Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Genre	Action Comedy
Based on	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman Peter Laird
Developed by	Ciro Nieli Joshua Sternin J. R. Ventimilia
Voices of	Jason Biggs (seasons 1-2) Rob Paulsen Sean Astin Greg Cipes Hoon Lee Mae Whitman Kevin Michael Richardson Josh Peck Kelly Hu Nolan North Clancy Brown Christian Lanz Phil LaMarr Eric Bauza Fred Tatasciore J. B. Smoove David Tennant Gwendoline Yeo Seth Green (seasons 3-5)
Theme music composer	Sebastian Evans II Stan Martinez
Opening theme	"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
Ending theme	"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (instrumental)
Composer(s)	Sebastian Evans II
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	124 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Joshua Sternin J. R. Ventimilia Peter Hastings Ciro Nieli Brandon Auman
Producer(s)	MacGregor Middleton
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Nickelodeon Animation Studio Low Bar Productions
Distributor	Viacom Media Networks
Release
Original network	Nickelodeon Nicktoons (episodes 115–121)
Picture format	480i NTSC 1080i HDTV
Original release	September 28, 2012 (2012-09-28) – November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12)
Chronology
Preceded by	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
Followed by	Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a cool animated TV show based on the famous superhero team. It uses 3D computer animation to bring the characters to life. The show aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 28, 2012, to November 12, 2017. The fifth season was even called Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This series was made by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Low Bar Productions. It tells the story of the four turtle brothers as they leave their sewer home for the first time. They use their awesome ninjutsu skills to fight bad guys in New York City. The show was created to appeal to kids aged 6 to 11, bringing the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story to a new generation.

The show was first announced in 2009. Before it premiered, Nickelodeon and Playmates Toys released lots of toys and merchandise with the new character designs. The first two episodes aired on September 28 and 29, 2012, and were watched by 3.9 million people! This was a huge success, leading to more seasons. The final episodes of the fifth season were shown on Nicktoons. The series was followed by Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2018.

What's the Story?

Season 1: The Turtles Emerge!

The story begins with Splinter, a skilled ninjutsu master, and his four pet turtles. They are in Manhattan when they meet strange aliens called the Kraang. During a fight, Splinter and the turtles are covered in a special chemical called mutagen. This chemical changes them: Splinter becomes a giant rat, and the turtles become human-like. Splinter takes them to the New York City sewers and trains them in ninjutsu.

Now teenagers, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo go to the surface for the first time. They discover that the Kraang are using the mutagen to take over New York. They meet a girl named April O'Neil whose father is kidnapped by the Kraang. Donatello, who likes April, helps rescue her. April becomes their friend and Splinter even trains her to be a ninja!

Meanwhile, Splinter's old enemy, Shredder, comes to New York from Japan. He orders his ninja clan, the Foot, to find Splinter and his sons. Shredder teams up with the Kraang to defeat the Hamato Clan (Splinter's family). The season ends with the turtles defeating the Kraang's main ship, the Technodrome. Splinter also learns that Shredder's adopted daughter, Karai, is actually his own daughter, Miwa, who was kidnapped long ago.

Season 2: More Mutants and Big Reveals!

In Season 2, the turtles try to stop more mutations caused by the leftover mutagen. April's father is mutated, which makes April upset with the turtles at first. But they win her trust back by saving her from Karai. They also meet Casey Jones, who becomes their new friend and helps them fight. Donatello finds a way to turn April's father back to normal using "retro-mutagen."

Shredder returns from Japan with a new helper, Tiger Claw. Leonardo tells Karai that Shredder is not her real father, but she doesn't believe him at first. When she finally learns the truth, she turns against Shredder. Sadly, during a battle, Karai is mutated into a snake.

The Kraang launch a second invasion of New York, destroying the turtles' lair. Leonardo gets badly hurt, and Splinter seems to be defeated by Shredder. The turtles, April, and Casey have to escape to a summer home in Upstate New York as the Kraang take over Manhattan.

Season 3: Taking Back New York!

The group recovers at April's family home. Leonardo takes time to heal, but with Splinter's guidance, he gets stronger. They return to New York to find Splinter, Karai, and other friends. They find Splinter and set up a new base. Donatello works on more retro-mutagen.

Shredder mutates two criminals, Ivan Steranko and Anton Zeck, into the famous Bebop and Rocksteady. The turtles also meet a new team of mutants called the Mighty Mutanimals, who help them. Together, they push the Kraang back to their home dimension, Dimension X, and free New York!

Later, the turtles travel back in time and meet a younger Splinter and Shredder. They witness how Shredder accidentally kills Splinter's wife and kidnaps their baby daughter, Miwa (who becomes Karai).

When the Kraang return, they bring another enemy from Dimension X: the Triceraton Empire. The Triceratons activate a device that creates a black hole, destroying Earth! But just in time, a friendly robot named Professor Honeycutt (the Fugitoid) saves the turtles, April, and Casey, taking them into space.

Season 4: Space Adventures and Super Shredder!

The Fugitoid takes the group six months back in time in his spaceship, the Ulixes. Their mission is to stop the Triceraton Empire from getting the pieces of the black hole device again. They fight new enemies in space, like Lord Dregg and Armaggon. They even meet their old-school 1987 cartoon counterparts!

Despite their efforts, the Triceratons still gather the pieces. The turtles return to Earth and team up with their past selves to warn Splinter and stop the black hole device. The Fugitoid destroys the device, defeating the Triceratons.

Back on Earth, April becomes a full ninja. Karai and her friend Shinigami try to rebuild their clan and take down Shredder, who is recovering. Shredder uses a special mutagen to become the powerful Super-Shredder. He attacks the turtles and their allies, and tragically, Splinter is defeated in battle. Leonardo finally defeats Super-Shredder in a big final fight.

Season 5: Tales of the Turtles!

After Super-Shredder's defeat, Tiger Claw tries to bring Shredder back to life using a demon named Kavaxas. Kavaxas needs Shredder's helmet and heart to do this. The Foot Clan gets these items, and Shredder is revived as a zombie! But Zombie Shredder destroys the magic amulet that controls Kavaxas, allowing Kavaxas to raise spirits and try to take over both worlds. Splinter's ghost helps the heroes, and Michelangelo fixes the amulet, sending Zombie Shredder and Kavaxas back to the Netherworld.

The turtles then face other challenges. Lord Dregg returns, and they travel to Miyamoto Usagi's world to help a pug named Kintaro. They also visit a future ruled by mutant animals and deal with the return of Savanti Romero and Count Dracula.

In the series finale, the turtles, April, Casey, Karai, Shinigami, and the Mighty Mutanimals team up with the 1987 Ninja Turtles! They fight the 1987 versions of Shredder and Kraang, who plan to conquer both the 1987 and 2012 Earths. Even Bebop and Rocksteady (from the 1987 world) decide to become heroes and help save the planet!

Meet the Characters!

• Leonardo (voiced by Jason Biggs, then Dominic Catrambone, then Seth Green) – Leo is the leader of the turtles. He wears a blue mask and fights with two swords. He's very dedicated to his ninja training.
• Donatello (voiced by Rob Paulsen) – Donnie is the smart one! He designs and builds all the cool gadgets and weapons. He wears a purple mask and uses a bo staff that can turn into a naginata (a staff with a blade).
• Raphael (voiced by Sean Astin) – Raph is the strong and hot-headed turtle. He wears a red mask and fights with two sai (dagger-like weapons). He often gets annoyed with Mikey and Leo.
• Michelangelo (voiced by Greg Cipes) – Mikey is the youngest and most playful turtle. He loves video games, skateboarding, pranks, and pizza! He wears an orange mask and uses two nunchaku that can also become kusarigama (sickle and chain weapons). He always tries to keep the team's spirits high.

How the Show Was Made

On October 21, 2009, Viacom (Nickelodeon's parent company) bought all the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. They announced a new CGI-animated TV series for Nickelodeon, set to air in 2012. They also planned a movie for 2014.

The show's creative team included designer Ciro Nieli and writers J. R. Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin. They wanted to make the turtles look a bit different but keep their classic personalities. Ciro Nieli was inspired by the original 1984 comics, while the writers liked the 1987 cartoon and 1990s movies.

Before the show aired, Playmates Toys released the first line of toys based on the new designs. A trailer for the series was released in June 2012.

Many talented voice actors brought the characters to life. Jason Biggs was the original voice of Leonardo, and Rob Paulsen (who voiced Raphael in the 1987 series) voiced Donatello. Sean Astin voiced Raphael, and Greg Cipes voiced Michelangelo. Mae Whitman voiced April O'Neil, and Kelly Hu voiced Karai. Later, Seth Green took over as the voice of Leonardo in Season 3.

Episodes

List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) episodes

Other Animated Adventures

Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past

On November 22, 2015, Nickelodeon aired a special 2D animated movie called Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past. In this special, the Ninja Turtles accidentally travel back to the time of dinosaurs! They have to work with Rocksteady and Bebop, and some friendly dinosaurs, to get back home. They also fight a part of the Triceraton Army.

Short Films

A few short films were released during the show's run. One was Teenage Mecha Ninja Turtles. This short showed a futuristic New York City in 2090. It featured four human teenagers who pilot giant turtle-like robots, trained by an older Michelangelo. They fight against animal-like thieves.

Awards and Recognition

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series won some cool awards!

Cool Merchandise

Toys and Collectibles

Playmates Toys created a whole new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys to go with the show. They released action figures of the turtles, Splinter, April, Shredder, Kraang, and Foot Soldiers. Over time, they added more characters like Metalhead, Dogpound, Fishface, Leatherhead, and Casey Jones.

The Lego Group also made a special Lego theme for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 2012 to 2014.

In 2014, Build-A-Bear Workshop released plush versions of the turtles, along with outfits and weapons. Diamond Select Toys also created small mini-figures called Minimates based on the series.

Comics

Just like with the original TV series, there were spin-off comic books! IDW Publishing released a comic series called New Animated Adventures starting in 2013, which told new stories. This was later replaced by Amazing Adventures in 2015, which included Shredder more in the stories.

Video Games

Many video games were made based on the 2012 series:

• Rooftop Run (2013) was a game for iOS devices.
• Out of the Shadows (2013) was a 3D fighting game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It even had online multiplayer!
• Another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game (2013) was released for Wii, Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS.
• Danger of the Ooze (2014) was another game for Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (2016) was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.

The turtles also appeared as playable characters in the racing video games Nickelodeon Kart Racers and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix. Shredder also joined the fun in the second game!

See also

In Spanish: Las tortugas ninja (serie de televisión de 2012) para niños