Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
| Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | |
|---|---|
 Logo for the original Power Rangers series | |
| Also known as | MMPR |
| Genre | Action Adventure Science fantasy Superhero |
| Created by | Haim Saban Shuki Levy |
| Based on | Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger Gosei Sentai Dairanger & Ninja Sentai Kakuranger by Toei Company |
| Developed by | Saban Entertainment Toei Company |
| Starring | Jason David Frank Thuy Trang Austin St. John Walter Emanuel Jones Amy Jo Johnson David Yost Johnny Yong Bosch Karan Ashley Steve Cardenas Catherine Sutherland Paul Schrier Jason Narvy David Fielding |
| Voices of | Barbara Goodson Richard Steven Horvitz Robert L. Manahan Robert Axelrod Kerrigan Mahan Dave Mallow Michael Sorich Wendee Lee Bob Papenbrook Kim Strauss Tony Oliver |
| Narrated by | Dave Mallow (series announcer, "Today/previously on Power Rangers" segments) |
| Theme music composer | Ron Wasserman |
| Composers | Ron Wasserman Shuki Levy Haim Saban (as Kussa Mahchi) Kenneth Burgomaster |
| Country of origin | United States Japan |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 1 (Re-version) |
| No. of episodes | 145 32 (Re-version) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Haim Saban Shuki Levy James Simone (Re-version) |
| Producers | Ronnie Hadar Jonathan Tzachor Dan Evans III (Re-version) |
| Production locations | California (Santa Clarita & Los Angeles) Japan (Greater Tokyo Area Tokyo, Saitama, Yokohama and Kyoto) |
| Cinematography | Ilan Rosenberg Sean Mclin (2nd unit) |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 20–21 minutes |
| Production companies | Saban Entertainment Renaissance Atlantic Entertainment Toei Company, Ltd. MMPR Productions, Inc. |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox (Fox Kids) |
| Release | August 28, 1993 – November 27, 1995 |
| Related | |
| Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers | |
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (MMPR) is an American superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the Power Rangers franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along with a large line of toys, action figures, and other merchandise.[1] The show adapted stock footage from the Japanese TV series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992–1993), which was the 16th installment of Toei's Super Sentai franchise.[2] The second and third seasons of the show drew elements and stock footage from Gosei Sentai Dairanger and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, respectively, though the Zyuranger costumes were still used for the lead cast in these two seasons. Only the mecha and the Kiba Ranger (White Ranger) costume from Dairanger were featured in the second season while only the Kakuranger mecha was featured in the third season, though the Kakuranger costumes were later used for the mini-series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers. The series was produced by MMPR Productions and distributed by Saban Entertainment, while the show's merchandise was produced and distributed by Bandai Entertainment.
While a global storyline would continue in Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers in Space, and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (which could be considered respectively and unofficially as the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of the original series), the subsequent series would not be sequels or spin-offs in the traditional sense, having self-contained plots with no strong connection with the original series (except taking place in the same universe, not being reboots). The exceptions would be Power Rangers Dino Thunder, which could be considered as a continuation of the original classic series by having the presence of the character Tommy Oliver (the Green Ranger and later White Ranger, portrayed by Jason David Frank) as part of the regular team of Rangers of the generation of that series (in some of the other series the character only made special participations). Another series connected to the original classic series would be Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, as one of the main villains of this series, Thrax, is the son of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, main villains of the classic series.
In 2010, a remake of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, with a revised new look of the original 1993 logo, comic book-referenced graphics, and extra alternative visual effects, was broadcast on ABC Kids, and Bandai produced brand new toys to coincide with the series. Only the first 32 of season one's 60 episodes were remade. It was the final Power Rangers season to air on ABC Kids as Haim Saban re-acquired the franchise from Disney, who took over the rights in 2002. With the beginning of Power Rangers Samurai in 2011, the franchise had moved to Nickelodeon.[3][4]
The original series also spawned the feature film Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, released by 20th Century Fox on June 30, 1995. Despite mixed reviews, it was a success at the box office,[5] and earned a cult following. In 1997, a second film titled Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie was released as a bridge between the series Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. In 2017, a reboot film based on the original series was distributed by Lionsgate, simply titled Power Rangers.[6] Due to both the film's financial failure and Hasbro's acquisition of the franchise in 2018, another reboot is in development.[7][8]
A television special titled Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always commemorated the 30th anniversary of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and premiered on Netflix on April 19, 2023, with returning cast members David Yost, Walter Emanuel Jones, Steve Cardenas, Johnny Yong Bosch, Karan Ashley, Catherine Sutherland, Barbara Goodson, and Richard Steven Horvitz who reprised their roles. Charlie Kersh portrayed Minh, the daughter of Trini Kwan and the third Yellow Ranger.[9]
Series overview
[edit]Season 1 (1993–1994)
[edit]The series takes place in the fictional town of Angel Grove, California.[10] On an exploratory mission on the moon, two astronauts discover an extraterrestrial container (referred to as a dumpster) and breach the unit, inadvertently releasing the evil alien sorceress Rita Repulsa and her minions from 10,000 years of confinement. Upon her release, she and her army of evil space aliens set their sights on conquering the nearest planet—Earth. The wise sage Zordon, who was responsible for capturing Rita, later becomes aware of her release and orders his robotic assistant Alpha 5 to select five "teenagers with attitude" to defend the Earth from Rita's attacks. The five teens chosen are Jason Lee Scott, Kimberly Hart, Zack Taylor, Trini Kwan, and Billy Cranston. Zordon gives them the ability to transform into a superhuman fighting force known as the Power Rangers. This provides them with formidable abilities and an arsenal of weapons, as well as colossal assault vehicles called Zords which can combine into a giant humanoid robot known as the Megazord.[11][12][13]
The series begins with the five teenagers combating Rita and her seemingly endless array of monsters, while also dealing with typical teenage problems and clashing with local bullies Bulk and Skull. However, consecutive failures lead Rita to adopt a new method for conquering Earth and destroying the Power Rangers—by attacking them with one of their own. Using her magic, Rita kidnaps and brainwashes a local teen whose fighting skills prove to equal that of Jason's in a martial-arts tournament held in Angel Grove. The new teen, Tommy Oliver, passes Rita's tests, becoming the Green Ranger. Entrusted with Rita's Sword of Darkness, the source for the continuance of the evil spell he has fallen victim to, Tommy comes dangerously close to defeating the Power Rangers. After sabotaging the Command Center and cutting off Zordon's connection to their dimension, Tommy helps Rita strike another blow to the Rangers when the Megazord is drained of its power in battle by a solar eclipse and then blasted into a molten lava crevice. However, Alpha eventually succeeds in reestablishing connection with Zordon, who then revives the Megazord. With it, the Rangers stop Tommy's rampage on Angel Grove with his Dragonzord, and Jason ultimately defeats Tommy in a one-on-one duel by destroying the Sword of Darkness. Now free from Rita's spell, Tommy chooses to use his Green Ranger powers to assist the Rangers in defeating the evil that gave them to him in the first place, and the Dragonzord is reconfigured to enable it to help form more powerful Zord combinations alongside the other Dinozords.[14]
As time goes on, Rita focuses on eliminating Tommy to regain the powers that she believes belong to her. Using a special wax that was touched by Tommy when he was evil, Rita uses a magic Green Candle to slowly remove his powers, returning them to her. In the end, Tommy loses his powers, but he prevents Rita from reclaiming them by transferring them to Jason who, feeling guilt for failing to protect Tommy's powers, accepts them. However, Tommy later returns to the team when the other Rangers' Power Coins are handed over to Rita in exchange for their kidnapped parents. With Zordon's help, Tommy regains his powers and successfully retrieves the other Rangers' Power Coins. However, Tommy's regained powers are only temporary and must be frequently re-charged by Zordon, who warns him that the Green Ranger's powers will ultimately fail. Despite this, Tommy remains determined to continue assisting the other Rangers as long as possible.[15][16]
Season 2 (1994–1995)
[edit]Lord Zedd, an intergalactic warlord and Rita's superior, arrives at Rita's Moon Palace, where he takes her place and throws her into a space dumpster again. He then begins his own campaign to conquer Earth. In order for the Power Rangers to compete with Zedd's monsters, which are superior to the ones Finster made by Rita, Zordon and Alpha upgrade the Dinozords into the more powerful Thunderzords (which combine into the Thunder Megazord). However, Tommy is forced to retain use of the Dragonzord, due to his Green Ranger powers being too weak to support a new Zord.[17]
After several defeats, Zedd's attacks on the Rangers progressively become more violent. He focuses his attention on eliminating Tommy, whom he sees as Rita's biggest mistake in giving him the Dragon Power Coin. The Green Ranger's powers rapidly deteriorate, but Zedd's efforts enhances the process. He succeeds with a special Green Crystal and uses it to completely take away the Green Ranger's powers, and powers up Zedd's Dark Rangers. When Tommy smashes the crystal, the Dark Rangers are sent away. Following the loss of the Green Ranger's powers, Zordon and Alpha create, in secret, a new White Ranger to aid the other Rangers in battle. The White Ranger is revealed to be Tommy, who in addition receives a new Zord, the Tigerzord, and also becomes the new leader of the Power Rangers (replacing Jason), with a power that cannot be controlled or taken by the forces of evil.[18][19]
During the Team Ninja Trials in Angel Grove, the Rangers become friends with three teenagers from Stone Canyon: Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell. During an ensuing battle with Zedd and a magical serpent, Rocky, Adam and Aisha discover the Rangers' identities and, having been entrusted with their secret by Zordon, the three newcomers become allies of the Rangers.[20] Later on, Jason, Zack and Trini are selected to represent Angel Grove at a World Peace Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Rangers are faced with the task of finding replacements. To transfer the powers of the Red, Black and Yellow Rangers, they must find the Sword of Light, which is located on a deserted planet. Zedd pursues them across the galaxy in Serpentera, his massive personal Zord, and destroys most of the deserted planet. Serpentera runs out of power before being able to finish the Rangers, and they return to Earth safely with the Sword of Light. Zordon then chooses Rocky, Adam and Aisha to replace Jason, Zack and Trini as the Red, Black and Yellow Rangers, respectively.[21]
Sometime before the power transfer, during the time when Tommy was being turned into the white ranger, Rita had returned to Earth and fell into the hands of Bulk and Skull, but the Rangers sent her back into space. She later returns to the Moon while the Rangers are in Australia, and with the help of Finster, she gets a special "makeover" to gain a younger and "prettier" face. She then uses a love potion on Zedd, who is in a deep sleep during his centennial re-evilizer, and he falls in love with her when he wakes up. They get married and join forces to make an even more terrible threat for the Rangers, but not even this can prepare them for what is to come.[22]
Season 3 (1995)
[edit]Rito Revolto, Rita's skeletal brother, comes to Earth and destroys the Rangers' Thunderzords and the Tigerzord with the help of a group of monsters. As a result, the Dinozords are also destroyed and the Power Coins are damaged beyond repair. Undaunted, the Power Rangers seek the aid of Ninjor, the alleged creator of the Power Coins, who gives them new Ninja Coins, providing them with the even more powerful Ninjazords (which combine into the Ninja Megazord) and the Falconzord.[23]
Some time later, an Australian girl named Katherine Hillard moves to Angel Grove. She befriends the rangers and displays an intense affection for Tommy. Later it is found out that Rita had captured Katherine and put her under a powerful spell, giving her the ability to transform into a cat as well as a cat-like monster. Under this spell, she steals Kimberly's Ninja Power Coin, vastly weakening and nearly killing the Pink Ranger, due to how her life force - like that of the other Rangers - is connected to her Ninja Coin. It is during this time that the Rangers acquire their most powerful Zords: the Shogunzords (which combine into the Shogun Megazord), but only after having to agree to help Lord Zedd destroy Angel Grove and subsequently betray him. Eventually, Katherine overcomes Rita's evil spell and returns the Pink Ninja Power Coin to Kimberly. A short time later, Kimberly gets a chance to pursue her personal athletic dreams. With Zordon's blessing, she leaves to train for the Pan Global Games, choosing Katherine to replace her as the Pink Ranger. Though her initial fear and hesitation keeps her from contributing fully to the fight against evil, Katherine eventually becomes both comfortable and capable of fulfilling her duty as the second Pink Ranger.[24][25][26]
After several more battles, Zedd and Rita are joined by Rita's father, Master Vile. Following his failed attempts to defeat the Rangers, he reverses time, turning the Rangers into powerless children. These events culminate in the mini-series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers and lead to the next incarnation of the franchise, entitled Power Rangers Zeo.
Characters
[edit]Power Rangers
[edit]
- Jason Lee Scott
The original Red Ranger of MMPR and the first leader of the team. He wields the Power Sword, pilots the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord and Red Dragon Thunderzord, and commands the Dino Megazord and Thunder Megazord. During Tommy's absence, he also wields the Dragon Dagger and controls the Green Ranger's Dragonzord. Jason was portrayed by Austin St. John. - Zack Taylor
The original Black Ranger of MMPR. He wields the Power Axe, pilots the Mastodon Dinozord and Lion Thunderzord, and commands the Dragonzord in Battle Mode. Zack was portrayed by Walter Emanuel Jones. - Trini Kwan
The original Yellow Ranger of MMPR. She wields the Power Daggers, and pilots the Sabertooth Tiger Dinozord and Griffin Thunderzord. Trini was portrayed by Thuy Trang. - Kimberly Hart
The original Pink Ranger of MMPR and the first Pink Ninja Ranger. She wields the Power Bow, and pilots the Pterodactyl Dinozord, Firebird Thunderzord, and Crane Ninjazord. Kimberly was portrayed by Amy Jo Johnson. - Billy Cranston
The Blue Ranger of MMPR and the Blue Ninja Ranger; also the longest-lasting member of the original team. He wields the Power Lance, pilots the Triceratops Dinozord, Unicorn Thunderzord, Wolf Ninjazord, and Blue Shogunzord, and commands the Dino Megazord (after Jason). Billy was portrayed by David Yost. - Tommy Oliver
The Green Ranger and White Ranger of MMPR; also the White Ninja Ranger and the second leader of the team following Jason's departure. He wields the Dragon Dagger (as the Green Ranger) and the Saba Sword (as the White Ranger), and pilots the Dragonzord, White Tigerzord, Falcon Ninjazord, and White Shogunzord (with Katherine). Tommy was portrayed by Jason David Frank. - Rocky DeSantos
The second Red Ranger of MMPR and the Red Ninja Ranger. He wields the Power Sword, pilots the Red Dragon Thunderzord (after Jason), Ape Ninjazord, Red Shogunzord, and Tyrannosaurus Dinozord (after Jason), and commands the Thunder Megazord (after Jason), Ninja Megazord, and Shogun Megazord. Rocky was portrayed by Steve Cardenas. - Adam Park
The second Black Ranger of MMPR and the Black Ninja Ranger. He wields the Power Axe, and pilots the Lion Thunderzord (after Zack), Frog Ninjazord, and Black Shogunzord. Adam was portrayed by Johnny Yong Bosch. - Aisha Campbell
The second Yellow Ranger of MMPR and the Yellow Ninja Ranger. She wields the Power Daggers, and pilots the Griffin Thunderzord (after Trini), Bear Ninjazord, and Yellow Shogunzord. Aisha was portrayed by Karan Ashley. - Katherine "Kat" Hillard
The second Pink Ranger of MMPR and the second Pink Ninja Ranger. She wields the Power Bow, and pilots the Crane Ninjazord (after Kimberly), White Shogunzord (with Tommy), and Pterodactyl Dinozord (after Kimberly). Kat was portrayed by Catherine Sutherland. - Minh Kwan
The third Yellow Ranger of MMPR. She wields the Power Daggers, and pilots the Sabertooth Tiger Dinozord (after Trini). Minh was portrayed by Charlize "Charlie" Kersh.
Supporting characters
[edit]- Zordon
An inter-dimensional being trapped in a time warp, he is the wise mentor of the Rangers, who also bestowed their powers. 10,000 years ago, Zordon led the fight against the forces of evil, specifically Rita. Finally, he was able to imprison the evil witch and her minions in a dumpster on the Moon. He once had a corporeal human form, but now appears as a floating head in an energy tube. He is initially voiced and portrayed by David Fielding, and later voiced by Robert L. Manahan. - Alpha 5
A multi-functional semi-sentient automaton from Edenoi, Alpha was Zordon's trusted robotic assistant, responsible for the daily operations and upkeep of the Command Center. He is portrayed by Sandi Sellner and is voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz. - Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier and Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
Two bullies at Angel Grove High School. Bulk, the leader, was prone to dragging Skull into wacky schemes, which usually failed miserably and ended in humiliation or injury. In the second season, the two decide to discover the identities of the Power Rangers after they were saved by the Rangers in "The Mutiny". In the third season, they enroll in the Junior Police Force. Thanks to the efforts of their superior officer, Lt. Stone, the duo become good-natured goofs, but still sometimes selfish. They are portrayed by Paul Schrier (Bulk) and Jason Narvy (Skull). - Ernie
The owner and proprietor of the Youth Center, he could often be seen behind the counter of the Juice Bar, and would sometimes dispense advice to the teens. He is portrayed by Richard Genelle. - Mr. Caplan
The stern principal of Angel Grove High School, who often encouraged his students in their extracurricular activities. He wore a toupée, which serves as a running gag during seasons 1 and 2. He is portrayed by Harold Cannon (uncredited) - Ms. Appleby
A teacher at Angel Grove High School. She is portrayed by Royce Herron (uncredited).[27] - Angela
The girl of Zack's affections, he was constantly attempting to impress and go on a date with her, much to her annoyance. She would often demean Zack for his attempts, but later in season 1, she starts to like him. She only appears in season 1. She is portrayed by Renee Griggs (uncredited). - Curtis
Zack's cousin who appears very early on in season 2, and was phased out of the show shortly after Zack's departure. He is portrayed by Joel Rodgers (uncredited). - Richie
Another teen introduced early in season 2 to aid Ernie with running the juice bar and who was planned to be Trini's love interest. Like Curtis, he too was phased out of the show following Trini's departure. He is portrayed by Maurice Mendoza (uncredited). - Jerome Stone
A Police Lieutenant with the Angel Grove Police Department. He is portrayed by Gregg Bullock. - Prince Dex/Masked Rider
A warrior from Alpha's home planet of Edenoi who leads a resistance movement against its ruthless dictator Count Dregon, an acquaintance and rival of Lord Zedd. He is portrayed by Ted Jan Roberts. - Ninjor
The creator of the original 6 Power Coins and Dinozords that were used by the original 6 Power Rangers, even though it was Zordon who distributed them. He is portrayed by Hideaki Kusaka and voiced by Kim Strauss. - Wild West Rangers
The Old West ancestors of Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Billy, who temporarily obtain Ranger Powers when Kimberly is transported to their time. Named Rocko, Abraham, Miss Alicia and William. As Rangers, the Wild West Rangers have outfits identical to those of their descendants, except for the addition of cowboy attire.
Antagonists
[edit]- Rita Repulsa
The first main antagonist for the series. Rita Repulsa is an alien sorceress who was imprisoned in a dumpster on the Moon with her minions until some astronauts accidentally freed her. She is portrayed by Machiko Soga in Season 1, and Carla Perez onward. She was voiced by Barbara Goodson. - Lord Zedd
An intergalactic warlord who is the main antagonist starting in season 2, along with Rita. Using his staff, Lord Zedd can turn anything into a monster. He was portrayed by Ed Neil (uncredited) and voiced by Robert Axelrod. - Goldar
A manticore-themed creature who is Rita's main henchman. He is portrayed by Takashi Sakamoto, Kazutoshi Yokoyama, and Danny Wayne Stallcup (former two uncredited). He was voiced by Kerrigan Mahan. - Rito Revolto
Rita's brother and a secondary antagonist/henchman for season 3. He is portrayed by Kenichi Endō and Danny Wayne Stallcup. He was voiced by Bob Papenbrook. - Scorpina
A scorpion-themed female and partner of Goldar who becomes a scorpion-themed monster when enlarged. She is portrayed by Ami Kawai in Season 1, and Sabrina Lu in Season 2 (1 episode only) and wasn't seen again afterwards. She was voiced by Wendee Lee. - Finster
A leprechaun-themed creature who is Rita's chief monster maker in season 1. By season 3, he still occasionally makes monsters. He was portrayed by Takako Iiboshi (uncredited) and voiced by Robert Axelrod. - Squatt
One of Rita's henchmen. A short, fat, blue hobgoblin-themed creature, he is usually blamed for Rita or Zedd's failures. He was portrayed by Minoru Watanabe (uncredited) and voiced by Michael Sorich. - Baboo
One of Rita's henchmen. A tall, vampire-like creature who wears a monocle. He usually chastises Squatt when Rita's plans fail and is often blamed. He was portrayed by Hideaki Kusaka (uncredited) and voiced by Dave Mallow. - Master Vile
Rita and Rito's father and an antagonist in season 3. He was portrayed by Hideaki Kusaka and voiced by Simon Prescott (both uncredited). - Lokar
A floating, demonic, ethereal, he is an old friend of Rita's and she called on him for a favor to defeat the Rangers. He was portrayed by Masahiko Urano (uncredited) and voiced by Robert Axelrod. - Putty Patrollers
The golem warriors made of clay who act as Rita Repulsa's foot soldiers, the Putties are often sent to wear the Rangers down before a monster battle, as well as for sabotage and other special missions. The original Puttys were based on Golem Soldiers, which were the Sentai Counterpart on Zyuranger.- Z-Putties
In Season 2, Lord Zedd upgrades the Putty design, completely replacing Rita's original design. Zedd's Putties (or Z-Putties for short) are superior to the original Putties and are more expendable. However, the Z-Putties also have a big weakness—striking the Z-logo on their chests causes the Z-Putties to explode into pieces. The Z-Putties were the first group of Power Ranger exclusive foot soldiers.
- Z-Putties
- Tenga Warriors
The crow-like soldiers that are able to speak. They are introduced in Season 3 when Rito takes them with him to the Moon as a wedding gift, and replace Zedd's Putties. The Rangers normally use their Ninja Ranger powers to fight them. Unlike the Putties, the Tenga Warriors are not expendable and they return to the Moon when defeated. The Tengas originated in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (going by the name "Tengu Warriors") under the command of Ivan Ooze. The name changed between the movie and show was because of copyright complications with the movie's producer 20th Century Fox.[citation needed]. Like the Z-Putties, the Tenga's were the second group of foot soldiers exclusive to Power Rangers.
Episodes
[edit]Season 1 (1993–94)
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11"Day of the Dumpster"Adrian CarrTony Oliver & Shuki LevyAugust 28, 1993101
22"High Five"Adrian CarrSteve KramerSeptember 7, 1993102
33"Teamwork"Robert HughesCheryl SabanSeptember 8, 1993103
44"A Pressing Engagement"Adrian CarrJeff Deckman & Ronnie SperlingSeptember 9, 1993104
55"Different Drum"Jeff ReinerJulianne KlemmSeptember 10, 1993105
66"Food Fight"Robert HughesCheryl SabanSeptember 4, 1993106
77"Big Sisters"Jeff ReinerGary Glasberg & Shuki LevySeptember 30, 1993107
88"I, Eye Guy"David BlythStewart St. JohnSeptember 14, 1993109
99"For Whom the Bell Trolls"Robert HughesJeff Deckman & Ronnie Sperling
and Stewart St. JohnSeptember 15, 1993111
1010"Happy Birthday, Zack"Jeff ReinerStewart St. JohnSeptember 16, 1993112
1111"No Clowning Around"Adrian CarrMark HoffmeierSeptember 17, 1993113
1212"Power Ranger Punks"David BlythMark HoffmeierSeptember 20, 1993121
1313"Peace, Love and Woe"Robert HughesJulianne KlemmSeptember 21, 1993128
1414"Foul Play in the Sky"Shuki LevyShuki LevySeptember 22, 1993110
Kimberly goes flying with her pilot uncle Steve with Bulk and Skull tagging along. Rita's henchman Squatt spikes Steve's drink with a sleeping potion which kicks into effect while in the skies over Angel Grove. Kimberly nervously takes over flying the four-seater plane, but even with a little guidance from Alpha 5, can she land safely? Meanwhile, her teammates face the dreaded Snizzard. To make matters worse, Kimberly's Power Bow is the only means of destroying Snizzard.
Notes: An uncredited Bryan Cranston (later of Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle fame) guest stars as Snizzard.[28]1515"Dark Warrior"Terence H. WinklessJeff Deckman & Ronnie Sperling
and Mark HoffmeierSeptember 28, 1993129
1616"Switching Places"Jeff ReinerShuki Levy & Steve KramerOctober 4, 1993108
1717"Green with Evil"Robert HughesGary Glasberg & Stewart St. JohnOctober 5, 19931141818Tom Wyner & Cheryl Saban
and Stewart St. JohnOctober 6, 19931151919Mark Ryan & Stewart St. JohnOctober 7, 19931162020Cindy McKay & Stewart St. JohnOctober 8, 19931172121Gary Glasberg & Stewart St. JohnOctober 9, 1993118
Out of Control: The new kid in town, Tommy Oliver, has martial arts skills that rival Jason's, as the two compete in a karate sparring match that ends in a draw. This catches Rita's eye, and she prepares her master plan to destroy the Power Rangers once and for all. She kidnaps Tommy, puts him under her spell, and by giving him a power coin, transforms him into the Evil Green Ranger. After infiltrating the Command Center and disabling Alpha and Zordon, Tommy beats the Rangers in battle, sending them to retreat back to their damaged headquarters.
Jason's Battle: With the Command Center still incapacitated from the Green Ranger's attack, and reeling from their first real defeat, Billy and Trini attempt to restore operations with Zordon to learn some answers about their mysterious foe. Meanwhile, Rita gives Tommy the Sword of Darkness, which acts as a catalyst for keeping him under her spell permanently. After he meets with Jason, Tommy teleports the Red Ranger to the Dark Dimension. Trapped, with no way out, no way of morphing, and no way of contacting his teammates, Jason faces Goldar alone. Back on Earth, the remaining Rangers face the Green Ranger again.
The Rescue: Jason continues his struggle with Goldar in the Dark Dimension, and eventually, the Green Ranger as well. Luckily, in the nick of time, Billy locks onto his signal and teleports him to safety. But with Zordon still lost, the victory is bittersweet. Rita then summons Scorpina, a female scorpion-themed warrior with a powerful sting. Scorpina fights the Rangers, but is recalled by Rita as she reveals her master plan for permanently ridding the Rangers of their Zords, beginning with deploying a fully-grown Goldar to lure the Rangers out.
Eclipsing Megazord: Watching Goldar demolish the city via the viewing globe, the Rangers have no choice but to morph and activate Megazord, falling for Rita's plan. A spell eclipses the sun and cuts off Megazord's solar power reserves. Using her magic wand, Rita grows Scorpina and, soon after, the Green Ranger. The Megazord soon falls to the evil trio. The Zords separate and scatter into a fiery chasm opened by Rita. With their fighting spirit diminished, the Rangers return to the Command Center, where the true identity of the Green Ranger is revealed.
Breaking the Spell: Tommy is revealed to be the Green Ranger, and Jason plans to break the spell holding him under Rita's control. Her endgame now realized, Rita brings forth the ancient Dragonzord from Angel Grove bay. It begins to rampage through the city, while the helpless Rangers watch the destruction unfold. Zordon's transmission is finally reestablished. The Megazord is recovered and victoriously faces the Dragonzord. With the Zord incapacitated, Jason defeats Tommy in a climactic swordfight before the latter uses his powers to become the sixth Ranger on the Power Rangers team, having been freed from Rita's control.
2222"The Trouble with Shellshock"David BlythStewart St. John & Julianne KlemmOctober 11, 1993119
2323"Itsy Bitsy Spider"Robert HughesSteve KramerOctober 19, 1993120
2424"The Spit Flower"David BlythPeggy NicollOctober 13, 1993122
2525"Life's a Masquerade"Robert HughesCheryl SabanOctober 30, 1993123
2626"Gung Ho!"Robert HughesMark HoffmeierNovember 4, 1993124
2727"Wheel of Misfortune"Terence H. WinklessMark Ryan & Cheryl SabanNovember 5, 1993127
2828"Island of Illusion"Terence H. WinklessChris Schoon & Shuki LevyNovember 8, 19931252929Stewart St. John & Chris Schoon and Shuki LevyNovember 9, 1993126
Before an upcoming dance competition, Zack, despite his usual smooth moves, has a massive case of self-doubt. Rita is inspired and aims to send the six Rangers to her very own transdimensional island, where a person's worst fears become a reality. She summons the celestial being Lokar and his wicked zombie-like Mutitus creature, either the Megazord has to prove to be a match or the Rangers will be island-bound even when Mutitus assumes a Chinese dragon-resembling form.
Trapped on the strange Island of Illusion, each of the Rangers comes face to face with their own worst fears. The island's only inhabitant, an elf named Quagmire, appears and offers them rhyming reminders of self-confidence, but whether he is friend or foe is not immediately apparent. Even if they can get off the island, the team will still have to face a second round against Mutitus...and they may not last that second round.
3030"The Rockstar"Terence H. WinklessPeggy NicollNovember 10, 1993130
Jason and his young cousin Jeremy become embroiled in a plot by Rita and Scorpina to capture the powerful Mirror of Destruction, while Zack takes the others on a driving trip outside Angel Grove. The rock golem-themed Rockstar monster rounds out the cast. Jason is pummeled to the ground by this lobbing rock, and the others are recalled from vacation to rescue him. Jeremy finds the mirror, and, to his amazement, he finds that it can shatter Putties. This, however, also makes him a target for Scorpina.
Notes: An uncredited Richard Lee Jackson (of Saved by the Bell fame) guest stars as Jeremy; Jackson was also dubbed for this role.3131"Calamity Kimberly"Terence H. WinklessTom Wyner & Julianne KlemmNovember 11, 1993131
3232"A Star is Born"Terence H. WinklessCheryl SabanNovember 15, 1993132
3333"The Yolk's on You!"Terence H. WinklessCheryl SabanNovember 16, 1993133
3434"The Green Candle"Robert HughesMark McKain & Stewart St. JohnNovember 17, 19931343535Gary Glasberg & Stewart St. JohnNovember 18, 1993135
Rita plans to use a magic candle, which, once burned out, will drain Tommy of the Green Ranger powers. Goldar kidnaps Tommy and holds him in the Dark Dimension. The other Rangers arrive at the Command Center, trying to devise a plan to rescue Tommy. However, a monster in disguise as Dragonzord called the Cyclops becomes the focus of their attention. They battle the impostor. Meanwhile, Tommy manages to escape and calls for the real Dragonzord, and the monster escapes. Back at the Command Center, Zordon explains the whole situation to the Rangers. While still under her spell, Tommy came into contact with the wax. Once the candle burns out, his powers will return to Rita.
Zordon explains that someone must enter the Dark Dimension and retrieve the candle if they are to save Tommy's powers and Jason volunteers. With Billy's help, Alpha discovers a doorway between dimensions. The Rangers find the location and set up a device to open the door, Jason enters and encounters Goldar. Rita sends the Cyclops back to Earth to lure Tommy out. With the Rangers detained, Tommy battles the one-eyed giant himself, and in his weakened state, he is soon overpowered. Jason is forced to abandon the collection of the candle, and the Rangers morph to Tommy's aid. The Rangers succeed in destroying Cyclops, but the victory is bittersweet as the candle has burned out. Though Zordon had Jason evoke a loophole to keep Rita from getting the Green Ranger's powers back.
3636"Birds of a Feather"Robert HughesJulianne KlemmNovember 22, 1993136
Rita sends down the deadly 40-story-tall Hatchasaurus, commanded by Cardiotron. The Dinozord manages to defeat this large bird/dinosaur/mountain hybrid. But he reforms, and in reforming, he becomes more deadly, easily trashing the Megazord. To make matters worse, Rita also casts a binding spell on Dragonzord, disabling it. Jason decides to confront Cardiotron by jumping inside the Hatchasaurus. Now possessing the Dragon Coin and by calling for the Dragon Shield and Dagger, Jason armors up and attempts to break the hold over Tommy's former zord. Bulk and Skull attempt to use Biff to intimidate Kameron at a karate tournament, but the boy learns a valuable lesson in respect and being a good sport.
Notes: An uncredited Farrand Thompson (of V.R. Troopers fame) guest stars as Biff.3737"Clean-Up Club"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierNovember 23, 1993137
3838"A Bad Reflection on You"Robert HughesPeggy NicollNovember 27, 1993138
Rita sends Twin Man and four Putty Patrollers to impersonate the Rangers in both of their forms to Angel Grove. Once there, the doppelgängers cause trouble and our heroes are sent to detention by Mr. Caplan. With the real Rangers in detention with Bulk and Skull, their doubles are free to wreak havoc and frame the Rangers even further.
Notes: An uncredited Bryan Cranston (later of Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle fame) guest stars as Twin Man.[28]3939"Doomsday"Terence H. WinklessStewart St. JohnNovember 29, 19931394040November 30, 1993140
Angel Grove is hosting a celebration in the park called Power Ranger Day, honoring the superheroes. The teens plan to make an appearance, but before they can morph, Rita abducts Angel Grove's citizens, relocates her palace to Earth, and launches a new attack using a War Zord called Cyclopsis with Goldar piloting. The Rangers summon the Zords, but Cyclopsis proves to be a tough opponent, and Megazord is soon struggling; calling for the Ultrazord, the Rangers destroy Cyclopsis. However, Rita deals a savage blow by burying Titanus and then summons Lokar to rebuild Goldar's war machine. Up and running, Cyclopsis is stronger than ever, and with the Zords damaged, things look bad.
Cyclopsis continues to wreak havoc in Angel Grove, and the Rangers' Zords are only at half power. Nonetheless, they return to the battlefield. Cyclopsis proves too much and severely damages both Megazord and Dragonzord. Rita delivers a significant surge of energy from her wand, and both zords fade away. Although this is a safety measure to prevent the zords' destruction, the teens are still in full retreat. They fall back to Billy's lab to regroup, where Goldar greets them. After trashing Billy's garage, the teens scramble to the Command Center, where Alpha 5 has some exciting news about the War Zord's main weakness. Tommy returns in a cameo at the end of the episode.
4141"Rita's Seed of Evil"Robert HughesStewart St. JohnFebruary 7, 1994143
4242"A Pig Surprise"Robert HughesShuki Levy & Douglas SloanFebruary 8, 1994141
4343"Something Fishy"Robert HughesCheryl SabanFebruary 9, 1994145
4444"Lions & Blizzards"Robert HughesShell DanielsonFebruary 10, 1994142
4545"Crystal of Nightmares"Robert HughesShuki Levy & Douglas SloanFebruary 14, 1994144
4646"To Flea or Not to Flee"Terence H. WinklessDouglas SloanFebruary 15, 1994146
4747"Reign of the Jellyfish"Terence H. WinklessStewart St. JohnFebruary 16, 1994147
4848"Plague of the Mantis"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierFebruary 17, 1994148
While Trini learns Praying Mantis Kung-Fu from Master Li, Rita sends down the mighty Mantis monster to challenge Trini's new skills. Bulk and Skull attempt to market their own martial art, "Cockroach Kung-Fu", but hardly with the anticipated results.
Notes: An uncredited Richard Rabago (of V.R. Troopers fame) guest stars as Master Li, Trini's kung-fu instructor.4949"Return of an Old Friend"Worth KeeterShell DanielsonFebruary 28, 19941495050March 1, 1994150
At the Youth Center, everyone celebrates Parents' Day, including the Rangers' parents. Rita has a brilliant scheme: trap the parents in her Dark Dimension and hypnotize Billy to steal the Dragon Dagger from the Command Center. He gives it to Goldar and makes the Rangers choose between their parents and their Power Coins. But Goldar double-crosses them and teleports away. When everything seems hopeless, Jason pulls out the Green Power Coin and reveals his own deception.
Tommy arrives at the Youth Center but is puzzled to find it empty. He is then teleported to the Command Center, and Zordon plans to re-energize the Dragon Coin to bring the Green Ranger back. The transfer is successful, and Tommy confronts Goldar and retrieves the five power coins. The Power Rangers, back in action with Tommy by their side once again, face the latest of Finster's creations Dramole.
5151"Grumble Bee"John StewartCheryl SabanApril 28, 1994151
5252"Two Heads Are Better Than One"John StewartMark HoffmeierApril 29, 1994152
5353"Fowl Play"John StewartPeggy NicollMay 2, 1994153
5454"Trick or Treat"Worth KeeterDaniel J. Sarnoff & Ellen Levy-SarnoffMay 3, 1994155
5555"Second Chance"Worth KeeterMark LittonMay 4, 1994157
5656"On Fins and Needles"Worth KeeterDouglas SloanMay 5, 1994156
5757"Enter... The Lizzinator"Worth KeeterStewart St. JohnMay 6, 1994154
5858"Football Season"Terence H. WinklessCheryl SabanMay 9, 1994158
5959"Mighty Morphin' Mutants"Terence H. WinklessDouglas SloanMay 16, 1994159
6060"An Oyster Stew"Terence H. WinklessShell DanielsonMay 23, 1994160
Season 2 (1994–95)
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611"The Mutiny"Shuki LevyShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonJuly 21, 199420112.2[29]622July 29, 19942027.2[30]633August 5, 19942038.2[31]
Lord Zedd is introduced as the new arch-enemy of the Power Rangers. Angered by Rita's failures, Zedd returns to accomplish what she could not: destroy the Power Rangers. First, he removes her powers, imprisons her in the Dumpster again, and sets about to finally defeat the Rangers by creating a stronger Putty Patrol and a new monster Pirantishead which Lord Zedd creates from a piranha. Zordon warns the Rangers about him and states that any monster created by Lord Zedd is stronger than the ones that Rita has Finster make. Pirantishead sets out to immobilize the Dinozords. Not only this, but Bulk and Skull begin their quest to find out the true identities of the Power Rangers.
The Rangers' problems are further jeopardized when the Tyrannosaurus and the Dragonzord both turn on them and begin to wreak havoc. Responding to Zedd's return, Zordon unveils the more powerful Thunderzords. Only two problems remain. The Rangers must regain control of the Dinozords before activating the new ones, and due to Tommy's weakening powers, he is forced to retain the Dragonzord. Billy thinks he may have the answer, and along with Trini, retreats to his lab while the others return to the battlefield to confront Pirantishead, who has just reactivated the Zords. Bulk and Skull separate in their attempt to find the race track but find themselves at the wrong end of Pirantishead's flute when he takes control of their Quads.
The Rangers regain control of their Zords, thanks to Billy's newest invention, but Lord Zedd responds by using the powers of his staff to open up the Earth which proceeds to engulf the Dinozords. Tommy manages to return the Dragonzord to the sea before Zedd can react. However, Zordon and Alpha 5 succeed in salvaging the Dinozords and using the Power of Thunder, transform them into the powerful Thunderzords. Our heroes then combine the new zords into the Thunder Megazord and finish off Pirantishead once and for all.
Note: This three-parter first aired on FOX primetime.
644"The Wanna-Be Ranger"John StewartEllen Levy-Sarnoff & Daniel J. SarnoffSeptember 13, 1994204N/A
655"Putty on the Brain"John StewartMark LittonSeptember 14, 1994205N/A
666"Bloom of Doom"John StewartCheryl SabanSeptember 17, 1994206N/A
677"The Green Dream"John StewartStewart St. JohnSeptember 19, 1994210N/A
688"The Power Stealer"Terence H. WinklessTony Oliver & Barbara A. OliverSeptember 20, 1994207N/A
699"The Beetle Invasion"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierSeptember 21, 1994208N/A
Note: This was the last episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers where Austin St. John (Jason/Red Ranger) and Walter Jones (Zack/Black Ranger) did ADR voiceovers for their characters in morphed form, although they continued to appear as their characters in new unmorphed scenes up to the episode "Opposites Attract". After "The Beetle Invasion", Jason and Zack in morphed form were voiced by uncredited actors up to the characters' departures in the episode "The Power Transfer: Part 2".
7010"Welcome to Venus Island"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierSeptember 24, 1994209N/A
Note: This was the last episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers where Thuy Trang (Trini/Yellow Ranger) did ADR voiceovers for her character in morphed form, although she continued to appear as her character in new unmorphed scenes up to the episode "Opposites Attract". After "Welcome to Venus Island", Trini in morphed form was voiced by an uncredited actress up to the character's departure in the episode "The Power Transfer: Part 2".
7111"The Song of Guitardo"Terence H. WinklessShell Danielson & Shuki LevySeptember 26, 1994211N/A
7212"Green No More"John StewartStewart St. JohnSeptember 27, 1994212N/A7313September 28, 1994213N/A
Tommy sees a vision of himself from the future that bears a grim warning. Meanwhile, Lord Zedd plans to get rid of the Green Ranger forever by creating Turbanshell from the shell that Kimberly found on the beach. He plans to use Turbanshell to drain him of his powers and transferring them into a crystal. The crystal, when fully energized, will bring about Zedd's Dark Rangers. The monster is more than the Rangers can handle; after retreating, they are shocked when Green Ranger suddenly disappears. Lord Zedd strips the other Rangers of their morphers, imprisons them in another dimension, and puts up an impermeable energy field around the Command Center. The Green Ranger is taken to the middle of nowhere and stripped of his powers, left utterly defenseless against the Turbanshell. Bulk and Skull find themselves intimidated by five teenage bullies that challenges the Rangers, who Zedd recruits as his new Dark Rangers.
Turbanshell and then Goldar taunt Tommy over the loss of his powers but are ultimately outsmarted. Tommy escapes, rescues his friends, and destroys the green crystal holding his powers before Lord Zedd can make use of the Dark Rangers. The Rangers, along with Tommy, morph summon the Thunder Megazord and challenge Turbanshell to a final fight. The monster bests the Megazord breaking it up into its five components, and the others helplessly watch as Jason fights solo. The Green Ranger, about to call Dragonzord, is stopped by Zordon. He explains to Tommy how to destroy the monster. With only one chance, Tommy, in what could be his final battle, weakens the beast from the inside. After defeating Turbanshell, the Dark Rangers are restored to normal with no memories of their past deeds, and Kimberly realizes they just need friends.
7414"Missing Green"John StewartEllen Levy-Sarnoff & Daniel J. SarnoffOctober 3, 1994215N/A
7515"Orchestral Maneuvers in the Park"Jerry P. JacobsDouglas SloanOctober 4, 1994214N/A
7616"Beauty and the Beast"John StewartCheryl SabanOctober 10, 1994216N/A
7717"White Light"Jonathan TzachorShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonOctober 17, 1994217N/A7818October 18, 1994218N/A
Kimberly announces exciting news, Tommy's coming back. The Rangers are happy, but their joy is cut short when Lord Zedd creates the Scarlet Sentinel from the Sentinel Statue in Angel Grove Park as she overpowers them with the help of AC and DC. To make matters worse, Zordon and Alpha 5 disappear without a word. Billy heads to the Command Center and discovers the truth. Bulk and Skull find Rita's dumpster and believe it to be a sign to discover the Power Rangers' secret identities.
Billy reveals that Zordon and Alpha 5 are creating a new Ranger. The rest of the Rangers are unhappy because they'd rather have Tommy rejoin them. Jason and Billy remind them that Lord Zedd's monsters are a lot more powerful, and they need extra help. They are forced to wait and watch as the Scarlet Sentinel is destroying their beloved city. When Zordon and Alpha finally unveil the newest Ranger, the others are in for a shock. Bulk and Skull come close to unintentionally releasing Rita from her imprisonment until the Rangers show up to stop them.
7919"Two for One"Jerry P. JacobsDouglas SloanOctober 24, 1994219N/A
8020"Opposites Attract"Jerry P. JacobsCheryl SabanOctober 25, 1994221N/A
Note: This was the last episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers where Austin St. John, Walter Jones and Thuy Trang appeared in newly recorded scenes. Although their characters Jason, Zack and Trini didn't depart in the series until "The Power Transfer: Part 2", any appearance that their characters make in unmorphed form in episodes after "Opposites Attract" is archive footage from past episodes.
8121"Zedd's Monster Mash"Jerry P. JacobsCheryl SabanOctober 28, 1994220N/A
8222"The Ninja Encounter"Shuki LevyShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonNovember 2, 1994223N/A8323November 3, 1994224N/A8424November 4, 1994225N/A
The kids enjoy a day at the park and make some new friends: Rocky, Aisha, and Adam, who compete in ad win the upcoming ninja competition at the Youth Center. But, Zedd has plans of his own for the ninja competitors.
Rocky, Aisha, Adam, and their teacher Mr. Anderson are still trapped. Goldar summons a snake which slowly slithers around them, and once it gets its grasp upon them the teens, it will remove their goodness & free will. Aisha attempts to pick her cuffs' lock with a hairpin, and succeeds only to have their escape thwarted. Trying to distract the Rangers from tracking them down, Lord Zedd creates Terror Blossom from some flower petals. In addition, he also revives Hatchasaurus and Cardiatron.
Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy must figure out how to unfreeze Jason, Zack, and Trini, defeat the Terror Blossom and Hatchasaurus, and save Rocky, Adam, and Aisha before they're turned to the dark side but may have to expose their secret identities to do so. Meanwhile, Bulk & Skull face the challenge of changing baby Jacob's diaper.
8525"A Monster of Global Proportions"Jerry P. JacobsDouglas SloanNovember 5, 1994226N/A
8626"Zedd Waves"Jerry P. JacobsMark LittonNovember 7, 1994222N/A
8727"The Power Transfer"Jonathan TzachorJudd LynnNovember 8, 1994231N/A8828November 9, 1994232N/A
Jason, Trini, and Zack have been chosen as the three Angel Grove teens to attend the World Teen Peace Summit in Switzerland. They are delighted to be going but sad to leave their friends. Before they leave, however, they must complete one final mission: to recover the Sword of Light from the deserted city to transfer their powers to three new rangers. Jason, Trini, and Zack morph one last time, along with the others, and head for the deserted city. Meanwhile, Zedd has completed his new war machine, the Chinese dragon-like Serpentera, which he plans to use to destroy the Power Rangers and the world. He too heads for the deserted city, but leaves something behind on Earth: a device to put all of Angel Grove to sleep. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha have transferred to Angel Grove High and are in the middle of their first day when the other students begin to fall asleep. Zordon teleports them out just in time and sends them to destroy the device. They are ambushed by Putties, who tie them to a tree. At the deserted city, the Rangers search for the Sword of Light but are interrupted by Serpentera. Jason summons the Red Dragon Thunderzord and Tor, the new carrier zord, to hold Zedd off while the search continues. They find the sword but have trouble freeing it from the Statue.
Rocky, Adam, and Aisha free themselves and destroy the Putties and the sleeping device. Meanwhile, the Rangers release the Sword of Light when Billy links the Ring and the Statue just as Zedd destroys the city. Back at the Command Center, the Rangers inform Zordon that Serpentera proved fierce opposition, and Jason, Trini, and Zack announce that they plan to back out from the Peace Conference as they are needed as Rangers. Zordon tells them that their destiny lies outside the team now and as they succeeded in their final quest. The Rangers will continue with new Rangers in their place, and he presents them with the new Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers: Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. Using the Sword of Light, Tommy transfers the powers from Jason, Trini, and Zack, and the new Rangers appear morphed. Zordon thanks Jason, Zack, and Trini for their loyal service and wishes them well before they leave. Meanwhile, Zedd returns to Earth with Serpentera to attack. The new team goes into action and summons the Thunderzords. At first, Serpenterra proves to be tough, but it has a flaw. It loses energy very quickly and Zedd is forced to retreat. Back at the Command Center, the Rangers see Jason, Zack, and Trini off via the viewing globe and celebrate their first victory with Rocky, Adam, and Aisha.
8929"Goldar's Vice-Versa"Terence H. WinklessDouglas SloanNovember 12, 1994233N/A
9030"Mirror of Regret"Terence H. WinklessCheryl SabanNovember 14, 1994234N/A
9131"When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?"Jonathan TzachorJudd LynnNovember 15, 1994235N/A
9232"Rocky Just Wants to Have Fun"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierNovember 16, 1994228N/A
9333"Lights, Camera, Action"Terence H. WinklessDaniel J. Sarnoff & Ellen Levy-SarnoffNovember 17, 1994240N/A
9434"Where There's Smoke, There's Fire"John StewartJerry P. JacobsNovember 21, 1994237N/A
9535"Scavenger Hunt"John StewartStewart St. JohnNovember 22, 1994227N/A
9636"The Great Bookala Escape"John StewartJudd LynnNovember 23, 1994239N/A
9737"Forever Friends"Terence H. WinklessCheryl SabanNovember 28, 1994238N/A
9838"A Reel Fish Story"Terence H. WinklessEllen Levy-Sarnoff & Douglas SloanNovember 29, 1994236N/A
9939"Rangers Back in Time"Terence H. WinklessShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonFebruary 4, 1995229N/A10040February 11, 1995230N/A
Lord Zedd casts a spell that turns back the hands of time and turns the Power Rangers into kids. He then creates Photomare from a Polaroid camera which traps them in a photograph.
Young Bulk and Skull are on the run with the picture of the Rangers, which is precisely what Lord Zedd, Goldar, and the Photomare are after. Alpha 5 is charged with regaining the picture so that the Rangers will be freed. Once released, they must destroy the monster as well as the Rock of Time that is guarded by a revived Dramole, Oysterizer, and Invenusable Flytrap to undo the spell.
10141"The Wedding"Shuki LevyShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonFebruary 13, 1995241N/A10242February 14, 1995242N/A10343February 15, 1995243N/A
The Rangers are going to Australia just as Lord Zedd is recharging. Rita, meanwhile, is back and ready for revenge. She orders her still loyal henchman Finster to make a potion for Lord Zedd to make him fall in love with her when he awakens. Alpha 5 misses the Rangers so much that Zordon suggests he take a walk. Finster tampers with Alpha 5's programming. Then Finster begins to revive some monsters that will also attend Rita and Zedd's wedding. When he returns, he creates havoc for the Rangers by tricking them into going to the Spectre Theatre where a revived Grumble Bee, Eye Guy, Soccadollo, Peckster, Rhinoblaster, Saliguana, Snizzard, Robogoat, Invenusable Flytrap, and Dramole attack them. To the Rangers' horror, they find that they can't escape, they are outnumbered, and can't use their powers.
The Rangers are fighting for their lives with no end in sight. They search desperately for a way out but find monsters at every turn. Lord Zedd awakens from his slumber and asks Rita to marry him. Goldar is very unhappy, to say the least, especially when he's charged with planning the wedding. The Rangers find a way out, and Lord Zedd makes Peckster and Rhinoblaster gigantic. Alpha 5 sabotages the zords while the Rangers are in the battle, forcing them to retreat. They teleport out, only to find themselves back in the Spectre Theatre from which they had just escaped. Meanwhile, much to Goldar's dismay, the wedding is about to begin.
Everyone on the moon, but Goldar is excited as Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd tie the knot. The Rangers hatch a plan to escape again by getting past Peckster, Rhinoblaster, and the Z-Putties while Rita and Lord Zedd are traveling to Earth to destroy them personally. Goldar sends monsters who pursue the Rangers in an attempt to stop them from reaching the Command Center. When they finally get there, Billy fixes Alpha 5 and restores Zordon, who reveals that the pursuing monsters are gigantic and attacking the city. The Rangers eventually destroy the monsters but earn a bickering Zedd and Rita's fury. Alpha 5 feels guilty for his actions against the Rangers and Zordon.
10444"Return of the Green Ranger"Shuki LevyShuki LevyFebruary 20, 1995244N/A10545Shuki LevyFebruary 21, 1995245N/A10646Shuki Levy & Shell DanielsonFebruary 22, 1995246N/A
The kids ponder a history assignment: what time period would they have liked to have lived in. Meanwhile, Rita summons the Wizard of Deception to send the Rangers back in time. There's just one thing that stands in their way, the White Ranger. The Wizard casts a spell on Bulk and Skull to obtain some of Tommy's hair to make a clone of the Green Ranger. When they fail, The Wizard finds Tommy and has a putty cut a bit of his hair off. The Wizard casts a spell on the hair, and the Green Ranger clone is reborn, unbeknownst to the Rangers. Tommy feels ill because of the spell and goes home to rest. The Green Ranger Clone Tom tricks the other Rangers into meeting with him, and the Wizard sends them back in time to late 18th century Angel Grove, and the Rangers find themselves trapped, completely powerless. Tommy is in total shock when he comes face to face with the evil Green Ranger.
The Green and White rangers engage in battle. They are perfectly matched until the Wizard intervenes and demorphs the White Ranger and orders the Green Ranger to bring back Dragonzord to destroy Angel Grove. Back in the 18th century, Angel Grove, the rest of the Rangers are aided by a girl who helps them escape. The Wizard shows up and casts a spell on some rats, making them human-sized and unleashing them on Angel Grove. The Rangers are horrified at not being able to use their powers and are forced to flee.
The Dragonzord is reawakened and under the evil influence of the Wizard. Tommy is weakened from demorphing and can barely function. The White Tigerzord is no match for the Dragonzord, while the White Ranger is in such a state. The Wizard and the Green Ranger corner him, but Tommy tricks them into revealing the whereabouts of the Rangers. After, Zordon says what must be done to free the Rangers. After bringing them back, the Rangers take on the Dragonzord. Tommy can take the Wizard's wand to destroy him and free the clone. Remorseful, Tom sends the Dragonzord back to its resting place for good. After dealing with the problem in the past, Tom decides to remain there, and Tommy heads back to his time.
10747"Best Man for the Job"John WeilMark HoffmeierApril 29, 1995250N/A
10848"Storybook Rangers"John WeilDouglas Sloan & Cheryl SabanMay 1, 1995248N/A10949May 2, 1995249N/A
There's a book fair at Angel Grove High, much to the delight of the Rangers. Tommy buys a book for Kimberly called "Grumble the Magic Elf" that she has loved since childhood. It tells the story about an elf named Grumble who was cursed by Mondo the Magician where he has to deliver toys to people. This inspires Rita to trap the Rangers inside. Once inside, Lord Zedd orders Putties to retrieve the book, and somehow, they end up inside the book. The Putties snatch the toys so that the Rangers can never leave. To make matters worse, two boys find the book and return it to the book fair. Adam, Aisha, and Billy can only watch in horror as Tommy, Kimberly, and Rocky aid Grumble the Elf and are attacked by a Snow Monster. Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull find a book that will help them animate a monster unaware that Zedd plans to have the duo create a monster for him.
Adam, Aisha, and Billy race against time to find the book Rocky, Kimberly, and Tommy are trapped in before it's too late. They are forced to search through hundreds of books, not knowing which one they are looking for. Unbeknownst to Bulk and Skull, Lord Zedd and Rita create a monster with the materials they were using to create a monster called Turkey Jerk because Skull used a cookbook instead of a monster-making book when putting it together. Kimberly, Tommy, and Rocky are buried in the avalanche until Grumble saves them while mentioning that the Snow Monster got buried in his own avalanche. The trio decides to ask Mondo the Magician to help them, but he gruffly refuses. Back in Angel Grove, Billy, Adam, and Aisha battle Turkey Jerk that is more difficult to handle than expected. Aisha gives Grumble a hand by drawing the toys so that the story can end happily. Just when things are starting to look up, Rita helps Mondo the Magician escape the book and attack Angel Grove. Can the Rangers defeat such a powerful foe?
11050"Wild West Rangers"Armand GarabidianMark LittonMay 8, 1995251N/A11151May 9, 1995252N/A
The Rangers teleport to the Command Center, but Kimberly ends up going through a time hole. Next thing she knows, she's in the wild west. Things take an interesting turn, to say the least, when Kimberly meets her friends' respective counterparts. The Rangers finally discover where she is but have to stop Goldar, Needlenose (who was created from a cactus), and Putties from going through the time hole, only to find themselves outnumbered. To make matters worse, the Rangers are paralyzed before they can prevent them from traveling back in time. The time hole closes so the Rangers can't follow, leaving Kimberly to face Needlenose, Goldar, and the Putties all alone.
As a last resort, Kimberly teleports to the Command Center of that era where its era's Zordon gives her what she'll need to face Needlenose if her friends' ancestors can help. There's just one problem; they don't even know how to fight. The White Stranger arrives to give the Rangers a hand.
11252"Blue Ranger Gone Bad"John WeilJudd LynnMay 20, 1995247N/A
Season 3 (1995)
[edit]Lua error in Module:Episode_table at line 246: attempt to perform arithmetic on a string value.
1131"A Friend in Need"Worth KeeterShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonSeptember 2, 19953011142September 9, 19953021153September 9, 1995303
Alpha 5's birth planet Edenoi is under attack by a spaceship under the command of Count Dregon who happens to be one of Lord Zedd's rivals. Thus, the Rangers (minus Kimberly who has the flu) teleport to Edenoi to find out what's going on. Meanwhile, Lord Zedd and Rita make a plan to invade Earth.
The Rangers meet up with the inhabitants of Edenoi and their prince Dex. Dex is also known as the Masked Rider. Dex tells the Rangers about the crystals that give special powers to the inhabitants and the history of why Count Dregon is attacking the planet. Meanwhile, Kimberly, while still ill, is fighting Repellator, a monster created by Finster, on planet Earth.
On Edenoi, the Rangers and Masked Rider fight with the Plague Sentry, the Plague Patrol, and the Cogworts. Meanwhile, Kimberly has infected Repellator with the flu; thus, the monster has to retreat to get an antidote from Finster, earning him Lord Zedd and Rita's fury. After helping the Masked Rider defeat Dregon's forces, the Rangers return to Earth to reunite with the Pink Ranger, summon the Thunderzords, and destroy Repellator. However, the Rangers are unaware that Count Dregon had followed them to Earth. The episode ends with King Lexion telling Dex to defend Earth against Count Dregon.
Note: This three-parter acted as a backdoor pilot for the TV show Masked Rider.
1164"Ninja Quest"Terence H. WinklessShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonSeptember 11, 19953041175September 12, 19953051186September 13, 19953061197September 14, 1995307
Rita's brother Rito Revolto arrives and plants some eggs nearby. Then, Rito teleports to Earth and lures the Rangers into a trap. Just when the Rangers are about to destroy Rito, he gets help from Fighting Flea, Lizzinator, Octophantom, and Stag Beetle who were recreated by Finster. The Rangers are outmatched, and ultimately, the Thunder Megazord and Tigerzord are destroyed.
Zedd, Rita, and Rito are having a party because the Rangers are finally destroyed. Meanwhile, the eggs Rito planted are opening, revealing Tenga Warriors. On Earth, Zordon sends the Rangers to the Desert of Despair to find Ninjor, the creator of the Power Coins, as he can't bring back their Zords. While traveling through the desert, Zedd finds the Rangers and sends the Tengas to fight them. The Rangers are no match for the Tengas and narrowly escape.
The Rangers walk through a hidden valley, enter a temple, and meet Ninjor. He gives the Rangers new Ninja Powers and new Ninja Zords. With their new powers, the Rangers easily beat the Tengas. However, the egg that was planted nearby the temple starts to hatch.
The Rangers call their Ninja Zords to fight Rito. Rito is putting up an even match until the Zords combine into the Megazord and quickly defeat him. Meanwhile, in the Desert of Despair, another egg opens, giving birth to another monster of Rito's called Vampirus. This monster attacks Ninjor but is heavily outmatched by Ninjor's power. Ninjor transforms and, together with the Megazord, destroy the evil beast.
Note: This four-parter aired almost three months after the premiere of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. The plot of the saga features a similar scenario to that of the movie, or rather, the "Ninja Quest" Saga is an alternate version of how the Rangers got their Ninja Powers. Due to this, the film was confirmed not to be part of the official Power Ranger storyline.
1208"A Brush with Destiny"Terence H. WinklessGilles WheelerSeptember 18, 1995308
1219"Passing the Lantern"Armand GarabidianKati RockySeptember 19, 1995309
12210"Wizard for a Day"Armand GarabidianMark HoffmeierSeptember 20, 1995310
12311"Fourth Down and Long"Armand GarabidianMark LittonSeptember 23, 1995311
12412"Stop the Hate Master"Bob RadlerStewart St. JohnSeptember 25, 199531312513September 26, 1995314
Aisha's hope of getting into the Angel Girls club ends in disappointment when only Kimberly is let in. However, Kimberly discovers that the club's leader, Veronica, didn't let Aisha in because of her parents' income. Thus, she quits the club out of loyalty to Aisha. Zedd and Rita create the evil Hate Master from Finster's seeds of evil, who is sent to spread hate everywhere. Meanwhile, the Rangers are attacked by Tengas, and the Hate Master places the Rangers under his spell. All but Aisha is affected. Lt. Stone puts Bulk and Skull in charge of catching the Graffiti Bandit.
Aisha tries to break Hate Master's hold on her friends but is unsuccessful. Alpha and Aisha discover that the necklace her grandmother gave her will help to save her friends from the spell. Once the Rangers are freed, they morph and destroy the Hate Master. After, they apologize for the things they said while under the spell. Aisha is accepted in the girls club when the other members learn of Veronica, only allowing members whose families had a high income or whose mothers were members, and they kick her out. Bulk and Skull try to capture the "Graffiti Bandit" plaguing Angel Grove. Bulk is surprised when he learns the bandit is Skull, who's been sleepwalking. Ernie forces them to clean the wall.
12614"Final Face-Off"Armand GarabidianDouglas SloanOctober 2, 1995312
12715"The Potion Notion"Bob RadlerJackie MarchandOctober 9, 1995315
12816"I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger"Douglas SloanRon Milbauer & Terri HughesNovember 23, 1995316
On Christmas Eve, Zedd and Rita send their troops to the North Pole to capture Santa Claus and his elves, thus preventing Santa from delivering his Christmas presents. Meanwhile, Kimberly misses her mother, who won't be able to go home for Christmas. The Rangers go to Santa's rescue but realize they can't morph to fight Rito, Goldar, and the Tengas. After quickly tying Goldar, Rito, and the Tengas with a red ribbon, Santa Claus sends them as a present to Zedd and Rita, who are angry. Meanwhile, the Rangers go home - before they do; however, Santa gives them a bag of gifts to take back to Angel Grove to give to the kids at Ernie's Juice Bar, where Kimberly and a group of children are going to be singing Christmas songs. Throughout the episode, there is a girl who is in the singing group, who is not too eager about this because her father won't be there to see it, all she wants to do is be with him, so she tells her to makes friends, and she does with Kimberly. The girl's father shows up, and Kimberly's mother comes for Christmas. Meanwhile, Zedd and Rita, Goldar, Rito, and the others are enjoying Christmas, and Rito gives a present to Goldar and says he's his best friend. In the end, the Rangers, Bulk, and Skull, who had earlier told the girl that if they saw Santa, they'd ask him to have her father come, Kimberly's parents, the music group, and most of the people at Ernie's Juice Bar sing together.
Note: This episode was released on video on 09/12/95, the same day as Ninja Quest Part II. The original video release featured extra footage and alternate cuts not present in the televised airing or subsequent releases on VHS or DVD.12917"A Ranger Catastrophe"Douglas SloanDouglas SloanOctober 16, 199531713018October 17, 1995318
Kimberly and Aisha find a stray cat that leaves Rita purring with delight. Then, Rito is sent to the animal shelter where Aisha volunteers. Summoning their ninja powers, the Rangers face off with Rito and the Tengas as Aisha's stray cat watches from the window. But, this is no ordinary cat as our heroes begin to understand.
The cat is revealed to be a new girl to Angel Grove, Katherine. Unfortunately for the Rangers, she is in alliance with Lord Zedd and Rita. Katherine tricks Tommy into helping her fix her car then rewards him with a free drive, but this was all a part of Rita's plan because Tommy ends up in another dimension. Rita retrieves Kat, but Tommy is left to fight both Rito and Goldar. The other Rangers try to help bring Tommy home but are stopped by the monster Katastrophe, who is Katherine. The Rangers defeat the Kat monster, free Tommy, and are surprised to find Kat sitting in the park. Little do they know she is after the Rangers.
13119"Changing of the Zords"Jonathan TzachorStewart St. JohnOctober 31, 199531913220November 1, 199532013321November 2, 1995321
Rita orders Katherine to steal Kimberly's power coin. While the Tengas distract the Rangers, Katherine takes Kimberly's power coin and brings it to Rita. Kimberly is immediately affected and slowly loses her powers (the power coins are connected to their natural human energy). Tommy and Ninjor team up to take on Goldar. Tommy uses his Falcon Zord but gets taken out by Katherine, who steals the Falcon Zord, while Ninjor is captured by Zedd.
Kimberly is still losing her powers and, ultimately, passes out. The other Rangers move to Angel Grove park to fight Incisorator sent by Zedd. Meanwhile, the Tengas attack Katherine to lure Kimberly into battle. Kimberly wakes up and teleports to Katherine to fight off the Tengas. Because Kimberly has been weakened due to the loss of her power coin, she is no match for the Tengas and gets beaten while Katherine watches. Goldar shows up and kidnaps Kimberly, who he brings to Lord Zedd. As Zedd calls a parley with the Rangers, Zordon agrees to teleport Lord Zedd to the Command Center to talk about his demands. Zedd gives the Rangers two options: pilot his new evil Zords or Kimberly will be destroyed.
The Rangers agree to pilot Zedd's evil Shogunzords. Zedd teleports back to the moon and is having a party with Rita and Rito. Using the viewing globe, Billy locates the whereabouts of Kimberly. Tommy, using the device from "The Green Candle", goes to the dark dimension. Tommy finds Kimberly but gets intercepted by Zedd. Meanwhile, Rita sends the evil Shogunzords to Earth to be piloted by the Rangers. Billy finds a way to override the controls using the power coins. Finding out about this, Rita orders Finster to send down a monster as he creates See Monster. In the Dark Dimension, Tommy finally beats Zedd, rescues Kimberly, and teleports back to Earth. Tommy teams up with the other Shogunzords to destroy See Monster.
13422"Follow That Cab!"Terence H. WinklessShuki Levy & Shell DanielsonNovember 4, 1995322
13523"A Different Shade of Pink"Bob RadlerDouglas SloanNovember 6, 199532313624November 7, 199532413725November 8, 1995325
Kimberly meets Gunther Schmidt, an international gymnast trainer. Schmidt offers to coach Kimberly for the Pan Global Games. Because of this, Kimberly no longer has time to fulfill her duties as a Ranger. Rita and Zedd launch multiple attacks on Earth, requiring the Rangers to split up and take them on. The Rangers are beaten, and Kimberly has to give up her training to help her team fight Goldar, the Tengas, and a revived Vampirus and Artistmole. Meanwhile, Katherine is slowly losing the spell cast by Rita, feeling sympathy for Kimberly. The episode ends with Kimberly training all night and day, eventually passing out from exhaustion. Katherine is there and finally realizes what she has done to Kimberly and the rest of the Rangers.
Kimberly is escorted into the hospital. The Rangers visit, but have to leave to fight the Tengas and Rito as Zordon advises Kimberly to continue resting. While the Rangers are away, Katherine tells Kimberly about the spell Rita cast on her. Meanwhile, Finster creates Garbage Mouth. Garbage Mouth tries to destroy Angel Grove, but is stopped by the Rangers. The episode ends with Rita showing up and giving the Rangers a choice: turn in Katherine or Ninjor will be destroyed.
Katherine decides to exchange herself for Ninjor. However, Rita tricks the Rangers and they lose Katherine to her and Zedd. Katherine gets put into a prison cell with Rito as the guard. She gives Rito a back massage and then steals the key while Rito falls asleep. Katherine finds the Pink Power coin locked in a case and is confronted by Rita. Before she can call for the Tengas to recapture Katherine, she is teleported to the Command Center and gives the coin back to Kimberly. Kimberly gets her confidence back, trains for the gymnastics tournament, and wins. Schmidt offers Kimberly to move to his facility in Florida to compete for the Pan Global Games. The episode ends with Kimberly giving her pink power coin to Katherine.
13826"Rita's Pita"Terence H. WinklessJackie MarchandNovember 11, 1995326
13927"Another Brick in the Wall"Terence H. WinklessMark HoffmeierNovember 13, 1995327
14028"A Chimp in Charge"Terence H. WinklessDouglas SloanNovember 18, 1995328
14129"Master Vile and the Metallic Armor"Bob RadlerMark LittonNovember 20, 199532914230November 21, 199533014331November 22, 1995331
The Earth and Rita and Zedd's palace shake with the arrival of one very evil visitor: Rita & Rito's father, Master Vile. While Vile is furious with Rita for marrying Zedd, he announces his plan to get the Zeo Crystal. Now, the Rangers must unravel the mystery of his plan and prepare for their biggest battle yet.
Tommy and Kat volunteer to search for the Falcon Zord and the Zeo Crystal. Kat distracts Zedd and Rita by claiming she wants to be evil again to give Tommy time to search for the Zeo Crystal. The other Rangers fight the Blue Globber, who has absorbed Ninjor's powers.
Taking control of the Youth Center, Master Vile throws an End of the World Party which is attended by Fighting Flea, Slippery Shark, Oysterizer, Robogoat, Invenusable Flytrap, Vampirus, Artistmole, Centiback, Hate Master, Miss Chief, Incisorator, See Monster, Garbage Mouth, and Brick Bully. The Rangers travel to another dimension to retrieve their Zords, which have been sent there by Master Vile. Alpha discovers a way to weaken the Blue Globber.
14432"The Sound of Dischordia"Marco GaribaldiStewart St. JohnNovember 25, 1995332
14533"Rangers in Reverse"Marco GaribaldiDouglas SloanNovember 27, 1995333
Special (2023)
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——"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always"Charlie HaskellBecca Barnes & Alwyn DaleApril 19, 2023—
After Trini sacrifices herself to save Billy from a robotically revived Rita Repulsa, the team must grieve and regroup to face their old nemesis and two revived minions, Snizzard and Minotaur. The rangers must stop Robo Rita from abducting rangers and using their power to fuel a mysterious device. Trini's orphaned daughter, Minh (Charlize "Charlie" Kersh), learns what it means to be a hero as she prepares to fulfill her destiny and succeed her mother as the new Yellow Ranger.
Notes: Dedicated to Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank. The special premiered on Netflix.Production
[edit]Conception
[edit]While on a business trip to Japan, Haim Saban came across a broadcast of Choudenshi Bioman on TV Asahi, later learning of a popular French-language dub aired on Canal+.[32] Based on the franchise's popularity both in and outside of its native country, Saban realized there was potential for an American adaptation. He and his business partner Shuki Levy quickly produced a pilot entitled Bio-Man in August 1986,[33] which featured an early appearance by actor and martial artist Mark Dacascos in a leading role.[34] According to Levy, they "shopped it around for at least five years, but nobody wanted it."[35] Saban only found success in 1992, when he found a network executive familiar with Super Sentai, Fox Kids' Margaret Loesch, that during her time with Marvel Productions saw partner Stan Lee trying to sell the Sun Vulcan series to various television stations such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and HBO. Loesch's boss at Fox did not have much faith in the project, only financing a pilot that if unsuccessful, could even lead to Loesch's dismissal. Levy and Saban then began working on the pilot using footage from the latest Sentai season, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger,[36] entitling the pitch Galaxy Rangers. A test screening with an audience of children was successful,[36] and eventually, the pilot was picked up by Fox Kids for a 40-episode order, after which point it would be determined by the network whether or not to renew the series for additional episodes.[35]
Casting
[edit]Due to the action-oriented nature of the show, many of the lead actors cast had background in martial arts, dance, or other physically intensive activities. Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly) and David Yost (Billy) were former competitive gymnasts,[37][38][39] Austin St. John (Jason) held a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo,[40] and a first-degree black belt in Judo.[41] Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack) was a dancer and trained in Taekwondo, and Thuy Trang (Trini) was a kung fu practitioner.[42] Actor Jason Narvy (Skull) originally auditioned for the role of Billy.[43]
Filming
[edit]The series was shot on location in Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, California.[44] Recurring locations included Grant High School, Placerita Canyon State Park, Puddingstone Reservoir, and Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park. The House of the Book at Brandeis-Bardin Institute was used as the exterior location for the Command Center.[45] Due to its unusual, futuristic architecture; the building had previously been used in the films Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and The Lawnmower Man.[46]
As part of the initial licensing agreement between Saban and Toei Company, the producers of the Super Sentai, additional footage was filmed in the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan, and insert shots of the villain characters (particularly those played by Machiko Soga, Ami Kawai, and Hideaki Kusaka)[47] were filmed in order to allow more in-depth, extensive scenes of the villains who would be unable to interact with the main cast due to the nature of the show.[48] The additional footage included close-ups of the actor speaking English-language lines phonetically in order to make the necessary dialogue looping more seamless.[48]
Episodes 39 & 40 (The two part episode Doomsday) were originally intended as the season (and potentially series) finale.[49] According to Paul Schrier, the producers brought Machiko Soga in to film new footage, but she could not mouth the dialogue.[50] Due to the unprecedented success of the show and its merchandising, Fox Kids ordered an additional 20 episodes. Since most of the available stock footage from Zyuranger had been depleted for use in the first 40 episodes of Season 1, Saban commissioned Toei to produce 25 new monster costumes and new battle footage using the existing Zyuranger suits. This new footage has been referred to as "Zyu2" by Power Rangers fans. Saban used 15 of the new monster costumes and their footage for the rest of Season 1 (episodes 41–60), then the remaining ten for the first 13 episodes of Season 2.[51] This became problematic, however, when the Thunderzords were introduced, as they were from Gosei Sentai Dairanger, which resulted in Saban splicing together footage from both "Zyu2" and Dairanger for the Megazord battles in these early Season 2 episodes.
Following production of Season 2's first 20 episodes, Austin St. John, Thuy Trang and Walter Emanuel Jones left the show over contract disputes.[52] To disguise this incident, a combination of body doubles, voice doubles and stock footage were used to continue featuring the characters Jason, Trini and Zack for eight episodes. The voice doubles were also used for the Ranger costume scenes in the last several episodes that the three actors filmed. The subplot of Jason, Trini and Zack leaving Angel Grove for the World Peace Conference was made to bridge the transition to their replacements.
During the later portion of Season 2 (following Rocky, Adam and Aisha's introduction to the series), the production moved to Sydney, Australia for roughly four months to shoot Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which was released the following summer before the start of Season 3.
Reception and controversy
[edit]Depictions of violence
[edit]Despite the success of the series, it was also subject to much controversy from parents who felt the show was too violent for young children. The show had aired before television stations issued content warnings such as parental guidance or fit for viewing persons twelve years or over, the V-chip, and television ratings. In the US, numerous complaints were sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In 1993, the Canadian broadcast rights to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were jointly purchased by the YTV cable channel, and the series played to a receptive audience every weekday afternoon on YTV, the latter trailing the American broadcast by several months. However, due to complaints sent to the recently formed Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and a negative assessment from that body over the show's violent content,[53] YTV removed the series from their line-up in November.[54][55][56] Despite not actually being a member of the CBSC, YTV complied and pulled the series before the end of its first season; Global (which was a CBSC member) ultimately did the same. While a phone-in poll was conducted to see if viewers wanted MMPR back on YTV, no further installments of the Power Rangers franchise aired on the network until 2011's Power Rangers Samurai, although commercials for toys and videos were still advertised on it.[57] Later Disney-era versions of the series were broadcast on ABC Family.
In 1994, the New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) upheld several complaints from members of the public about the level of violence in the show. The main concern of those complainants was that the show portrayed violence as the primary means of resolving conflict, and that this was influencing children to behave more violently more frequently. Immediately following the BSA decision, the second season of the show was all but cancelled by Television New Zealand.[55] New Zealand is the only country in the world where this show has been prematurely withdrawn from public broadcast to date.[58] DVD and video releases of the more-recent Power Rangers series that were filmed in New Zealand can be found at The Warehouse, although general sales through video stores and other retailers are scarce. Later series in the Power Rangers franchise, such as Power Rangers: Mystic Force and Power Rangers: Jungle Fury, were filmed in New Zealand, but the programs were still not shown in the country, until 2011, when Samurai premiered.[citation needed]
In mid-October 1994, the murder of Silje Redergård by two of her young friends prompted Swedish-owned TV3 to pull MMPR from its broadcast schedule in all of its market countries. However, MMPR was not related to the event.[59]
Poor work conditions
[edit]As a non-union production, members of the original cast were reportedly subject to low pay, long hours, unfair contracts, and a hostile work environment and, as many of the cast were young, aspiring actors, they had no agents or lawyers to protect their interests and they themselves had limited experience in the entertainment industry. Additionally, despite the show's financial success, members of the original cast did not receive royalty payments for re-runs of episodes in which they starred.[60]
Austin St. John, Thuy Trang and Walter Emmanuel Jones were the first to leave the series, citing low pay, in the middle of the second season, and St. John was homeless for a time after leaving.[61] While the reasons for their departure was debated for many years, St. John would confirm in 2014 that the departure was due to the low salaries the stars were being paid; he stated "I could have worked the window at McDonald's and probably made the same money the first season. It was disappointing, it was frustrating, it made a lot of us angry."[52] The actors were receiving non-union pay,[62][63] in the amount of about $60,000 per year without any compensation for merchandising for the show, which was estimated to be worth about $1 billion. Trang, St. John, and Jones were all represented by agent Ingrid Wang,[64] and they requested more compensation and union recognition.[65][62][64][66] Amy Jo Johnson, who left the series in the middle of the third season, later expressed regret that she and the other cast members did not join the three departing cast members in calling for union wages and recognition, wondering if all of them standing together may have led to a different result.[67] According to Johnson, St. John, Jones and Trang had wanted the show to become unionized, leading to them being replaced by Steve Cardenas, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Karan Ashley, respectively.[68]
Within the show, the actors' departure was explained by their characters being chosen as representatives in an international "Peace Conference" in Switzerland.[69][70][71][72] Trang, St. John, and Jones released a joint statement about their departure:[73][74][75]
After two seasons as the Power Rangers, we would now like to move forward to the many new opportunities that have been presented to us. Our Power Rangers experience will always remain an exciting and important part of our lives and careers, and it is gratifying that through our participation in the show, we were able to touch the lives of so many young people.
Allegations of homophobia
[edit]David Yost was the last of the original Ranger actors to leave the series (during Power Rangers Zeo), citing homophobic attitudes from production staff, prompting him to unsuccessfully undergo conversion therapy in an effort to change his sexuality.[76] In a 2010 interview with fan blog "No Pink Spandex", Yost stated that he walked off set one day because "[he] was called 'faggot' one too many times." He also stated that the producers would often ask other cast members what they thought about his homosexuality, and this made him uncomfortable as well.[77][78] Shortly after this interview, producer Scott Page-Pagter stated that Yost left over a pay dispute and that he didn't know why Yost made the allegations of homophobia; he further stated that Yost did not get along with any of the crew.[79]
Other
[edit]In Malaysia, the phrase "Mighty Morphin" was censored and edited out from the logo due to the word "morphin" being too similar to the name of the drug morphine.[80]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1995
|
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Camera Photography | Ilan Rosenberg | Nominated |
Broadcast and home media
[edit]Reruns of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were aired on all networks such as Fox/ABC Family, Toon Disney (part of the Jetix block) and ABC Kids for a short time, the show aired on Nicktoons on 2011 or 2012 for the Power Rangers event called Color of Courage for only 6 episodes, later returned on TeenNick's The '90s Are All That block in honor of the series' 20th anniversary in 2013 and later in 2023, Video on Demand network Kabillion currently airs the show.
VHS, DVD and streaming
[edit]Between 1994 and 1996, Saban Home Entertainment, in association with PolyGram Video and WarnerVision Entertainment, released videotapes of the series in the United States. In 2000, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released seven compilation VHS tapes. In 2012, Shout! Factory released 19 discs to Comic-Con International and a 20-disc set exclusively to Time Life of all three seasons and Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers. In that same year, Shout! Factory reissued the 19 discs to wider retail. They also released two volumes for both seasons 1 and 2 of the series, as well as the complete third season. In January 2014, the complete series, as well as the remaining 17 seasons in the entire Power Rangers franchise, was released in 98-disc set. The series has also been released on VHS in the UK and Australia, and Region 2 DVD. The first 30 episodes of season 1 have been released to Region 4 DVD.
As of 2023, the series is now streaming on Netflix along with Ninja Steel, Super Ninja Steel, Beast Morphers, Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury.
Video games
[edit]The following video games are either based on the television series or feature characters from the series.
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy) (1994)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Sega Genesis, Game Gear) (1994)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Sega CD) (1994)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear) (1995)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition (SNES) (1995)
- Power Rangers: Super Legends (PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS) (2007)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) (2017)[81]
- Power Rangers: Legacy Wars (iOS, Android) (2017)
- Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) (2019)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch, Windows (2024)[82]
Comic books
[edit] |
Several comic book series were based on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. From 1994 to 1995, Hamilton Comics produced three separate series totaling 13 issues altogether. Marvel Comics produced two series, the first with seven issues based on the second season and the second with five issues called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Ninja Rangers/VR Troopers which was a flip book with adventures based on the third season on one side and of VR Troopers on the other. The Power Rangers also appeared in the Masked Rider comic book from Marvel. In March 2016, BOOM! comics released a new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic series based on the original series but serves as a reboot taking place in the modern world.[83][84][85][86] In July 2017, a second series titled Go Go Power Rangers was released and takes place before Tommy joins the team.
Films
[edit]- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
- Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)
See also
[edit]
References
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In hindsight, I wonder if we all banded together. I wonder what would have happened. I wonder if we would've become union. I don't know. I don't know.
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