Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

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We finally have toys... we think.

Transformers: Prime is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning computer-animated television series that premiered on The Hub on November 26, 2010 with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on February 11, 2011. Season 2 began screening February 18, 2012, and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle Beast Hunters began screening on March 22, 2013. Predacons Rising, a TV movie, will conclude the show on October 4, 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.

The series premiered in the UK on September 5, 2011 on Cartoon Network's "Action Heroes" block. It began airing in Japan on April 7, 2012 on TV Aichi.

Story

Team Prime lives on Earth, three years after their last confrontation with Decepticons. Autobot Central Command is located in a converted missile silo in Nevada which was provided by the United States government, with special agent William Fowler acting as their liason. However, the presence of Transformers on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population.

When the Decepticons resurface, the Autobots take three teenage witnesses, Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai and Raf Esquivel under their protection. Megatron returns having discovered Dark Energon, which grants him the power to resurrect the dead, but is injured, with Starscream taking command in his absence. After Megatron's revival, Starscream flees after repeatedly showing he is unable to prove his loyalty to the Decepticon leader.

The Autobots and Decepticons eventually make the startling discovery that Earth is in fact the body of Unicron, forcing them to ally and prevent his consciousness from reasserting control over the planet. Optimus Prime unleashes the Matrix of Leadership, but at the cost of losing his memory, thereby allowing Megatron to manipulate him into joining the Decepticons' ranks. By using information from Vector Sigma downloaded to the Key, Jack restored Optimus's memory.

The Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, MECH, headed by former military operative Leland Bishop, aka Silas, who targeted the Cybertronians for their technology, capturing Breakdown, Bumblebee and Starscream for parts, and building a doppelgänger controlled by Silas. In the ensuing confrontation, Silas was fatally injured, forcing MECH to graft him into Breakdown. With this new body, Silas destroyed his own organization and attempted to join the Decepticons, only to become Knock Out's new dissection study.

The Autobots and Decepticons' struggle became a competition for Cybertronian artifacts strewn across the planet, which turn out to have been placed there by Alpha Trion, who foresaw the Autobots coming to Earth. Trion ordered them to find the Omega Keys, which would activate the Omega Lock and restore Cybertron. Megatron captured the teenagers and demanded Optimus hand over the Keys, so he could use the Lock to cyberform Earth. Optimus refused, and destroyed the Lock.

Megatron responded by destroying the recently-located Autobot base, and Optimus was mortally wounded staying behind to ensure everyone else escaped through the GroundBridge. From his newly-erected fortress Darkmount, Megatron reestablishes contact with Shockwave, learning he has cloned a Predacon for the intent of hunting down the Autobots. The Autobots regroup following Ultra Magnus's arrival, while Smokescreen restores Optimus with the Forge of Solus Prime.

After destroying Darkmount, the status quo is restored, with the Autobots based at a Unit:E facility, while the Decepticons retreat to orbit Earth in the Nemesis once more. The Autobots learn of Project Predacon and race the Decepticons for the location of more Predacon fossils, to prevent Shockwave from cloning more. Ultimately, Megatron manipulates the Autobots in destroying the project when he discovers Predaking is intelligent, and therefore a potential power rival. Instead, he turns his attentions to rebuild the Omega Lock, having learned CNA mixed with Synthetic Energon could create cyber-matter, and kidnaps Ratchet, the creator of Synthetic Energon, to achieve this.

The Autobots locate the Nemesis and attack to rescue Ratchet, who informs them Megatron has rebuilt the Omega Lock. As the Autobots attempt to deactivate the Omega Lock, which was primed to cyberform Earth, Megatron kills Bumblebee, who falls into the Lock. Bathed in its energies, Bumblebee comes back to life and uses the Star Saber to kill Megatron: the dying Decepticon leader falls to Earth. The Autobots take the Nemesis to Cybertron, where they aim the Omega Lock at the Well of All Sparks, restoring Cybertron. Predaking flies off into the new dawn, having learned Megatron was behind the deaths of his brethren. The Autobots bid goodbye to the humans, who have become Unit:E consultants, and Ratchet, who has opted to stay behind, having become fond of Earth.

Oh, and on one of Cybertron's moon, the kinda-sorta Decepticon Airachnid has become an Energon-vampire after being infected with a mixture of Dark and Synthetic Energon, where she commands an army of infected Insecticons. That's all it, for now...

Cast

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others	Predacons
Main Cast Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) Arcee (Sumalee Montano) Bulkhead (Kevin Michael Richardson) Ratchet (Jeffrey Combs) Bumblebee (Frank Welker/Will Friedle) Wheeljack (James Horan) Smokescreen (Nolan North) Ultra Magnus (Michael Ironside) Others Alpha Trion (George Takei) Cliffjumper (Dwayne Johnson/Billy Brown) Tailgate (Josh Keaton) Seaspray	Main Cast Megatron (Frank Welker) Starscream (Steve Blum) Soundwave (Frank Welker) Knock Out (Daran Norris) Shockwave (David Sobolov) Breakdown (Adam Baldwin) Airachnid (Gina Torres) Dreadwing (Tony Todd) Others Laserbeak Skyquake (Richard Green) Makeshift (Kevin Michael Richardson) Troopers Vehicons Decepticon Miners Insecticons Hardshell (David Kaye) Bombshock (Steve Blum)	Main Cast Jack Darby (Josh Keaton) Miko Nakadai (Tania Gunadi) Raf Esquivel (Andy Pessoa) William Fowler (Ernie Hudson) Others Silas (Clancy Brown) June Darby (Markie Post) Sierra (Alexandra Krosney) Vince (Brad Raider) General Bryce (Robert Forster) Vogel (John DiMaggio)	Unicron (John Noble) Nemesis Prime (Peter Cullen/Clancy Brown) Nemesis (Kevin Michael Richardson) Terrorcons Starscream clones (Steve Blum) Scraplets Dead Prime	Predaking (Peter Mensah) Darksteel Skylynx

Episodes

For further information, see: List of Prime episodes

Season 1

1. Darkness Rising, Part 1
2. Darkness Rising, Part 2
3. Darkness Rising, Part 3
4. Darkness Rising, Part 4
5. Darkness Rising, Part 5
6. Masters & Students
7. Scrapheap
8. Con Job
9. Convoy
10. Deus ex Machina
11. Speed Metal
12. Predatory
13. Sick Mind
14. Out of His Head
15. Shadowzone
16. Operation: Breakdown
17. Crisscross
18. Metal Attraction
19. Rock Bottom
20. Partners
21. T.M.I.
22. Stronger, Faster
23. One Shall Fall
24. One Shall Rise, Part 1
25. One Shall Rise, Part 2
26. One Shall Rise, Part 3

Season 2

1. Orion Pax, Part 1
2. Orion Pax, Part 2
3. Orion Pax, Part 3
4. Operation Bumblebee, Part 1
5. Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
6. Loose Cannons
7. Crossfire
8. Nemesis Prime
9. Grill
10. Armada
11. Flying Mind
12. Tunnel Vision
13. Triangulation
14. Triage
15. Toxicity
16. Hurt
17. Out of the Past
18. New Recruit
19. The Human Factor
20. Legacy
21. Alpha/Omega
22. Hard Knocks
23. Inside Job
24. Patch
25. Regeneration
26. Darkest Hour

Season 3: Beast Hunters

1. Darkmount, NV
2. Scattered
3. Prey
4. Rebellion
5. Project Predacon
6. Chain of Command
7. Plus One
8. Thirst
9. Evolution
10. Minus One
11. Persuasion
12. Synthesis
13. Deadlock

TV movie

• Predacons Rising

Production

GET OFF MY FACE!!!

After the live-action film series, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman signed to become show runners with Jeff Kline and Duane Capizzi of The Hub's Transformers cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology. (Orci's employees Steven Puri and Mandy Safavi were also credited as producers.) The show runners were given the "Binder of Revelation", a near 400-page production bible that Hasbro had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular continuities. The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal Prime continuity. Whereas the movies were about a boy and his car, the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like The Iron Giant.

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with Marsha Griffin as the story editor. The staff consists of Nicole Dubuc, Joseph Kuhr and Steven Melching. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience. As part of the aligned continuity family with War for Cybertron and Exodus, the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as Unicron's blood, Bumblebee sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the zombie robots) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the toys as kids. Bob Skir has written some episodes.

Designers include Christophe Vacher (colors), Vince Toyama and Jevon Bue (backgrounds) and Jose Lopez (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about Prime. According to Ken Christiansen, the show's characters were formed by Hasbro Studios hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best. Other concept artists include Augusto Barranco and Walter Gatus.

Supervising director Dave Hartman headed a team including Todd Waterman, Shaunt Nigoghossian, Vinton Heuck and Kirk Van Wormer. Polygon Pictures provided the CG animation, for which Digitalscape performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production. Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI". Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation. Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures, and are subject to battle damage during episodes. A show on the level of Prime would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.

Susan Blu was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by Jamie Simone following a death in her family. Brian Tyler composed the show's theme song and background music. Matthew Margeson served as music arranger.

Awards and nominations

2011 Daytime Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
• Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - David Hartman, Supervising Director; Shaunt Nigoghossian; Todd Waterman; Vinton Heuck; Susan Blu, Voice Director
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Vince Toyama, Background Designer (WINNER)
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Christophe Vacher, Colour Designer (WINNER)
• Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - Brian Tyler
• Outstanding Writing In Animation - Duane Capizzi, Writer/Producer; Steven Melching; Nicole Dubuc; Joseph Kuhr; Marsha Griffin

2012 Daytime Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
• Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - Roberto Orci, Stephen Davis, Shuzo Shiota, Alex Kurtzman, Jeff Kline, Duane Capizzi, Mandy Safavi, Rafael Ruthchild, Shinji Santoh, Meiko Sato, Therese Trujillo (WINNER)
• Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - David Hartman, Vinton Heuck, Shaunt Nigoghossian, Todd Waterman, Jamie Simone
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Christophe Vacher (WINNER)

2013 Daytime Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Jason Park, background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". (WINNER)
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Arato Kato, character animation for "Hard Knocks". (WINNER)
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Kirk Van Wormer, storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". (WINNER)

Japanese release

Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime (超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマー プライム Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime) began airing in Japan on TV Tokyo affiliate TV Aichi, beginning April 7, 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two Transformers cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on March 30, 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show Arms Microns—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "Arms Micron Theater", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, Tokyo Girls' Style, was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with Vector Sigma in order to relay important facts about the Transformers franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer title sequence and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western Transformers cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western Transformers cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various Transformers-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of Beast Wars, Beast Wars Metals, Beast Wars Returns and Animated, the localization of Prime was headed up by Yoshikazu Iwanami. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "Darkness Rising, Part 2", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. Airachnid, for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and single-mindedly amorous in her pursuit of Jack. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk a lot.

On August 12, 2012, TV Tokyo aired the "Transformers Prime Perfect Transformation Late Night 2-Hour Special" hosted by Chisato Mori, Nozomi Furuki and Yūki Tai. The special featured a recap of "Darkness Rising, Part 1" thru "Rock Bottom", brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" and "Arms Micron Theater" segments, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "Predatory" and the radically different Japanese language version.

The Japanese version of Prime only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "Darkest Hour" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The Beast Hunters era of the Prime franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, Triple Combination: Transformers Go!. While the Beast Hunters toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The theme songs are:

• OP 1: "FEELING" by BIGBANG
• ED 1: "I Believe in All" by CLUTCHO
• OP 2: "TRANSFORMERZ" by m-flo
• ED 2: "A Little Bit" by CLUTCHO
• OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by m-flo
• ED 3: "Discord" by Tokyo Girls' Style

Home video releases

United States

• Transformers: Prime - Darkness Rising (2011)
• Transformers: Prime - Includes 3 episodes (2011)
• Transformers: Prime - Season One (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - One Shall Stand (2012)

Germany

• Transformers: Prime #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
• Transformers: Prime Staffel 1 (2012)
• Transformers: Prime #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
• Transformers: Prime #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
• Transformers: Prime #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
• Transformers: Prime #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

Australia

• Transformers: Prime - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
• Transformers: Prime - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013)

Notes

• Unlike most Transformers shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from The Hub website.
• The series has also been advertised as Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series.
• The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the BotCon 2010 panel. Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the Thirteen original Transformers were described as being "rightfully huge".
• Executive Producer Jeff Kline confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical Prime film.
• With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the original series from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.

External links

• Hub World page
  • Hub for Teachers page
• Behind the scenes video