Sonic the Hedgehog (also known as Sonic SatAM) is an American animated television series based on the video game series of the same name. It was story edited by Len Janson and produced by DiC Entertainment, Sega of America, Inc., and the Italian studio Reteitalia S.p.A. It is the second of DiC's Sonic cartoons, following Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. It features a more dramatic and dark story, depicting Sonic as a member of a band of freedom fighters battling to overthrow Doctor Robotnik. The program aired for two seasons on ABC from September 18, 1993 to December 3, 1994.
Video Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Premise
The series takes place on Mobius, a planet mostly populated by anthropomorphic animals. A warlord and scientist named Dr. Robotnik takes over the city of Mobotropolis (renaming it Robotropolis) and uses a machine called the Roboticizer to turn most of the city's inhabitants into robotic slaves. A handful of citizens escape to Knothole, a village hidden within the Great Forest. Led by Sonic and Princess Sally, the citizens, now calling themselves the Freedom Fighters, battle to liberate Mobius.
Maps Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Characters
Knothole Freedom Fighters
- Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonic is the main protagonist of the series. He is able to run at superhuman speed, and is the only freedom fighter capable of using magical rings called Power Rings. Sonic has a defiant attitude, but is also courageous, clever, and cunning. He is voiced by Jaleel White.
- Sally Acorn - The rightful princess of Mobotropolis and Sonic's love interest. As strategist for the Knothole Freedom Fighters, she is intelligent and cautious. However, Sally remains competitive toward Sonic. She is voiced by Kath Soucie.
- Bunnie Rabbot - A rabbit with a southern accent. Half of her body was roboticized, leaving her left arm and both legs mechanical. She is skilled in martial arts, and desires to be returned to normal. She is voiced by Christine Cavanaugh.
- Antoine Depardieu - A coyote with a French accent whose clumsiness often places the others in danger. He has some difficulty speaking English. He has romantic feelings for Princess Sally, and attempts to impress her. However, his cowardice hinders this goal. Sonic often teases Antoine over his shortcomings. He is voiced by Rob Paulsen.
- Tails - A young fox who idolizes Sonic. While usually left behind in Knothole, he proves bright in dangerous situations. He is voiced by Bradley Pierce.
- Rotor - A walrus, and the mechanic of Knothole Village. He provides the Knothole Freedom Fighters with useful inventions, and accompanies them on missions. He is voiced by Mark Ballou (season 1), Cam Brainard (season 2).
- Nicole - A portable computer that Sally uses to hack into Robotnik's technology. Nicole speaks in a female monotone, and exhibits artificial intelligence. It is indicated that Sally received Nicole from her father. She too is voiced by Kath Soucie.
- Dulcy - A young dragon, who provides the Knothole Freedom Fighters with transportation. Sporting powerful lungs, she can blow enemies away and freeze them with ice breath. She has trouble landing, and often crashes mid-flight. She is voiced by Cree Summer.
Villains
- Dr. Julian Robotnik - A warlord who seeks to cover Mobius in machinery, and transform its population into robotic slaves. He is chiefly opposed by the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Robotnik's obsession with destroying Sonic is often his undoing. In this version, his real first name is Julian, adopting the moniker "Robotnik" after his takeover His left arm is also roboticized. He is voiced by Jim Cummings.
- Snively - Robotnik's assistant and nephew. He is constantly mistreated by his uncle. As such, Snively despises Robotnik and plots behind his back. He is voiced by Charlie Adler.
- SWATbots - Robotnik's primary henchmen. They are voiced by Jim Cummings and Frank Welker.
- Cluck - A robotic chicken, and the only creature Robotnik shows affection towards.
- Naugus - A powerful sorcerer, who hates Robotnik for imprisoning him within the Void. He desires vengeance, but he cannot escape without crystallizing. He is voiced by Michael Bell.
Recurring
- Sir Charles "Chuck" Hedgehog - Sonic's uncle, and the inventor of the Roboticizer before Robotnik stole it. He was roboticized and made into one of Robotnik's slaves, until Sonic restored his free will. He serves as a spy for the Freedom Fighters. He is voiced by William Windom.
- Ari - A Freedom Fighter who worked as a double agent for Robotnik, only to be betrayed later and trapped in the Void. He is voiced by Dorian Harewood.
- King Acorn - The former king of Mobotropolis and Sally's father. He was banished to the Void during Robotnik's takeover, and like Naugus, cannot escape without crystallizing. He is voiced by Tim Curry.
- Lupe - Leader of the Wolfpack Freedom Fighters, and one of the Knothole Freedom Fighters' allies in the fight against Robotnik. She is voiced by Shari Belafonte.
Series overview
Episodes
Season 1 (1993)
Season 2 (1994)
Broadcast and distribution
Initial run
The Saturday morning series differs from the weekly Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which premiered the same month. While Adventures is lighthearted and comical, Sonic the Hedgehog featured a comparatively complex plot and dramatic atmosphere. It explored unusual story concepts for animation, including losing loved ones to war. At ABC's request, the second season included episodes devoted to humor, while darker elements were reduced. Other changes include Princess Sally donning a jacket for season two, and Rotor receiving a new design.
Syndication
After the program's initial run, it appeared on the USA Network's Action Extreme Team from June 1997 to January 1998. The series aired in Canada on the CTV Network, with a bonus summer run between June 10 and September 2, 1995. ABC did not replicate this, replacing Sonic with reruns of Free Willy. Sonic the Hedgehog has not been rerun on broadcast or cable television in Canada since its cancellation on CTV, but was present on the Shomi video-on-demand platform until its November 30, 2016 closure. From 1994 to 1996, it had a complete run on the UK television channel Channel MCD. In December 1994, the first season was broadcast in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ Two. On September 2, 2016, reruns of the series began airing on Starz.
Release history
- DVD releases
After Shout!'s deal with Cookie Jar expired in 2012, this set was discontinued along with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In other media
Comics
Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comic book was initially based on the Saturday morning cartoon. From its earliest issues, the book shared the characters and story premise established within it. However, the comic differed in that it featured humorous plots modeled after the weekday show. After writer Ken Penders had the opportunity to view the Saturday morning program, the comic gradually became adventure driven. The comic series shifted focus again after ABC cancelled Sonic the Hedgehog, developing into a relationship-based superhero story, and following a reboot, Archie's Sonic was primarily inspired by the video game series. Nevertheless, the characters and locales from the Saturday morning cartoon remained prominent until the comic's cancellation in July 2017.
Video games
Several video games were intended to use elements from the TV series, although only one was completed. This was Sonic Spinball, released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. It contained characters from the show, including Princess Sally, Bunnie Rabbot, Rotor and Muttski. The characters were also planned for use in another game, tentatively titled Sonic-16. A prototype was created by the Sega Technical Institute. Yuji Naka disliked the project, and it was cancelled without further development. Directly afterwards, the same team worked on Sonic Mars. Prior to cancellation, this would have featured Princess Sally and Bunnie Rabbot as playable characters.
Reception
Sonic the Hedgehog initially ranked #9 in its time slot with a 5.2 rating, an estimated 4.8 million viewers.
Mark Bozon of IGN criticized the show as dated, considering it "so bad, it's good." Writing for DVD Talk, Todd Douglass Jr. remarked that Sonic didn't stand the test of time. Overall, he considered it to be of low quality, although he found the stories "Ultra Sonic" and "Blast to the Past" to be "the crème of the crop." Luke Owen of Flickering Myth felt Sonic aged better than is often supposed, praising its well-executed characterizations and treatment of war, although he considered Antoine to be "one of the worst characters committed to a cartoon series." GamesRadar listed the show as one of "the worst things to happen to Sonic." It criticized its plot and characters as "unwanted". Former Escapist journalist Bob Chipman credited the series with providing a viably menacing take on Doctor Robotnik, and an engaging narrative. Bob Mackey of USgamer wrote that the cartoon's writing didn't live up to its intriguing premise. In particular, he argued that the Antoine character perpetrated negative French stereotypes. Meanwhile, Doug Walker of Channel Awesome considered the series "a great show," and better than he remembered. He praised it for "literally taking nothing and turning it into something," with a strong story and good character development, as well as a subtle environmental message.
References
External links
- Sonic the Hedgehog at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- Sonic the Hedgehog on IMDb
- Sonic the Hedgehog at TV.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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