Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It is the first and only live-action television series in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997 to 1998.
Plot
In their battle against the Foot Clan, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet a new ally named Venus de Milo. With her unique skills and tactical abilities, she helps the Turtles defeat Shredder and disband the Foot Clan. Later on, when the Rank led by Dragon Lord escapes from their enchanted mirror with a plan to take over the Earth, Venus stands by the Turtles, aiding them with her expertise to stop the Rank's malevolent plot and preserve the balance of their world. Through their journey together, Venus becomes an integral part of the Turtles' family, embodying the heroic spirit of unity and determination.
Characters
Turtles
Leonardo (performed by Gabe Khouth and Shishir Inocalla, voiced by Michael Dobson) – The blue-masked turtle who wields a ninjatō and is the leader of the Ninja Turtles. In this show, Leo's mask covers much of the top of his head. During the course of the series, Leo has sought new ways to learn how to combat enemies such as the Rank and Simon Bonesteel. Raphael (performed by Mitchell A. Lee Yuen and Dean Choe, voiced by Matt Hill) – The red-masked impulsive turtle who wields two sai. Raph appears to see Bonesteel as his personal enemy, having an entire episode with him. Michaelangelo (performed by Jarred Blancard and Larry Lam, voiced by Kirby Morrow) – The orange-masked turtle who wields two tonfas and is self-proclaimed "Prince of All Media" who runs a pirate radio show from the Turtles' jeep. Donatello (performed by Richard Yee and David Soo, voiced by Jason Gray-Stanford) – The purple-masked turtle who wields a bō staff and is the genius of the group. A fan of the somewhat insane Dr. Quease, Donnie has tried working with him on a way to send the enemies from the Rank back into the Enchanted Mirror. Venus de Milo (performed by Nicole Parker and Leslie Sponberg, voiced by Lalainia Lindbjerg) – A fifth Turtle that wears a light blue mask. Venus was in the bowl the others were in, and doused with ooze. However, she ended up in Chinatown where Chung found her. She was raised as a shinobi, a mystical version of a ninja. Venus often gets sayings mixed up like "piece of cake" and "easy as pie" no matter how much her new family attempts to help.
Allies
Splinter (performed by Fiona Scott, voiced by Stephen Mendel) – A mutant rat and the adoptive father of the Turtles who trained them in ninjitsu. Splinter is usually not involved with the Turtles' antics, often imparting advice or yelling at them about the noise of their vehicles. He will often play chess at night with his blind human friend Andre. Chung I (portrayed by Tseng Chang, voiced by Dale Wilson) – An old friend of Splinter and Venus' foster father. He trained Venus as a Shinobi, but was killed by the Dragon Lord after the latter used Chung as a conduit to allow his forces to escape their prison dimension and reach the Realm of Dreams. He was also a foe of the vampire Vam Mi, having stolen her heart after defeating her. This later led her to seek revenge on Venus. Andre (portrayed by Len Gibson) – A blind man, whom Splinter often plays chess with in the park. During "The Guest", he is evicted from his apartment and given refuge with the Turtles. However, he constantly (much to their frustration) grabbed and messed with everything, nearly injuring them.