View source for Transformers Animated (cartoon)

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{{SemiprotectSpoilers}}

'''''Transformers Animated''''' is a cartoon series which debuted in early 2008, in support of the [[franchise]] of [[Transformers Animated|the same name]].

The cartoon is produced by [[Cartoon Network]], scripted in the United States, with character and background designs by the crews behind shows like ''[[wikipedia:Teen Titans (TV series)|Teen Titans]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Ben 10|Ben 10]]'', while animation is being provided by Japanese studios [[Mook]], [[The Answer Studio]], and [[Studio 4°C]]. 

''Animated'' sees several G1 voice actors reprise their old roles ([[Susan Blu]], [[Corey Burton]], [[John Moschitta]], etc.), and is the first Transformers show featuring [[David Kaye]] in which he won't be voicing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].



==Overview==
[[Image:TransformersAnimatedPoster.jpg||thumb|250px|left|"When there's trouble you know who to call..."]]
''Animated'' follows the adventures of a small crew of Autobots, who come into possession of the all-powerful AllSpark artifact.  Stranded on Earth and living among the population of [[Detroit]], they face off against a series of human villains and their mighty Decepticon foes, who seek to possess the AllSpark.  Though they were originally a lowly space bridge repair crew, these five Autobots must rise to their circumstances to deal with threats large and small.

The series eschews the ever-continuing space opera storylines of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons to return to the episodic approach of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''; most episodes are standalone stories, but with larger story arcs that stretch through the whole series. The focus is on  characterization, dynamic action, and humor. 

The episodes center not only on the war between the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but also on the Autobots' interactions with many of [[Detroit]]'s [[human]] supervillain denizens, including a [[Angry Archer|maladjusted marksman]], a [[Nanosec|speedy racer]], and a guy who [[Prometheus Black|looks good in a pimp suit]].  The idea is to present the Decepticons as more of an ongoing background threat instead of having them be repeatedly defeated each episode and look like bumbling fools.  The arrival of a Decepticon in battle is a big deal, requiring multiple Autobots working together to stop even a single one.  The human villains give the Autobots "everyday" threats, and some of their schemes are the result of Decepticon treachery.  Note well: [[Doctor Arkeville|human]] [[Lord Chumley|adversaries]] [[Circuit Breaker|are]] [[Cobra Commander|not]] [[Abdul Fakkadi|new]] [[Lazarus|in]] [[Hydra and Buster|''Transformers'']] [[Overlord|continuity]].

Season 3 is already in the works, and season 4 is quite possible.

While the series is not a sequel to the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], they have many thematic elements in common, most notably the central role of the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] and the revelation that all modern technology has been reverse-engineered from the dormant body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].  Hasbro also carried over some design elements from the live-action movie into Animated designs, including not just the aforementioned cube but also [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s medical readout striped deco, [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s black racing stripe, and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s helmet.  These are meant to be "connection points," helping kids who had seen the theatrical film but had no prior Transformers experience ease into understanding the new series.  

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==Cast==
<!-- 



























This cast list is for characters who *have appeared* in the show.  Characters who we *believe* will be in the show *do not* appear here until the episode actually airs.  Toy-only characters go on the Transformers Animated (toyline) page.  

Currently, "Guests" are characters who have appeared only once each.  This guideline will probably change as time passes. 























-->{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human|Humans]]

|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" | 
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] ([[Corey Burton]])
;[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]]
* [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
* [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
;[[Cybertron Elite Guard]]
* [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Townsend Coleman]])
;Guests
* [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
* [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] ([[Cree Summer]])
* [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])<!-- 



























This cast list is for characters who *have appeared* in the show.  Characters who we *believe* will be in the show *do not* appear here until the episode actually airs.  Toy-only characters go on the Transformers Animated (toyline) page.  

Currently, "Guests" are characters who have appeared only once each.  This guideline will probably change as time passes. 























-->

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" | 
;Main Cast
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Cree Summer]])
* [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Lugnut]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
;[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]]
* [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
;[[Starscream clone]]s
;Cybertronian Decepticons
* [[Lockdown]] ([[Lance Henriksen]])

;Guests
* [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])<!-- 



























This cast list is for characters who *have appeared* in the show.  Characters who we *believe* will be in the show *do not* appear here until the episode actually airs.  Toy-only characters go on the Transformers Animated (toyline) page.  

Currently, "Guests" are characters who have appeared only once each.  This guideline will probably change as time passes. 























-->

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | 
* [[Sari Sumdac]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Isaac Sumdac]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Captain Fanzone]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Porter C. Powell]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Mayor Edsel]]
* [[Mayor Edsel's aide]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Spike (Animated)|Spike]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Carly (Animated)|Carly]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Daniel (Animated)|Daniel]] ([[Tara Strong]])
;Supervillains
* [[Angry Archer]]  ([[Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Prometheus Black| Meltdown / Prometheus Black]] ([[Peter Stormare]])
** [[Colossus Rhodes]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] ([[Alexander Polinsky]])
* [[Master Disaster]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
* [[Nanosec]] ([[Brian Posehn]])
* [[Professor Princess]] ([[Kath Soucie]])

|}
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==Episodes==
{{see|List of Transformers Animated episodes}}

{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFFFFF" | Season 1: 2007-08
! style="background:#FFFFFF" | Season 2: 2008
! style="background:#FFFFFF" | Season 3: ?

|-
| style="background:#FFFFFF" valign="top" | 
# [[Transform and Roll Out!#Part 1|Transform and Roll Out! (Part One)]]
# [[Transform and Roll Out!#Part 2|Transform and Roll Out! (Part Two)]]
# [[Transform and Roll Out!#Part 3|Transform and Roll Out! (Part Three)]]
# [[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]
# [[Total Meltdown]]
# [[Blast from the Past]]
# [[The Thrill of the Hunt]]
# [[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]]
# [[Along Came a Spider]]
# [[Sound and Fury]]
# [[Lost and Found (Animated episode)|Lost and Found]]
# [[Survival of the Fittest]]
# [[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]]
# [[Nature Calls]]
# [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]
# [[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]

| style="background:#FFFFFF" valign="top" | 
# [[The Elite Guard]]
# [[The Return of the Headmaster]]
# [[Mission Accomplished]]
# [[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]
# [[Velocity]]
# [[Rise of the Constructicons]]
# [[A Fistful of Energon]]
# [[S.U.V. - Society of Ultimate Villainy]]
# [[Autoboot Camp]]
# [[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]]
# [[Sari, No One's Home]]
# [[A Bridge Too Close - Part 1]]
# [[A Bridge Too Close - Part 2]]

| style="background:#FFFFFF" valign="top" | 

|}


[[Category: Animated episodes| ]]
[[Category:Episode lists|Animated]]

==Reception==
''Transformers Animated'' debuted January 5, 2008, at 10:30am EST as the number one television show among boys 6-11 in both cable and network television.  In addition, the strength of the showing helped lift the ratings of all its neighboring shows in Cartoon Network's "Dynamite Action" scheduling block. <ref>[http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1701434,00.html Transformers Animated Premieres #1 on All Television Among Boys and Boosts Kids 6-11 and 2-11 Delivery by Powerful Double-Digits]</ref>

==Trivia==
* ''Transformers: Animated'' reunites Jeff Bennett, Bill Fagerbakke and Cree Summer as regular cast members. Respectively, they have previously voiced [[wikipedia:Manhattan_Clan#Brooklyn|Brooklyn]], [[wikipedia:Manhattan_Clan#Broadway|Broadway]] and Hyena from the ''[[wikipedia:Gargoyles (TV series)|Gargoyles]]'' series, three characters not unlike their Transformers counterparts. Another voice actor for Gargoyles, Kath Soucie, has made a guest appearance.
* The series is the first in over a decade to re-establish the classic Generation 1 convention of blue eyes for Autobots and red eyes for Decepticons.
* As well as the aforementioned Generation 1 voice actors, [[Townsend Coleman]] returns to a Transformers series. He voiced [[Rewind]] in the original Generation 1 cartoon.
* It seems like the Autobots like faceplates in this series. (i.e. Optimus, Prowl, Bumblebee, Sentinel Prime.)
* Yes, they have large chins. Shut up about it.
* For some reason, a lot of fans want to believe that ''Animated'' is full of references to the anime ''[[Wikipedia:Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'', selecting lots of random, generic, anime-influenced hand motions and assorted design quirks throughout season 1 as "obvious" nods to the series. Then Derrick Wyatt announced that he hadn't even seen the show until the production of Season 1 was finished. ''HA''. Of course, the possibility exists that the second season may see some ''Lagann'' references, as Wyatt notes that it and ''[[Wikipedia:Diebuster|Diebuster]]''  have since inspired the production staff, but Wyatt singles out ''[[Wikipedia:Mighty Orbots|Mighty Orbots]]'' and the British comic ''[[Wikipedia: 2000 AD|2000 AD]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> ''[[Wikipedia:ABC Warriors|ABC Warriors]]'' strip as the biggest influences on the character designs, with ''Lagann''/''Diebuster'' producers [[Wikipedia: Gainax|Gainax]] animation studio as a constant source of influence. <ref>[http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21975298&postID=8564559979841180115 Comment section of "Back from Botcon" entry in Derrick Wyatt's blog]</ref>
*In May 2008, when North American broadcasts of the series were only four episodes into season two, all the remaining episodes of the season aired in Dubai.  While almost nobody in the fandom has personally seen these episodes (and no one has seen them in English as they were intended), gossip based on viewer reviews and screencaps has resulted in many plot developments and potential surprises being spoiled. Hooray.

==References==
<references/>

==External Link==

*[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/ Derrick Wyatt's blog]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Continuities]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>