TMNT 2012, Episodes 1 & 2: "Rise of the Turtles" Parts 1 & 2

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The time is finally here! Yaaaaay! And this just in: Nickelodeon will preview episode 1, "Rise of the Turtles: Part 1" TONIGHT in prime time!! The scheduled time is 8pm Eastern/7pm Central. Check your local listings if you live in a different time zone.

And then, get the breakfast pizza ready when the show officially premieres with two back-to-back episodes Saturday morning at 11am Eastern/10am Central (check your local listings in other time zones).

Here are the TV Guide summaries of these episodes...

Episode 1: Rise of the Turtles Part 1 (Watch online!)
Four sewer-dwelling turtles go above ground for the first time and rescue a teenage girl and her father from a near abduction in the series premiere of this CGI cartoon about heroic reptiles.

Episode 2: Rise of the Turtles Part 2 (Watch online!)
The turtles get caught up in a complicated conspiracy shortly after venturing above ground for the first time.

Yeah, it's not much, but I think all of us are more concerned about actually seeing this show finally.

Happy viewing, everyone!

Press Buzzing About New TMNT TV Series

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Nickelodeon has been busy parading the TMNT around to the media to promote the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, which premieres this Saturday! Here's a look at what the Turtles have been up to and what people are saying about the show.

The Turtles Visit CBS New York:


And check out these spiffy photos from the Turtles' day in NYC.

The New York Times:

Now comes Nickelodeon’s back-to-basics remake. The theme song is still there (albeit slightly more urban sounding). A plan to have Splinter die was scrapped. April, the Turtles’ human friend, will not suddenly be African-American, as envisioned at one point. Early on, Nickelodeon nixed a drastic proposal to send the Turtles to a Hogwarts-type school.

(Wait, what?)

Den of Geek reviews the first two episodes:

The thing about The Rise of the Turtles that impressed me most was the high standard of writing. The episodes are very funny. We get jokey dialogue, slapstick and humorous visual effects, and, for the most part, they really work.

IGN declares a balance between comedy and action:

When it came to the fighting on the show, Nieli said, “The violence never goes to a place that’s excessive. The Turtles are acting in the greater good, but they’re justified. This is a kids show. It’s not that violent.” Astin, a parent himself, said he felt Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was, “Fun and age-appropriate and I’m totally comfortable with my kids experiencing it.”

Media Life Magazine declares TMNT "Still Cool":

The turtles are visually indistinguishable until one sorts out their mask colors and customary weapons. But the voice actors and writers succeed in giving them distinctive personalities, even if those personalities are familiar kid-TV types.

Animation Magazine talks to Executive Producer Ciro Nieli:

Throughout the roughly 14-month development period, Nieli and his crew focused on fine-tuning the storytelling and character dynamics using 2D methods. The producer and two other artists also crafted a 2D “proxy pilot” which lead to the series’ greenlight. Nieli shares that although the subsequent CG production has been “a constant learning curve,” he’s found the new medium rewarding.

Two Days Until TMNT TV Series Premiere!

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We're down to two days to go until the premiere of the new TMNT cartoon series on Nickelodeon! And Nickelodeon is feeding us with clips and promos to get us pumped for the big day. Here's a peek at some of them.

Mutation Day:


Leadership:


April Gets Kidnapped:


Discovering Pizza:

IDW TMNT #14 - Variant Cover Guide

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Only three days to go until the premiere of the new TMNT CGI cartoon series! Woohoo! To help pass the time, we've got a new comic book day! In today's edition: TMNT #14 from IDW.

Check out the issue #14 preview!

Cover A

Cover B

Cover A: Andy Kuhn.
Regular cover; distributed in a 4:1 ratio with cover B.

Cover B: Kevin Eastman.
Regular cover; distributed in a 1:4 ratio with cover A.

Cover C

Cover C: Ramon Perez.
Retailer incentive cover; 1 copy sent to retailers for every 10 copies ordered.

Nickelodeon Universe Hosting TMNT Premiere Celebration Sept. 29

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As detailed in the flyer to the left, Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, will be hosting a Premiere Celebration for the new TMNT cartoon on Sept. 29.

The celebration will be from 1-6pm, which gives you enough time to check out the premiere episodes (at 10am in MN - check your local listings) and head over to the mall for some fun!

Toys R Us Names Ninja Turtles as a "Hot Toy" of 2012

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The Christmas/Holiday shopping season is upon us, and, just in time, Toys R Us has released their annual list of "Hot Toys" that they expect to be in high demand. Included in the top 15 toys for the year they have included the new TMNT Secret Sewer Lair Playset from Playmates (conveniently, a Toys R Us exclusive item).

This story has been reported by many media outlets in the last 24 hours. Ninja Pizza reader Brandon B. shared this video of his local news station and an anchor who seemed a bit disconnected from the report.

TMNT Season Pass Now Available in iTunes

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For those who don't have cable (or even those who do), you can now order a season pass for the new TMNT cartoon series through iTunes. You'll get all 26 episodes of the first season for $29.99 in HD, or $24.99 in SD.  Episodes should be made available on the same day they air on Nickelodeon, starting September 29.

Even if you don't want to buy the episodes, there are some free videos available for download right now. Click the button below to get 'em!