If you’re looking for new ways to celebrate Earth Day (you’re done with the whole tree-planting thing!), we suggest you tune in to Boomerang’s 13-episode marathon of the ’90s-era show, Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Always a good place to catch favorite shows from the past, Boomerang will be offering two four-hour marathons of never-before-seen Sixth Season of the show on April 22 (from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
More than 16 years ago, Media Mangate and Turn Turner joined forces to create an animated series that would help young viewers learn about ways to protect Earth’s environment? The result was a show that championed eco-heroes and featured the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, Elizabeth Taylor, Sting, Danny Glover, Helen Hunt, Neil Patrick Harris, Louis Gossett, Jr., Malcolm McDowell, Fred Savage, Tim Curry, Dionne Warwick, James Coburn, Jeff Goldblum and Edward Asner.
‘Captain Planet and the Planeteers represents Ted’s first foray into the world of animation, which of course includes conceiving and launching Cartoon Network just two years later,’ says Marc Buhaj, Cartoon Network and Boomerang vice president of programming and scheduling. ‘In addition to the global environmental themes, it was Ted’s overwhelming passion and commitment to the project that induced dozens of top-name celebrities to lend their talents.’
The show’s storyline begins when Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, awakens from a 100-year nap to discover the devastating effect people have had on the planet’s environment in the 20th century. Fearing for the future, she calls upon five young people from around the world to lead the battle against further destruction of the Earth. She gives these Planeteers magic rings that enable each of them to control one element of nature: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Heart, respectively. When the Planeteers combine their powers, Captain Planet, an environmental superhero, is summoned.
The 13 final episodes of season six continue the Planeteers’ quest to battle eco-villains bent upon polluting and plundering the Earth’s resources for their own gain. Captain Planet and the Planeteers was developed in collaboration with Burbank-based animation studio, DIC Enterprises, which produced the three-time Emmy-nominated series until 1993. Production was then taken over by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, beginning with the 1994-95 season under the title The New Adventures of Captain Planet. For more info, visit http://Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com
