Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Premiere Preview

The classic comic book franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is getting their cartoon series revamped by Nickelodeon, and is set to premiere for a new generation today, Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11:00am.

If you’ve followed my writing (if you haven’t, get with it!), then you know that I’m a die-hard Ninja Turtles fan. With that said, my weekend is dedicated to the premiere of Nickelodeon’s version of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The premiere, which will be the centerpiece of Nick’s Saturday-morning block, retells the origins of the turtles – from their mutation to their ninja arts training with Master Splinter. If Nick’s goal is to re-introduce this classic to a new generation, they started in the right foot.

For those reading this that have no idea who the Ninja Turtles are, let me give you a quick introduction. You honestly don’t need it; Nick’s premiere explains it all in detail! The franchise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came into fruition in the early 80s as a comic book illustrated and written by Peter Eastman and Kevin Laird. They are named after Renaissance painters: Leonardo for Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael for Raphael, Michaelangelo for Michaeangelo Buonarroti, and Donatello for Donatello.

A mix of rookies and veterans voices the new version, written by Joshua Stern and J.R Ventimilia. American Pie’s Jason Biggs is stepping into the booth to lend his voice for Leonardo. Sean Astin who played prominent characters such as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the title character for the tearjerker, ever-so-inspiring Rudy is voicing Raphael. Voice acting veteran, Rob Paulsen, who has voiced Raphael for the 1987 TMNT cartoon series, will be voicing Donatello for this new version. The hour-long premiere is going to center around the quartet’s joyful release to the outside world. Not only will they be introduced to pizza, which they become obsessed with, but they also will be truly tested as they learn to fight as a team and not as individuals.

An important aspect of this newly revamped classic that I’m, personally, excited about is the computer-generated look. Last time I truly watched a TMNT cartoon episode was early in my heydays, so this brings in a more anime-type feel in a more vibrant, 3D picture. My young ones, you are lucky, so enjoy this!

Nickelodeon’s highly anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to premiere today, Saturday, September 29, at 11:00am with a one-hour special event. The season in its entirety consist of 26 half-hour episodes.

John Vincent is a blogger, entrepreneur, and social media strategist. A retired sneakerhead and men’s wear aficionado, he’s currently the creative director of the up and coming clothing line, Arevalo & Co. He’s a biased 90s hip-hop head and a die hard NY Knicks fan. For his daily rants and words of wisdom, follow him on twitter at @johnvince_.