RoboCop: The Animated Series
| RoboCop: The Animated Series | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Action/Adventure Science fiction |
| Created by | Michael Charles Hill Michael Miner |
| Voices of | Robert Bockstael Barbara Budd Len Carlson Rex Hagon Dan Hennessey Ron James Greg Morton Susan Roman Allen Stewart-Coates Chris Ward Gordon Maston |
| Music by | Haim Saban Shuki Levy |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Margaret Loesch Joseph M. Taritero |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Marvel Productions Orion Pictures Corporation |
| Distributor |
BVS Entertainment (Disney–ABC Domestic Television) |
| Release | |
| Original network | first-run syndication |
| Original release | October 1 – December 17, 1988 |
RoboCop: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced in the 1980s by Marvel Productions, and is based on the character and events of the movie RoboCop.
The show made a number of changes to the RoboCop universe to make it more appropriate for younger viewers, including replacing bullets with laser weapons and shifting the series to a more science fiction setting. In this series, RoboCop had a red light in the middle of his visor (which occasionally panned the whole visor).
The series was animated by AKOM Productions.
Based on the original movie, the series features cyborg cop Alex Murphy (RoboCop), who fights to save the city of Old Detroit from assorted rogue elements, and on occasion, fighting to reclaim aspects of his humanity and maintain his usefulness in the eyes of the "Old Man", Chairman of OCP. Many episodes see RoboCop's reputation put to the test or soured by interventions from Dr. McNamara, the creator of ED-260, the upgradable version of the Enforcement Droid Series 209 and the top competitor for the financial backing of OCP. He continually develops other mechanical menaces that threaten RoboCop.
In the police force, RoboCop is befriended by Officer Anne Lewis, but is also picked on and lambasted by the prejudiced Lieutenant Roger Hedgecock (who appeared as a minor character in the original film), who is determined to be rid of him and his kind, who he sees as ticking time bombs. Their rivalry comes to a fever pitch during the episode "The Man in the Iron Suit", in which Hedgecock comes close to finally beating Murphy with the aid of a new weapons system developed by McNamara. He almost kills Lewis when she interferes, enraging Murphy into tearing Hedgecock's iron suit apart and nearly crushing his skull before Lewis comes to his aid. RoboCop is maintained by RoboCop Project director Dr. Tyler.
The title sequence features a brief animated variation on Murphy being gunned down by Clarence Boddicker and his gang. Throughout the series, RoboCop struggles to deal with the pain of losing his humanity. Other themes include racism ("The Brotherhood"), prejudice at work ("Man in the Iron Suit"), environmental espionage ("Into the Wilderness"), terrorism, and the Middle East peace process ("A Robot's Revenge").
While this series is based on the original film, there are significant changes to RoboCop and his environment. RoboCop is faster and has a greater range of movement than in the films. The Old Detroit of the series is also considerably more technologically advanced: lasers replace handguns and robots are commonplace, Dr. Tyler (who appears in the original film) is the creator of the RoboCop Program, not Bob Morton, and also serves as one of Murphy's confidants as well as his caregiver, along with Dr. Roosevelt. Clarence Boddicker and his gang, the men responsible for Alex's Murphy's death prior to him becoming RoboCop, died in the film. Here they remain at large and battle RoboCop again in "Menace of the Mind".
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