RoboCop (animated TV series)

Plot

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 Omni Consumer Products. 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, who is depicted to have romantic inclinations towards him, 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 bomb. 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, the man responsible for Alex's Murphy's death prior to him becoming RoboCop, despite dying in the film, is shown to still be alive and battles RoboCop again in "Menace of the Mind", indicating the series takes place in an alternate continuity.

Cast

• Robert Bockstael - RoboCop/Alex J. Murphy, Dr. McNamara
• Susan Roman - Anne Lewis
• Harvey Atkin - K.R.U.D. station manager (in No News is Good News), Zocastani sheik (in A Robot's Revenge)
• Barbara Budd - Dr. Tyler
• Len Carlson - Lt. Roger Hedgecock, The Scrambler
• Allen Stewart-Coates - The Old Man, ED-260
• Rex Hagon -
• Dan Hennessey - Vandel Chainsaw, Ace Jackson, Birdman Barnes, Edwards (in Into the Wilderness)
• Ron James - Wheels Wilson
• Gordon Masten - Joe Cox
• Greg Morton - Sgt. Reed, Dr. Roosevelt, Vandel Headhunter
• Chris Ward - Vandel Crash, Cecil, Ralph (in Into the Wilderness)

Crew

• Stu Rosen - Voice Director

Episode guide

The reason why there were only 12 episodes instead of the traditional 13 for a weekly animated series is because Marvel Productions used the budget for what would have been the 13th episode of RoboCop to fund a pilot for a proposed X-Men animated series (also known as Pryde of the X-Men).

Home media

In 1991, three episodes of the series were released as individual NTSC VHS volumes, distributed by Best Film & Video Corp. under the "Marvel Video!" banner. The episodes were: "Man in the Iron Suit!" (volume 1), "Crime Wave" (volume 2), and "A Robot's Revenge" (volume 3).

In the UK, Leisure View Video released two VHS volumes of Robocop. In 1990, they released a volume entitled "Detroit Crimewave" which had the episodes; "Scrambler", "The Brotherhood" and "The Man in the Iron Suit", plus UK toy commercials for Kenner's "Robocop and the Ultra Police" toy line shown in-between each episode.. In 1991, they released a volume entitled "Steel Warrior" which has the episodes; "No News is Good News" and "A Robot's Revenge". This volume had no commercials.

DVD release

United Kingdom

In the 2000s, Maximum Entertainment (under license from Jetix Europe) released several DVDs of RoboCop on Region 2 DVD in the UK. On February 18, 2008, UK distributor Maximum Entertainment released the complete series in a three-disc box set containing all 12 episodes.

References

References

1. (July 18, 1987). "A NEW SUPERHERO CARTOON-LIKE 'ROBOCOP'IS AIMED AT ADULTS, TOO". [[Beacon Journal]].
2. (2005). "Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003". McFarland & Co.
3. "U.S. Copyright Public Records System".
4. (14 September 2022). "Disney+ and Missing Saban Entertainment & Fox Kids-Jetix Worldwide Library - StreamClues".
5. "Liste - BVS Entertainment | Séries".
6. (27 November 2006). ["Robocop (Animated): Volume 1 DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Robocop: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.
7. (20 September 2004). ["Action Man/Robocop/Conan The Adventurer DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.
8. (27 November 2006). ["Robocop (Animated): Volume 2 DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Robocop: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.
9. (4 June 2007). ["Robocop - Part Man, Part Machine DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Robocop: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.
10. (16 July 2007). ["Transformers/MASK/Robocop DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.
11. (11 February 2008). ["Robocop - The Complete Animated Series DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Paul Lynch, Alan J. Levi: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk.