The Energon Pub

[Tigertrack]

"Entertainment Rights (ER) has secured rights to the new Transformers animated television series from toy giant Hasbro, as well as agreeing a raft of international deals for its key properties following MipTV.

ER now has worldwide (excluding Latin America, North America and certain Asian territories) TV and video-on-demand distribution rights to Transformers (26x30') plus a 70-minute Transformers special. ER now represents four seasons of the show, totaling 154 episodes.

The new series has a good deal of talent onboard, including Sam Register, exec producer of Ben 10, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi and Teen Titans; Vincent Aniceto, line producer (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Power Puff Girls); and Marty Isenberg, head writer (Danny Phantom, A.T.O.M., X-Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). In addition, Derrick Wyatt, character designer for smash hit Teen Titans, will take the role of lead designer.

The new 2D style that will be the show's trademark harks back to the original 20-year-old cartoon, but according to ER, the new Transformers has a different audience in mind." -C21 Media

The main new information is that there will 26 episodes (EDIT), plus a 70 minute special.

The new cartoon will also see Worldwide distribution, but as of this point there is no target release date.

Check out the article here.

AS always, stay tuned to Seibertron.com for more of the new cartoon details as they come out.

[emeraldbeacon]

154 episodes? That's quite a commitment! Most series are slated for 2 13-episode 'miniseasons', then extended for another two (or more) if all goes well.

[Megatron Wolf]

Why do i forsee another crapy cartoon network kiddie cartoon?

[Cheetron]

I'm just hoping Cartoon network doesn't put it on for 3 weeks on Toonami then dump it at the 6am spot. Like it's done before!

Or it'll be on one of those cartoon channels that I'm not willing to pay $30 more a month to get.

But on a positive note, I am looking forward to this. I want a good Transformers series again. The Classics line built me up, the Movie destroyed my hopes and hopefully, this will bring me back up again.

[Prime Evil]

That's a lot of episodes and 4 seasons to boot!! Now let's just hope the series is actually good.

[Chaoslock]

"The new series has a good deal of talent onboard, including Sam Register, exec producer of Ben 10, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi and Teen Titans; Vincent Aniceto, line producer (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Power Puff Girls); and Marty Isenberg, head writer (Danny Phantom, A.T.O.M., X-Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). In addition, Derrick Wyatt, character designer for smash hit Teen Titans, will take the role of lead designer."
- I have a bad feeling about this...

"The new 2D style that will be the show's trademark harks back to the original 20-year-old cartoon,"
- I have a good feeling about this

"but according to ER, the new Transformers has a different audience in mind."
-different than Cybertron, or different then the old cartoon or different than the 20-year old fans?

[kirbenvost]

...sounds bad. Kiddie cartoon. Too bad, really. They should've stuck with an anime studio.

Perhaps this means I can save money by not having to buy figures for quite some time, and catch up on all the other stuff I want.

[kary]

I believe this series is a re-hash of the old G1 show with a better story to actually have some consistancy. At Transformerscon, Mike Bell said that the show was based on the old G1 toon. He even auditioned for the part of Prowl again, but didn't get it. Apparently all the old G1 voice actors who're still around auditioned also, but only one of them got it.

[Alex Kingdom]

Of course it's a kiddies cartoon, it's for kids. If we ever see anything aimed at an older/more intelligent audience it wont be until well after the movie(s) are long gone. Hasbro are relaunching the brand with this movie, they'll go for the kids just like they did in the 80s. Maybe when those kids have grow up in 5-10 years time they'll do something like Beast Wars aimed at the fans who grew up with these Transformers. Either way I wouldn't hold your breath, my advice is get out while you can.

Yours AK

[Talon523]

Whatever it takes to keep the franchise name alive.

[sniper_samurai]

ER now has worldwide (excluding Latin America, North America and certain Asian territories) TV and video-on-demand distribution rights to Transformers (26x30') plus a 70-minute Transformers special. ER now represents four seasons of the show, totaling 154 episodes

If you read here it states that the series is 26 30 minute episodes and a 70 minute special.

The other seasons that are refered to are the Unicron trilogy to which entertaiment rights also have rights to(although the episode count is wrong as those three series already total 156 eps).
armada
energon
cybertron

[BigBot]

Somebody has seriously misunderstood ER's press release. The 154 episodes is actually the total of Armada/Energon/Cybertron episodes. The 4 seasons is actually AEC plus this new series, which ER have TV distribution rights in most places in the world.

This NEW Transformers series is only 26 episodes long plus a 70 minute special.

[Tigertrack]

That's a lot of episodes and 4 seasons to boot!! Now let's just hope the series is actually good.

I'm skeptical, but open...

[bionic_radical]

*praying that its based off of classics...*

[Tigertrack]

BIGBOT and SNIPER_SAMURAI, I updated the news article with what you pointed out (but not the thread yet).

Thanks for the help!

[Seibertron]

Just for clarification ... it's 26 NEW episodes. Entertainment Rights distributes Armada, Energon and Cybertron to countries outside of North (and South?) America. It's NOT 154 NEW episodes.

"ER now has worldwide (excluding Latin America, North America and certain Asian territories) TV and video-on-demand distribution rights to Transformers (26x30') plus a 70-minute Transformers special."

Stop. Breathe. Take that in. Ok, read it once more. Now proceed ...

"ER now represents four seasons of the show"

Stop again. Read carefully what it says. "ER now represents four seasons of the show." That means they are distributing 4 different seasons of the Transformers worldwide. I'm assuming this means that if a company wanted to come along and syndicate Armada, for example, they would go through ER or it would be a package deal. Get all 4 seasons to air on your television channel/station, blah blah blah.

Proceed ...

", totalling 154 episodes."

That might just be poorly worded. I imagine if you did a count of AEC (The Unicron Trilogy), you'd see that there is around 150 episodes. Throw in the new season and there would be a total of around 175 to 180 total.

[Heavy B]

154 episodes? That's quite a commitment! Most series are slated for 2 13-episode 'miniseasons', then extended for another two (or more) if all goes well.

no transformers series got past 100. g1 came close with 98 (i count rebirth 1,2,3). this is cool

and as far as toonami, they will. probubly replace it with a cartoon from japan about TENNIS

[Tigertrack]

Just for clarification ... it's 26 NEW episodes. Entertainment Rights distributes Armada, Energon and Cybertron to countries outside of North (and South?) America. It's NOT 154 NEW episodes.

"ER now has worldwide (excluding Latin America, North America and certain Asian territories) TV and video-on-demand distribution rights to Transformers (26x30') plus a 70-minute Transformers special."

Stop. Breathe. Take that in. Ok, read it once more. Now proceed ...

"ER now represents four seasons of the show"

Stop again. Read carefully what it says. "ER now represents four seasons of the show." That means they are distributing 4 different seasons of the Transformers worldwide. I'm assuming this means that if a company wanted to come along and syndicate Armada, for example, they would go through ER or it would be a package deal. Get all 4 seasons to air on your television channel/station, blah blah blah.

Proceed ...

", totalling 154 episodes."

That might just be poorly worded. I imagine if you did a count of AEC (The Unicron Trilogy), you'd see that there is around 150 episodes. Throw in the new season and there would be a total of around 175 to 180 total.

Changed the front page news to reflect that, but did not change the thread post yet...

[osiricon]

All of those cartoons have similar styles. I REALLY hope they dont make a show with any of those styles! ECKKK!!! They work great with those cartoons NOT Transformers.

[Roboto750]

This all sounds good, so far. If the series is good, I would like to see it go past 26 episodes (plus the special). I know it's what most series go on now-a-days, but in truth, that seems a bit short for a series to me, unless it goes into spid off's like Armada (the Unicron Trilogy). I have to admit that "according to ER, the new Transformers has a different audience in mind," does raise some questions in my mind.

[devil prime]

maybe it's the fans of G1 and such?

[Autobobby1]

Sweet. It'll have a good amount of humor and action, I hope. Before Teen Titans ended, I was a HUGE fan. In fact, I'm a fan of most of the shows that those guys have worked on. I'll watch it, and since it's by so many of Cartoon Network's biggest writers, it'll hopefully have a slot on Miguzi or Toonami.

[Mechanurgist]

I believe this series is a re-hash of the old G1 show with a better story to actually have some consistancy. At Transformerscon, Mike Bell said that the show was based on the old G1 toon. He even auditioned for the part of Prowl again, but didn't get it. Apparently all the old G1 voice actors who're still around auditioned also, but only one of them got it.

That would be awesome.

[First-Aid]

Do you suppose this means the Energon and Cybertron series will be released on DVD now?

[Liege Evilmus]

That is a powerful line up in the crew department, and 154 episodes plus specials...

Could it be I got my wish!?!

Time will tell, I realy hope this new series doesn't suck!