The Transformers were a line of toys created by Hasbro in the 1980s for sale in the US. The TV show was part of an elaborate marketing campaign to promote the toys. (Like G.I.Joe and others) SPINOFFS: This was the first in a LONG line of spin-offs including series like Transformers Energon, Beastwars, Transformers Armada, and others, including a live-action/CGI movie in 2007 (not to be confused with an animated movie that is consistent with this story line). Some of those other series use characters from this series, sometimes they are new characters. The live-action CGI movie bares no resemblance to the animated show. It features some new characters, some of which have the same name as characters from the cartoon, but are featured differently. There is very little continuity between the different series. Because this was the first it is informally called Transformers Generation 1. These series are incredibly popular in Japan but have dwindled in popularity in the US.
TECHNICALLY: It was an animated show filled with technical errors. Simple things like using the wrong voices for certain characters, painting a character the wrong color, or adorning a Decepticon logo to an Autobot character and vice versa. There were more serious technical glitches as well; including storyline problems like when/who created Megatron; one episode depicts him being built by the Constructicons, and one states that he created them. The first season of the show featured several robots, but the second season starting adding more without explaining where they came from. And other errors featured flashbacks to pre-Earth days but depicted the robots in Earth disguises even though they were not supposed to get those until they reached Earth. The list of errors is endless.
PLOT: The general plot of the story featured the peaceful Autbots battling the military Decepticons. In a war on their home planet of Cybertron the two factions depleted their supplies of energy and left in search of more sources so that they could claim their homeworld.
SEASONS: Before Season 3 an animated movie was released in theaters which advanced the timeline of the show to 2010, and hence Season 3 has been informally called Transformers 2010. Season 4 is not really a season, but a 3 part episode that could have continued the series in a new direction (like S3 did after S2) but the show faded away.
SALES: Currently (as of Mar 1 2008) DVDs of the show are difficult to find. New copies of the show from US sources are extremely rare. Most new purchases are Chinese imports.
2007 MOVIE:
TECHNICALLY: It was an animated show filled with technical errors. Simple things like using the wrong voices for certain characters, painting a character the wrong color, or adorning a Decepticon logo to an Autobot character and vice versa. There were more serious technical glitches as well; including storyline problems like when/who created Megatron; one episode depicts him being built by the Constructicons, and one states that he created them. The first season of the show featured several robots, but the second season starting adding more without explaining where they came from. And other errors featured flashbacks to pre-Earth days but depicted the robots in Earth disguises even though they were not supposed to get those until they reached Earth. The list of errors is endless.
PLOT: The general plot of the story featured the peaceful Autbots battling the military Decepticons. In a war on their home planet of Cybertron the two factions depleted their supplies of energy and left in search of more sources so that they could claim their homeworld.
SEASONS: Before Season 3 an animated movie was released in theaters which advanced the timeline of the show to 2010, and hence Season 3 has been informally called Transformers 2010. Season 4 is not really a season, but a 3 part episode that could have continued the series in a new direction (like S3 did after S2) but the show faded away.
SALES: Currently (as of Mar 1 2008) DVDs of the show are difficult to find. New copies of the show from US sources are extremely rare. Most new purchases are Chinese imports.
2007 MOVIE: