Turbo Teen
Encyclopedia
Turbo Teen was an animated series about a teenager with the ability to literally transform into a sports car. It aired Saturday mornings on the ABC
Network for twelve episodes between 1984
and 1985
. The series was once a rerun on the USA Network
's now-defunct USA Cartoon Express
block.
into the car when exposed to extreme heat and revert back into his human form when exposed to extreme cold. With this new super hero power, Brett and his friends Patti and Alex (who call him "TT") as well as Brett's dog Rusty go on crime-fighting adventures together and solve other mysteries.
A recurring subplot involves Brett, Cardwell, and Dr. Chase's search for a way to return Brett to normal. Also, a recurring villain is the mysterious, unseen "Dark Rider" who drives a monster truck and seeks to capture Brett Matthews in order to find the secret behind his abilities.
. It was broadcast during the growing popularity of the Knight Rider television series and mirrors much of it, even down to very similar sounding theme music. The car that Brett turns into looks like an amalgam of a Third Generation Chevrolet Camaro
and its sister car the Pontiac Trans Am; the later model Knight Rider's KITT
is based on.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Network for twelve episodes between 1984
1984 in television
This article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
and 1985
1985 in television
The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
. The series was once a rerun on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's now-defunct USA Cartoon Express
USA Cartoon Express
The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
block.
Plot
The series is about a teenager named Brett Matthews, who swerves off a road during a thunderstorm and crashes into a secret government laboratory. There, he and his red sports car are accidentally exposed to a molecular beam invented by a scientist named Dr. Chase for a government agent named Cardwell. Man and machine become fused together and as a result, Brett gains the ability to morphShapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into the car when exposed to extreme heat and revert back into his human form when exposed to extreme cold. With this new super hero power, Brett and his friends Patti and Alex (who call him "TT") as well as Brett's dog Rusty go on crime-fighting adventures together and solve other mysteries.
A recurring subplot involves Brett, Cardwell, and Dr. Chase's search for a way to return Brett to normal. Also, a recurring villain is the mysterious, unseen "Dark Rider" who drives a monster truck and seeks to capture Brett Matthews in order to find the secret behind his abilities.
Production
The show was produced by Ruby-Spears ProductionsRuby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions is a Burbank, California-based entertainment production company that specializes in animation...
. It was broadcast during the growing popularity of the Knight Rider television series and mirrors much of it, even down to very similar sounding theme music. The car that Brett turns into looks like an amalgam of a Third Generation Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
and its sister car the Pontiac Trans Am; the later model Knight Rider's KITT
KITT
KITT is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider, and the other as the Knight...
is based on.
Episodes
- Turbo Thieves -
- Dark Rider -
- Mystery at Fantasy Park -
- No Show UFO -
- Micro-Teen -
- The Sinister Souped-Up Seven -
- Video Venger -
- Dark Rider and the Wolves of Doom - Dark Rider captures Monique's father Dr. Fabro and his formula that can cause dogs to regress to their primitive state in his latest plan to capture Brett Matthews.
- The Curse of the Twisted Claw -
- Daredevil Run - Turbo Teen, Alex, and Pattie must escort a girl named Paula to court so that she can testify against a jewel thief called "The Dragon."
- The Amazon Adventure -
- Fright Friday -
- The Mystery of Dark Rider -
Cast
- T.K. CarterT. K. CarterThomas Kent Carter better known as T. K. Carter, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Michael "Mike" Fulton, an elementary school teacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster and Mylo Williams on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss as a supervisor, whose...
- Alex - Pat FraleyPat FraleyPatrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
- Eddie, Dr. Chase - Pamela HaydenPamela HaydenPamela Hayden is an American actress, best known for providing various voices for the animated television show The Simpsons.-Biography:...
- Pattie - Michael Mish - Brett Matthews/Turbo Teen
- Clive RevillClive RevillClive Selsby Revill is a New Zealand-born British character actor best known for his performances in musical theatre and on the London stage.-Early life and stage career:...
- Cardwell - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
- Rusty, Dark Rider, Flip
Additional voices
- Nelson Comer -
- Alan Dinehart -
- Ron FeinbergRon FeinbergRonald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
- - Alejandro Garay -
- Linda GaryLinda GaryLinda Gary was an American voice actor and voice-over artist, who has worked on multiple animated projects.-Personal life:Linda Gary Dewoskin was born in California on November 4, 1944....
- - Bob Holt -
- William E. MartinWilliam E. MartinWilliam E. Martin, also known as Bill Martin, is an American musician, songwriter, screenwriter, comedic actor and voice actor.-Life and career:...
- - Michael SheehanMichael SheehanMichael Sheehan may refer to:*Michael Jarboe Sheehan, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe*Michael Sheehan , Irish independent politician...
-
Production credits
- Executive Producers: Joe RubyJoe RubyJoseph "Joe" Ruby is commonly known for inventing scotch tape. Ruby was an American inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented masking tape and cellophane tape.[1]Biography...
and Ken SpearsKen SpearsKen Spears is a TV writer and animator who is known as the co-creator for the Scooby-Doo series, Josie and the Pussycats, and Jabberjaw with his partner Joe Ruby. He is co-founder of the production company Ruby-Spears Productions.-References:... - Director: John Kimball
- Story Editor: Michael Maurer
- Story Direction Supervisor: John Dorman
- Storyboard Supervisor: James Woodring
- Story Direction: Thomas L. Minton, Hank Tucker, Thom Enriquez, Dan Riba
- Character Design: Doug Wildey, Thom Enriquez
- Design Coordinator: Duncan Marjoribanks
- Starring the Voices of: T.K. CarterT. K. CarterThomas Kent Carter better known as T. K. Carter, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Michael "Mike" Fulton, an elementary school teacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster and Mylo Williams on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss as a supervisor, whose...
, Pamela HaydenPamela HaydenPamela Hayden is an American actress, best known for providing various voices for the animated television show The Simpsons.-Biography:...
, Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, Pat FraleyPat FraleyPatrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
, Michael Mish, Clive RevillClive RevillClive Selsby Revill is a New Zealand-born British character actor best known for his performances in musical theatre and on the London stage.-Early life and stage career:... - Additional Voices: Nelson Comer, Alan Dinehart, Ron FeinbergRon FeinbergRonald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
, Alejandro Garay, Linda GaryLinda GaryLinda Gary was an American voice actor and voice-over artist, who has worked on multiple animated projects.-Personal life:Linda Gary Dewoskin was born in California on November 4, 1944....
, Bob Holt, William E. MartinWilliam E. MartinWilliam E. Martin, also known as Bill Martin, is an American musician, songwriter, screenwriter, comedic actor and voice actor.-Life and career:...
, Michael SheehanMichael SheehanMichael Sheehan may refer to:*Michael Jarboe Sheehan, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe*Michael Sheehan , Irish independent politician... - Voice Direction: Howard MorrisHoward MorrisHoward Morris was an American comic actor and director who was best known for his role as Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show.- Life and career :...
, Alan Dinehart - Director of Production Design: Ric Gonzalez
- Models Supervision: Alan B. Huck
- Models: Patrick A. Ventura, Russell Hicks, Tom Hickson
- Layout Supervision: Cosmo Anzilotti
- Unit Supervision: Robert Givens
- Layout Artists: Fred Irvin, Larry Eikleberry, Tony Sgroi, Peter Alvarado, John Koch, Bruce Zick, Gianfranco Celestini, Jack Manning, Wallace Sides, Michael Oliva
- Unit Supervisor (XAM! Productions, Inc.): Roy Allen Smith
- Layout Artists: Greg Garcia, Gary L. Graham, Rick Graham, Lyle Johnson, David Kern, Vernon Murdock, Debra Pugh, Keith W. Sargent, Scott Strong, Clint Taylor, Giles Wallace, James Stuart Watson
- Background Supervision: Eric Semones
- Background Artists: Paro Hozumi, Dennis Durrell, Paul Julian, James Hegedus, Ron Dias, Winfield Hull, Eric Semones
- Background Layout Supervisor: David High
- Background Layout Artists: Alex Mann, Lisa Souza, Bruce Zick
- Color Key: Bunny Munns
- Animation Supervision: Colin Baker, Willard Kitchen
- Animation Checking Supervision: Marlene Robinson May
- Titles: Bill Perez
- Graphics: Iraj Paran, Tom Wogatzke
- Production Coordinator: Loretta High
- Coordinating Assistants: Paul Gorniak, Natalie Holt, Scott Smith, Tim Terusa, Tom Allen
- Studio Manager: Jeffrey M. Cooke
- Assistants to the Executive Producers: Melinda Diner, Stacy McLaughlin
- Production Assistants: Allyn Conley, Laura Rubenstein, Hildy Mesnick, Megeen McLaughlin, Debby Ruby, Susan Feldstein, Maria-Elena Guereca, Tracy Gillette, Lynne Pedegana, Lianne Woolley
- Executive in Charge of Post Production: Chip Yaras
- Associate Producers: Larry Huber, Michael Hack
- Music Composed and Conducted By: Udi Harpaz
- Music Supervision: Paul DeKorte
- Music Editor: Catharine Rose
- Effects Editors: Pete Grives, Tom Syslo, Don Higgins
- Negative Consultant: Mary Nelson
- Laboratory: C. F. I.
- Re-Recording: Warner-Hollywood Studios
- Re-Recording Mixer: James Aicholtz, C. A. S.
- (c) 1984 RUBY-SPEARS ENTERPRISES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Parodies
- Turbo Teen was parodied in the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "Rabbits on a Roller Coaster" with Brett Matthews voiced by Seth GreenSeth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
, Alex voiced by Tom RootTom RootTom Root is a writer, producer, director and voice actor for Robot Chicken. He has been co-nominated for an Emmy Award for Robot Chicken. He was also the editor for prolific low-budget horror filmmaker and Bollywood character actor Stegath James Dorr during their employment with the newspaper CM...
and Patti voiced by Katee SackhoffKatee SackhoffKathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
.
- A webcomic named Teen Boat ran for a short time, with a teenager who could turn into a small yacht.
- A commercial for The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV in July 2009 includes a man similarly transforming into a red sports car, a Mazda Miata. The man is wearing a wardrobe similar to Brett Matthews' wardrobe.