This guide covers the program known as "Saban's Big Bad Beetleborgs" (in its first season) and "Saban's Beetleborgs Metallix" (in its second and final season). It was the third "companion series" to the Power Rangers franchise, and... more »
This guide covers the program known as "Saban's Big Bad Beetleborgs" (in its first season) and "Saban's Beetleborgs Metallix" (in its second and final season). It was the third "companion series" to the Power Rangers franchise, and eventually rose in ratings to point it was number 1 in all key demographics.
The show was about three typical pre-teen kids, Drew, Roland, and Jo, living in the city of Charterville, where they tend to hang out as Roland's father's comic book store, Zoom Comics. One day, on a dare, the trio entered the local haunted house (known as Hillhurst Mansion), and encounter a gang of crazy gang, child-hugry monsters! While trying to escape, they bumped into a pipe organ, accidentally freeing a wacky blue phasm by the name Flabber. As thanks for releasing him from his prison, he gave them a wish, which they were unanimous on: the kids wanted to be their favorite comic book superheroes - the Beetleborgs! But in fulfilling their wish, Flabber accidentally releases the Beetleborgs' enemies, the evil Magnavores, from the comic book world as well. Now the kids, as the armored, insect-powered, (adult-sized) cyborg warriors called the Beetleborgs, must defend their city from the Magnavores, which include Noxic, Jara, Typhus and their boss, Vexor, as they release evil creatures also out of any issue of the comics. The comic arsenal is also at the kids' disposal, including powerful weapons and three giant fighting machines known as the Beetle A.V.s.
The shy but courageous Drew takes the form of the Blue Stinger Beetleborg (and later, the Chromium Gold Beetleborg). He also has the civilian ability of telekinetic powers. Jo, his tomboyish younger sister (who later goes through a change of actresses due to a magic spell gone bad), is the Red Striker (and later Platinum Purple) Beetleborg, and has the civilian ability of super-strength. And the budding magician Roland is the Green Hunter Beetleborg (and later, the Titanium Silver Beetleborg), with super-speed as his civilian ability.
Then in "BeetleBorgs Metallix", Art Fortunes, creator of the Beetleborgs comics, creates better and more powerful armor for the heroes, to combat a new line of evil which are created by Art's criminal insane brother, Les Fortunes! His creation of Nukus, Horribelle, Vilor, and their Crustaceans are the new enemies of these new Metallix-powered Beetleborgs.
The supporting cast includes Flabber's child-hungry roommates, known as the House Monsters (which include vampiric Count Fangula, tightly-wound Mums, dim-witted Frankenbeans, incomprehensable Wolfgang, and later the fiesty Little Ghoul); Roland's butt-kicking, bike-riding grandmother Nano; Roland's Zoom Comics-owning father Aaron (and later his mother, Abby); Heather, a pretty young girl who works at Zoom and Drew has a major crush on; and Van & Trip, two millionaire brats who tend to bully around the kids.
Big Bad Beetleborgs was adapted from the 1995 Toei Metal Hero program, "Juukou Bii Faitaa (Heavy Armor B-Fighter). Beetleborgs Metallix was adapted from the 1996 Toei Metal Hero program, "Bii Faitaa Kabuto" (B-Fighter Kabuto).
The series aired Mondays to Fridays, and Saturday mornings, on the Fox Kids block of the Fox network, from its inception, until the fall of 1998, when reruns of it moved to the UPN Kids block of the United Paramount Network. It has not aired in the USA since 1999, though continues to run in other countries, most notably the United Kingdom.
The series ended due to two major factors: Toei stopped production of its Metal Hero series, meaning no series to adapt for a third season (which was tentatively titled Beetleborgs Force), which would have meant much higher production costs. And secondly, Saban Entertainment needed to free up more money to fund the Ireland co-production Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog. The toy line even continued after the show ended its run!
Beetleborgs (both seasons) was a production of Renaissance-Atlantic Films. A co-production of Toei Company, LTD. and Bugboy Productions, Inc. And copyrighted by Saban Entertainment, Inc. and Saban International, N.V. (which is now owned by Disney, and goes by the name of BVS Entertainment, Inc.)
(One last FYI: Shannon "Jo #1" Chandler and Elisabeth "Heather" Lund were nominated for "Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Saturday Morning TV Program" at the YoungStar Awards for the series)less «
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