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Gaia, the spirit of Earth, awakens from a century-long sleep to the pillaging of the planet by a largely oblivious humanity. Fearing for the future, she sends magic rings to five youngsters from around the globe - Wheeler (North America), Linka (Eastern Europe), Gi (Asia), Kwame (Africa) and Ma-Ti (South America) - Gaia's team in the battle against further destruction of the Earth. As the youngsters place the rings on their fingers, they are magically transported to Gaia's home, Hope Island, an uncharted, unpolluted tropical isle far from civilization. There, Gaia teaches them the secrets of nature. As they learn of their personal power, each identifies with one of the four ancient elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind and a very special new power, Heart, which symbolizes the compassion needed to save the Earth. Through the magic rings, the Planeteers learn to direct their powers in their mission to save Earth. Finally, they are ready to discover the greatest secret of all.
When the Planeteers join their powers together, beams shoot from their rings, meeting and combining in a swirling nimbus. Thunder and lightning crash through the sky, and as the Planeteers watch, a new hero literally bursts from the earth . . . Captain Planet! The environmental superhero, endowed with the powers of the Planeteers rings combined and magnified, demonstrates that the whole is, indeed, greater than the sum of its parts. In each episode, Captain Planet and the Planeteers face a rogues' gallery of larger-than-life eco-villains, including such despicable characters as Verminous Skumm, whose goal is to spread filth and disease, and resource-ravaging ruffians like Duke Nukem and Looten Plunder. Although buffoonish in character, they symbolize real threats to the planet Earth. They pillage natural resources and pollute the water and air. They will stop at nothing to accomplish their evil goals. Captain Planet and the Planeteers takes kids on heart-stopping adventures - part science, part action, but always rooted in fact. Each episode reveals some aspect of the physical effect of environmental destruction and ends with the same message: that every individual must respect planet Earth and preserve its resources if we are to ensure our survival. And each episode ends with a :30 epilogue that gives viewers "The Power" to be part of the environmental solution. |
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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.
Captain Planet Mission
- Entertain through dramatic story-telling, compelling characters, and exciting animation.
- Educate and inform children about real and relevant environmental and social issues, with the objective of raising their awareness, interest, and involvement in problems which affect their own neighborhoods and our world as a whole.
- Motivate children to seek out more information about environmental and social issues. Captain Planet is not intended to be the final word on any subject, but rather to be a jumping off point for further exploration.
- Empower children and encourage them to become informed and educated decision makers, as well as active members of their local communities.
Captain Planet Story Line
- Gaia, the spirit of Earth, awakens from a century long sleep to find the Earth in peril. She summons five teenagers, the Planeteers, from around the globe, and gives each of them a ring which controls an element of nature -- Earth, Fire, Wind, Water -- and a special power, Heart, which allows them to use their new powers wisely and compassionately.
- The five Planeteers represent a cross section of the worlds cultures and ethnic diversity -- Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from Eastern Europe, Gi from Asia, and Ma-ti from South America.
- The Planeteers must solve ecological crises created by the series Eco-villains. When the Planeteers find themselves in a situation that seems more than they can handle, they combine their powers to summon Captain Planet. Captain Planet is a metaphor for that which can be accomplished by teamwork. He symbolizes that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.
"Edu-tainment," Successes and Difficulties
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! Captain Planet has been a success critically, economically, and in the ratings. But in breaking new ground, there were lots of hurdles along the way.- Finding animation writers who were well versed enough in environmental issues to build them seamlessly into an action-adventure plot was extremely difficult. In the early stages of series development we received premises that were either too literal or that lacked scientific foundation. Working directly with the storyeditors and the environmental community, series producers struggled to find a proper balance. Even after five years of production we still strive to find the fine balance that maintains strong story-telling 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 is contradictory to the Captain Planet ethic. We do not allow the heroes in our series to punch or kick the villains. Because violence is associated with action and excitement we have had to work overtime to ensure that our episodes are dramatic and action-packed. At the same time, our heroes strive to resolve conflict rather than to escalate it.
- The use of villains to delineate good and evil in a storyline is common in action-adventure series. However, given that we deal with real life issues, we were concerned children might come to the conclusion that if their parents worked in a polluting industry they were somehow villains. Although our show is basically realistic, our eco-villains are intentionally exaggerated so that they are clearly operating outside of the law. They are symbolic of the environmental problems rather than representative of the actions of individuals. We are careful not to be critical of business/industry, but to encourage responsible business practices and a balance between the needs of people, environment/wildlife, and industry.
Captain Planet is now one of the few animated series that meets FCC guidelines for children's educational programming, proving that worthwhile content can be successfully integrated into an entertainment format.
Captain Planet in Action
Captain Planet has become synonymous with caring for the environment. Over the five seasons the show has been on the air, we have collaborated with numerous public and private sector organizations to create environmental awareness. A few of the organizations with whom Captain Planet has "combined powers" include:- 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 Agency Wetlands Program. Captain Planet has been recognized by Carole Browner and William Reilly, the last two directors of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, as providing valuable support to the EPA's efforts. Ms. Browner particularly praised the episode, "Jail House Flock" for informing both children and adults about the importance of wetlands. Captain Planet's producers created a public service announcement which was added to the end of this show and provided viewers with an EPA 800 number to call and receive more information about wetlands.
- EPA Greenlights Program. Captain Planet has also worked with the EPA to produce episodes encouraging energy efficiency. Thirty second "Planeteer Alerts" at the end of these episodes direct viewers to contact the EPA about the Greenlights Energy Efficiency program.
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Annually, Captain Planet collaborates with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring Atlantans "Earth Day with the Braves," an educational expo held at Fulton County Baseball Stadium.
- Sebastian International's Little Green Program. In 1995 Captain Planet and the Little Green Environmental Program will team up to bring Planeteers an international environmental creative arts contest. Winning kids are awarded an all expense paid trip to the Costa Rican rainforest.
Captain Planet has also made an 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, reduce packaging and waste, use biodegradable inks, etc. In addition, 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 environmental change in their own communities, Turner Broadcasting System created the Captain Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which gives small monetary grants to children for grassroots environmental projects. The Captain Planet Foundation is funded through a portion of the series' licensing and merchandising revenue.
In conjunction with Turner Educational Services and America Online, the Captain Planet Foundation is developing an on-line children's environmental information network. This program will provide a series of turn-key environmental projects for kids -- projects like "How to Clean a Lake or Stream," "How to Build a Composting Center," "How to Build a Nature Trail." Local kids groups can apply to the Captain Planet Foundation for funding for both turn-key projects as well as projects they may develop on their own. Other elements of the on-line program will include conferences with environmental experts, an electronic billboard where kids can leave questions for Captain Planet, and a resource center where kids can get information about other environmental organizations and publications.
"Edu-tainment" Works!
One might ask whether or not the Captain Planet series really works. Our feedback indicates a resounding, yes!
Media feedback: the series has received three Daytime Emmy Nominations, three Environmental Media Awards, a Parent's Choice Award, two Genesis Awards for animal issues programming, 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, Captain Planet reaches over seven million people a week. In addition, the show airs in over 60 countries, including Australia, most of South America, China, etc. From a distribution standpoint, the series has been extremely successful.
Audience feedback: The volume of letters and other feedback Captain Planet receives from kids, parents, educators, and environmentalists indicates the series has had a far-reaching impact. Parents tell us that their children are more aware of the environment and its importance as a result of watching Captain Planet . They say their kids are more likely to conserve energy, recycle, protect the environment, and encourage others to do the same. Teachers tell us our shows are an excellent classroom tool to initiate discussion about environmental issues, as well as getting kids involved in recycling and community clean up programs. The Department of Agriculture, American Public Transit Association, Bat Conservation International, and other groups all use episodes of Captain Planet in their in-school programs. And children love the show too! We receive mail from kids in the U. S., Ghana, Australia, Singapore, etc. who all want to be Planeteers. Our young viewers are also quick to express the idea 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 at the same time giving them information that will help them become informed and responsible decision-makers for the planet.