Voltron: The Third Dimension
Voltron: The Third Dimension is an American computer-animated television series, done in the same animation style as Beast Wars: Transformers and Reboot. It departed from the original Lion Voltron's animated look, as well as some character changes, such as the physical appearance of Prince Lotor (now voiced by Tim Curry, taking over the role originally voiced by Lennie Weinrib).[2] It served as a sequel to the Lion Force Voltron series, set five years after the end of the series (ignoring events from episodes 53 to 72), and among the tools used to bridge the gap was an official starmap as designed by writer Shannon Muir, and finalized in partnership with World Events Productions. The show was animated by Netter Digital Entertainment, inc. and Mike Young Productions.[3]
| Voltron: The Third Dimension | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | World Events Productions |
| Developed by | Marc Handler |
| Voices of | Clancy Brown Michael Bell Tim Curry Tress MacNeille Kevin Michael Richardson Neil Ross B.J. Ward Billy West |
| Composer | Stephen C. Marston |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Mike Young Ted Koplar Kevin Harlan John Copeland |
| Producers | Bill Schultz Jason Netter |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | Netter Digital Entertainment Mike Young Productions The Summit Media Group World Events Productions |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | First-run syndication |
| Original release | September 12, 1998 – February 19, 2000 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Voltron Voltron: Fleet of Doom |
| Followed by | Voltron Force Voltron: Legendary Defender |
Legal issues occurred when WEP tried to make a new series.[4] Neil Ross, Michael Bell, and B.J. Ward reprised their roles as Keith, Lance, and Princess Allura for the series.
Plot
From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend, the legend of Voltron. A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron’s legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy. But then the evil Prince Lotor escaped from his prison in deep space. He formed a secret alliance with Hagar, Mistress of Dark Magic. And together, they summoned awesome forces of fear and destruction, threatening the universe with new horrible menaces. Voltron was needed once again. Now comes the story of a super force of space explorers, specially trained and sent by the highest echelon of the Galaxy Alliance to bring back Voltron. This is Voltron: The Third Dimension.
— Narrator during the opening sequence
With antagonist Prince Lotor's escape from prison, the heroic Voltron Force re-assemble against him, but must contend simultaneously with the various monsters and warships sent by Lotor (at times, captained by him) and with opposition on their own side, represented by the artificial intelligence "Amalgamus", a sophisticated computer who objects periodically to the Voltron Force's methods.
Cast
- Clancy Brown – Queeque and Igor
- Michael Bell – Lance and Coran
- Tim Curry – King Alfor and Prince Lotor
- Tress MacNeille – Lafitte
- Kevin Michael Richardson – Hunk, King Zarkon, and Narrator
- Neil Ross – Keith and Amalgamus
- B.J. Ward – Princess Allura and Haggar
- Billy West – Pidge
Episodes
Season 1 (1998–1999)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Escape from Bastille-12" | Marc Handler | September 12, 1998 |
| 2 | 2 | "Red Lion Breaks Loose!" | Marc Handler | September 12, 1998 |
| 3 | 3 | "Building the Forces of Doom" | Sean Catherine Derek | October 3, 1998 |
| 4 | 4 | "Lost Souls" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | October 10, 1998 |
| 5 | 5 | "A Rift in the Force" | Kelly Ward | October 31, 1998 |
| 6 | 6 | "Shades of Gray" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | November 7, 1998 |
| 7 | 7 | "Bride of the Monster" | Sean Catherine Derek | November 14, 1998 |
| 8 | 8 | "Dominus" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | November 21, 1998 |
| 9 | 9 | "Voltron Vs. Dracotron" | Scott Guy | November 28, 1998 |
| 10 | 10 | "Descent into Madness" | Kelly Ward | February 6, 1999 |
| 11 | 11 | "Pidge Gets Iced" | Marc Handler | February 13, 1999 |
| 12 | 12 | "Dark Heart" | Mark Young | February 20, 1999 |
| 13 | 13 | "The Big Lie" | Kelly Ward | February 27, 1999 |
| 14 | 14 | "The Trial of Voltron" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | May 1, 1999 |
| 15 | 15 | "The Troika Moons" | Marc Handler | May 8, 1999 |
| 16 | 16 | "Biography: The Voltron Force" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | May 15, 1999 |
| 17 | 17 | "Queen Ariella" | Marc Handler | May 22, 1999 |
Season 2 (1999–2000)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | "The Voltron Force Strikes Back" | Marc Handler | October 9, 1999 |
| 19 | 2 | "Stealth Voltron" | Marc Handler | October 23, 1999 |
| 20 | 3 | "Gladiators" | Pamela Hickey and Dennys McCoy | October 30, 1999 |
| 21 | 4 | "Dominus Goes Home" | Scott Guy | November 6, 1999 |
| 22 | 5 | "The Hunter" | Mark Hoffmeier | November 13, 1999 |
| 23 | 6 | "Consider the Alternatives" | Kelly Ward | November 20, 1999 |
| 24 | 7 | "Mind Games" | Kelly Ward | February 5, 2000 |
| 25 | 8 | "Raid on Galaxy Garrison" | Marc Handler | February 12, 2000 |
| 26 | 9 | "Castle Doom Dead Ahead" | Kelly Ward | February 19, 2000 |
Home media
The series was first made available through a combination of Netflix and Vudu accounts through the Xbox 360 console. Episodes would have to be purchased individually. The first season was available in full on iTunes for $15 but, like its sister property Voltron: Defender of the Universe, it has been removed from the iTunes and Google Play stores, although the soundtrack for the series is still available for purchase.
Awards
The show won a 1999 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class Rick Hinson (supervising sound editor), for Elizabeth Hinson.
References
- "Series Overview". World Events Productions. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- "Voltron – Anime News Network". Anime News Network. 2002-03-14. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- "History of World Events (Part 2 / 2)". World Events Productions. YouTube. 2008-04-04. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- "Lawsuit Launched over Proposed Live-Action Voltron Film". Anime News Network. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
External links
- Voltron: The Third Dimension at IMDb
- Voltron: The Third Dimension at TV.com
- Voltron: The Third Dimension (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia