Godzilla: The Series

Godzilla: The SeriesTriStar
General Information
Created by	Jeff Kline, Richard Raynis
Produced by	Adelaide Productions, Centropolis Television, Columbia TriStar Television
Production Information
Distributed by	TriStar
Genre	Animated series
Airdate	September 12, 1998 - April 22, 2000
Channel	Fox KidsUS Network TenAU, Direct TVJP
Episode count	40

Godzilla: The Series (ゴジラ ザ・シリーズ,   Gojira za Shirīzu^?) is a 1998 animated series made as a sequel to the 1998 TriStar Pictures film, Godzilla.

Cast

• Ian Ziering as Dr. Niko "Nick" Tatopoulos.
• Charity James as Dr. Elsie Chapman
• Malcolm Danare as Dr. Mendel Craven
• Rino Romano as Randy Hernandez
• Bridgette Bako as Monique Dupre
• Tom Kenny as N.I.G.E.L.
• Frank Welker as Godzilla (vocal effects)

Summary

In the series, Godzilla (the baby that survived the destruction of Madison Square Garden and hatched from the egg at the end of the 1998 film--often nicknamed Zilla Junior or Zilla Jr by fans) battles a large group of giant monsters. The show tracks Godzilla and team H.E.A.T. around the planet battling new mutations and other monstrous beasts. While most of the enemies that appear are mutated animals, other creatures appear as well, including extraterrestrials, plants, machines, and on a couple of occasions even beings with supernatural, "magical" origins. The series not only had Godzilla battle several other kaiju, such as a Giant Bat, but also face a fleet of invaders known as "Tachyons" in a tribute to Destroy All Monsters, and an eccentric billionaire rival of Nick's. In an ironic twist from the original Godzilla TV adaptation, in the 1998 film, Godzilla has a flammable power breath similar to fire, while in the series, his son breathes a green atomic breath.

The series also expands on the personalities and relationships of the human characters, going deeper into the development of the characters from the film as well as introducing new ones for the series. It also explains the loyalty of Godzilla toward the crew, as he has 'adopted' Nick as a father figure of sorts, and goes to great lengths to defend him.

Episodes

Season 1

1. New Family: Part 1
2. New Family: Part 2
3. D.O.A.
4. Talkin' Trash
5. The Winter of Our Discontent
6. Cat and Mouse
7. What Dreams May Come
8. Leviathan
9. Hive
10. Bird of Paradise
11. DeadLoch
12. Monster Wars: Part 1
13. Monster Wars: Part 2
14. Monster Wars: Part 3
15. Competition
16. Freeze
17. Bug Out
18. Web Site
19. An Early Frost
20. Trust No One
21. Juggernaut

Season 2

1. Future Shock
2. Cash of the Titans
3. S.C.A.L.E.
4. Protector
5. Freak Show
6. End of the Line
7. What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been
8. Wedding Bells Blew
9. Metamorphosis
10. Area 51
11. The Twister
12. Shafted
13. Where is Thy Sting?
14. Lizard Season
15. Underground Movement
16. Ring of Fire
17. Vision
18. The Ballad of Gens Du Marais
19. Tourist Trap

Reception

Despite the negative reaction to the film, Godzilla: The Series garnered surprisingly positive reactions from fans and it did well in the TV ratings. The series followed the adventures of Dr. Nick Tatopoulos, a major character from the film, and Godzilla's surviving baby. The series returned Godzilla's trademark characteristics to the monster in the series, including his strength and nigh-indestructibility, his atomic breath and general masculinity. This Godzilla follows Dr. Tatopoulos and the members of H.E.A.T around, having imprinted upon Nick as his own parent, and fights various other monsters that have been formed by nuclear radiation, in the style of the late Showa era. The fan response to the series was overall very positive, and the animated Godzilla gained much respect from those who hated the film.

Gallery

From the opening

An advertisement

Godzilla: The Series Mill Creek DVD Cover

Unused concept art of Godzilla with the "Flying Gigan" monster.

Videos

Godzilla - Complete Animated Series

Godzilla: The Series Mill Creek DVD Trailer

Trivia

• Early in production, the series was made under the name HEAT Seekers to prevent rumours the show was a Godzilla show, where the premise was of fire-themed superheroes, and Godzilla was referred to only as Gorgon or Thingy.
• The characters Elsie Chapman and Dr. Mendel Craven from the film return and star in expanded roles in the series.
• Colonel Hicks and Dr. Craven are voiced by the same actors that portrayed them in the 1998 film.
• The new Godzilla is significantly upgraded from his father to be more like the original Japanese Godzilla: he attacks the military forces that strike him instead of fleeing, he fights other giant monsters, he is far more resistant to conventional weaponry, and he posesses the trademark atomic breath (it is green as opposed to blue, however).
• The premise of the series is very similar to The Godzilla Power Hour: a research team operating a boat frequently encounter hostile monsters and can summon Godzilla to fight them.
• Though no Toho kaiju appear in the series due to licensing issues, some of the monsters seem to be homages to pre-existing kaiju:
  • Megapede and its Cicada form are a homage to Battra.
  • Cyber-Godzilla is a reference to Mechagodzilla (it being a resurrected dead kaiju made a cyborg may also be inspired by Mecha-King Ghidorah).
  • The D.R.A.G.M.A. are somewhat based on Destoroyah.
  • The Giant Turtle has similarities to Anguirus (its prominent lower tusks are reminescent of Gamera as well).
  • The Crackler shares similarities to Gabara.
  • The Robo-Yeti seems to be an homage to Mechani-Kong.
  • Quetzalcoatl is based on Rodan.
  • Norzzug is similar to King Caesar.
• Due to programming rules in the 1990s, Godzilla: The Series was unable to show or mention death. As such, there are no human fatalities shown in the entire series, while monsters that are killed are usually said to be "destroyed" instead of "killed."
  • Every time helicopters or aircraft are destroyed, the shots always linger to confirm the pilot's survival, usually by showing them parachuting away from the explosion.
  • While this is the case, in the episode "Shafted", there are some petrified and presumably dead miners. In the episode "Future Shock", it is implied that a large portion of the human population was wiped out by the D.R.A.G.M.A.s in an alternate future, while Mendel Craven explicitly says that Godzilla died fighting the D.R.A.G.M.A.s.
• The episode "DeadLoch" was Roddy McDowall's final role before his death in October 1998, the episode aired four months after he died.

See also

• Zilla
• Godzilla
• Godzilla (1998 film)