Created by: Art Vitello
Voiced by: Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Maurice LaMarche, Kellie Martin, John Astin
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: May 14, 2013
Run Time: 286 minutes
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
With the huge success of “Tiny Toon Adventures”, “Taz-Mania” was born and still is a very fun spin-off giving the little devil a chance to own the spotlight. I remember watching this series as a kid and loving it. I also remember playing the hell out of the Sega Genesis game of the same name in 1992. Jim Cummings, one of my favorite voice actors, gives Taz his voice and also a few other great characters as well. This show ran for four seasons with 65 episodes. So in this “Season One, Part One” release we get the first 13 episodes. In fact “Season One, Part Two” already has a release date set on August 6, 2013 with another 13 episodes.
Official Premise: Clear the way! Here comes Taz, a whirlwind of terror and destruction. He’s a teenage Tasmanian Devil with a voracious appetite who devours nearly everything in his path, even his sister Molly’s beloved New Chips off the Block action figures! Sibling rivalry is tough, especially when you have a little sister who is the typical teenage girl who regularly gets on your nerves. Then there’s little brother Jake, who looks up to Taz and idolizes his big brother. Mom, Jean, is a dedicated mother who runs a shipshape household and loves her kids. Hugh is Taz’s easy-going dad, who enjoys playing golf. One of Taz’ best friends is his loyal pet, Dog the Turtle, a turtle who behaves just like a dog and even enjoys playing fetch! Together, the close-knit family of Tasmanian Devils, live on the lush, exotic island of Tazmania, where the sky is always a vibrant shade of yellow and adventures abound. Joining them is a lively cast of characters including, Constance Koala, Daniel and Timothy Platypus, Digeri Dingo, Wendal T. Wolf, Mr. Thickley and many others.
Disc 1 includes the following episodes: “Like Father, Like Son/Frights of Passage”, “The Dog the Turtle Story”, “War & Pieces/Airbourne Airhead”, “Battling Bushrats/Devil in the Deep Blue Sea”, “A Devil of a Job”, “Woeful Wolf”, “It’s No Picnic/Kee-Wee ala King” Disc 2 includes the following episodes: “Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty/Enter the Devil”, “Mishap in the Mist/Toothache Taz”, “Bewitched Bob”, “Instant Replay/Taz and the Pterodactyl”, “Comic Madness/Blunders Never Cease” and “Pup Goes the Wendal/I’m OK, You’re Taz”
This DVD marks the rest time that these episode have been released on DVD. I do not know if they have been restored or remastered at all but they still look pretty damn good. The are presented in full-frame to preserve the original television aspect ratio. This series just makes me realize how much I actually do miss Saturday morning cartoons. I am looking forward to future releases from this series and I hope that Warner Bros will continue to release great animated cartoons like this one. There are no extras included but there is a pamphlet for a bonus virtual item on the “Looney Tunes/Scooby Doo Cartoon Universe” online game.