Wild C.A.T.s
| WildC.A.T.S | |
|---|---|
 Cover to the DVD release of WildC.A.T.S | |
| Also known as | WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams |
| Created by | Jim Lee Brandon Choi |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | Bob Forward David Wise |
| Written by | David Wise Brooks Wachtel Rich Fogel Mark Seidenberg |
| Voices of | Denis Akiyama Paul Mota Roscoe Handford Janet-Laine Green |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jim Lee Michael Hirsh Toper Taylor |
| Producer | Hasmi Giakoumis |
| Production companies | WildStorm Productions Nelvana Limited |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | October 1, 1994 – January 21, 1995 |
WildC.A.T.S is a half-hour animated television series based on the comics series of the same name and developed for television by David Wise. It aired on CBS for one season from October 1, 1994 to January 21, 1995.[1] The series was produced by WildStorm Productions in association with Nelvana Limited. DC Comics now own the rights to the characters, due to their purchase of WildStorm in 1999. This was also David Wise's only show for Nelvana until Corn & Peg.
Overview[]
WildC.A.T.S is about the universal war between two prehistoric alien races. One of the races is the heroic while the other is the evil Daemonites.[2]
Production[]
 | This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (May 2012) |
It ran for thirteen episodes with a family-friendly storyline. WildC.A.T.S, along with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Skeleton Warriors, was grouped into the "Action Zone" showcase that used a wraparound animated fly-though pre-credit sequence to bookend the three very different programs.[citation needed] The series was canceled around the same time that the "Action Zone" concept was officially retired (although TMNT retained the "Action Zone" credit sequence until the end of its run two years later).[citation needed]
The group was composed of all the original WildC.A.T.S. The major villain was Helspont, and the Troika and the Coda were featured as supporting characters. Mr. Majestic also made appearances, though not as a member of the group.
WildC.A.T.S featured a rock soundtrack, and a theme song performed by Sheree Jeacocke and Gerry Mosby.
Cast[]
- Denis Akiyama as Dockwell
- Paul Mota as Maul
- Roscoe Handford as Zealot
- Janet-Laine Green as Void
- Ruth Marshall as Voodoo
- Sean McCann as Jacob Marlowe
- Dean McDermott as Warblade
- Colin O'Meara as Grifter
- Rod Wilson as Spartan, Mister Majestic
- Maurice Dean Wint as Helspont
- Addison Bell as Slag
- Colin Fox as Pike
- David Hemblen as Commander
- Dan Hennessey as H.A.R.M.
- Lorne Kennedy as Karillion
- Jim Millington as Zachary Forbes
- Kristina Nicholl as Artemis
- Dave Nichols as Attica
- Bob Zidel as Professor Stone
Differences between the comics and television series[]
The main differences of the series and the comic books were:
- Jacob Marlowe, the Kherubim Lord Emp, was now an ordinary human.
- Warblade discovers his powers when he becomes part of the group, in the first episode. Because of this, he is the group's rookie, a position occupied by Voodoo in the comic book.
- Void is an android and a Kherubim artificial intelligence.
- Majestic is an antagonist, obsessed with finding the Orb and destroying the Daemonites.
- , Grifter's comic universe younger brother, is the older brother, and the leader of an International Operations special unit called the Black Razors.
- Pike, who in the comics is a human/Kherubim hybrid working for the Daemonites, is a Daemonite himself in the TV series.
- Voodoo is a psychic with telekinetic as well as telepathic abilities; in addition, because the series was marketed toward children, her comic-book profession of exotic dancing is never mentioned (and is not wearing her first costume from the comics).
- Maul does not have a human form; his Titanthrope form is permanent. In addition, he becomes more enraged as he grows in size, as opposed to losing intelligence.
- Zealot and Grifter become a couple by the series' end.
- Spartan was a Kherubim rebuilt as a cyborg instead of being an android.
Episodes[]
 | This section needs a plot summary. (October 2015) |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dark Blade Falling" | Bob Smith | David Wise | October 1, 1994 | |
| Both the Wildcats and the Daemonites are on a search for Warblade, but for different motives. | |||||
| 2 | "Heart of Steel" | Bob Smith | David Wise | October 8, 1994 | |
| The Daemonites are on a hunt for Project Alpha, an Infodyne Systems laboratory with thermofusion generator that can be used as a resource to power their ship, the Behemoth. Spartan must choose between his loyalty to the team, and his desire to reclaim his lost humanity, when he meets with an old flame from his human past. | |||||
| 3 | "Cry of the Coda" | Bob Smith | Brooks Wachtel | October 15, 1994 | |
| 4 | "The Evil Within" | Bob Smith | Len Uhley | October 29, 1994 | |
| 5 | "The Big Takedown" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward & David Wise | November 12, 1994 | |
| 6 | "Lives in the Balance" | Bob Smith | Rich Fogel & Mark Seidenberg | November 19, 1994 | |
| 7 | "Soul of a Giant" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward & Sean Catherine Derek | November 26, 1994 | |
| 8 | "Betrayed" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward & Brooks Wachtel | December 3, 1994 | |
| 9 | "Black Razor's Edge" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward | December 10, 1994 | |
| 10 | "And Then There Were None" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward | December 17, 1994 | |
| 11 | "M.V.P." | Bob Smith | Bob Forward | January 7, 1995 | |
| 12 | "Endgame, Part 1" | Bob Smith | Rich Fogel & Mark Seidenberg | January 14, 1995 | |
| 13 | "Endgame, Part 2" | Bob Smith | Bob Forward | January 21, 1995 | |
Marketing tie-ins[]
A video game based on the TV series was published by Playmates Interactive in 1995 for Super NES, with Spartan, Warblade and Maul as the only playable characters.
Also, Playmates Toys released a toy line based on the TV series. The characters featured in the toy line were Grifter, Helspont, Maul, (as a Black Razor), Mister Majestic, Pike, Slag, Spartan, Void, Voodoo, Warblade, Zealot and a generic Daemonite.
Home release[]
Four VHS tapes with two episodes each were released in the 1990s. Funimation released the complete series on DVD on July 19, 2005.[3][4] It is now out of print, but a digital copy of the series is available through Amazon Video at Amazon.com, and the iTunes store.
References[]
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 908. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ "10 Worst Comic Book Animated Series of All Time". Newsarama. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ^ "Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams DVD news: Full Announcement: Extras, Art, More!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
- ^ "Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams DVD news: Complete '94 Cartoon Series Heads To DVD This Summer". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
External links[]
- Wild C.A.T.s at IMDb
- 1990s American animated television series
- 1990s American science fiction television series
- 1994 American television series debuts
- 1995 American television series endings
- 1990s Canadian animated television series
- 1994 Canadian television series debuts
- 1995 Canadian television series endings
- American children's animated action television series
- American children's animated adventure television series
- American children's animated fantasy television series
- Canadian children's animated action television series
- Canadian children's animated adventure television series
- Canadian children's animated fantasy television series
- English-language television shows
- CBS original programming
- Playmates Toys
- Funimation
- USA Action Extreme Team
- WildStorm
- Animated television shows based on DC Comics
- Television series by Nelvana