The original Transformers, known worldwide now as “G1 Transformers“, ran on television from 1984 through 1988. Longtime fans of that era remember the “fifth” season of the show in 1988, which was simply a re-airing of classic episodes as well as the 1986 animated movie cut up in to parts. The “new” pieces to the show involved new narration from both Optimus Prime and his human friend Tommy Kennedy, played by Jason Jansen (aka Jason Jankowski) and a constructed live-action Powermaster Optimus Prime “puppet”, of which the character Tommy would interact with in various ways.
The “puppet” of Optimus Prime was operated by a number of stage hands who would move the head, move fingers on the hand – essentially controlling every aspect of the “puppet” as recordings of Peter Cullen would play, to which Tommy would speak with.
Now, a 30 minute plus video from Jason Jankowski has been uploaded to Vimeo showcasing the filming of many of those live-action scenes. We’re gifted with some practice runs with the “puppet” and “Tommy” before the Optimus Prime was totally finished, as well as the filming of some of the final scenes shown in the episodes, promotions, and commercials.
stad
I read, and meant what I said. The term isn't only used as an all-encompassing term, it's also widely used as a descriptor for any portion of that era. That includes whether you're talking solely about the cartoon, the toys, the comic, or any combination of those. That doesn't mean that some don't use it incorrectly, but it is widely used for all of those.
Hobart Paving
For more information please reread.
stad
It's pretty much widely used to describe all aspects of G1. Whether you're talking about the G1 cartoon, the G1 toys, or the G1 comics. It's a widely used descriptor.
Novaburnhilde
That big practical Optimus will never not be super cool, and really makes me wonder how a live action TF film would've been if it came out in the 90s or something.
reinhold boomer
Even if they'd tossed Prime in a warehouse or someone gave up their garage to stash him, it would've just rotted into nothing after 30+ years.
Those intros were filmed in 2005 specifically for the DVDs. Same as season 5, the Stan Lee stuff from the Marvel Action Hour is (mostly) only around as old worn out VHS recordings.
MrNiceGuy
The thought that that puppet was destroyed just feels wrong
Gee Won 1984
This is when I started to lose interest in Transformers
AnonymousDwell
Re: the "G1 Transformers" discussion. I have no idea how to quantify how widespread a term it is and I doubt any sociologists or linguists have studied that question authoritatively so like, it's not worth debating.
But I can say I grew up with G1, and ever since Beast Wars have always definitively referred to it as "G1 Transformers" in casual conversatoin and so have my friends.
We didn't call it that in '88 (not anyone I know at least,) as nothing else existed yet, at least in the States. But after enough iterations existed (for me beginning with BW) we started calling it G1 to differentiate them.
He's got the most epic bop ever playing in his ears everywhere Prime goes, he'll be alright.
stad
I don't think Tommy is going to fare too well, riding on Prime's shoulder in space…
Checksources84
G1 is simply "The Transformers" in the same way TOS is basic Star Trek.
The initial default in contrast to future branding and marketing pushes.
The Transformers
Beast Wars- Transformers
Beast Machines- Transformers
Transformers Armada
Transformers Animated
Transformers Prime
Transformers Cyberverse
Transformers EarthSpark
Bravemaximike
I love that idea of Prime heralding himself with the music!!! At least for when, like, he’s dropping in for story time with a kid.
Speaking of that kid, where can I get his jacket??? So awesome….
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I mean, clothes with this symbol come a dime a dozen!!! But not usually in 80s stone-washed denim!!!
…. Or do they….?
Also, do you think on set they referred to these guys as….
……… Headmasters????
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Anyway, yeah, loved watching this. I really liked these segments when I was a kid.
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I was salivating at the idea of more new episodes, especially after catching those Rebirth ones!!!!
but then…. There weren’t any more….
RodimusRex
I use that phrase to talk about everything from 1984 through G2.
Sometimes G1.5 for the Euro stuff (there's some debate whether that starts with Action Masters or not until the G2 logos appear on the box). Hasbro generally calls most of that stuff G2 now, such as their Rotorstorm figure.
Sometimes JG1 to refer to Japanese exclusive toys or the various animes from Headmasters through Zone and their manga tie-ins, up through 2022's "End of G1" manga.
Generation 1 includes toys, cartoons, comic books, and other merch and media. I'm not getting what's so weird here.
It's too easy to confuse with other stuff without the subtitle.
TFWiki has also grappled with how to refer to some stuff. Initially, they referred to IDW 1.0 as the Infiltration universe based on their style of referencing all continuities/iterations based on their first story arc, such as Wings of Honor.
That got muddied over time, much like the supposed "Aligned" universe that included the High Moon games, Prime, RiD2015, Rescue Bots, etc.
Especially since their stories tended not to line up and the only evidence of it being one universe was Hasbro's official statements, unsupported and even contradicted by the fiction.
TFWiki started IDing characters based on which series they first appeared in.l but combining entries for characters that appeared in multiple.
Hasbro NOW says WFC, Prime, Rescue Bots, etc. are separate universes and that the Armada Trilogy (which was shoehorned into being one universe at the time) is now three separate incarnations that may share some history.
Again, I don't see the issue with calling the 80s cartoon "G1". Likewise, G.I. Joe fans refer to the 1982 through 1994 stuff as "ARAH". My Little Pony fans and Jem fans also refer to their 80s incarnations as "G1", including the cartoons.
Hobart Paving
So if you and your friends are talking specifically about the 1984 Sunbow animated series The Transformers you refer to it specifically as 'G1 Transformers'? You use those words in that order?
[EDIT: I've just used the search function, entering "G1 Transformers". Admittedly I could only be bothered looking at the first ten pages of results, but the exact phrase "G1 Transformers" occurs twice:
'New Zealand Mint, well known for its G1 Transformers coins…'
'On another note I sold all my G1 Transformers many years ago…'
Neither of which are referring to the '84 Sunbow animated series.]
It is possible, I grant you, that I've been living in a certain bubble of people who don't use nonsensical and meaningless phrases to inaccurately describe things that already have specific and globally understood terminology attached. Long may that continue.
Hooper_X
Babylon 5 was the first weekly show that really tried to use CGI to do a lot of heavy lifting. It holds up… somewhat. The storytelling and character work and acting are generally good enough to get over the very crude CGI starships (and the storytelling and character work and acting are very good. Larry DiTillio came over to work on Beast Wars after being a story editor for B5's first season.)
Spyne98
Thank you!
DarkAxalonSyde
Glad I'm not the only one who noticed this thing that seemed to turn into Jason. Who knew his true form was a middle-aged, shirtless dude?
Wreckneck
I do remember that the TNG crew toyed with the idea of CGI, but passed on it because of budget and because of how primitive the tech was at the time.
If you've seen the toy commercials released around Season 5, you'd know how early CGI looked, and them attempting to do such effects for a weekly TV effort like this would have been out of their wheelhouse. Hell, Stop Motion already takes a good deal of time to animate.
walruslaw
Both aren't lost. I have had them on my archive for years along with tonnes of other hard to find episdodes Transformers Episodes and OVA
RodimusRex
Uh… This forum does have a search function.
Beside that, it's how friends and I have discussed it.
I remember specifically picking up the term about when MP01 and the TRU commemorative reissues came out, as it was useful to distinguish the original from RiD and Armada.
There wasn't as much of a need in the Beast Era since RiD was the first reboot but by the time we were two reboots deep, it needed a name.
And it really didn't feel like a given we'd ever get mainline toys that built on it meaningfully again until Classics. We had Heroes of Cybertron PVCs and some Robotmasters imports and the Dreamwave comic. Most of the heat around the Dreamwave comic centered on War Within.
Every time we got something close, there was a swerve.
I definitely remember buying up stuff like Powerlinx Hot Shot and Excellion, thinking it would be the closest I'd get to a new mainline Rodimus. Many of us supplemented our MP01 with Alternators.
The first G1 Titanium series figure was Rodimus Prime in 2007.
Masterpiece was essentially a handful of figures of varying scales and accuracy of decos until 2011, most of which had minimal presence outside of Japan.
And Hasbro seemed intent on fairly radical updates until Prime Wars Trilogy, a handful of Universe figures notwithstanding. Even then, the main G1 characters tended to get redesigned and you'd need to import the Takara versions for media accuracy.
I'd argue that in many ways, G1 never returned in full force in a mainline U.S. line until Earthrise and we got essentially the first and only chance to comprehensively rebuild the G1 cast without radical reimaginings, updates, added gimmicks, sporadic releases, etc. (MP was never going to deliver a full Ark crew and Takara recently announced the end of its G1 continuity, which has been playing out in manga since 2022.)
cj37a
lol what a find. However I can't believe the finished product is still worse than the behind the scenes. lmao. oh well.