<P> When little - known Playmates Toys , Inc. was approached about producing a TMNTs action figure line , they were cautious of the risk and requested that a television deal be acquired first . On December 28 , 1987 , the TMNT 's first cartoon series began , starting as a five - part miniseries and becoming a regular Saturday - morning syndicated series on October 1 , 1988 , with 13 more episodes . The series was produced by Murakami - Wolf - Swenson Film Productions , Inc. ( later Fred Wolf Films ) . Mirage Studios does not own the rights to this cartoon series . The show places a much stronger emphasis on humor than the comics do . Here , the Ninja Turtles are portrayed as four wise - cracking , pizza - obsessed superheroes that fight the forces of evil from their sewer hideout , and they make their first appearance in masks color - coded to each turtle , where previously they had all worn red . </P>
<P> When little - known Playmates Toys , Inc. was approached about producing a TMNTs action figure line , they were cautious of the risk and requested that a television deal be acquired first . On December 28 , 1987 , the TMNT 's first cartoon series began , starting as a five - part miniseries and becoming a regular Saturday - morning syndicated series on October 1 , 1988 , with 13 more episodes . The series was produced by Murakami - Wolf - Swenson Film Productions , Inc. ( later Fred Wolf Films ) . Mirage Studios does not own the rights to this cartoon series . The show places a much stronger emphasis on humor than the comics do . Here , the Ninja Turtles are portrayed as four wise - cracking , pizza - obsessed superheroes that fight the forces of evil from their sewer hideout , and they make their first appearance in masks color - coded to each turtle , where previously they had all worn red . </P>
when did the teenage mutant ninja turtles cartoon come out
when did the teenage mutant ninja turtles cartoon come out
December 28 , 1987
December 28 , 1987