Beast Machines: Transformers is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment as part of the Transformers franchise. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars, taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series. The show ran for two seasons, airing on YTV and Fox Kids from 1999 to 2000. Of the Transformers animated series produced in North America, Beast Machines was the only one to have been completely conceptualized and outlined in advance, lending it a more serialized and linear storyline than the others. Prior to Transformers: Prime in 2010, Beast Machines was also the last, and second only entirely computer-animated Transformers series produced, along with its predecessor Beast Wars. The Beast Machines intro theme was "Phat Planet", by Leftfield. It is also the final installment in the Generation 1 cartoon era. Synopsis Following their victory in the Beast Wars, the surviving Maximals – Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Rattrap – finally return to Cybertron only to discover that their people have vanished, and the world is now ruled by the mindless Vehicons. To make matters worse, the quartet are trapped in their beast forms without any of the upgrades they gained during the Beast Wars – and they are swiftly losing their memories of anything but each other. Forced to retreat deep underground, the Maximals discover the Oracle, a powerful supercomputer that reformats their bodies into new, even more powerful techno-organic forms. The Maximals soon learn that their old enemy Megatron – who managed to break free and return to Cyberton before them – is the malevolent intelligence behind the Vehicons. Megatron has declared war on both beast modes and free will itself, imprisoning the sparks of Cyberton's entire population. With the odds stacked against them, the Maximals set out to free the sparks of their people, discover what really happened to their allies Silverbolt and Rhinox, and bring organic life to Cyberton once more. Cast Garry Chalk as Optimus Primal Scott McNeil as RatTrap, SilverBolt, Waspinator Ian James Corlett as Cheetor Venus Terzo as BlackArachnia David Kaye as Megatron, Savage/Noble Christopher Gaze as D749n05t7c Dr0n3 Brian Drummond as Jetstorm Paul Dobson as Tankor/Rhinox, Obsidian, D749n05t7c Dr0n3 #2 Jim Byrnes as Thrust Alessandro Juliani as Nightscream Richard Newman as Tankor/Rhinox Kathleen Barr as Botanica Patricia Drake as Strika Production According to commentary of the