, the image went on to inspire redesigns of Sonic the Comic supporting characters Johnny Lightfoot and Porker Lewis - while originally they were single the basic rabbit and pig video-game character designs, they were abruptly redesigned to be given humanoid proportions and the leather jackets the image depicted. Most notable in the image is the lack of Tails; it could be that the concept was drawn up before Tails' arrival in the series.[3]
Canceled video game
In a recent interview with Peter Morawiec, a former programmer for Sega Technical Institute and the famed creator of Comix Zone, it was revealed that he had developed a prototype game based on the cartoon continuity, using a completely different engine than that of the traditional Sonic games. It would have been the second time that characters from the cartoon series would have shown up, and possibly the first video game appearances of both the cartoon version of Robotnik and Snively.
In the video it is said to be 16-bit game where the sprites and background are actually 32-bit.[4]
Footnotes
External links
| |
