Created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay, Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron debuted on September 11th 1993 and ran for two seasons (30 episodes). It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show was a huge success with Hanna Barbera Productions planning to release new episodes, posters, and other works. However in 1995 the show was ultimately canceled by Ted Turner with three unfinished episodes. Turner, who owned Turner Entertainment which aired the show, was reportedly displeased with the level of violence in the cartoon, leading to the delay of its merchandising and its eventual cancellation. Turner went on record in front of Congress and in an early 1995 interview after the show’s cancellation, stating “We have more cartoons than anybody: The Flintstones, The Jetsons, the Smurfs, Scooby-Doo. They’re nonviolent. We don’t have to worry that we’re encouraging kids to kill each other – like SOME of the other cartoon programs do.” An attempt to revive the show has so far been unsuccessful.
The show follows two discharged members of Megakat City’s paramilitary law enforcement agency The Enforcers called Jake “Razor” Clawson (voiced by Barry Gordon) and Chance “T-Bone” Furlong (voiced by Charlie Adler). They were discharged from the Enforcers after disobeying the orders of Commander Ulysses Feral (voiced by Gary Owens), which resulted in the destruction of the newly built Enforcer Headquarters in pursuit of one of the city’s major villains Dark Kat (voiced by Brock Peters). Following their discharge Feral reassigned them to work at the city’s military salvage yard to pay for the damage to the Enforcer Headquarters which Feral really caused.
Whilst in the military salvage yard the two Kats build a three-engine jet fighter from the wreckage which they name Turbokat, the Cyclotron (a motorcycle built into the jet’s seating, deployed from the bomb bay of the Turbokat like a missile), the TurboMole (a subterranean vehicle used to drill underground), the HoverKat (a militarised hovercraft), and the Thunder Truck (a militarized Jeep modified from their tow truck). They also discover a secret hanger underneath the yard which becomes their new base of operations when they begin the secret operations as SWAT Kats, defending it against any kind of menace that threatens the city!
You can purchase the complete DVD boxset HERE.
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