Author: IGN TV | 
The Transformers are back on the big screen with next week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film. In anticipation of that sure to be huge film, IGN TV is taking another look back at the History of Transformers on TV. We originally ran this feature in 2007, before the first live-action film, but you'll note some changes and additions to the piece – reflecting what's occurred since for the Robots in Disguise on television, who continue to be a hugely viable franchise.
The Transformers (1984 - 1987)
We'll be talking about many Transformers TV shows in this article, but let's face it, this is the Transformers series for the majority of the fans of the characters, and certainly for those who grew up during the 1980s. The Transformers was part of an aggressive push of new animated series that tied in with toy lines, and was easily one of the most popular, if not the most popular of all.
There was a Marvel comic book that launched at the same time as the cartoon that shared some similarities in the set up before going in very different directions. But unlike Hasbro's other huge toy line at the time, G.I. Joe, where the comic book is probably considered the most "genuine" version of the story, it's the cartoon that stands out most of all for Transformers fans. Many central conceits simultaneously introduced on the cartoon and in the comic became core elements of the characters in most of the later incarnations. Some of the most notable of these elements are the Transformers' home planet Cybertron; their crash landing on Earth millions of years ago; and the Autobots' friendship with a teenage boy with the last name Witwicky ("Spike" in the cartoon, "Buster" in the comic).
The Transformers was an extremely popular cartoon at the time it first aired, with plenty of kids quite thrilled to have animated adventures about the very cool robot toys. Beginning with a voiceover that presented the story as something huge and mythological ("Many millions of years ago, on the planet Cybertron…") the show struck a chord with a Star Wars-fueled group of kids who loved stories about aliens caught in an intergalactic civil war. The cartoon also served to make icons out of many of the main characters of the series, including Bumblebee, Soundwave, Jazz, Ravage and more. However, the standouts were probably Megatron, Starscream and of course, Optimus Prime.
Megatron and Starscream made for a terrific villainous pairing, with the ruthless and evil Megatron (voice over veteran Frank Welker) constantly fending off the power hungry plotting of Starscream (voiced by Chris Latta, who would also become very familiar as the voice of Cobra Commander on G.I. Joe). As for Optimus Prime, as silly as it sounds, the giant robot who could transform into a truck became a huge hero for kids growing up on the cartoon, who loved to see his brave acts and hear the comforting voice of Peter Cullen intoning "Autobots, transform and roll out!"
Viewed 25 years after its debut, The Transformers is hardly what we could call great television. The stories are fairly simplistic and repetitive, consisting of variations on the same storylines, most of which center on Megatron attempting to get some new weapon or source of power (or create an occasional Space Bridge to Cybertron), with many of the same beats occurring time and again. But kids certainly weren't troubled by how many times Megatron would yell "Decepticons, retreat!" or Spike and Bumblebee would get into trouble, or that the fight scenes are, well, kind of lame actually. They just enjoyed seeing giant robots change into other things and then fight each other. And to see how important these characters were to a certain generation, just bring up the 1986 spinoff/continuation of the cartoon, Transformers: The Movie, to anyone who saw it when it first came out, and see the amusingly touched reactions of those who remember crying when Optimus Prime died.
As we mentioned, The Transformers would have a huge influence on nearly all of the future versions of the characters. The current live-action Transformers movies are obviously filled with a ton of elements from the series, including Shia LeBouf's character Sam Witwicky, a variation on the cartoon's Spike Witwicky. And fan demand went a long way towards ensuring that the man who is Optimus Prime to most Transformers fans, Peter Cullen, would reprise his role in the films. IGN TV
The Transformers (1984 - 1987)
We'll be talking about many Transformers TV shows in this article, but let's face it, this is the Transformers series for the majority of the fans of the characters, and certainly for those who grew up during the 1980s. The Transformers was part of an aggressive push of new animated series that tied in with toy lines, and was easily one of the most popular, if not the most popular of all.
There was a Marvel comic book that launched at the same time as the cartoon that shared some similarities in the set up before going in very different directions. But unlike Hasbro's other huge toy line at the time, G.I. Joe, where the comic book is probably considered the most "genuine" version of the story, it's the cartoon that stands out most of all for Transformers fans. Many central conceits simultaneously introduced on the cartoon and in the comic became core elements of the characters in most of the later incarnations. Some of the most notable of these elements are the Transformers' home planet Cybertron; their crash landing on Earth millions of years ago; and the Autobots' friendship with a teenage boy with the last name Witwicky ("Spike" in the cartoon, "Buster" in the comic).
The Transformers was an extremely popular cartoon at the time it first aired, with plenty of kids quite thrilled to have animated adventures about the very cool robot toys. Beginning with a voiceover that presented the story as something huge and mythological ("Many millions of years ago, on the planet Cybertron…") the show struck a chord with a Star Wars-fueled group of kids who loved stories about aliens caught in an intergalactic civil war. The cartoon also served to make icons out of many of the main characters of the series, including Bumblebee, Soundwave, Jazz, Ravage and more. However, the standouts were probably Megatron, Starscream and of course, Optimus Prime.
Megatron and Starscream made for a terrific villainous pairing, with the ruthless and evil Megatron (voice over veteran Frank Welker) constantly fending off the power hungry plotting of Starscream (voiced by Chris Latta, who would also become very familiar as the voice of Cobra Commander on G.I. Joe). As for Optimus Prime, as silly as it sounds, the giant robot who could transform into a truck became a huge hero for kids growing up on the cartoon, who loved to see his brave acts and hear the comforting voice of Peter Cullen intoning "Autobots, transform and roll out!"
Viewed 25 years after its debut, The Transformers is hardly what we could call great television. The stories are fairly simplistic and repetitive, consisting of variations on the same storylines, most of which center on Megatron attempting to get some new weapon or source of power (or create an occasional Space Bridge to Cybertron), with many of the same beats occurring time and again. But kids certainly weren't troubled by how many times Megatron would yell "Decepticons, retreat!" or Spike and Bumblebee would get into trouble, or that the fight scenes are, well, kind of lame actually. They just enjoyed seeing giant robots change into other things and then fight each other. And to see how important these characters were to a certain generation, just bring up the 1986 spinoff/continuation of the cartoon, Transformers: The Movie, to anyone who saw it when it first came out, and see the amusingly touched reactions of those who remember crying when Optimus Prime died.
As we mentioned, The Transformers would have a huge influence on nearly all of the future versions of the characters. The current live-action Transformers movies are obviously filled with a ton of elements from the series, including Shia LeBouf's character Sam Witwicky, a variation on the cartoon's Spike Witwicky. And fan demand went a long way towards ensuring that the man who is Optimus Prime to most Transformers fans, Peter Cullen, would reprise his role in the films. IGN TV