Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Based on | The Mighty Ducks by Steven Brill |
Developed by |
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Voices of | |
Theme music composer | Patrick DeRemer |
Opening theme | "Ducks Rock" performed by Mickey Thomas |
Ending theme | "Ducks Rock" Instrumental |
Composer | Carl Johnson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Production | |
Producers |
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Cinematography | Lesley Hutchison |
Editor | Jamie Thomason |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | |
Release | September 6, 1996 – January 17, 1997 |
Mighty Ducks (also known as Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series) is an American animated television series that aired on ABC and the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon , the last show produced by the block, in the fall of 1996. [1] The show was loosely inspired by the live-action Mighty Ducks films and the eponymous National Hockey League team, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, as well as the affiliate American Hockey League team, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. [2] Unlike the films and the hockey teams, the show was about a team of anthropomorphic hockey-playing ducks. [3]
Twenty-six episodes were produced in total. [4]
The series' main theme, composed by Patrick DeRemer, is performed by Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas.
In another universe exists a planet populated entirely by humanoid ducks. Dubbed "Puckworld" by its inhabitants, it is an icy planet, perfectly suited to the Ducks' favorite pastime, hockey. For the citizens of Puckworld, hockey was not simply a sport, but a way of life, occupying virtually every aspect of day-to-day existence.
Legend has it that centuries ago, during an invasion by a reptilian race called Saurians, a duck named Drake DuCaine became the planet's savior over the Saurians' Overlords. The legend tells that DuCaine did so with a high-tech goalie mask which gave him the ability to see through the Saurians' cloaking technology which was a game changer for him and his people. With it, DuCaine sent the Saurians to a mysterious "Dimensional Limbo".
The last of the Saurians escape from the Dimensional Limbo and returns to Puckworld with an armada of robotic attack ships. The group of four is led by the last of the Saurian Overlords, Lord Dragaunus, who is assisted by his minions Siege, Chameleon and Wraith. They invade the planet and enslave the people of Puckworld. After some time, a resistance is formed by Canard Thunderbeak, who has found The Mask of Drake DuCaine. With it, the wearer of the Mask could see through the Saurians' invisibility cloaks. Canard forms a band of Ducks to fight Dragaunus. The members of his team consists of Wildwing Flashblade, Nosedive Flashblade, Tanya Vanderflock, Duke L'Orange, Mallory McMallard and Grin Hardwing. They go on a mission to destroy Dragaunus's fortress the Master Tower and free the planet from the Saurians' control. While the mission is successful, Dragaunus and his forces manage to escape in their ship, the Raptor. The Saurians open up a dimensional gateway to escape through, but Canard and the others follow him into the portal with the Aerowing, intent on stopping them.
Dragaunus attempts to get rid of the Ducks inside the portal by attacking them with an electromagnetic worm that will grow until it can swallow the Aerowing. In a desperate attempt to get rid of the worm, Canard sacrifices his own life by throwing himself to the worm. Before doing so, however, Canard gave the Mask, and leadership of the team, to Wildwing Flashblade, his best friend. Both the Raptor and the Aerowing leave the portal and enter a different dimension, landing in the Earth city of Anaheim, California. The Ducks meet Phil Palmfeather, a human who becomes their manager and makes them a legitimate NHL team. Their arena, only known as The Pond in the show, has a hockey rink that doubles as a landing pad for the Aerowing above and has a formal HQ below. On Earth, the Ducks and Dragaunus continue their fight, with Dragaunus's plans of conquest often curtailed by damage to the Raptor's power source and his efforts to find a new source of power, although there are other villains that also challenge the six Ducks.
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
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First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 26 | September 6, 1996 | January 17, 1997 |
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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1 | "The First Face Off: Part One" | Gordon Kent and David Wise | Story by : Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise Teleplay by : Robert N. Skir and David Wise | September 6, 1996 | |
Curious about a team of giant ducks playing hockey, police captain Klegghorn talks to their manager, Phil Palmfeather, who reveals that they are a resistance group against the evil Saurian overlords on the other-dimensional planet Puckworld. Notes: The first team the Ducks compete against are from Maine. Paul Kariya, the first player ever drafted by the real-world Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, was a star player for the University of Maine ice hockey team. | |||||
2 | "The First Face Off: Part Two" | David Wise, Gordon Kent, and Robert N. Skir | Story by : Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise Teleplay by : Marty Isenberg and Gordon Kent | September 6, 1996 | |
As the Ducks arrive on Earth, leaving Canard trapped in limbo, they attempt to find a place in their new world as Wildwing struggles with the decision of whether or not to fully accept his new role as leader. | |||||
3 | "A Traitor Among Us" | Doug Murphy | Gordon Kent | September 13, 1996 | |
An attractive spy is hired by Dragaunus to trick the Ducks into acquiring a chip in a mountain, leaving Nosedive and Duke smitten and with only Tanya aware of her true identity. | |||||
4 | "Zap Attack" | David Wise and Marty Isenberg | Gordon Kent, Doug Murphy, Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise | September 14, 1996 | |
When Dragaunus creates an energy creature that unleashes havoc on the city, only Tanya's friend Doctor Huggarman can help them save the day. | |||||
5 | "Phil In The Blank" | Doug Murphy | Len Uhley | September 21, 1996 | |
Needing to keep the Ducks occupied while he steals an engine from a rocket, Dragaunus has Wraith cast a spell on Phil to keep the Ducks busy with various public appearances, and only an unconscious Nosedive knows the truth. | |||||
6 | "Power Play" | Doug Murphy | Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir & David Wise | September 28, 1996 | |
A hockey goon with a grudge against the Ducks reminds Grin of himself before he met his mentor, but when Dragaunus transforms the goon into a monster –while also creating an electricity-based monster –Grin must recall his master's lessons before all the Ducks are slaughtered. | |||||
7 | "Dungeons and Ducks" | Doug Murphy | David Wise | October 4, 1996 | |
When all the Ducks –minus Grin –are sent to a dimension where magic rules, they must help their new friend Borg defeat the evil wizard Asteroth and get home in time for their next hockey game. Notes: The episode is a spoof of the game Dungeons & Dragons . Also, parodies of Elfquest characters Cutter and Skywise appear. | |||||
8 | "Take Me To Your Leader" | David Wise | Story by : David Wise Teleplay by : Marty Isenberg and Gordon Kent | October 11, 1996 | |
After making a mistake in a fight against the Saurians, Wildwing resigns from his role as leader, leaving the other Ducks each attempting to assume command as Dragaunus unleashes a powerful alien plant against the city. | |||||
9 | "The Human Factor" | Blair Peters | Chris Bartleman and Blair Peters | October 12, 1996 | |
With the Mask broken in a recent confrontation, Wildwing, Nosedive, Mallory and Duke must resort to more conventional detective work when they find themselves trapped in a suspiciously nice town after the Migrator mysteriously breaks down. | |||||
10 | "Beak To The Future" | Doug Murphy | David Wise | October 18, 1996 | |
When faced with an offer by Dragaunus to return home, the Ducks are confronted by a future version of Phil who takes them to a future where Dragaunus has conquered Earth, forcing the Ducks to defeat Phineas Viper –Earth's ruler in Dragaunus's absence –before they return home to stop Dragaunus's original plan from succeeding. Notes: The title of this episode is a spoof of Back to the Future . Tanya's method for taking down Project X is similar to how Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . This episode was not aired long in syndication for unknown reasons. | |||||
11 | "Microducks" | Doug Murphy & Blair Peters | David Wise | October 19, 1996 | |
While investigating a crime spree by the evil Doctor Droid, Nosedive, Tanya and Grin are hit by a shrinking ray, leaving them rapidly shrinking as the others attempt to defeat Droid's powerful robot. | |||||
12 | "Beaks Vs. B.R.A.W.N." | Doug Murphy | David Ehrman | October 26, 1996 | |
When Dragaunus reprograms a B.R.A.W.N. robot –one of the guards who oversaw his dimensional prison –to attack the Ducks, Wildwing, Mallory and Tanya must re-reprogram B.R.A.W.N. to help them stop Dragaunus from acquiring a flotation device he needs to power his new aerial fortress. | |||||
13 | "Jurassic Puck" | Joe Barruso | David Wise and Tad Stones | November 2, 1996 | |
Attempting to turn Earth into a Saurian paradise, Dragaunus unleashes a wave of dinosaurs against the Ducks. Note: The title of this episode is a spoof of Jurassic Park . | |||||
14 | "The Return of Dr. Droid" | Blair Peters | David Wise | November 8, 1996 | |
Doctor Droid has returned with a new robot body and a computer that will allow him to control every electronic appliance in the world. Meanwhile, Phil gets a new girlfriend... or does he? | |||||
15 | "Mondo-Man" | Blair Peters | Marty Isenberg, Chris Bartleman, and Blair Peters | November 9, 1996 | |
When a new superhero appears in town and starts to treat the Ducks like the villains, the Ducks realise that he has been deceived by Dragaunus, leaving them in a race against time to stop him before innocent people are endangered. Notes: Mondo-Man is very similar to Superman, possessing identical powers, paraphrasing the line "Truth, Justice and the American Way", and using a glowing green rock he created, which he referred to as "Ducktonite", designed to take Wildwing, Tanya and Grin's strength away, similar to Superman's reaction to Kryptonite. | |||||
16 | "Puck Fiction" | Robert N. Skir | Marty Isenberg and David Wise | November 15, 1996 | |
With the other Ducks arrested for a crime they didn't commit, Mallory, Nosedive and Grin must pose as spies to find out what is going on. Note: This episode is a parody of Pulp Fiction . | |||||
17 | "Monster Rally" | Fumio Maezono & Shunji Oga | Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens | November 16, 1996 | |
The mutated Daddy-O Cool is determined to make the world a "cooler" place by contaminating the world's water supply, but he requires the engine from the new Mega-Migrator for his plan to be successful. | |||||
18 | "Buzz Blitzman, Mighty Duck!" | Blair Peters | David Wise | November 22, 1996 | |
The Ducks are forced to protect an annoying fan of theirs from Dragaunus, but the attempt is hampered due to the kid refusing to reveal why Dragaunus wants him in the first place. | |||||
19 | "Bringing Down Baby" | Blair Peters | Blair Peters and David Wise | November 23, 1996 | |
When the Ducks discover an alien egg from space, the egg hatches to reveal an alien that imprints on Nosedive as its father, the Ducks little suspecting that Dragaunus arranged for them to find the egg in the first place. Note: The title of the episode is a parody of the 1938 comedy film Bringing Up Baby . | |||||
20 | "Mad Quacks Beyond Hockeydome" | Blair Peters | Marty Isenberg and Robert N. Skir | December 6, 1996 | |
While Dragaunus makes a new batch of Balerium Crystals to power his engines, the Ducks are sent to another planet to play a game of Space Hockey where the losers are disintegrated. Note: The episode is a parody of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome . | |||||
21 | "The Final Face Off" | Marty Isenberg, Rob Humphrey, and Jim Peterson | Story by : Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise Teleplay by : Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, David Wise, Chris Bartleman, Blair Peters, and Gordon Kent | December 7, 1996 | |
Wildwing is captured by Dragaunus, who wants to use the Mask to locate Atlantis, which has a plentiful supply of Balerium Crystals, to create a portal into dimensional limbo. Note: Chronologically, this is the last episode. | |||||
22 | "The Iced Ducks Cometh" | Marty Isenberg | Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise | December 13, 1996 | |
The Ducks find themselves fighting a two-sided war as Dragaunus attempts to heat Earth up at the same time as two aliens try to freeze the planet. | |||||
23 | "The Most Dangerous Duck Hunt" | Blair Peters | Rob Humphrey and Jim Peterson | December 20, 1996 | |
Tracking Dragaunus's recent creation of a Solaranite missile to the only place where the mineral is found on Earth, Wildwing, Tanya and Duke find themselves the prey in a big game hunt and restricted to only the basic essentials of their weaponry. Notes: The episode is a parody of "The Most Dangerous Game". Villain Baron Von Licktenstamp is called "Colonel Klunk" by Duke –a joking reference to Colonel Klink of Hogan's Heroes. | |||||
24 | "The Return of Asteroth" | Marty Isenberg David Wise (assistant director) | Story by : Marty Isenberg and Robert Taylor Teleplay by : David Wise and Blair Peters | December 27, 1996 | |
When the sorcerer Asteroth comes to Earth to search for his amulet –which the Ducks took from him as a souvenir of their last encounter –the Ducks must destroy the amulet before Asteroth kills them all. | |||||
25 | "Duck Hard" | Robert N. Skir | Marty Isenberg and Robert N. Skir | January 3, 1997 | |
When Dragaunus mounts a direct attack on the Ducks' headquarters, Wildwing is forced to team up with the Ducks' old "nemesis" Captain Klegghorn to get through the base's security systems. They win the championship but barely. Note: The episode is a parody of Die Hard . | |||||
26 | "To Catch A Duck" | Marty Isenberg and Tad Stones | Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise | January 17, 1997 | |
When Dragaunus sends notorious Puckworld thief Falcone after the jewels he requires for his latest weapon, tensions arise among the Ducks as Mallory questions Duke's loyalty, due to Falcone once having been a part of his gang. |
A direct-to-video feature film titled Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face-Off was released on VHS on April 8, 1997. [5] [6] It comprises three episodes of the series ("The First Face-Off" Parts 1 and 2, and "Duck Hard") edited into one continuous movie. The movie is one of numerous produced since 1969 where the director chose to be credited under the Alan Smithee pseudonym.
The series has been available on the streaming service Disney+ in the U.S. since its launch in November 2019.
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Steve Andrew Rucchin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played for three teams in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
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Antti-Jussi Jormanpoika Niemi is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. Niemi played for Jokerit of the SM-liiga, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the National Hockey League, HC Lada Togliatti in the Kontinental Hockey League and Västra Frölunda HC and Leksands IF of the Swedish Elitserien.
The Mighty Ducks is an American media franchise. It features a trilogy of live-action films released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures and a live-action sequel television series, as well as an animated television series by Walt Disney Television Animation and a real-world hockey team in the National Hockey League. The movies revolve around a Twin Cities ice hockey team, composed of young players that stick together throughout various challenges. Despite negative reviews from film critics, the trilogy's commercial success paved the way for the franchise's expansion.
The 2006–07 Anaheim Ducks season was the 14th season of operation for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. It was the team's 1st season as the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks clinched their first Pacific Division title in team history with 110 points, and defeated the Ottawa Senators in the Stanley Cup Finals four games to one. It was the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, as well as the first time a team in the state of California won the Stanley Cup.
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2002–03 season, and the culmination of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs. The second-seeded Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils defeated the seventh-seeded Western Conference champion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history. It was New Jersey's first appearance since 2001 and third in four years. It was Anaheim's first-ever appearance. The Devils defeated the Mighty Ducks in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in less than a decade. For the first time since 1965, all seven games were won by the home team. To date, this is the last Stanley Cup Finals in which this has occurred.
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were founded in 1993 by The Walt Disney Company. The team's original name was chosen from the Disney movie The Mighty Ducks, based on a group of misfit kids who turn their losing youth hockey team into a winning team. Disney subsequently made an animated series called Mighty Ducks, featuring a fictional Mighty Ducks of Anaheim team that consisted of anthropomorphized ducks led by the Mighty Duck Wild Wing. The team was the first tenant of Arrowhead Pond, a brand-new arena in Anaheim located a short distance east of Disneyland and across the Orange Freeway from Angel Stadium. The arena was completed the same year the team was founded.
The 2002–03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season was the Ducks' tenth season in franchise history. The club qualified for the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, falling to the New Jersey Devils.
The 2001–02 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season was the Ducks' ninth season in the National Hockey League. For the third straight year, the Mighty Ducks failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The 1997–98 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season was the fifth season in franchise history. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific and missed the playoffs.
The 2003–04 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season was the team's 11th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). After making it to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals and losing in the seventh game, the team placed fourth in the Pacific Division and 12th in the Western Conference, thereby failing to qualify for the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs.