Captain Planet is one of those niche kids cartoon series that garnered attention beyond the age group it had been aimed at. The positive messaging about ecology, conservation and recycling was a key component to the series, as well as giving young people “the power” to summon Earth’s champion to help when the polluted circumstances are beyond their abilities to handle. The show made an impression upon the young audience who may not have believed they could make a difference yet, and eco-minded adults and organizations wanting to spread the message about how badly we needed conservation efforts in order to continue having a planet to live comfortably on.
The Captain Planet Foundation was founded by Ted Turner and series producer Barbara Pyle in 1991. The popularity of the series also helped fund the Foundation, as Pyle had negotiated for a percentage of the merchandising revenue to go to the Foundation. It was spun off into its own non-profit as a result of the Time-Warner merger with AOL. The Foundation is still in operation today, and still provides grants to schools and organizations around the world for environmental awareness & protection projects.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers — 1990-1992
Produced by animation studio DiC, LeVar Burton (who voices Kwame) narrates the introduction, and Gaia was voiced by Whoopi Goldberg.
Season 1: 26 episodes (3 discs)
Gaia is shown creating the rings, and The Planeteers are introduced by region: Kwame, from Africa; Wheeler, from North America; Linka, from the Soviet Union; Gi, from Asia, and Ma-Ti, from South America. This introduction remains mostly the same through the first five seasons, save for a minor change for Linka’s regional origin.
Season 2: 26 episodes (3 discs)
Season 3: 13 episodes (2 discs)
With Season 3, there is a change in the opening sequence for the regional origin of Linka: hers is changed from the Soviet Union to Eastern Europe.
The New Adventures of Captain Planet — 1993-1996
There was a shift in production of the series, with animation being taken over by Hanna-Barbera. The opening sequence narrator was changed to voice actor David Coburn (Captain Planet) rather than LeVar Burton (Kwame), and Gaia was voiced by Margot Kidder.
Season 4: 22 episodes (3 discs)
Season 5: 13 episodes (2 discs)
Season 6: 13 episodes (2 discs)
Oh dear. This final season has an entirely different opening sequence, a rap song that seems to focus on the eco-villains more than the heroes, and the order of the introduction of the Planeteers is switched around: Wheeler, Ma-Ti, Gi, Kwame then Linka, with their regional origins removed.
The closing sequence for all seasons is mostly the same. Seasons 1-3 display the end credits as still placards over the closing animation and song, where seasons 4-6 use the same closing animation sequence and song but the end credits are quickly scrolled through, making reading the voice acting credits and guest voices a challenge.
There are no extras in the set, and there is only the main English audio track, with English subtitles (no other languages are in the series in any form).
Overall, the stories are a little far-fetched, but still full of scenarios showing how wilderness areas and wild animals can be harmed by widespread pollution and illegally harvesting resources. There were also “Planeteer Alert” shorts at the end of the episodes, focused on various ecological and sometimes socio-political issues, and what people can do to help, especially at the local levels.
The power is yours to own Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise on DVD on October 15 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.
Bonus: here’s my unboxing video for the set:
Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! The beloved educational superhero series created by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle that began with the Captain Planet and the Planeteers animated series in 1990 leading into The New Adventures of Captain Planet animated series has now come together for the first time ever on DVD with all 113 episodes from the iconic franchise. The series features an all-star voiceover cast including Martin Sheen, Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg and LeVar Burton.
The Planeteers, five teenagers from different parts of the earth, each receive a ring of elemental power–earth, wind, water, fire or heart–to combat eco-villains everywhere in the world. And when they combine the powers of their rings, a new superhero, Captain Planet, is created, with powers far greater than the sum of the five.
Captain Planet has received a Film Advisory Board Award Of Excellence. The multimedia franchise also spawned into a video game, several toys, comic books, and more!
In addition to the series, Captain Planet continues to inspire and empower young people to be environmental stewards through the Captain Planet Foundation. Established by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle, the foundation has funded over 3,700 projects worldwide, supporting hands-on environmental education and activism.
Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise series information:
PRODUCT: DVD
Audio: English
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 43 hours, 31 minutes
Rated: PG
DVD Review: "Captain Planet": The Complete Franchise
Summary
Overall, the stories are a little far-fetched, but still full of scenarios showing how wilderness areas and wild animals can be harmed by widespread pollution and illegally harvesting resources. From Season 2 on, there were “Planeteer Alert” shorts at the end of the episode but focused on various ecological and sometimes socio-political issues, and what people can do to help.
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