Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sonic the Hedgehog
Genre	Action Science fantasy
Directed by	John Grusd (pilot only) Dick Sebast (season 1) Ron Myrick (season 2)
Voices of	Jaleel White Kath Soucie Mark Ballou Cam Brainard Christine Cavanaugh Bradley Pierce Charlie Adler Jim Cummings Rob Paulsen Cree Summer Frank Welker William Windom
Theme music composer	Noisy Neighbors Michael Tavera
Opening theme	"The Fastest Thing Alive"
Composer(s)	Michael Tavera (season 1) Matt Muhoberac (season 2) John Zuker (season 2)
Country of origin	United States Italy
Original language(s)	English Italian
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	26
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andy Heyward Robby London
Producer(s)	John Grusd (pilot only) Dick Sebast (season 1) Ron Myrick (season 2) Len Janson (supervising producer)
Editor(s)	Mark A. McNally Sue Odjakjian CK Horness
Running time	20–22 minutes
Production company(s)	DIC Productions, L.P. Sega of America Reteitalia Telecinco Saerom Animation Milimetros
Distributor	United States DIC Entertainment International ABC Distribution Company
Release
Original network	ABC (United States) Italia 1 (Italy)
Picture format	NTSC
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18) – December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03)
Chronology
Related shows	Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic Underground Sonic X Sonic Boom Sonic Prime

Sonic the Hedgehog is an animated TV show based on the popular video game series. It was made by DIC Productions, Sega of America, and an Italian studio called Reteitalia. This show is the second Sonic cartoon from DiC, coming after Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Unlike the funnier Adventures series, this show has a more serious and darker story. It shows Sonic as part of a group of freedom fighters. They are trying to defeat Dr. Robotnik, who has taken over their home planet, Mobius. Robotnik has turned Mobius into a polluted, industrial place. Fans often call this show "SatAM" because it aired on Saturday mornings.

The show ran for two seasons with 26 episodes on ABC. It aired from September 18, 1993, to December 3, 1994. A third season was planned, but ABC canceled the show, leaving fans with a cliffhanger ending. Even though it was canceled, many fans still love the series, making it a cult hit. The show also inspired a video game called Sonic Spinball and a long-running comic book series.

Story of the Show

The series takes place on a planet called Mobius, where most of the people are animal-like characters who can talk and act like humans. The Kingdom of Acorn, located in the city of Mobotropolis, was once at war. King Acorn hired a human scientist named Julian to build war machines.

However, during peacetime, Julian and his nephew Snively took over the kingdom in a surprise attack. The King was sent to another dimension called the Void. Most citizens were captured and turned into robot slaves using a machine called the Roboticizer. Julian then renamed himself Dr. Robotnik and became the dictator of Mobius. Mobotropolis was renamed Robotropolis, a city full of pollution and factories.

Robotnik faces a small group called the Freedom Fighters, who live in the hidden forest village of Knothole. They are led by Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally Acorn, who is the King's daughter.

Other members include Sonic's best friend Miles "Tails" Prower, a smart walrus named Rotor, a French coyote named Antoine Depardieu, a half-roboticized Bunnie Rabbot, and Dulcy the Dragon. They are a rebellion fighting against Robotnik's rule. Sonic uses special Power Rings to get a temporary boost in his speed and power. Both the rings and the Roboticizer were invented by Sonic's uncle, Chuck, who was also turned into a robot.

Early in the series, Sonic uses a Power Ring to help Uncle Chuck get his free will back, even though he is still a robot. Chuck then becomes a spy for the Freedom Fighters, working from inside Robotropolis. In the second season, Robotnik finds out about him, and Chuck escapes to Knothole.

Sally spends the series looking for her father. She finds him alive in the Void, along with a sorcerer named Naugus. Naugus was also trapped there by Robotnik. Both King Acorn and Naugus find that their bodies turn to crystal if they leave the Void because they have been there for so long. King Acorn gives Sally a list of other Freedom Fighters to help them fight Robotnik. The heroes also gain allies like Ari the Ram and Lupe, who leads a group of wolves.

In a two-part episode called "Blast to the Past," Sonic and Sally use Time Stones to travel back in time. They try to stop Robotnik's takeover from happening. They don't succeed, but they manage to get their younger selves to safety in Knothole with help from Sally's nanny Rosie Woodchuck.

In the final episode, Robotnik builds the Doomsday Project to destroy everyone. The Freedom Fighters launch a big attack against Robotnik. Sonic and Sally destroy the Doomsday Project using the Deep Power Stones. Robotnik is caught in the explosion and is completely destroyed. The Freedom Fighters celebrate their victory. In the very last scene, Snively becomes the main bad guy, joined by an unseen ally with red eyes. The show's writer, Ben Hurst, said this was Naugus.

Who are the Characters?

Knothole Freedom Fighters

• Sonic (voiced by Jaleel White) is a blue hedgehog who is super fast. He is the main hero and the only Freedom Fighter who can use magical Power Rings. Sonic is brave and heroic, but sometimes a bit impatient. He always calls Robotnik "Ro-butt-nik" to make fun of him.
• Princess Sally Alicia Acorn (voiced by Kath Soucie) is a chipmunk and the rightful princess of Mobotropolis. She is Sonic's friend and a smart leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Sally is good at planning and is often the voice of reason. She tries to keep Sonic focused and is known for being kind and diplomatic.
• Bunnie Rabbot (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) is a rabbit with a southern accent. Half of her body was turned into a robot, including her left arm and both legs. She is good at fighting and hopes to become fully normal again.
• Antoine "Ant" Depardieu (voiced by Rob Paulsen) is a coyote with a French accent. His clumsy actions often put the group in danger or get him captured. He sometimes struggles with English. He likes Princess Sally and tries to impress her, but his selfishness often gets in the way. Sonic often teases Antoine.
• Rotor (voiced by Mark Ballou in Season 1 and Cam Brainard in Season 2) is a walrus and the mechanic of Knothole Village. He invents useful gadgets for the Freedom Fighters and helps them sneak into places.
• Tails (voiced by Bradley Pierce) is a young fox with two tails who looks up to Sonic. He usually stays in Knothole, but he can be very helpful on dangerous missions.
• Nicole (voiced by Kath Soucie) is a portable computer that Sally uses to hack into Robotnik's machines. Nicole speaks in a calm, robotic voice and has artificial intelligence. It seems Sally got Nicole from her father.
• Dulcy (voiced by Cree Summer) is a young dragon who helps the Knothole Freedom Fighters travel. She has strong lungs and can blow enemies away or use fire or ice breath. She sometimes has trouble landing and crashes a lot. She joined the team in Season 2.

Villains

• Dr. Julian Robotnik (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a human warlord. He wants to cover Mobius in machines and turn everyone into robot slaves. The Knothole Freedom Fighters are his main enemies. Robotnik's strong desire to destroy Sonic often leads to his own downfall. In this show, his real first name is Julian, and he calls himself "Robotnik" after taking over.
• Snively (voiced by Charlie Adler) is Robotnik's nephew and helper. Robotnik often treats him badly, so Snively hates his uncle and secretly plans against him.
• Naugus (voiced by Michael Bell) is a powerful wizard with bat-like ears, a horn, a claw hand, and a lizard tail. He is angry at Robotnik for trapping him in the Void. Naugus wants revenge, but he can't leave the Void without turning into crystal because he's been there for too long.
  • Cluck (vocal effects by Frank Welker) is a robot chicken-like bird. He is the only creature Robotnik shows any kindness to.
  • Swat-Bots (voiced by Jim Cummings and Frank Welker) are Robotnik's main robot soldiers.

Other Characters

• Sir Charles "Chuck" Hedgehog (voiced by William Windom) is Sonic's uncle. He invented the Roboticizer before Robotnik stole it. He was turned into a robot slave until Sonic helped him get his memory back. He then became a spy for the Freedom Fighters.
• Ari Ram (voiced by Dorian Harewood) is a Freedom Fighter who worked as a double agent for Robotnik. He was later betrayed and trapped in the Void but was rescued by Sonic and joined the Knothole Freedom Fighters.
• King Acorn (voiced by Tim Curry) is the former king of Mobotropolis and Sally's father. He was sent to the Void during Robotnik's takeover. Like Naugus, he cannot leave the Void without turning into crystal. Before returning to the Void, he gives Sally a list of other Freedom Fighter groups on Mobius. He tells her to find them and unite them to fight Robotnik.
• Lupe Wolf (voiced by Shari Belafonte) is the leader of the Wolfpack Freedom Fighters. She is an ally of the Knothole Freedom Fighters in their fight against Robotnik.

Voice Actors

Jaleel White was the voice of Sonic in this show and the previous one, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

• Jaleel White as Sonic the Hedgehog
• Charlie Adler as Snively
• Jim Cummings as Dr. Julian Robotnik, Swat-Bots
• Christine Cavanaugh as Bunnie Rabbot
• Rob Paulsen as Antoine Depardieu
• Bradley Pierce as Miles "Tails" Prower
• Kath Soucie as Princess Sally Acorn
• Cree Summer as Dulcy the Dragon
• Frank Welker as Cluck, Swat-Bots
• William Windom as Uncle Chuck
• Tim Curry as King Acorn

Behind the Scenes

• Marsha Gooodman - Casting director
• Ginny McSwain - Casting director and voice director

How the Show Was Made

Sonic the Hedgehog was made by DiC Animation City with Sega of America and the Italian studio Reteitalia. They made 26 episodes over two seasons. The animation was done by studios in Korea and Spain.

Before the show started, Sega of America and ABC network talked to DiC Entertainment about making a Sonic TV show. DiC agreed and got the rights. Originally, this Saturday morning show was going to be more light-hearted. However, DiC also wanted to make another Sonic show for weekdays. This led to the creation of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which was more comedic. To make the Saturday morning show different, it was made darker and more serious.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1993)

Season 2 (1994)

Where and When it Aired

First Airing

The Saturday morning Sonic the Hedgehog series was different from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which started two weeks earlier and aired on weekdays. While Adventures was funny, Sonic the Hedgehog had a more serious story. It explored topics like losing loved ones in war and relationships between young couples.

The first season had separate episodes, but the second season told one big story. ABC asked for more humor in the second season, so some darker parts were reduced. Other changes in season two included Princess Sally wearing a jacket, Dulcy the Dragon joining the cast, and Rotor getting a new look.

Later Airings

After its first run, the show aired on the USA Network from June 1997 to January 1998. It also aired in Canada on the CTV Network. From 2004 to 2015, it was shown on Spacetoon TV in the Middle East and North Africa. In the UK, it aired on ITV and Channel 4 from 1994 to 1996.

Since 2016, reruns have aired on Starz. As of 2020, you can find the show on Pluto TV and Paramount+, as well as YouTube. In Malaysia, it started airing on a new kids' channel called TA-DAA! in 2021.

DVD Releases

The show has not been re-released on DVD since 2012. However, you can still buy and download the complete series on iTunes.

Sonic in Other Media

Comic Books

The Sonic the Hedgehog comic book by Archie Comics was first based on this Saturday morning cartoon. It used the same characters and story. Over time, the comic became more adventure-focused. After the TV show was canceled, the comic changed again, focusing more on relationships and later on the video game series. However, characters from the Saturday morning cartoon remained important in the comic until it ended in 2017.

Video Games

Some video games were planned to use ideas from the TV series, but only one was finished. This was Sonic Spinball, released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. It featured characters from the show, like Princess Sally, Bunnie Rabbot, and Rotor. These characters were also planned for another game called Sonic-16, but it was canceled. Later, the same team worked on Sonic Mars, which would have let you play as Princess Sally and Bunnie Rabbot, but this game was also canceled.

Movie Ideas

In 2002, writer Ben Hurst tried to get an animated movie made to bring the series back. He talked to a Sega executive who was interested. However, the movie idea didn't happen due to various reasons. Another writer, Ken Penders, also pitched his own movie idea in 2003, but it also never happened.

Fan-Made Season 3

Since 2019, a group of fans called 'Team Sea3on' has been working to create a third season of the show. They are using notes from the original writer, Ben Hurst, and their own webcomic. The group is trying to work with Sega legally. Their efforts have even been noticed by IGN. In April 2022, they released a teaser trailer with a new version of the show's theme song.

See also

In Spanish: Sonic the Hedgehog (serie de televisión) para niños