.gif)
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series (commonly referred to by its fans as Sonic SatAM or just SatAM to differentiate it from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
, named because it usually aired in a Saturday morning time slot) is an American
animated series produced by DIC Entertainment
with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. The show aired two seasons on ABC
from September 18, 1993 until December 3, 1994, and reran until May 1995.
In the first season, SatAM focuses its subplots on subject matter that is unusual for most American children's cartoons; placing its setting in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, and using story concepts such as losing family members to war
: SatAM is considered "darker" than most American cartoons. Nevertheless, the cartoon remains almost entirely family friendly, as this subject matter is depicted in a slightly softened manner. This series sharply contrasts with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a syndicated series that premiered in the same month. While Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was very light-hearted and comical, Sonic the Hedgehog featured a much more complex plot and a more dramatic atmosphere that constitutes a departure from the overall tone of the Sonic games. SatAM also contrasts Sonic Underground
just as sharply: Sonic Underground does not deal with the same subject matter, but instead focuses its plots on the positive social development of younger viewers. SatAM is the primary inspiration for the Archie comic book
series of the same name, which continues to use elements and characters from this series. There are some lasting similarities between this show and the comic; however, there are many notable differences in overall tone and character portrayal.
) invaded and conquered a huge city named Mobotropolis with the help of his assistant and nephew Snively (voiced by Charlie Adler) and his army of robot soldiers called SWATbots.
Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik, leader of the Mobotropolis War Ministry, led the King's SWATbot army to victory in the Great War. He was to be appointed Minister of Science by the King of Mobius, Maximillian Acorn, who had decided to close the War Ministry and dismantle the SWATbots following the War. However, Robotnik, a liar and insatiable sadist, overthrew the Kingdom through a planned coup d'état. Capturing the palace, Robotnik declared himself to be the new King. King Maximillian is never seen or heard from again. Robotnik soon captured most of the citizens, including an intelligent old hedgehog named Sir Charles Hedgehog (voiced by William Windom
) and his crowning invention, the Roboticizer. The Roboticizer, intended to prolong life, changes living creatures into robots. The Roboticizer also has the effect of robbing an individual of their free will; so Charles tried to destroy it. He failed however, as Robotnik stole the plans to the device, built his own, and used the device against the captives. (including Charles himself) He then turned his army loose on the world, "roboticizing" any who crossed his path.
Some citizens managed to escape the coup, and fled to Knothole Village in the Great Forest to hide from Robotnik's army. Under Princess Sally, (the King's only heir) they formed a group called the Freedom Fighters to (hopefully) restore Mobius and end Robotnik's rule. The Knothole Freedom Fighters foil Robotnik's schemes wherever they can, but they fail to make much difference at large as Robotnik literally rules the planet with an iron fist. (In the first season, there is constant implication that Robotnik's overuse
of the planet's resources forces him to search for more usable energy.
, which was deemed too silly to meet the demands of ABC's intended audience. It seems that the concept was changed several times: In 1993, an article in Sonic the Comic
(the British comic officially licensed by Sega Of Europe) announced two new television series starring Sonic the Hedgehog, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
and Sonic the Hedgehog. Within the four pages of plot synopsis and concept art, the group of screen shots representing Sonic the Hedgehog greatly differ from the rest appear without explanation. The aborted cartoon has been dubbed "The Mystery cartoon" also "Pre-Sonic the Hedgehog" by Sonic fans.
The supporting characters in the Pre-SatAM cartoon are based on the small animals freed from enemies in the original Sonic the Hedgehog
game, as are the main characters of the finished product, but they are wildly different in design. They all bear the same names as those attributed to the various video game animal characters listed in the UK book, Stay Sonic, which were also used in Sonic the Comic strips. The images went on to inspire redesigns of Sonic the Comic supporting characters Johnny Lightfoot and Porker Lewis - while originally they were single the basic rabbit and pig video-game character designs, they were abruptly redesigned to be given humanoid proportions and the leather jackets the image depicted. Most notable in the image is the lack of Tails
; it could be that the concept was drawn up before Tails' arrival in the series.
It generally receives "good" or "excellent" reviews from non-committal parties, few of which are notable, with the possible exception of Doug Walker, The Nostalgia Critic
, who rated it as the twelfth best children's animated series.
In the rest of the franchise, Sonic is usually described as a drifter who lives as he wants, and makes life a series of events and adventures. Sonic hates oppression and staunchly defends freedom. Although he is mostly easy-going he has a short temper and is often impatient with slower things. Sonic is a habitual daredevil hedgehog who is honest, loyal to friends, keeps his promises, and dislikes tears. He is not usually very intelligent. (The characterizations vary widely) In this cartoon, Sonic's short temper is present, as well as his hatred of oppression. He is more arrogant, and generally meaner than other portrayals of him (Second to his appearances in Sonic: the Movie
, and Sonic the Comic
, which are not related to this cartoon) He is portrayed as easy-going unless danger arises, in which case he suddenly becomes highly direct and professional. (episode: Sonic Boom) He can be very intelligent, but due to his usually carefree nature, he often isn't. (Super Sonic)
Both Sonic and Robotnik become more like their SEGA counterparts in Season 2, especially Sonic, who grows much less competant.
In other iterations of the franchise, Sonic's closest allies are "Tails" the Kitsune
, Knuckles the Echidna
, and Amy Rose the Hedgehog
. In this cartoon, Knuckles and Amy do not appear, as they were not complete characters yet. Tails was given a tersiary role, and was portrayed as very clever. Also, Princess Sally is Sonic's love interest in this cartoon: none of the other usual romance characters were existent.
The "Chaos Emeralds" are re-imagined as the "Deep Power Stones", they are the source of the Power Rings. (episode: Warp Sonic) If used directly, they allow Sonic all of the powers associated with Super Sonic, plus the observed ability to give someone else the same power through sustained touch contact. (the recipient was Princess Sally) Sonic's powered status is never named as Super Sonic. (episode: Doomsday)
DVDs to remove some very mild swearing
, some minced oaths
, and various innuendo
s.
After season 1, the cartoon was stated to be "too moody" for its home network by the ABC board of directors. It was decided that the second season would have several episodes devoted entirely to humor, while "darker" plot developments and possibilities, as well as all violence, was reduced in magnitude.
In Season 1, Princess Sally wore only a pair of boots.http://www.sonicscene.net/cartoons/satam/screens/s1/Episode%2002-Sonic%20Boom/001%20(36).jpg
Due to parental concerns about her "naked" appearance (despite that most of the other "animal"
characters wore little or no clothing), in Season 2 she wears her now trademark blue vest. http://www.sonicscene.net/cartoons/satam/screens/s2/Episode%2002-Sonic%20Conversion/001%20(23).jpg
Snively would briefly rise to power and assume his uncle's title as oppressive overlord, but quickly fails thanks to Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. Out of desperation, Snively frees Naugus from the void, and in the process also frees Robotnik and King Acorn, though the two have become the wizard's slaves. Naugus immediately usurps the title of main villain and uses King Acorn as bait to try and capture Sally. Snively, reduced to nothing, defects to the side of the Freedom Fighters (which briefly occurred in the Archie comic storyline).
There would be more developments in the relationship between Sonic and his friend Tails, who discovers an "incredible power" and saves the Freedom Fighters from a "great disaster". It has also been mentioned that Sally would romance someone other than Sonic. The origins of Dr. Robotnik and Snively would also be revealed. Hurst stated that no scripts were written for Season 3. He also stated that he is done trying to produce Season 3 and has given up: he presented the idea to SEGA, but all of his attempts at reviving the cartoon have been ignored. Hurst later passed away after lapsing into a diabetic coma, on August 10, 2010. He was in his mid-50s.
According to Ben Hurst's response letter to online personality Sonique of Fans United for SatAM, the show was cancelled because during the time the second season was aired, the producers were in a ratings battle with the Power Rangers
which was a powerfully influential TV show at the time. The cartoon did not pull the ratings required to keep it on the air. Later, Hurst printed a retraction to that statement, stating that the show was forcibly cancelled by SEGA for conceptual reasons.
In the interview, Morawiec states that the sprites and background are actually 32-bit.
composer of the music for SatAM, asking him whether there was any way to get a copy of the music from the series. Not expecting much to come from the letter, Matt received a reply from Tavera himself, stating that was willing to retrieve whatever music he had in his archives and send it to him free in the form of a CD. Cheezmatt received the music in the same year, to find that most of the music on the disk was not used in the cartoon, but demo tracks.
According to Tavera's engineer, Scott Cochran, these demo tracks were most likely created when the show was in its conceptual stages, when it was more lighthearted like Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
. Apparently most of the actual music from the series was sent straight to DiC
without backups, and now DiC will not let Tavera have copies of his own music. The 12 tracks can be found at the SatAM fan site, Saturday Morning Sonic. One track (unused victory theme) was reused from season 3 of Captain N, and can be heard in the Captain N episode "Totally Tetrisized."
's Action Extreme Team
in reruns from June 1997 to January 1998. The series aired reruns in syndication from 2004 to 2005.
The series was also aired in Canada
on the CTV
Network, with a bonus summer run between June 10 and September 2, 1995 that ABC did not replicate. However, the series has not been re-run on television in Canada since its cancellation on CTV.
It initially had a complete run on the UK television channel Channel 4
from 1994 to 1996. Season 1 was broadcast in the Republic of Ireland
on RTÉ Two
in December 1994.
The series has also been dubbed into many other languages.
by Shout! Factory
on March 27, 2007 in the USA. In the UK it was released on DVD by Delta Music on September 10, 2007 as a DVD box set, before 4 individual volumes were released later.
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
, named because it usually aired in a Saturday morning time slot) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated series produced by DIC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. The show aired two seasons on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from September 18, 1993 until December 3, 1994, and reran until May 1995.
In the first season, SatAM focuses its subplots on subject matter that is unusual for most American children's cartoons; placing its setting in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, and using story concepts such as losing family members to war
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
: SatAM is considered "darker" than most American cartoons. Nevertheless, the cartoon remains almost entirely family friendly, as this subject matter is depicted in a slightly softened manner. This series sharply contrasts with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a syndicated series that premiered in the same month. While Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was very light-hearted and comical, Sonic the Hedgehog featured a much more complex plot and a more dramatic atmosphere that constitutes a departure from the overall tone of the Sonic games. SatAM also contrasts Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground is an animated series that follows the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings, Sonia and Manic. The cartoon follows a main plot similar to, but heavily reconcepted from, main plot of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series...
just as sharply: Sonic Underground does not deal with the same subject matter, but instead focuses its plots on the positive social development of younger viewers. SatAM is the primary inspiration for the Archie comic book
Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)
Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing series of American comic books published by Archie Comics, featuring Sega's mascot video game character of the same name. The comic book series debuted in the United States as a 4 part mini-series published between November 1992 and February 1993...
series of the same name, which continues to use elements and characters from this series. There are some lasting similarities between this show and the comic; however, there are many notable differences in overall tone and character portrayal.
Plot summary
The show takes place on a planet called Mobius sometime in its 33rd century, which is largely populated with anthropomorphic animals. A mad warlord and former scientist named Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik (voiced by Jim CummingsJim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
) invaded and conquered a huge city named Mobotropolis with the help of his assistant and nephew Snively (voiced by Charlie Adler) and his army of robot soldiers called SWATbots.
Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik, leader of the Mobotropolis War Ministry, led the King's SWATbot army to victory in the Great War. He was to be appointed Minister of Science by the King of Mobius, Maximillian Acorn, who had decided to close the War Ministry and dismantle the SWATbots following the War. However, Robotnik, a liar and insatiable sadist, overthrew the Kingdom through a planned coup d'état. Capturing the palace, Robotnik declared himself to be the new King. King Maximillian is never seen or heard from again. Robotnik soon captured most of the citizens, including an intelligent old hedgehog named Sir Charles Hedgehog (voiced by William Windom
William Windom (actor)
William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
) and his crowning invention, the Roboticizer. The Roboticizer, intended to prolong life, changes living creatures into robots. The Roboticizer also has the effect of robbing an individual of their free will; so Charles tried to destroy it. He failed however, as Robotnik stole the plans to the device, built his own, and used the device against the captives. (including Charles himself) He then turned his army loose on the world, "roboticizing" any who crossed his path.
Some citizens managed to escape the coup, and fled to Knothole Village in the Great Forest to hide from Robotnik's army. Under Princess Sally, (the King's only heir) they formed a group called the Freedom Fighters to (hopefully) restore Mobius and end Robotnik's rule. The Knothole Freedom Fighters foil Robotnik's schemes wherever they can, but they fail to make much difference at large as Robotnik literally rules the planet with an iron fist. (In the first season, there is constant implication that Robotnik's overuse
Resource depletion
Resource depletion is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region. Resources are commonly divided between renewable resources and non-renewable resources...
of the planet's resources forces him to search for more usable energy.
Freedom Fighters
- Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
: The title character and protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in the series. He is a sassy, smooth-talking, courageous and cunning hedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
able to run at super sonic speeds. He is also a very capable fighter. Despite his bragging nature, he becomes highly selfless and direct in dangerous circumstances. He greatly misses his uncle, Sir Charles, who was roboticized. He is the only one able to use the Power Rings, usually to greatly increase his potential speed, generally used for escapes. (He has also used them to fight, short circuit force fields, and defend himself from incoming energy, as he did in the episode "Doomsday.") He is the secondary leader of the Freedom Fighters.
- Sally Acorn: The princess of Planet Mobius, and Sonic's love interest in this series. She is the strategist and primary leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters (though she often refers to Sonic as the leader). Extremely intelligent, Sally usually hacks into Robotnik's computers to find important targets in Robotropolis. Though she is very cautious, she can also be as bullheaded as Sonic, and is surprisingly spontaneous when there is no danger. She utterly refuses to believe that her father is dead, and is constantly searching for him. In the show, her species is never mentioned, although the script cites her as a ground squirrel. The comic states that she is a chipmunk-squirrel hybrid because her mother, Queen Elisha Acorn, is a chipmunk, and her father, King Maximilian Acorn, is a squirrel.
- Bunnie Rabbot: A gentle cyborg with a southern drawlSouthern American EnglishSouthern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
, Bunnie was briefly captured, and had half of her body roboticized before she was saved, mid-transformation. Now her left arm and both her legs are mechanical. These robotic features, in addition to skill in martial arts, make her the brawn of the Freedom Fighters, and the only character besides Sonic or Dulcy to directly destroy SWAT-bots. Despite these advantages, she greatly desires to be normal again.
- Antoine Depardieu (D'Coolette in the Comic): A clumsy, cowardly, pompous, FrenchFrench peopleThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
-oriented coyote and a member of the Freedom Fighters. He often has trouble speaking English. He also has a crush on Sally. His rival was Sonic, who would make fun of Antoine for his shortcomings. His clumsiness often gets himself or other Freedom Fighters into trouble. In the first season, he was often portrayed as being intelligent, but too fearful to offer much help to anyone. In the second season, Antoine's character design changes, his clumsiness and cowardice became more exaggerated, and his character became highly foolish.
- Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
: A younger-brother figure to Sonic (whom he idolizes), Tails is the youngest freedom fighter. Often left behind in Knothole Village during missions, he is incredibly bright. (see episode: "Sonic and Sally") He finally comes into his own in "Drood Henge." (Despite the above examples, Tails was largely a secondary or even third-level character. Had the third season of the show been produced, he would have played a much bigger role)
- Rotor Walrus: A walrus who is the mechanic of Freedom Fighters. He invents reliable gadgets for the Freedom Fighters in Knothole and on their missions. He fears Robotropolis and, unlike his best friend Sonic, usually stays behind to work. He seems to possess great strength. (At the beginning of the comic, Rotor's first name was Boomer. After the airing of the show, this was changed to Rotor. Boomer was also changed to being a childhood nickname of his.) In the second season, he was completely redesigned and had a replacement voice actor.
- NICOLE: A highly-advanced, artificially intelligent portable personal computer that Sally uses to analyze and hack into Robotnik's machines. Whilst generally a formal computer, (although as early as "Sonic Boom" it had shades of a personality) in the episode "Super Sonic," it copies Sonic's lingo so he can understand what it says, much to the bemusement of Sally. (In later issues of the comic, Nicole has a holographic avatar of herself, which is soon replaced by one made of nanites.)
- Sir Charles Hedgehog: Known as "Uncle Chuck," he is an elderly inventor, as well as Sonic's warm-hearted uncle. Possibly fearing death, Chuck invented the roboticizer to allow people to live longer, but it had the uncanny effect of robbing an individual of their free will. Robotnik later stole it and used it on him, turning him into one of many mindless drones. With great difficulty, he regains control of his body and acts as a spy for the Freedom Fighters.
- King Maximilian Acorn: The rightful King of Mobius, and father to Princess Sally. He was dethroned during a coup immediately following the Great War, and banished to the VoidParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, a crystalline universe from which none can escape.
- Queen Elisha Acorn: The rightful Queen of Mobius. It is implied that she was killed before the end of the Great War.
- Dulcy the Dragon: A clumsy, loud-mouthed, young dragon who joined the Freedom Fighters in the second season. She often flies the Freedom Fighters to their destinations or rescues them. She also has powerful lungs, which can be used to blow enemies away, or freeze them solid with ice breath. She is terrible at landing, and often crashes into things mid-flight.
Villains
- Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik: The madman who conquered Planet Mobius ten years prior. He is a brilliant yet heartless warlord seeking nothing less than to encompass the whole world in his machinery and robotic minions. His goals are constantly thwarted by Sonic the Hedgehog, his sworn nemesis. His hatred for the hedgehog has turned into a desperate obsession to capture and roboticize Sonic himself, which is often his own undoing. He was later defeated in the episode Doomsday Project. This version of Dr. Robotnik was portrayed as a fearsome dictator, unlike his much sillier counterpart in Adventures of Sonic the HedgehogAdventures of Sonic the HedgehogThe Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
and the Sonic the Hedgehog games.
- Snively: Snively is Dr. Robotnik's miserable underling and assistant, as well as his nephew, though there is nothing warm about their relation. Snively is constantly abused, teased and intimidated by his uncle, whom he despises and talks about behind his back. Snively's intelligence easily rivals his uncle's, but this trait is ignored. According to Ben Hurst's plans, had the series continued into a third season, Snively would have become the series' primary antagonist for a short time, following the defeat of Robotnik.
- Ixis Naugus: A powerful sorcerer, formerly Dr. Robotnik's mentor. He hates Robotnik for betraying and imprisoning him within the Void during The Great War. He wants nothing more than to see Robotnik suffer, but he cannot exist outside the Void for any extended amount of time. In Ben Hurst's plans for the never-produced season 3, Naugus would have returned as the primary villain, in place of Snively.
- SWATbots: Robotnik's primary police and military unit. Designed as super-soldiers, these machines won the Great War prior to Robotnik's takeover. Now they are his special defense force, making up a substantial part of Robotropolis' "population". They seem to be effective against everything but Sonic, and even he has to flee from small groups of them (unless he has a Power Ring with him). Unlike some of their later appearances in the franchise, the SWATbots in this cartoon are armed with destructive "laser rifles", rocket launchers, and a variety of other weapons. (exception: the episode "Heads or Tails")
Cast
- Jaleel WhiteJaleel WhiteJaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media....
- Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's... - Bradley PierceBradley PierceBradley Michael Pierce is a former American voice-over artist and character actor with numerous roles and bit parts in television, movies, direct-to-video animation, advertising, and video games.-Career:...
- Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega.... - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
- Sally Acorn/NICOLE - Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
- Antoine Depardieu (known as Antoine D'Coolette in the comic series). - Christine CavanaughChristine CavanaughChristine Cavanaugh is an American former voice actress who had a distinctive speaking style and had provided the voice for a large range of cartoon characters. She is best known as the voice of Babe in the hit film, Babe, Chuckie Finster on Rugrats, and Dexter for the original Dexter's Laboratory...
- Bunnie Rabbot - William WindomWilliam Windom (actor)William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
- Uncle Chuck - Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
- Dr. Robotnik/Additional Voices - Charlie Adler - Snively
- Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
- SWATbots - Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
- Dulcy the Dragon - Mark BallouMark BallouMark Ballou is an American voice actor, who provided voicing for Rotor the Walrus in Sonic the Hedgehog in the show's 1st season .-External links:*...
(Season 1)/Cam BrainardCam BrainardCam "Buzz" Brainard is a voice actor and narrator, most notably as the "smart aleck" narrator on the TV show Maximum Exposure, and as the voice of Disney Channel. He is the Host of This Week In Baseball on FOX...
(Season 2) - Rotor - Dana HillDana HillDana Hill was an American actress and voice actor with a raspy voice and childlike appearance, which allowed her to play adolescent roles into her 30s...
- Young Princess Sally - Tahj MowryTahj MowryTahj Dayton Mowry , is an American actor, dancer, and singer, mostly known for his role of T.J. Henderson on the hit sitcom Smart Guy and Wade on Kim Possible.-Personal life:...
- Young Sonic - Shari BelafonteShari BelafonteShari Belafonte is an American actress, model, writer and singer. The daughter of singer Harry Belafonte, she is known for her role as Julie Gilette on the 1980s television series Hotel and as a spokesperson for the diet supplement Slim-Fast during the 1990s.-Personal life:Shari Lynn Belafonte was...
- Lupe - Michael Bell - Ixis Naugus
- April WinchellApril WinchellApril Terri Winchell is an American actress, writer, voice actor, talk radio host, and commentator. She is the daughter of the late Paul Winchell.-Acting:...
- Rosie the Nanny; also the voice of Ro-Becca in 'Ro-Becca'. - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
- King Acorn - Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
- Ari Ram - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
- SWATbots (pilot episode)
Pre-production
The cartoon was intended as a replacement prototype for Adventures of Sonic the HedgehogAdventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
, which was deemed too silly to meet the demands of ABC's intended audience. It seems that the concept was changed several times: In 1993, an article in Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
(the British comic officially licensed by Sega Of Europe) announced two new television series starring Sonic the Hedgehog, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
and Sonic the Hedgehog. Within the four pages of plot synopsis and concept art, the group of screen shots representing Sonic the Hedgehog greatly differ from the rest appear without explanation. The aborted cartoon has been dubbed "The Mystery cartoon" also "Pre-Sonic the Hedgehog" by Sonic fans.
The supporting characters in the Pre-SatAM cartoon are based on the small animals freed from enemies in the original Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
game, as are the main characters of the finished product, but they are wildly different in design. They all bear the same names as those attributed to the various video game animal characters listed in the UK book, Stay Sonic, which were also used in Sonic the Comic strips. The images went on to inspire redesigns of Sonic the Comic supporting characters Johnny Lightfoot and Porker Lewis - while originally they were single the basic rabbit and pig video-game character designs, they were abruptly redesigned to be given humanoid proportions and the leather jackets the image depicted. Most notable in the image is the lack of Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
; it could be that the concept was drawn up before Tails' arrival in the series.
Reception
Initially very popular, Sonic the Hedgehog: the Animated Series made and sold more non-videogame merchandise than all other Sonic products combined through 1995. Evidence of this popularity exists in statements made by the writer of Sonic the Hedgehog, issue 50, (the Endgame arc) in which it was implicitly stated that when the show was cancelled, the comic book's sales received a major boost from dedicated SatAM fans, preventing the comic from being cancelled, and boosting it into first place as the most popular Archie Publications comic book. Statements by Ben Hurst (the cartoon's secondary editor) in a letter reveal that Sonic the Hedgehog was cancelled for reasons regarding the portrayal of Sonic, not for lack of viewers.It generally receives "good" or "excellent" reviews from non-committal parties, few of which are notable, with the possible exception of Doug Walker, The Nostalgia Critic
The Nostalgia Critic
The Nostalgia Critic is a web television series starring Doug Walker as the eponymous reviewer. The series was initially launched on YouTube before moving to an independent site, That Guy with the Glasses, run by production company Channel Awesome...
, who rated it as the twelfth best children's animated series.
Contrasts to other Sonic media
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series is a major departure from every other iteration of the Sonic franchise. In the rest of the franchise, Dr. Robotnik is portrayed as a bumbling, foolish, mad scientist. His attempts at global takeover always fail, and he is not likely to foresee his shortcomings. His inventions are usually inefficient (with a few exceptions) and always fail, even when they succeed in the short term. He is usually under the name Dr. Eggman, as the other portrayals of him are usually egg-shaped. In this series, Robotnik is a masterfully tactful combat-veteran, (episode: Blast to the Past) and the simplest of his machines are extremely dangerous, even to Sonic. (reference: Season 1) Robotnik is also the effective ruler of a stated half of Mobius, and is constantly at war with numerous Freedom Fighter groups across the planet. (episode: No Brainer) He is usually called "Dr. Ivo", and is not Eggman at all.In the rest of the franchise, Sonic is usually described as a drifter who lives as he wants, and makes life a series of events and adventures. Sonic hates oppression and staunchly defends freedom. Although he is mostly easy-going he has a short temper and is often impatient with slower things. Sonic is a habitual daredevil hedgehog who is honest, loyal to friends, keeps his promises, and dislikes tears. He is not usually very intelligent. (The characterizations vary widely) In this cartoon, Sonic's short temper is present, as well as his hatred of oppression. He is more arrogant, and generally meaner than other portrayals of him (Second to his appearances in Sonic: the Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is a two-episode OVA film series based on Sega's best-selling franchise Sonic the Hedgehog....
, and Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
, which are not related to this cartoon) He is portrayed as easy-going unless danger arises, in which case he suddenly becomes highly direct and professional. (episode: Sonic Boom) He can be very intelligent, but due to his usually carefree nature, he often isn't. (Super Sonic)
Both Sonic and Robotnik become more like their SEGA counterparts in Season 2, especially Sonic, who grows much less competant.
In other iterations of the franchise, Sonic's closest allies are "Tails" the Kitsune
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
, Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
, and Amy Rose the Hedgehog
Amy Rose
, known earlier as Rosy the Rascal, is a video game character who appears in most of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games developed by Sega's Sonic Team, debuting in Sonic CD as the third recurring protagonist. Amy Rose was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino and based on one of Kenji Terada's...
. In this cartoon, Knuckles and Amy do not appear, as they were not complete characters yet. Tails was given a tersiary role, and was portrayed as very clever. Also, Princess Sally is Sonic's love interest in this cartoon: none of the other usual romance characters were existent.
The "Chaos Emeralds" are re-imagined as the "Deep Power Stones", they are the source of the Power Rings. (episode: Warp Sonic) If used directly, they allow Sonic all of the powers associated with Super Sonic, plus the observed ability to give someone else the same power through sustained touch contact. (the recipient was Princess Sally) Sonic's powered status is never named as Super Sonic. (episode: Doomsday)
Censorship
While obviously a children's show, the first season (minus "Heads or Tails") possesses a fairly large amount of noticeable content that is generally considered mildly offensive. Some sound content was edited from the NCircle EntertainmentNCircle Entertainment
NCircle Entertainment is an entertainment content distributor that specializes in children's programming.NCircle Entertainment is a division of Alliance Entertainment Corporation , which is the largest single source of home entertainment....
DVDs to remove some very mild swearing
Expletive attributive
Expletive comes from the Latin verb explere, meaning "to fill", via expletivus, "filling out". It was introduced into English in the seventeenth century to refer to various kinds of padding—the padding out of a book with peripheral material, the addition of syllables to a line of poetry for...
, some minced oaths
Minced oath
A minced oath is an expression based on a profanity or a taboo term that has been altered to reduce the objectionable characteristics.Many languages have such expressions...
, and various innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
s.
After season 1, the cartoon was stated to be "too moody" for its home network by the ABC board of directors. It was decided that the second season would have several episodes devoted entirely to humor, while "darker" plot developments and possibilities, as well as all violence, was reduced in magnitude.
In Season 1, Princess Sally wore only a pair of boots.http://www.sonicscene.net/cartoons/satam/screens/s1/Episode%2002-Sonic%20Boom/001%20(36).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
Due to parental concerns about her "naked" appearance (despite that most of the other "animal"
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
characters wore little or no clothing), in Season 2 she wears her now trademark blue vest. http://www.sonicscene.net/cartoons/satam/screens/s2/Episode%2002-Sonic%20Conversion/001%20(23).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
Cancelled Season 3
In an interview with screen-writer Ben Hurst, he mentioned that the third season had already been plotted out before the show's cancellation. (However, only three episodes had even reached the concept stage) Upon the request of an eager fanbase, Hurst revealed the unknown villain would be the wizard Ixis Naugus. Robotnik was not killed on Doomsday; rather, he has become trapped within the Void as Naugus' prisoner.Snively would briefly rise to power and assume his uncle's title as oppressive overlord, but quickly fails thanks to Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. Out of desperation, Snively frees Naugus from the void, and in the process also frees Robotnik and King Acorn, though the two have become the wizard's slaves. Naugus immediately usurps the title of main villain and uses King Acorn as bait to try and capture Sally. Snively, reduced to nothing, defects to the side of the Freedom Fighters (which briefly occurred in the Archie comic storyline).
There would be more developments in the relationship between Sonic and his friend Tails, who discovers an "incredible power" and saves the Freedom Fighters from a "great disaster". It has also been mentioned that Sally would romance someone other than Sonic. The origins of Dr. Robotnik and Snively would also be revealed. Hurst stated that no scripts were written for Season 3. He also stated that he is done trying to produce Season 3 and has given up: he presented the idea to SEGA, but all of his attempts at reviving the cartoon have been ignored. Hurst later passed away after lapsing into a diabetic coma, on August 10, 2010. He was in his mid-50s.
According to Ben Hurst's response letter to online personality Sonique of Fans United for SatAM, the show was cancelled because during the time the second season was aired, the producers were in a ratings battle with the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
which was a powerfully influential TV show at the time. The cartoon did not pull the ratings required to keep it on the air. Later, Hurst printed a retraction to that statement, stating that the show was forcibly cancelled by SEGA for conceptual reasons.
Archie Comic
The show is the primary inspiration for the Archie Comic book series of the same name, and its influence can still be seen. Several characters and themes were used, but the comic follows an entirely different continuity and should not be used to reference the show's storyline or character portrayal. (The similarity between the TV show and comic seem to be a result of the comic's early issues, Sonic The Hedgehog #1-#25, being based on the show's pre-production notes. See the episode: "Heads or Tails", the only episode to directly resemble comics #1-#25. All later episodes have only visual similarities to all later comic issues.)Canceled video games
- Sonic 16 In an interview with Peter Morawiec, former programmer for Sega Technical Institute and the famed creator of Comix ZoneComix ZoneComix Zone is a arcade-style action game. The game's unique feature is that it is set within the panels of a comic book. Each level consists of two pages and secrets are discovered by shredding the paper and revealing items. The unique dialogue is rendered within talk bubbles with the typical...
, it was revealed that he had developed a prototype game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog: the Animated Series. He used a completely different game engine than the one used in the Sonic Team-produced games in the franchise. It would have been the second time that characters from the cartoon series would have shown up (after Sonic the Hedgehog SpinballSonic the Hedgehog SpinballSonic the Hedgehog Spinball is an adventure pinball game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993 and later ported to the Game Gear and Master System in 1995.The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move...
), and the first video game appearances of both this cartoon's versions of Robotnik and Snively. Possibly due to how slow paced the demo was, Yuji NakaYuji Naka, is a video game designer and programmer, best known as the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog....
disliked the project and it was cancelled before it could be developed any further. The game was meant to have fast moving segments, however, they were not seen in the demo.
In the interview, Morawiec states that the sprites and background are actually 32-bit.
- Sonic Mars Another canceled Sonic game which featured characters overtly lifted from the cartoon, including Princess Sally and Bunnie Rabbot as playable characters. Dean Lester, the producer of Comix Zone, revealed that Sonic Mars was a continuation of Peter Morawiec's original project.
Soundtrack and Unused theme songs
In 2006, online personality Cheezmatt of the fan-website, Fans United for SatAM e-mailed Michael TaveraMichael Tavera
Michael "Mike" Tavera is an American composer. He has worked on countless TV series, TV films and direct-to-video sequels, usually animated.-Film:-Television:-External links:...
composer of the music for SatAM, asking him whether there was any way to get a copy of the music from the series. Not expecting much to come from the letter, Matt received a reply from Tavera himself, stating that was willing to retrieve whatever music he had in his archives and send it to him free in the form of a CD. Cheezmatt received the music in the same year, to find that most of the music on the disk was not used in the cartoon, but demo tracks.
According to Tavera's engineer, Scott Cochran, these demo tracks were most likely created when the show was in its conceptual stages, when it was more lighthearted like Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
. Apparently most of the actual music from the series was sent straight to DiC
DIC
- Science :* Differential interference contrast microscopy, an illumination technique in optical microscopy* Diisopropylcarbodiimide, a reagent in organic chemistry* Digital Integrating Computer, a digital implementation of a Differential Analyzer...
without backups, and now DiC will not let Tavera have copies of his own music. The 12 tracks can be found at the SatAM fan site, Saturday Morning Sonic. One track (unused victory theme) was reused from season 3 of Captain N, and can be heard in the Captain N episode "Totally Tetrisized."
Broadcast history
After Sonic the Hedgehog ended its run, the series was aired on the USA NetworkUSA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's Action Extreme Team
USA Action Extreme Team
USA Action Extreme Team was a children's television programming block on USA Network from 1996 to 1998. It was expanded to weekly, and ended in September 1998, when the network permanently removed children's programming.-Shows:...
in reruns from June 1997 to January 1998. The series aired reruns in syndication from 2004 to 2005.
The series was also aired in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on the CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
Network, with a bonus summer run between June 10 and September 2, 1995 that ABC did not replicate. However, the series has not been re-run on television in Canada since its cancellation on CTV.
It initially had a complete run on the UK television channel Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
from 1994 to 1996. Season 1 was broadcast in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
in December 1994.
The series has also been dubbed into many other languages.
DVD releases
The entire series was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
on March 27, 2007 in the USA. In the UK it was released on DVD by Delta Music on September 10, 2007 as a DVD box set, before 4 individual volumes were released later.
| DVD Name | Ep # | | Release dates | | Additional Features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
|||
| The Complete Series | 26 | March 27, 2007 | See Below | - | This four disc boxset includes the entire 26 episodes from the series. Bonus features include: storyboard Storyboard Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.... s, concept art Concept art Concept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design... , storyboard-to-screen comparisons, deleted/extended scenes, a printable prototype script Screenplay A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated... of the series pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... (Heads or Tails), and interviews with Jaleel White Jaleel White Jaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media.... and head writer Ben Hurst. The individual cases and the DVDs themselves also feature fan art Fan art Fan art or fanart is artwork that is based on a character, costume, collage, item, or story that was created by someone other than the artist, such as a fan, from which the word is derived from. The term, while it can apply to art done by fans of characters from books, is usually used to refer to... submitted to Shout! Factory during the box set's development phase Cover art by Ken Penders Ken Penders Ken Penders is a comic book creator, writer, and artist. He makes his living as a freelance writer and artist, accepting assignments involving screenplays, storyboards, character design, backgrounds, website graphics, and even the occasional magazine cover, portrait or commissioned piece... and released by Shout! Factory Shout! Factory Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label... and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,... . |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Super Sonic | 5 | February 26, 2002 | - | - | This single disc DVD includes five episodes from the series. Bonus features include: "Exciting Interactive Game Game A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements... ", "Trailers" and "Scene Access". This DVD was pulled however when Buena Vista claimed to have distribution rights to the series. Some copies are still available to be purchased on the second hand market. |
| The Complete Series | 26 | See Above | September 10, 2007 | TBA | This four disc box set includes the entire 26 episodes from the series. Bonus features include: "Way Past Cool! A Conversation with Sonic Writer Ben Hurst", "The Fastest Thing Alive: A Conversation with Jaleel White", "Storyboard-to-Screen: The Doomsday Project - The complete episode shown with the animated storyboards", "Original Storyboards for an Unproduced Opening Title Sequence" and "Original DiC Concept Art Galleries". As on the R1 set, a "Printable Heads or Tails Pilot Script" is listed on the disc's extra menu, but the PDF file is nowhere to be found on any of the discs. Solicitations for the set also promised "Easter Eggs Galore" and "Fan art Fan art Fan art or fanart is artwork that is based on a character, costume, collage, item, or story that was created by someone other than the artist, such as a fan, from which the word is derived from. The term, while it can apply to art done by fans of characters from books, is usually used to refer to... ", neither of which appeared on the finished product. The box set is marketed as Region 2, but is in fact Region 0 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... PAL. http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3423516/Sonic-The-Hedgehog-Box-Set/Product.html |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Boom And Other Episodes | 9 | - | September 10, 2007 | - | This disc features nine episodes from the series, all from season one. The episodes included are as follows: Sonic Boom, Sonic & Sally, Ultra Sonic, Sonic & The Secret Scrolls, Super Sonic, Sonic Racer, Hooked On Sonics, Harmonic Sonic, and Sonic's Nightmare.http://www.deltamusic.co.uk/product.php?media=DVD&product=94684&sb= |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 1 | 4 | N/A | N/A | 2007 | The first volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. This single disc DVD includes four episodes from the series. The episodes included are as follows: Sonic Boom, Sonic & Sally, Ultra Sonic and Sonic & The Secret Scrolls. Audio language: Spanish/English. A picture gallery is included as a bonus feature. |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 2 | 4 | N/A | N/A | 2007 | The second volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. This single disc DVD includes four episodes from the series. The episodes included are as follows: Super Sonic, Sonic Racer, Hooked on Sonics and Harmonic Sonic. Audio language: Spanish/English. A picture gallery is included as a bonus feature. |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 3 | 4 | N/A | N/A | 2007 | The third volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Sonic's Nightmare, Warp Sonic, Sub-Sonic and Sonic Past Cool. Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery. |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 4 | 4 | N/A | N/A | 2007 | The fourth volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Game Guy, Sonic Conversion, No Brainer and Blast to the Past (Part I). Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery. |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 5 | 4 | N/A | N/A | 2007 | The fifth volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: Blast to the past (Part II), Fed Up with Antoine/Ghost Busted, Dulcy and The Void. Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery. |
| Sonic, Las aventuras: Vol. 6 | 5 | N/A | N/A | 2008 | The sixth and last volume from the region 4 DVDs released in Mexico by Zima Entertainment. Episodes included on this single DVD: The Odd Couple/Ro-Becca, Cry of the Wolf, Drood Henge, The Spyhog and The Doomsday Project. Audio language: Spanish/English. Bonus feature: Picture gallery. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: The Fight for Freedom | 4 | September 16, 2008 | - | - | The first of a series of single disc DVDs released by NCircle Entertainment NCircle Entertainment NCircle Entertainment is an entertainment content distributor that specializes in children's programming.NCircle Entertainment is a division of Alliance Entertainment Corporation , which is the largest single source of home entertainment.... . Episodes included are: Hooked on Sonics, Ultra Sonic, Sonic & the Secret Scrolls, and Warp Sonic. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Super Sonic | 4 | December 23, 2008 | - | - | The second of NCircle Entertainment's single disc DVDs. Episodes included are: Sonic Boom, Sonic and Sally, Super Sonic, and Sonic Racer. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Goes Green | 4 | March 3, 2009 | - | - | The third of NCircle Entertainment's single disc DVDs. Episodes included are: Heads Or Tails, Sonic's Nightmare, Sub-Sonic, and Sonic Past Cool. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters Unite! | 4 | May 5, 2009 | - | - | The fourth of NCircle Entertainment's single disc DVDs. Episodes included are: Sonic Conversion, Dulcy, The Void and Spy Hog. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Forever | 5 | March 16, 2010 | - | - | The fifth of NCircle Entertainment's single disc DVDs. Episodes included are: No Brainer, Blast To The Past Parts 1 and 2, Fed Up With Antoine/Ghost Busted, and The Odd Couple/Ro-Becca. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog: Doomsday Project | 5 | August 31, 2010 | - | - | The last of NCircle Entertainment's single disc DVDs. Episodes included are: Harmonic Sonic, Game Guy, Cry of the Wolf, Drood Henge, and The Doomsday Project. |
VHS releases
| VHS Name | | Ep # | | Release dates | | TV Encode | | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooked on Sonics | 2 | October 21, 1994 | NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... |
Includes the episodes Hooked on Sonics and Warp Sonic. |
| Sonic Racer | 2 | December 19, 1994 | NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... |
Includes the episodes Sonic Racer and Sonic Boom. |
| Super Sonic | 2 | December 19, 1994 | NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... |
Includes the episodes Super Sonic and Sonic and Sally. |
| Sonic Racer | 2 | February 26, 2002 | NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... |
Contrary to popular misconception, this 2002 release entitled 'Sonic Racer' is not a re-issue of the 1994 video cassette VHS The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan .... of the same title. This release features the episodes Sonic Racer and Harmonic Sonic. Unlike the 1994 release, it does not feature Sonic Boom. This 2002 release also has various edits and sound effect Sound effect For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media... removals. |
| Super Sonic | 2 | February 26, 2002 | NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... |
Like its 1994 counterpart, this 2002 release of 'Super Sonic' features the episodes Super Sonic and Sonic and Sally. However, unlike its 1994 counterpart and broadcast airings, this 2002 release has various edits and sound effect Sound effect For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media... removals. |
External links
- Sonic the Hedgehog at Cookie Jar Entertainment
- Sonic the Hedgehog at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- Saturday Morning Sonic
- Fans United for SatAM
- Pre-Sonic the Hedgehog pictures
- Screenshots
- Punk Rock Sonic Theme The Extreme Unicorns released a punk rock version of the Saturday Morning Sonic theme on June 28, 2011.