The Transformers (CBS pitch)
Everyone knows The Transformers! It was one of the most popular cartoons of the '80s! You don't need us to explain the adventures of the Autobot spy Muffler and his human friends getting into wacky antics trying to survive and wage a guerrilla war on a Decepticon controlled Earth.
Just kidding, that's obviously not the cartoon we got.
In early 1984, though, it was possible that wouldn't be the case. A radically different version of the show was pitched by Marvel Productions, its series bible written before "More Than Meets The Eye" even had a final script. For decades, there was no information about this pitch, barring mentions in writer Jeffrey Scott's resume<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 203)</ref> and a brief discussion in a production memo.
Forty years later, that all changed.
Background
[edit]In 1981, animation studio [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}DePatie-Freleng Enterprises|{{#if:||DePatie-Freleng Enterprises}}]] was sold to Marvel Comics, becoming Marvel Productions. Both were located on different sides of the country, with Productions in California and Comics in New York. Despite this new merger, the two companies didn't get on well at all. In 1983, Marvel Productions ignored the work that Comics had created for the unproduced series Mysterians, rejecting the serious action premise for a goofy, Hanna-Barbera-esque one largely centered on kid supporting characters and a wacky dog.<ref>"The Secret Origin of the Transformers - Part 1"</ref>
By 1984, the same thing happened with Transformers. Fueled by the massive success the Transformers toyline was projected to be (and ultimately was), Hasbro rushed to expand the still in-production miniseries into a full show, naturally turning to Marvel Productions to do so. However, rather than sell it to syndication as with the miniseries, Marvel Production attempted to sell the show to the network CBS. One of the network requirements were female characters, but we're not sure if they had others or if the writers just decided to reuse other stock tropes they knew networks liked.
Enter Jeffrey Scott. A former Hanna-Barbera employee most known for his work on Super Friends at the time, Scott was hired by DePatie-Freleng in 1979 for Spider-Woman and Spider-Man, by Stan Lee and Lee Gunther<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 9)</ref>, the latter which would be delayed to 1981 due to the merger. While at Marvel, Scott worked on Dungeons and Dragons, and story edited the fever dream that was Pandamonium. Besides writing scripts, Scott also developed series bibles for animated series: in 1984 alone, he wrote the unproduced The Right Stuff, The Secret Wars, Menudo, and would later devise the smash hit Muppet Babies. Thus, Scott was tasked with creating a development bible for this new Transformers series.
First bible
[edit]
On February 22, Scott began work on the series bible, including the basic premise, style of the show, and the characters' personalities. Difficulties arose due to a lack of reference material, seemingly giving him little more than a list of names and altmodes, with Scott specifically requesting 'bio cards'. In fact, he was given so little to work with, Cybertron isn't even referred to by name. Impressively, he finished the first bible just three days later on February 25. In this version, the Autobots had finally destroyed the last of the Decepticon rebels after eons of war, bringing peace to their planet. However, they had only destroyed their robot forms, while the Decepticons' "electronic life-entities" had fled into space to try and acquire new bodies. They eventually found their way to Earth and built a base in the Bermuda Triangle, spending the next 50 years hijacking various military crafts to rebuild their forces. The Autobots spent years searching the universe for their enemy, eventually tracking them down to Earth and reigniting their war once again.
The Autobots assume control of various Earth vehicles to blend into the new world, with their leader Optimus Prime taking control of a truck owned by the human William 'Duke' Convoy. Unwilling to steal Duke's truck from him, the human is 'drafted' into the war, using his knowledge to help the Autobots. However, Optimus is not the only Autobot to have a human driver: the Autobot Toad (originally meant to be Bumblebee until they decided "NO MINI-CARS") assumed the form of a green VW belonging to a teenage girl named Wendy Fairchild, and now he's stuck with her. The other main Autobots include Jazz, Trailbreaker, Sideswipe (the only female Autobot), Mirage, with Ironhide, Hound, Prowl, and Ratchet as secondary characters rounding out the rest of the cast.
From their underwater headquarters, the Decepticons plot to conquer Earth. The Decepticon leader Megatron carries a canister with him which holds the energy forms of an army's worth of Decepticon soldiers. All he needs to do is place one of these energy orbs into his cannon and shoot it at a mechanical object, and it will be transformed into a Decepticon warrior. The other Decepticons are Soundwave (the disloyal second in-command), Buzzsaw (used by Soundwave to spy on the Autobots as well as the other Decepticons), Starscream (a female Decepticon who hates Jazz for destroying her body back on Cybertron), Thundercracker, and Skywarp. They have also joined forces with Arthur Kroll, a human who aids the invaders so that he may rule over the rest of humanity after the Decepticons have conquered Earth.
The bible includes a list of "story springboards":
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| || }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| | | ʁ| | | Rotten To The Core{{#if:| "{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| | |
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Megatron takes control of the New York subway system and implants "glowing energy orbs" into the trains, turning them into an army of Deception warriors! Optimus Prime and Duke join forces with a group of teens to help save the day.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Rotten To The Core|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Megatron takes control of the New York subway system and implants "glowing energy orbs" into the trains, turning them into an army of Deception warriors! Optimus Prime and Duke join forces with a group of teens to help save the day. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:When the Autobots try to stop Megatron from converting Alaskan oil rigs into new robot soldiers, Jazz is exposed to a deadly substance that infects and slowly kills him. Now the Autobots have to save their friend and stop Megatron!|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:When the Autobots try to stop Megatron from converting Alaskan oil rigs into new robot soldiers, Jazz is exposed to a deadly substance that infects and slowly kills him. Now the Autobots have to save their friend and stop Megatron!|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:The Titanium Germ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|When the Autobots try to stop Megatron from converting Alaskan oil rigs into new robot soldiers, Jazz is exposed to a deadly substance that infects and slowly kills him. Now the Autobots have to save their friend and stop Megatron! }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Converting a nuclear submarine into a new warrior, the Decepticons take control of the seas. Optimus is forced to leave his truck body and poses as an old battleship to try and stop the threat. He's nearly destroyed in the ensuing battle, and Duke must form a 'mind-link' with him to try and restore the Autobot leader to life.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|style="text-align: left;"|Anything For A Friend{{#if:|
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Converting a nuclear submarine into a new warrior, the Decepticons take control of the seas. Optimus is forced to leave his truck body and poses as an old battleship to try and stop the threat. He's nearly destroyed in the ensuing battle, and Duke must form a 'mind-link' with him to try and restore the Autobot leader to life.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Anything For A Friend|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Converting a nuclear submarine into a new warrior, the Decepticons take control of the seas. Optimus is forced to leave his truck body and poses as an old battleship to try and stop the threat. He's nearly destroyed in the ensuing battle, and Duke must form a 'mind-link' with him to try and restore the Autobot leader to life. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Wendy is forced to abandon her first date when Megatron plots to bring an army of Japanese electronic devices to life. It's up to her and Toad to stop him!|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
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|style="text-align: left;"|Not On The First Date{{#if:|
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Wendy is forced to abandon her first date when Megatron plots to bring an army of Japanese electronic devices to life. It's up to her and Toad to stop him!|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Not On The First Date|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Wendy is forced to abandon her first date when Megatron plots to bring an army of Japanese electronic devices to life. It's up to her and Toad to stop him! }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Kroll reveals the existence of a government time machine to Megatron. With the device transformed into one of their soldiers, the Decepticons can escape into another time—unless the Autobots stop them!|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
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|style="text-align: left;"|Time For Trouble{{#if:|
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Kroll reveals the existence of a government time machine to Megatron. With the device transformed into one of their soldiers, the Decepticons can escape into another time—unless the Autobots stop them!|ʁ| |
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| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Time For Trouble|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Kroll reveals the existence of a government time machine to Megatron. With the device transformed into one of their soldiers, the Decepticons can escape into another time—unless the Autobots stop them! }}
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Hasbro and Sunbow would provide feedback on this bible, clarifying that Transformers were mechanical beings, not electrical. They also didn't want any pre-existing characters to be female, and suggested that Optimus meet the human hero after being repaired when severely damaged in the desert. As a result, the bible was brought more in line with the preexisting premise. CBS also had input, wanting to tie the pitch into the miniseries as well as give Duke a dog that could sniff out Decepticons. Remember that for later.
Revised series bible
[edit]
Scott completed a revised draft of the bible, now 41 pages long, on March 3. By this point, he had been provided with Bob Budiansky's character profiles and a copy of the first act of "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1". As a result, the pre-existing characters were brought more in line with their bios, and the plot was given the same backstory of the Transformers crashing on Earth and being awoken millions of years later by a volcanic eruption. However, by the year 1988, the Decepticons' superior numbers have allowed them to conquer much of the Earth, taking control of its manufacturing facilities and leaving humanity as little more than slaves, with Megatron Negator giving them only a sliver of control over the remains of the economy to keep society running. Dissent is impossible due a secret police of disguised Decepticons, who keep the human population under constant surveillance. However, the Autobots continue to operate from the shadows, attempting to free humanity and stop the Decepticons for good.
Most of the roster of characters would be carried over from the previous draft, with some minor alterations. The main Autobot lineup now included Optimus Prime, Jazz, Firecycle, Mirage, Muffler (a renamed Toad), and Trailbreaker. The Decepticon roster now featured Negator, Soundwave, Buzzsaw, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Whirlpool.
Cast
[edit]Autobots
[edit]- Optimus Prime: Leader of the only six remaining Autobots. His bio is a rework of Budiansky's write-up but with a few new twists. Described as "IMENSELY KIND, AND HIS COMPASSION EXTENDS TO ALL LIVING THINGS, INCLUDING THE "TWO-LEGGED FLESH FORMS" OF EARTH." Views humans "AS NO DIFFERENT THAN AUTOBOTS, EXCEPT THAT THEIR PERSONALITIES ARE CLOTHED IN FLESH INSTEAD OF METAL." Still has that weird three modules aspect of the bio with Roller being present, though he doesn't appear in the script. However, here the Combat Deck trailer is "AUTOBOT HQ" which besides transporting Autobots is "A REPAIR CENTER FOR DAMAGED AUTOBOTS" which can perform "ELECTRO-SURGERY."
- Jazzz: Optimus' cool, happening right hand man. His bio is a very slight reworking of his profile. Uses the early three z's spelling.
- Firecycle: The only female Autobot, she transforms into a red motorcycle and is a skilled mechanic tasked with repairing her fellow Autobots. She's also a robot expert able to create many things, such as turning a toaster into a fighting robot. She has a 'Laser Heat-Ray' and a 'Zero-K Blaster' that can freeze anything. Firecycle loves Optimus Prime, but the Autobot leader fears returning her feelings after all the Autobots he's lost in centuries of war. The medic's main failing is her reluctance to hurt any living thing. She even tries to avoid driving on grass for fear of hurting the plant life. The Decepticons take advantage of this by often pretending to be injured to lure her into traps. While her role as the 'girl Autobot' and crush on Optimus originates with the previous bible's version of Sideswipe, she is otherwise a very different character. Had the proposed name of "Firewheels".
- Mirage: An aristocrat turned reluctant freedom fighter. Like in the final cartoon, he can turn himself invisible. Also has a Twin Tractor Beam. Distrusted by some of the other Autobots who think he could be a spy.
- Muffler: An Autobot spy and messenger, named after his noisy exhaust system. He turns into a VW Beetle (described as yellow or pink at different points in his profile). He adopted this form while trying to escape a Decepticon ambush by hiding in a used car-lot. It worked so well he was bought by Wendy Fairchild. The tenderhearted Autobot, not wanting her to have wasted her money, now serves as her car when he's not on missions. Wendy calls him "Muffy", a nickname he dislikes. Muffler has refused to use a weapon since he shot himself in the foot with a laser cannon. He has issues with his 'elctro-mechanical control functions' which prevent him from transforming properly. For instance, when transforming into robot mode, one of his legs might get stuck as a fender forcing him to comically hop around on one leg. His main strength is his klutziness. He might lose a wheel while fleeing a Decepticon, only for his pursuer to trip over it.
- Trailbreaker: An incredibly fuel-ineffective Autobot, which leads him to view himself as a liability. To counter this he acts as a prankster. Once fused a game cartridge into Muffler's mind. Jerk. Has a "A LASER-GATTLING GUN" which "FIRE 32 PENCIL-THICK BEAMS AT ONCE."
Decepticons
[edit]- Negator: The Decepticon leader. Yes, he's a renamed Megatron. His name emphasises how he's completely negative with no positive traits (The behind-the-scenes explanation seems to be that CBS weren't okay with Megatron being a handgun, with their "limitations" stating he become a "laser tank", then a "satellite particle beam cannon" in the script. Presumably Hasbro requested a name change when the character no longer resembled the toy). He has dedicated the Decepticons to subjugating all inferior lifeforms, and he views all other life as inferior to him. He's so evil that the Autobots question if he's really sentient, or some sort of empty husk animated by an ancient computer program.
- Soundwave: Negator's scheming Comm-Officer. He's described as red in the script. The only cassette he has is Buzzsaw, a "STAUNCH ALLY AND CONFIDANT."
- Starscream: The most notable change to his profile is the line "NEGATOR OVERLOOKS THE POTENTIAL PERSONAL THREAT STARSCREAM REPRESENTS FOR TWO REASONS: 1. STARSCREAM IS VERY GOOD AT HIS JOB, 2. NEGATOR IS BETTER." (Also, move over Seekers, here the Decepticon jets are known as "Strato-Warriors").
- Thundercracker: Just a straight copy of his character profile with no changes.
- Skywarp: "THE LEAST INTELLIGENT OF ALL DECEPTICONS", a prankster that no-one else likes. Teleports by way of a "A SPACE-WARP LOCATION TRANSFER." Carries "HEAT-SEEKING "ACID-WARHEADS" that melt into an Autobots Armour. Still features his early "Olive Drab" colour scheme.
- Whirlpool: The only female Decepticon, she turns into an "AMPHIBIOUS FLYING CRAFT", that is able to fly, jet across ground and water, along with being able to travel underwater, allowing her to reach any depth beneath the waves. She possesses a twin torpedo launcher that fires a special imploding torpedo which sucks anything in range. Her rotors can also create a powerful whirlpool when underwater. Her seductive charms allow her to trick an Autobot into thinking they're on the same side, before she betrays them. Whirlpool is a former Autobot. Optimus Prime seeks to reform her, while she wants to destroy him to prove that the Decepticons are superior.
Others
[edit]- Matt Conroy: (Sunbow didn't think Duke was a good name. Imagine a cartoon where that was the main character's name...) A twenty-nine year old truck driver who found a damaged truck by the side of the road. He repaired it planning to replace his old truck that had been repossessed by the bank. But once the repairs were done it transformed into Optimus Prime. Since then Matt has been swept up in the Transformers' war 'bitching and moaning' about the Mechanical Men from Mars who've taken over his life, but like Han Solo he'll always come through for his Autobot friends in the end. When driving Optimus the Autobot talks to him over the truck's CB radio. When Optimus transforms Matt's cab becomes part of Optimus chest and all the human can do during fights is yell "I'LL CREAM YA IF YA DENT MY TRUCK, YOU TIN PIRATE". Optimus overlooks Matt's behavior because his knowledge of Earth is useful to the Autobots. That and he likes him. Matt's mechanical skills also mean that he can jury-rig repairs to help patch the Autobots up.
- Burt: Matt's pet German Shepherd with the unique ability to detect Decepticons via their smell. An otherwise friendly creature he goes wild when he senses a Decepticon. This is useful for revealing Decepticons in disguise (he's fine with Autobots, which has led Matt to wonder if the differences between Autobots and Decepticons go beyond political persuasions).
- Wendy Fairchild: Once she was a normal teenager, like Dominique Dunnne in "Poltergeist" who lived in the suburbs like in "Poltergeist" with her parents and had a little brother like in "Poltergeist" (Seriously, that is the comparison CBS used. They also suggested changing Wendy to be Russian like Nadia Comeniech who, umm, wasn't Russian. This didn't happen.) Now she helps the Autobots with their fight against the Decepticons, while trying to balance her teenage life, having to come up with excuses as to why she has to suddenly ditch her date at the drive-in theater, or explain to her father why her car has laser-shots in the windscreen. As her parents work in one of the Decepticons fabrication plants she worries what would happen to them if her connection to the Autobots was revealed.
- Eddie Fairchild: Wendy's younger brother, his youthful curiosity led him to uncover the secret of his sister's car. Since then lack of fear has resulted in him getting involved in the Autobots fight with the Decepticons, such as the time he hid in Muffler's backseat. He looks up to the small Autobot, pestering him with questions like what happens if you fall into a black hole or if aliens built the pyramids. He wasn't in the first bible, but appeared in Scott's notes.
- Arthur Kroll: An amoral human who allied himself with the Decepticons as a way of obtaining power and wealth. While he provides them with information about the human resistance there is little trust between Kroll and the Decepticons, as ultimately the human only cares about himself. His greed and thoughtlessness often result in him becoming a hindrance to both the Autobots and Decepticons. He does not appear in the pilot script.
Episodes
[edit]The series bible reuses the episodes from the previous bible, alongside 9 new ones.
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| || }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| | | ʁ| | | The Erasing of Optimus Prime{{#if:| "{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| | |
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| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:The Erasing of Optimus Prime|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Negator captures Optimus and takes his memory tapes, giving him the information he needs to destroy the Autobots. Matt must risk his life to steal back the tapes and rescue his friend. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Negator plans to cut the Autobots off from their fuel supply knowing that it will only be a matter of time until they run out of energy. The Autobots must sneak into a nuclear power reactor to recharge themselves before it's too late!|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|style="text-align: left;"|The Plutonium Plot{{#if:|
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Negator plans to cut the Autobots off from their fuel supply knowing that it will only be a matter of time until they run out of energy. The Autobots must sneak into a nuclear power reactor to recharge themselves before it's too late!|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:The Plutonium Plot|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Negator plans to cut the Autobots off from their fuel supply knowing that it will only be a matter of time until they run out of energy. The Autobots must sneak into a nuclear power reactor to recharge themselves before it's too late! }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Developing a 'Diamond-steeling alloy' Negator takes control of the Pennsylvanian coal fields for a new source of diamonds. The Autobots must take back control of the mines before the coldest winter in years spells the end for the people of the Eastern US.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|style="text-align: left;"|A Coal Day In December{{#if:|
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Developing a 'Diamond-steeling alloy' Negator takes control of the Pennsylvanian coal fields for a new source of diamonds. The Autobots must take back control of the mines before the coldest winter in years spells the end for the people of the Eastern US.|ʁ| |
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| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:A Coal Day In December|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Developing a 'Diamond-steeling alloy' Negator takes control of the Pennsylvanian coal fields for a new source of diamonds. The Autobots must take back control of the mines before the coldest winter in years spells the end for the people of the Eastern US. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Wendy's parents are taken by the Decepticons to work in a factory forced to help create a new, deadlier kind of 'mind controlling' robot. Wendy and Eddie embark on a dangerous mission to save their parents with the Autobots help.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
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|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|style="text-align: left;"|Nobody Home{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Wendy's parents are taken by the Decepticons to work in a factory forced to help create a new, deadlier kind of 'mind controlling' robot. Wendy and Eddie embark on a dangerous mission to save their parents with the Autobots help.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Nobody Home|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Wendy's parents are taken by the Decepticons to work in a factory forced to help create a new, deadlier kind of 'mind controlling' robot. Wendy and Eddie embark on a dangerous mission to save their parents with the Autobots help. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Negator war fleet is complete and he is ready to begin his conquest of the universe! With the help of the human resistance the Autobots build their own ship. In a 'Star Warsian' battle the Autobots manage to destroy the Decepticons fleet.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
| }}{{#ifeq:Operation Alpha Centuri|ʁ| |
|style="text-align: left;"|Operation Alpha Centuri{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Negator war fleet is complete and he is ready to begin his conquest of the universe! With the help of the human resistance the Autobots build their own ship. In a 'Star Warsian' battle the Autobots manage to destroy the Decepticons fleet.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:Operation Alpha Centuri|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Negator war fleet is complete and he is ready to begin his conquest of the universe! With the help of the human resistance the Autobots build their own ship. In a 'Star Warsian' battle the Autobots manage to destroy the Decepticons fleet. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:A Decepticon spy learns of the Autobots plan to hijack a shipment of Decepticon parts. Now they need to stop the spy from reaching Negator.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
| }}{{#ifeq:The Robot With A Thousand Eyes|ʁ| |
|style="text-align: left;"|The Robot With A Thousand Eyes{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:A Decepticon spy learns of the Autobots plan to hijack a shipment of Decepticon parts. Now they need to stop the spy from reaching Negator.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:The Robot With A Thousand Eyes|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|A Decepticon spy learns of the Autobots plan to hijack a shipment of Decepticon parts. Now they need to stop the spy from reaching Negator. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:Annoyed that Burt the German Shepherd has foiled another scheme, Negator sends a squad of Decepticons to capture the robot detecting dog. The Autobots and Matt plan a raid on Decepticon headquarters to rescue their four legged friend. This episode was chosen as the pilot script to represent the series.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
| }}{{#ifeq:A Robots Best Friend Is His Dog|ʁ| |
|style="text-align: left;"|A Robots Best Friend Is His Dog{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:Annoyed that Burt the German Shepherd has foiled another scheme, Negator sends a squad of Decepticons to capture the robot detecting dog. The Autobots and Matt plan a raid on Decepticon headquarters to rescue their four legged friend. This episode was chosen as the pilot script to represent the series.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:A Robots Best Friend Is His Dog|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|Annoyed that Burt the German Shepherd has foiled another scheme, Negator sends a squad of Decepticons to capture the robot detecting dog. The Autobots and Matt plan a raid on Decepticon headquarters to rescue their four legged friend. This episode was chosen as the pilot script to represent the series. }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:During battle Muffler is captured and rescued by his friends. But after Autobot plans begin to fail it seems that they have a spy in their midst. And suddenly Muffler isn't such a klutz....What's going on?|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
| }}{{#ifeq:A New Muffler|ʁ| |
|style="text-align: left;"|A New Muffler{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:During battle Muffler is captured and rescued by his friends. But after Autobot plans begin to fail it seems that they have a spy in their midst. And suddenly Muffler isn't such a klutz....What's going on?|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:A New Muffler|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|During battle Muffler is captured and rescued by his friends. But after Autobot plans begin to fail it seems that they have a spy in their midst. And suddenly Muffler isn't such a klutz....What's going on? }}
|- style="text-align: center; {{#ifeq:A battle leaves several Autobots wounded. Firecycle tries to repair them, but a lack of supplies means that she can't save everyone. One of the Autobots will die unless she can get the supplies to save them.|| |background:#F2F2F2;}}"
{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="ep" | }}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
| }}{{#ifeq:A Deadly Decision|ʁ| |
|style="text-align: left;"|A Deadly Decision{{#if:|
"{{{AltTitle}}}"}}}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
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|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|}}{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ| |
|id="pc"|}}{{#ifeq:A battle leaves several Autobots wounded. Firecycle tries to repair them, but a lack of supplies means that she can't save everyone. One of the Autobots will die unless she can get the supplies to save them.|ʁ| |
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid #{{#if:|{{{LineColor}}}|CCCCFF}}" colspan="{{#expr:{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:A Deadly Decision|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+{{#ifeq:ʁ|ʁ|0|1}}+1}}"|A battle leaves several Autobots wounded. Firecycle tries to repair them, but a lack of supplies means that she can't save everyone. One of the Autobots will die unless she can get the supplies to save them. }}
|}
"A Robot's Best Friend Is His Dog"
[edit]Wendy and Eddie Fairchild are getting ready for school, when a "DECEPTICON ROBOT GUARD" passes by their house reminding them of the alien occupation of Earth. Meanwhile, at a Decepticon run steel mill that's producing new troops, Jazzz and Trailbreaker arrive in vehicle mode sneaking in with inflatable dummies posed as their drivers. They're caught by the guards and have to transform into robot mode, forced to fight their way through the mill. Ultimately they take control of the plant, free the imprisoned workers and set up defences against further Decepticon attacks. A silent Buzzsaw watches this before heading back to Decepticon headquarters. In the Colorado Rockies, Negator plots, when he's interrupted by the spy's arrival. Despite Starscream mockery, Negator announces his plan to destroy all the Autobots.
Elsewhere, the Fairchild's parents are forced to leave for work in a Decepticon factory, as the children leave for school in their friend, the undercover Autobot Muffler. Stopped at a Decepticon roadblock, the Autobot is found out by the guards and the trio are forced to flee as they give chase. At a roadside diner, trucker Matt's vehicle begins to drive away on its own to everyone else's confusion as he hurries to catch it. On the highway, Matt and the truck, Optimus Prime, follow Muffler's distress signal. Catching up with their friends, Optimus transforms into robot mode and destroys the pursuers. Mirage and Firecycle exit from Prime's trailer, then the Autobots receive a message from Jazzz at the mill. Arriving, they are silently stalked by hidden Decepticons. Entering the building Matt's dog, Burt suddenly starts barking at a forklift, revealing that it's a hidden Decepticon. With the ambush ruined, the Decepticon start their attack. Outnumbered by the enemy forces, Optimus gives them enough time to retreat by blasting open a water tower, the wave washing the Decepticons away. The Autobots manage to escape, but the workers are left behind to be re-enslaved.
Elsewhere, Negator realises that Burt was responsible for ruining his plan and orders the dog to be eliminated. In the woods, the Autobots repair themselves as Wendy and Eddie head to school with Burt, unaware that Soundwave is tracking them. Arriving at the school they make it to class, where a Decepticon sentry watches over them. Upset by the robot Burt starts barking. Hearing the dog from across the city, Soundwave lands at the school, reaches through a window, grabbing Burt and flies off. Back at the base, Firecycle is able to save a critically wounded Jazzz. The children arrive and tell them what happened. Things seem hopeless until Trailbreaker comes up with a plan...
The Autobots rush into the mill, taking care of the guards and freeing the workers. To their confusion Optimus orders them to continue making Decepticon parts. In the Decepticon headquarters, Negator prepares for surgery to find out how Burt is able to detect Decepticons. Suddenly, scanners announce a new shipment of parts from the mill. As the Decepticons start unloading the cargo jet, Matt jumps out of a crate, blasting laser fire. The Autobots are revealed to have used the new parts to disguise themselves as newly constructed Decepticons. Optimus provides covering fire so Matt can make it deeper inside the base as the battle continues.
Matt finds the "electro-surgery room", blowing up the surgeon and rescuing his dog. They return to the hanger, but Starscream keeps them pinned down with his lasers, preventing them from reuniting with their friends. However, Eddie rushes in, grabs a gun from a dead Deception and uses it to down the plane. Hearing Burt's barks, the Autobots prepare to leave by the jet. As it takes off, Negator transforms into "satellite particle beam cannon mode" preparing to shoot them down. However, Optimus, still outside in truck form, fires his laser rifle at him knocking him off target so he instead blows a hole in the hanger ceiling, trapping the Decepticons in rubble, giving them time to escape. Back at the mill, the workers begin the production of new Autobots, while a grateful Burt licks Optimus as everyone laughs.
Notes
[edit]This script has various details that wouldn't fit in the summary:
- The series bible describes how the shows title sequence was intended to provide some brief background. It would have shown the sudden appearance of the Decepticons as they took over Earth and enslaved humanity, inter-cut with the Autobots attempts to stop them.
- Scott suggests that when we see a POV from a Transformer it would show a "Hi-tech binocular matte" which features "grid lines and changing LED numbers."
- The Decepticons have regular news broadcasts glorifying their conquest of the planet. Turning them off is illegal.
- All the non-named Decepticons are generics that aren't really described in any way. Just being large.
- During the opening fight at the mill:
- When the guard searches Jazzz's fake driver, he catches its hand by rolling up his window and then changing into robot mode.
- Trailbreaker knocks a guard into a vat of molten steel.
- Jazzz runs through two guards, smashing them into pieces.
- The Decepticons headquarters is a massive cave carved into the Colorado mountains with a large hangar.
- The Fairchild's parents are transported to work by "a large truck" with a Decepticon standing guard in the back.
- Muffler is able to control his seatbelts and uses it to gag Eddie's mouth at the checkpoint.
- Some details from the chase sequence:
- The roadblock guards chase after them after transforming into "side hacker motor cycles."
- During the chase Muffler nearly runs down another Decepticon, which then chases after them as an army truck.
- Optimus is able to blast one of the pursuers of the road, then burst another's tire which swerves into the army truck, smashing it into pieces before it falls into a ravine.
- At the mill the Decepticons disguise themselves by camouflage rope netting.
- The Decepticons hide at the ambush site in cranes, trucks and forklifts altmodes.
- At the school we met Mr Davenport, the class teacher. He asks his student Johnny for his report of the American independence, only for the classroom's Decepticon guard to stop him as "the subject of freedom is forbidden."
- Soundwave is described as red by Eddie. This isn't an early colour scheme. Soundwave's profile didn't mention his colour scheme and all the reference material Scott had was in black and white. When he had someone describe his appearance he just had to guess.
Development
[edit]Even with the script, bibles and notes there's a limit to what we can infer about the development of this pitch. A lot of what we could say would just be guesswork.... But, it just so happens that Scott wrote a book about "How To Write For Animation" which includes his advice for successfully pitching a show explaining some of his creative choices.
- As Scott says in his book "your initial audience is not the viewer of the cartoon but the story editor or producer who is going to buy it." He suggests "find out what the buyer wants".<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 37)</ref> Likely, this story was inspired by the network's request for a robot detecting dog.
- The pilot's odd backstory is another example of meeting the network's requirements, what with the whole conquest of Earth happening offscreen. In the section "HOW TO WRITE A PILOT", Scott brings up the crucial detail that "99 OUT OF A 100 TIMES THE NETWORK DOESN'T WANT AN "ORIGIN " PILOT."<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 172)</ref> The reasoning being that an origin story is usually unrepresentative of the show as a whole, while a random adventure can better demonstrate what the show is going to be like on a week to week basis.
- Another piece of advice is that if "you're trying to sell a show to a network exec, you want to reveal as much of the show as you can in the pilot."<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 172)</ref>
- If this pitch had been approved its ideas would have almost certainly been reworked further. In many shows Scott would continue expanding and changing details after production commenced, finding out what worked and what didn't.<ref>How To Write For Animation, Jeffery Scott (p. 173)</ref> The last page of the script shows this happening here, with him suggesting a rework to the story so that the Fairchild's parents aren't featured and instead the children's quest to find them is a potential series plot point.
Legacy
[edit]Ultimately, CBS did not produce a Transformers cartoon in 1984. We can only guess why. While the pitch was passed over, it wasn't quite the end. On the 30th of April, Sunbow staff briefly considered including some aspects into the final show, such as a big brother figure (they didn't) and maybe reusing some the episode premises (they didn't) .<ref>The Transformers production bible, including internal correspondence from Bryce Malek and Dick Robbins, that refers to Eddie and Matt by name</ref> Later, the January 1985 issue of Comic Features would showcased various unproduced cartoons including artwork created for this pitch under the new title of Car and Cable.<ref>Scans of Comics Feature at the "Starlogged" blog</ref> For years this was assumed to be Marvel creating a knockoff of their own success with Transformers. We still don't know why this happened. Were Marvel seriously considering reworking this show without the Transformers elements? Did they publish concept art under a fake name to make it look like they had more shows in development? It's unclear.
And that was the end of this pitch.
Until 2020, when Instagram user consumercollectibles uncovered additional concept art which featured a silhouetted Prowl menacing Muffy and his friend in a "garage scene", with the handwritten note "Trans 3 V" and cast list using the names mentioned in the memo, explicitly tying it to Transformers.<ref>consumercollectables on Instagram</ref><ref>AllSpark.com forum post collecting Car and Cable art (archived)</ref> This just raised more questions.....
Which were answered in 2024, when Jeffery Scott sold off all of the development material for this pitch.
At TFNation 2025, Jim Sorenson (who purchased Scott's material) and Chris McFeely hosted a reading of the pilot script which featured actors from various Transformers shows including Gregg Berger and Paul Eiding from the original cartoon.<ref> TFNation 2025 Audio Recording of 'A Robot's Best Friend is his Dog' Script Reading</ref> The same day, the production material was released online.