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Force Five | |
---|---|
Created by | Go Nagai (Gaiking, Starvengers & Grandizer) Leiji Matsumoto (Danguard Ace & Spaceketeers) |
Written by | Collins Walker Mike Haller Lynn Garrison |
Directed by | Jim Terry Collins Walker |
Music by | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
Country of origin | United States Japan (o.v.) |
No. of series | 5 |
No. of episodes | 130 (286 in original versions) |
Production | |
Producer | Jim Terry |
Editor | Stewart Nelsen |
Running time | 23 minutes |
Production companies | Jim Terry Productions (former American Way) Toei Animation |
Original release | |
Network | First-run syndication |
Release | September 8, 1980 – December 4, 1981 |
Force Five is an American adaptation of five different anime television series. In the United States, this series was primarily shown only in New England, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, though it did make brief appearances in other markets, such as Texas and Northern California on KICU-TV 36. It was also shown in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on CFMT channel 47 and in Asia on Star Plus during the 1990s. It was produced by Jim Terry and his company American Way, and it consisted of five imported Japanese giant robot serials (originally produced in the mid-1970s by Toei Animation) in response to the popularity of the Shogun Warriors toy collection. Mattel was one of the sponsors of the series.
In an anthology style, the five shows were broadcast simultaneously with one episode of each serial assigned a specific weekday. Additionally, all of the shows were edited into two-hour films and marketed on video tape by Family Home Entertainment. In the UK, Krypton Force released several of these programmes but under different series titles.
Force Five consisted of the following five series:
# | Series | No. of episodes | Adaptation of | No. of episodes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Force Five: Gaiking | 26 | Dino-Mecha Gaiking (1976) | 44 |
2 | Force Five: Danguard Ace | 26 | Planetary Robot Danguard Ace (1977) | 56 |
3 | Force Five: Starvengers | 26 | Getter Robo G (1975) | 39 |
4 | Force Five: Grandizer | 26 | UFO Robot Grendizer (1975) | 74 |
5 | Force Five: Spaceketeers | 26 | Sci-Fi West Saga Starzinger (1978) | 73 |
Originally, Great Mazinger was meant to be among the five shows, but at the last minute was swapped out for Starzinger .
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