Captain Planet: Series Mythology

In 1989 Ted Turner committed the resources of Turner Broadcasting System to create a program that would entertain children while at the same time teach them about the increasingly important concept of environmental responsibility. The world's first eco-heroes, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, were born!

Captain Planet and the Planeteers, a co-production of TBS Productions and DIC Enterprises, debuted in syndication and on TBS Superstation (cable) in September of 1990. It immediately rose to the top of the rating charts where it remains today, proving that education doesn't have to come at the expense of entertainment.

After Turner Broadcasting System purchased Hanna-Barbera Cartoons in December 1991, TBS Productions transferred production of Captain Planet to Hanna-Barbera, and updated the show's look. Premiering in September 1993, The New Adventures of Captain Planet, continued the series' ratings success. Both Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The New Adventures of Captain Planet air domestically in syndication and on TBS Superstation (cable). Internationally Captain Planet airs in over 60 countries.

While there has always been children’s educational programming and entertainment programming, few shows have successfully merged the two. Captain Planet was designed to be both fun and informative. People said it couldn’t be done, but we did it! A critical, economical, and media success, Captain Planet broke new ground, facing many hurdles along the way.

One of our first difficulties was finding animation writers who were well versed enough in environmental issues to build them seamlessly into an action-adventure plot.

In the early stages of series development, we received premises that were either too literal or too lacking in scientific foundation. Working directly with the story editors and the environmental community, series producers struggled to find a proper balance. Throughout five years of production, we strove to find the fine balance that maintained strong storytelling without compromising educational content.

Excessive violence is common in entertainment programming. Many action-adventure series present heroes who use violence as an acceptable problem solving technique. However, indiscriminate violence used purely for its entertainment value was and is contradictory to the Captain Planet ethic. We did not allow the heroes in our series to punch or kick the villains. Because violence seemed to be associated with action and excitement, we had to work overtime to ensure that our episodes would be dramatic and action-packed without having our heroes resort to escalating conflict rather than resolving it.

The use of villains to delineate good and evil in a story line is prevalent in action-adventure series. Given the fact that we dealt not only with real-life issues, but also with children, our challenge lay in the concern that children might come to the conclusion that if their parents worked in a polluting industry, they were somehow villainous. Our answer to that issue was to create villains who were intentionally exaggerated, plainly operating outside the law in an otherwise realistic setting. The eco-villains emerged as characters symbolic of the planet’s environmental problems rather than representative of the actions of individuals.

As if taken from the wisdom of its own hero, the legacy of Captain Planet constantly recycles itself with new strength and global influence. Throughout the show’s six seasons, we collaborated with numerous public and private sector organizations to create environmental awareness:

American Public Transit Association. Signage in the top 25 U.S. markets (on buses, trains, railcars, and in stations) informed the public that "The Power is Yours!" to conserve energy and drastically reduce pollution from auto emissions by riding mass transit.

U.S. Environmental Protection Wetlands Program. Captain Planet was recognized by EPA directors Carole Browner and William Reilly as providing valuable support to the EPA’s efforts. Ms. Browner particularly praised the "Jail House Flock" episode for informing both children and adults about the importance of wetlands. Captain Planet’s producers created a public service announcement to air at the end of "Jail House Flock" to provide viewers with an EPA 800 number to call for more information about wetlands.

EPA Greenlights Program. Captain Planet producers also worked with the EPA to produce episodes encouraging energy efficiency. Thirty-second "Planeteer Alerts" at the close of energy-related episodes direct viewers to contact the EPA about the Greenlights Energy Efficiency Program.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Throughout the original run of Captain Planet, we collaborated with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to bring Atlantans "Earth Day with the Braves," an educational expo held at the former Fulton County Baseball Stadium.

Sebastian International’s Little Green Program. In 1995, Captain Planet and the Little Green Environmental Program teamed up to challenge Planeteers with an international environmental creative arts contest. Winners were awarded an all-expense paid trip to the Costa Rican rainforest.

Captain Planet makes an ongoing effort to encourage the marketplace to adopt more environmentally sensitive business practices. Captain Planet licensees are required to use recycled materials whenever possible in packaging, toys, and production processes, in addition to reducing waste, using biodegradable inks, etc. No "one-time," disposable products are licensed, and most products contain an "eco-tip" informing kids of additional ways they can help protect the environment.

In an additional effort to empower children to bring about positive change in their own communities, Turner Broadcasting System created the Captain Planet Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that awards grants to children ages K-12 for hands-on environmental project. Funded through a portion of the series’ licensing and merchandising revenue, the Captain Planet Foundation has supported hundreds of projects in 48 states in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Colombia, and Brazil.

One might ask whether or not the Captain Planet series really works. Our feedback indicates a resounding YES!

Media feedback: While in original production, the series received three Daytime Emmy Nominations, three Environmental Media Awards, a Parent's Choice Award, two Genesis Awards for animal issues programming, and a commendation from Peggy Charren’s Action for Children’s Television, as well as numerous other educational and media accolades.

Distribution: In the United States alone, encore episodes of Captain Planet (airing daily on Cartoon Network) continue to reach millions of viewers a week. In addition, the series airs in over fifty countries internationally, including Brazil, Australia, Singapore, France, Ghana, Germany, Holland, Italy, Algeria, and Mexico. Ratings remain steadily strong despite the fact that the Captain's final season ended in 1996.

Audience feedback: Captain Planet's influence has extended far beyond the creation of the final "new" episode, illustrating a resounding impact that shows no signs of slowing down. The volume of letters, e-mails, and other feedback that the Captain receives from kids, parents, educators, and environmentalists indicates the constant impact and continuing renewal of the series- mission and appeal. Parents tell us that their children are more aware of the importance of the environment as a result of watching Captain Planet. They maintain that their kids are more likely to conserve energy, recycle, protect the environment, and encourage others to do the same. Teachers request episodes of the show, citing the series as an excellent classroom tool to initiate discussions about environmental issues, while also serving as a vehicle for generating children's involvement in recycling and other community programs. The Department of Agriculture, American Public Transit Association, Bat Conservation International, and other groups have all used episodes of Captain Planet in their in-school programs. And of course, children love the show! Our young viewers are quick to express that the power is theirs to create a cleaner, greener future. By all counts, we feel confident that we are providing children with quality entertainment while giving them information that will help them become informed, responsible decision-makers for the planet.