Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Return to Nickelodeon

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have seen their fair share of difficulty in maintaining a presence in the eyes of pop culture. Sure, they had their heyday in the early 90s, but since then it's been a mish-mash of different series, movies and comics. The group is about to hit the TV circuit again, thanks to Nickelodeon.

The series stars Jason Biggs as Leonardo, Rob Paulsen as Donatello, Sean Astin as Raphael and Greg Cipes as Michelangelo. Rounding out the cast are Mae Whitman as April O'Neil, Hoon Lee as Master Splinter and Kevin Michael Richardson as Shredder. The half-hour series is layered with action, fantasy and comedy, and draws inspiration from both American and Japanese animation, showcasing a stylistic effect of a printed comic. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will air regularly on Mondays at 5:00 p.m.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is THE television event of the autumn for all the family,” said Tina McCann, SVP, Managing Director, Nickelodeon UK. “We know that the legions of Turtles fans as well as those that have never seen the half-shell heroes in action before are going to be blown away by the new series with its extraordinary animation and mix of comedy and action.”

The new series is set in present day New York City. One day, while living a life in seclusion with his four pet turtles, the once human Splinter encountered a mysterious green ooze that covered him and his pets. Overcome by the mutagen, he's transformed into a rat and his four pets became humanoid turtles. Fearing persecution from humans, he brought the Turtles underground and raised them, training them to become ninjas. Years have passed since that point and the four turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, are now headstrong teenagers, filled with the confidence of youth and a burning desire to see the world.

In the one-hour premiere, Master Splinter allows his teenage sons to visit the surface for the first time with strict instructions to remain unseen. But when they spy a group of thugs attempting to kidnap April O’Neil and her father, the Turtles must leap into action. They soon discover that the surface world isn’t as simple as it first appears, as they find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy involving alien creatures, robotic droids plus missing scientists and come face-to-face with the same glowing green mutagen that mutated them in the first place.

The show debuts October 1. Full press release below.

NEW "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES" PREMIERES ON NICKELODEON OCTOBER 1

Nickelodeon launches an all-new, CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series in a special one-hour television event on Monday 1st October, at 5:00 p.m., just two days after the U.S. premiere. Bringing the Turtles up from the sewers with the mythology and comedic sensibility for a new generation of fans, the series stars Jason Biggs (American Pie) as “Leonardo,” Rob Paulsen (Planet Sheen) as “Donatello,” Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) as “Raphael” and Greg Cipes (Teen Titans) as “Michelangelo.” Additional cast members rounding out this iconic hit franchise include Mae Whitman (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) as “April O’Neil,” Hoon Lee (Royal Pains) as “Master Splinter” and Kevin Michael Richardson (Penguins of Madagascar) as “Shredder.” The half-hour series is layered with action, fantasy and comedy, and draws inspiration from both American and Japanese animation, showcasing a stylistic effect of a printed comic. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will air regularly on Mondays at 5:00 p.m.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is THE television event of the autumn for all the family,” said Tina McCann, SVP, Managing Director, Nickelodeon UK. “We know that the legions of Turtles fans as well as those that have never seen the half-shell heroes in action before are going to be blown away by the new series with its extraordinary animation and mix of comedy and action.”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set in present day New York City, from the glittering towers of Manhattan to the dark depths of the sewers, and follows the adventures of four humanoid turtles and a six-foot-tall rat, Master Splinter. One day, while living a life in seclusion with his four pet turtles, the once human Splinter encountered a mysterious green ooze that covered him and his pets. Overcome by the mutagen, he was transformed into a rat and his four pets became humanoid turtles. Fearing persecution from humans, he brought the Turtles underground and raised them, training them to become ninjas. Years have passed since that point and the four turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, are now headstrong teenagers, filled with the confidence of youth and a burning desire to see the world.

In the one-hour premiere, Master Splinter allows his teenage sons to visit the surface for the first time with strict instructions to remain unseen. But when they spy a group of thugs attempting to kidnap a teenage girl (April O’Neil) and her father, the Turtles must leap into action. They soon discover that the surface world isn’t as simple as it first appears, as they find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy involving alien creatures, robotic droids plus missing scientists and come face-to-face with the same glowing green mutagen that mutated them in the first place.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is based on four mutant turtles – Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo – trained in the art of ninjutsu by their mutant rat sensei, Master Splinter, who teaches the turtles to battle evil from the New York City sewers. Funnier and “ninja-ier” than ever before, the action comedy explores the camaraderie of four teenage brothers learning to rely on one another as they unravel the mystery of their existence and train to become the hero’s they are destined to be. The executive producers for the series are Ciro Nieli, Josh Sternin, Jeff Ventimilia and Peter Hastings. The series will premiere globally across Nickelodeon’s channels around the world starting on 29th September with the U.S. premiere.

Considered one of the most popular kids’ television programmes of the 1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a classic, global property created in 1984 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It first debuted as a successful comic book series and then became a hit animated TV show, a live-action television series and later spawned four blockbuster theatrical releases.The property also has translated into a significant consumer products business - with DVDs, video games, toys and more - that has generated billions of dollars at retail.

Nickelodeon is the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK. Launched in 1993, it comprises seven dedicated award-winning entertainment channels for kids aged 2-12: Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon HD, Nick Replay, Nicktoons, Nicktoons Replay, Nick Jr., and Nick Jr. 2. The Nickelodeon network now reaches more than 10 million viewers a month and is available in 12.7 million cable and satellite homes. The company has built a diverse multi-platform business by putting kids first in everything it does and includes critically acclaimed and hugely popular television programming and production in the UK and around the world, plus consumer products, online, events, recreation and feature films.

Nickelodeon is available on Sky 604, Virgin 712, through BT Vision and TalkTalk channel 315.