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Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (abbreviated to NT:TNM) or Saban's Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is a American/Japanese live-action television series produced by Saban Entertainment and Toei, which ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997-1998. The short-lived series was based loosely from Mirage Studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The series introduced many new elements to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saga, including new central antagonists, an army of humanoid dragons known as "The Rank" led by the vicious Dragonlord. It was touted (in some of the promotional material) as a continuation of the 1987 TV series, but by the period of time it aired it turned apparent that this was not the case. Instead, the series apparently followed the continuity of the live-action films. The Turtles lived in the same abandoned train station featured in the second and third films, and Splinter's ear is slashed as it was in the original film. However, most fans tend to regard the films and the series as two separate entities, citing differing styles, The Shredder being alive (and no longer Super Shredder), the absence of April O'Neil and Casey Jones (though they were set to appear in the unproduced second season),[citation needed] and Michaelangelo's Californian surfer accent being dropped in favor of a more casual voice (but he still called everyone "dude"). Also, in one episode, Leonardo states that while the Turtles were raised as brothers, they are not biologically related, which is indeed different, as all other forms of TMNT media specifically states that the Turtles are blood-relatives.
One thing that did make it stand out was the inclusion of a female mutant turtle called Venus de Milo; named after the famous statue. Other notable differences were found in the Turtles' weapons; Leonardo carried one double-bladed ninjato instead of two katana (though he was shown to own two in a few episodes); Raphael's twin sai could combine to make a staff; and because nunchaku are outlawed in several places, Michelangelo's signature weapon in this series was a pair of tonfa. Similarly, the name of the series was amended in several countries to Hero Turtles: The Next Mutation under censorship ruling
Episode Guide
Season 1
» "East Meets West" Part 1
» "East Meets West" Part 2
» "East Meets West" Part 3
» "East Meets West" Part 4
» "East Meets West" Part 5
» "Staff of Bu-Ki"
» "Silver & Gold"
» "Meet Dr. Quease"
» "All in the Family"
» "Trusting Dr. Quease"
» "Windfall"
» "Turtles Night Out"
» "Mutant Reflections"
» "Truce or Consequence"
» "Sewer Crash"
» "Going Ape"
» "Enemy of My Enemy"
» "King Wick"
» "The Good Dragon"
» "The Guest"
» "Like Brothers"
» "Unchain My Heart" Part 1
» "Unchain My Heart" Part 2
» "Unchain My Heart" Part 3
» "Unchain My Heart" Part 4
» "Who Needs Her"
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