Big Bad Beetleborgs | ABC-5 90s American Super Hero Kids Show

Big Bad Beetleborgs was a syndicated live action show produced by Saban Entertainment (the same creators of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series) and originally aired in Fox Kids block from September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. The Big Bad Beetleborg series adapted combat footage from the Metal Hero Japanese tokusatsu series Juukou B-Fighter on the first season and B-Fighter Kabuto on its second season. In the Philippines, the Associated Broadcasting Company (now known as TV5) aired Big Bad Beetleborgs on a weekend afternoon block.

Big Bad Beetleborgs - The Story
Big Bad Beetleborgs Series Plot

In a town called Charterville, three "typical average kids", Drew (played by Wesley Barker), Jo (Shannon Chandler/Brittany Konarzewski), and Roland (Herbie Baez), enter the supposedly haunted Hillhurst Mansion after accepting a dare from rich snob kids. The three later found out that the house is indead the home of real monsters. The kids accidentally bump a pipe organ, releasing a phasm named Flabber (Billy Forester) that granted them with one wish like a genie. Just like normal geeky children, the three wish to become their favorite comic book heroes, the Big Bad Beetleborgs. This however also brought the Beetleborgs sworn enemies to life: the Magnavores led by the evil Vexor with his three main henchmen Typhus, Noxic, and Jara. Vexor who summons monsters from the comic books to battle the Beetleborgs.

Original Source

Andrew "Drew" McCormick is the Blue Stinger Beetleborg who stand as the leader of the Beetleborgs. He was granted with the ability of telekinesis by Flabber, that he activates by pointing at an object and nodding his head. Roland Williams is the Green Hunter Beetleborg. His family owns a local comic book shop named Zoom Comics, where he, Jo, and Drew usually hang out. He was granted with the ability of super speed by Flabber, which he activates by snapping his fingers. Josephine "Jo" McCormick is the Red Striker Beetleborg. She is Drew's little sister, and was granted with the ability of super strength by Flabber, which she simply activates by cracking her knuckles. The trio was later joined by Josh Baldwin, the White Blaster Beetleborg. He was granted the ability of invisibility by Flabber, which he activates by dusting his hands. He was on the team for a very short period of time.

Big Bad Beetleborgs Opening Theme
Big Bad Beetleborgs Series Intro

If my memory serves me right, I believed that the Big Bad Beetleborg aired every Sunday nights at either on a 5:30 or 6:00 PM schedule which was followed up by Janperson on the Associated Broadcasting Company or ABC-5. The show also had a nice ring to its opening theme, but looking at it now I can surely say that the Power Rangers have a more serious tone to it which is probably why more kids prefer it, but the Big Bad Beetleborgs has more charming characters which sometimes can be the show's double edge sword. Sadly the Big Bad Beetleborg's Philippine television run ended with the Shadowborg and wasn't even resolved. The show was eventually cancelled here in the country and we were not able to watch the Beetleborgs Metallix, the show's second season. But hey it fun while it lasted. I am no purist then, and was not even aware that the show just utilized clips from a Japanese Metal Hero series. As what I have proven now as an adult, the original source material will always be better than the Americanized version, but since I was not able to see the original source material back then, then these American kids show still holds a much better place in my mind and heart. They may look ridiculous and corny now, but one time in my life I make sure to be home and tuned into ABC-5 just to watch the Bid Bad Beetleborgs.

How about you guys, have you watched the Big Bad Beetleborgs back in ABC back in the days? Any favorite episodes, memorabilias, characters, or merchandise that you have on the Americanized kids show? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

VR Troopers | ABC-5 90s American Adapted Super Hero Kids Show

VR Troopers or Virtual Reality Troopers was a syndicated live action show produced by Saban Entertainment (creators of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series) and originally aired in Fox Kids block from 1994 to 1996. In the Philippines, the Associated Broadcasting Company (now known as TV5) aired VR Troopers on a weekend primetime block. The show featured early CGI and video effects (to show the "Virtual Reality") mixed with Japanese stock footage from three different Metal Hero Series: Superhuman Machine Metalder, Dimensional Warrior Spielban and Space Sheriff Shaider. Let's go down memory lane and remember VR Troopers back in ABC Channel 5 Philippines.

VR Troopers tried to profit from the fascination with the virtual reality craze in the early 90s as well as the success of Power Rangers. It featured early CGI and video effects mixed with Japanese stock footage from three different Metal Hero Series: Superhuman Machine Metalder, Dimensional Warrior Spielban, and Space Sheriff Shaider. This kind of adaptation technique of turning multiple foreign shows into one completely different local show was originally used in anime (Robotech and Voltron). Amidst the success of VR Troopers, making a name for itself escaping the shadows of Power Rangers (or any comparison to it) the show was eventually cancelled due to the lack of stock footage from the original Japanese tokusatsu series it borrowed its action scenes from. The show lasted two seasons (Season 1 1994-1995 and Season 2 1995-1996) with nearly 100 episodes before it was eventually cancelled in favor of another Americanized tokusatsu series, The Big Bad Beetleborgs. Let's go down memory lane as we remember another Americanized Saban Kid's show of the 90s.

VR Troopers - The Story
VR Troopers Series Plot

VR Troopers follows three young adults in their late teens, Ryan Steele (played by Brad Hawkins), Kaitlin Star (Sarah Brown), and J.B. Reese (Michael Bacon) living in the fictional West Coast town of Cross World City. They regularly attend and are teachers at "Tao's Dojo", a karate studio. Ryan is the most focused martial artist; J.B. is a computer wizard; and Kaitlin is a photographer & budding reporter for the local newspaper, the Underground Voice Daily.

In Ryan's search for his long-missing father, he and his two friends are led to a strange laboratory. Inside it was a digitized head of Professor Horatio Hart, a friend of Ryan's father. Professor art explained the truth about his life's work of having developed extremely advanced virtual reality technology in complete secrecy. "VR" is a dimension universe existing alongside our own; within it lie mutants and monsters bent on conquering both worlds. The main ruler of the said monstrosities is the Grimlord (Gardner Baldwin). Unbeknownst to everyone on Earth, Grimlord has a human identity, the billionaire industrialist Karl Ziktor. In the normal reality, Karl Ziktor tries to overcome the barriers that protects the real world and the virtual world to allow his armies easy passage from virtual world. It is up to Ryan, Kaitlin, and J.B. to defend the planet on both sides of the dimensional barrier. In order to stop Grimlord's assault on both realities they are able to change to Virtual Reality Troopers with armored bodies having incredible firepower.

VR Troopers Opening Theme
VR Troopers Series Intro

As a kid growing in the 90s, I still remember liking this show and not taking any offense on how it made use of various Japanese tokusatsu series. We were oblivious of the tokusatsu series used in VR Troopers at that time, with the exemption of Space Sheriff Shaider aggressively used in the show's second season. It was a good action-packed retro superhero kids show after the Power Rangers every Friday nights. Like any other retro kids show it has this catchy opening theme. The show featured Jeb, the talking dog which to me added a little charm to the usual scary moments of the show specifically those transformation sequence of Ziktor to Grimlord. Seeing that horrendous face of Grimlord brought shiver down my spine as a kid.

It was really just a shame that it got cancelled like most US shows on that era. Even up to this generation, there are still some shows that can get cancelled amidst its popularity. Luckily, Saban and other companies who tried adapting Japanese series finally leaned a few tools of trade from running out of stock footage which is to actually re-create the costumes and set and choreographed fight scenes on set.

How about you guys? How do you remember this Americanized tokusatsu series? any favorite characters, episodes, or merchandise? Share your thoughts about VR Troopers in the comments section below: