'Swat-Kats Revolution': 90s Revival Finally Gets The Greenlight
Cult 1990's action cartoon Swat-Kats: Radical Squadron is a series that has been plotting a return for quite some time. Originally aired between 1993 and '95 on TBS, and running for just 27 episodes fans have always felt it was cancelled too soon. That's a sentiment shared by original creators Christian and Yvon Tremblay, who have been actively working to bring a new series to the screen for years but had had little success.
The Tremblays previously launched a successful Kickstarter to create a new series bible and a two-minute teaser as a pitch to launch a new series. That was back in 2015 and it's apparently taken quite some time to move forward, but it finally looks like the Kats and coming back.
For those who missed it the first time, here's the synopsis of the original show:
Set in a world of anthropomorphic felines, this series follows the high-flying adventures of Chance "T-Bone" Furlong and Jake "Razor" Clawson. Members of Megakat City's elite law-enforcement agency, the pilots become grounded after their pursuit of archvillain Dark Kat sets them at odds with the headstrong Commander Feral. Reassigned to duties at a military salvage yard, Chance and Jake create their own high-tech jet from discarded parts and dedicate themselves to protecting the city in their secret identities as the SWAT Cats. Armed to the teeth and ready to roll, these masked vigilantes continue their quest to bring down Dark Kat and other threats to the city, including recurring baddies the Pastmaster, Dr. Viper and Hard Drive.
The new series will be titled Swat-Kats: Revolution and is being co-produced by Tremblay Bros and Indian animation studio Toonz Media. The show will target kids aged 5 to 11, but will no doubt appeal to the grown-up fans of the original series. The original series was produced by Hanna-Barbera productions.
"While Swat-Kats Revolution is a new series, the DNA of what made it successful will remain", co-creator Christian Tremblay said. "The character relationships, the smart and witty writing, the action, the imaginative stories, and the bigger than life villains will evermore be present. The new series will be contemporary and explore themes that the new audience will identify with."
The series will apparently feature new characters alongside the original heroes and villains, plus a new arsenal of futuristic vehicles and gadgets, including a new jet fighter plane for the heroes.
Toonz Media will distribute the series internationally, but there's no news on where it could end up (whether streaming or on TV) or when we might expect it just yet. Fans have been waiting nearly 30 years for the Kats to come back, so waiting a little bit longer couldn't hurt.
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