The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon is coming to streaming. The animated series, which spans 193 episodes, originally aired between 1987 and 1996. It is based on the comic book series of the same name, which follows the titular turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo as they have various action-packed adventures in New York City.
At the San Diego Comic-Con promoting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, where Screen Rant was in attendance, a major revelation was shared. The co-creator of the franchise announced that the original 1987 cartoon would be coming to the streaming platform Paramount+ in its entirety thanks to a recent deal with Nickelodeon. That debut, which takes place next year, will be followed by an international release on other Nickelodeon platforms.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Franchise Has the Cartoon To Thank
One reason that it's important for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon to continue being available on new platforms is the fact that it is central to the success of the franchise as it is known today. The original comics, which started in 1984, were reasonably popular, but they did have a darker, less family-friendly tone. By softening the edges of the source material, the TMNT cartoon made the characters more appealing to kids and led to the birth of an enormous multimedia franchise.
While the cartoon was still on the air, a movie franchise was born thanks to the release of 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That movie was followed by two sequels, an animated feature, and two Michael Bay-produced movies in the mid-2010s. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise also includes countless comics, video games, and animated shows in addition to a live-action series and a tabletop roleplaying game.
Ultimately, without Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there is no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. For this reason, it makes perfect sense to make this announcement during the for the new movie, which comes from producers and screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Now that the movie will be exposing new generations to the characters, they will be able to explore the franchise's history soon as well.
