The Futuristic Toy Moms HATED (Captain Power)

Summary

In 2147, humanity battles the Bio Dread Empire in 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future,' a groundbreaking yet controversial interactive TV show from 1987. Combining live-action with computer-generated characters, it allowed kids to engage with the show using a PowerJet XT-7 toy. Despite ambitious ideas and a talented team, the show faced criticism for promoting violence and struggled with distribution and toy integration. Despite its failure, it influenced future sci-fi franchises and demonstrated the impact of innovative ideas, even in failure.

Takeaways

• 😀 The script discusses the failed interactive TV show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future' from the late 1980s, which combined live actors with computer-generated characters and toys that interacted with the show in real-time.
• 🤖 It highlights the ambitious concept of the show, which was set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity was at war with machines, and Captain Jonathan Power was the last hope against Lord Dread and his Bio Dread Empire.
• 🎮 The interactive element of the show relied on a toy gun, the PowerJet XT-7, which could shoot at targets on the screen, a feature that was innovative but faced criticism for promoting violence in children's programming.
• 📺 The show was a mix of live action and 3D animation, targeting both children with its toys and adults with its serious themes and storytelling, creating a disconnect in its audience and marketing approach.
• 💡 The script delves into the creation of the show, the partnership between Gary Goddard and Mattel, and the challenges they faced in merging interactive technology with a live-action series.
• 👎 The show faced significant backlash from parents and advocacy groups, who believed it blurred the lines between children's entertainment, warfare, and toy commercials, leading to a media war against it.
• 📉 Despite high production values and a talented team, the show was not a commercial success, with toy sales failing to meet expectations and contributing to its cancellation after one season.
• 🔍 The script explores the technical aspects of the interactive toys, explaining how photodetectors and light signals allowed the toys to interact with the show, but also revealing the technical issues that arose during production.
• 📚 It mentions the influence of Captain Power on later shows and movies, suggesting that while the show itself failed, its fingerprints can be seen in the success of other sci-fi franchises and interactive entertainment.
• 🚀 The script reflects on the risks taken by the creators, the innovative technology used, and the potential paths the show could have taken had the vision for the toys and the series not been so intertwined.
• 📽️ Finally, it notes the legacy of Captain Power, including attempts to reboot the show and the continued love from a dedicated fanbase, despite its ultimate failure and obscurity.

Q & A

What was the premise of the show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'?

The show was set in a post-apocalyptic future where machines had nearly eradicated humanity. Captain Jonathan Power and his team of specialized soldiers, equipped with powersuits, fought against Lord Dread and his Bio Dread Empire, representing mankind's last hope for survival.

How was the interactive TV concept of 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future' unique?

The show combined live actors with computer-generated characters and used special signals from the TV that allowed toys, such as the PowerJet XT-7, to interact with the show in real-time, allowing viewers to shoot at the bad guys on screen.

What controversy surrounded the show due to its interactive nature?

The show faced criticism for glorifying violence in children's programming. It was accused of blurring the lines between children's shows, warfare, and toy commercials, leading to a media war against it by groups like Action for Children's Television.

Who was Gary Goddard and what was his role in the creation of 'Captain Power'?

Gary Goddard was a director who had recently worked on Mattel’s Masters of the Universe live action film. He pitched the concept of 'Captain Power' to Mattel, which combined his vision for a live action sci-fi show with Mattel's interactive TV toy technology.

What were some of the production challenges faced by 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'?

The production faced challenges such as integrating the interactive technology into the show seamlessly, the high cost of production due to live action and visual effects, and the mismatch between the show's serious, adult-oriented themes and the toy-focused interactive elements.

How did Mattel's approach to distribution affect the show?

Mattel's decision to self-distribute the show rather than partnering with a Hollywood distributor led to inconsistent airing times across different TV stations, which made it difficult for the target audience, primarily children, to consistently watch the show.

What was the interactive technology behind the toys used in 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'?

The toys used photodetectors, sensors that measure light intensity, to detect flashing red and yellow signals from the TV screen at specific frequencies, allowing the toys to interact with the show by registering hits or avoiding damage.

How did the show's creators intend for the interactive elements to be integrated into the episodes?

The creators initially believed the interactive technology would use an invisible infrared signal, allowing for seamless integration without disrupting the viewing experience. However, this was later changed to visible flashing targets, which were added in post-production.

What was the impact of 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future' on the entertainment industry?

Despite its failure as a TV show and toy line, 'Captain Power' had a hidden influence on the entertainment industry, with its talent contributing to successful projects like Babylon 5 and Star Wars prequels, and its concepts influencing shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Power Rangers.

Why did 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future' ultimately fail?

The show failed due to a combination of factors, including high production costs, controversy over its violent content, inconsistent distribution, and a mismatch between the show's serious themes and the interactive toy concept, which led to poor toy sales and the cancellation of a planned second season.

Are there any efforts to revive 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'?

There were plans to reboot the show as 'Phoenix Rising' in 2017, and a 40-minute animated fan film was released in 2021, indicating ongoing interest in the property. However, as of the script's knowledge cutoff in 2023, a full revival had not materialized.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 The Rise and Fall of Captain Power

The script introduces the futuristic setting of the year 2147, where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to the Metal Wars led by Lord Dread. Captain Jonathan Power emerges as humanity's last hope, supported by a team of combat masters. The narrative then shifts to the real-world year of 1987, where an 8-year-old boy uses a PowerJet XT-7 to interact with the television show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.' The script discusses the show's unique interactive TV concept, which allowed toys to interact with the program in real-time, and the author's surprise at never having heard of the show despite being its target demographic. The author embarks on a quest to understand the show's creation, its ambitious yet controversial nature, and why it failed to achieve the success that its creators envisioned, despite having a dream team of talent and significant financial backing.

05:01

🎮 Unraveling the Mystery of Captain Power

The author delves into the history and technology behind the 'Captain Power' show and its interactive toys. After acquiring various toys and training VHS tapes from 1987, the author tests the functionality of the Powerjet and describes the interactive gaming experience. The script then explores the show's production, revealing discrepancies between the toys and the show's content, and the author's confusion about the lack of interactive elements in the episodes. The narrative discusses the controversy surrounding the show, including criticism from child advocacy groups and the media's portrayal of violence in children's programming. The author highlights the challenges faced by the show's creators, including the ambitious goal of combining serious themes with toy sales, and the resulting conflict with Mattel's marketing strategy.

10:03

🚀 The Ambitious Vision of Captain Power

This section details the origins of 'Captain Power' as a concept by Gary Goddard, following his work on the Masters of the Universe film. Goddard's idea was to merge Mattel's interactive TV technology with a live-action sci-fi show. The script outlines the development of the show, which featured a team of soldiers led by Jonathan Power fighting against Lord Dread's robot army. The author discusses the challenges of integrating the interactive technology into the show, the creative team's intentions to produce a show with serious themes for both adults and children, and the missteps in marketing and distribution that contributed to the show's obscurity.

15:11

🛡️ The Controversial Impact of Captain Power

The script examines the public backlash against 'Captain Power' due to its violent content and the merging of toy commercials with children's programming. It describes the efforts of advocacy groups like Action for Children's Television and the impact of their lobbying on the show. The narrative also highlights the contrasting opinions on the show, from negative reviews labeling it as a glorification of violence to positive reviews by critics like Gene Siskel, who praised its production quality and storytelling. The author reflects on the disconnect between the show's intent and its reception, and the technological challenges of implementing the interactive elements.

20:15

🔍 The Hidden Influence of Captain Power

This paragraph explores the indirect influence of 'Captain Power' on subsequent sci-fi franchises and the entertainment industry. The author notes similarities between elements of 'Captain Power' and later shows like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'. It also discusses the careers of the show's creators and how they contributed to successful projects such as 'Babylon 5' and 'Industrial Light & Magic'. The script reflects on the show's innovative approach to storytelling and technology, and how its legacy is felt in current entertainment despite its initial failure.

25:20

💔 The Tragic Tale of Captain Power's Demise

The final paragraph concludes the story of 'Captain Power', highlighting the financial and creative risks taken by its creators and the ultimate failure of the show and its toy line. The author discusses the high production costs, the limitations of the toys, and the misalignment between the show's vision and Mattel's marketing strategy. It also mentions the attempts to reboot the show and the continued affection of its fanbase. The script reflects on the paradoxical impact of failure in the entertainment industry and how 'Captain Power', despite its commercial failure, left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of science fiction and toy culture.

Keywords

💡Metal Wars

The 'Metal Wars' refers to a fictional series of conflicts in the video script that led to the near extinction of humanity, setting the stage for the post-apocalyptic world of the show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.' It is central to the theme of the video, illustrating the backdrop against which the story unfolds and the desperate situation humanity faces.

💡Captain Jonathan Power

Captain Jonathan Power is the protagonist of the video script, a character who emerges as a symbol of humanity's last hope against the oppressive regime of Lord Dread. His role is pivotal to the video's narrative, representing the struggle for survival and the fight against tyranny in a technologically advanced yet dystopian future.

💡Bio Dread Empire

The 'Bio Dread Empire' is the oppressive regime led by Lord Dread in the video script, characterized by a blend of organic and mechanical elements, symbolizing the dystopian rule over what remains of humanity after the Metal Wars. It is a key concept that embodies the primary antagonistic force in the video's storyline.

💡PowerJet XT-7

The 'PowerJet XT-7' is a toy gun from the video script that was designed to interact with the television show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future,' allowing viewers to shoot at the screen in real-time. It exemplifies the innovative and interactive approach of the show, which was a groundbreaking concept at the time.

💡Interactive TV

The term 'Interactive TV' in the video script refers to a novel concept where the television show and its associated toys could interact with each other in real-time. This was a significant aspect of the 'Captain Power' show, distinguishing it from traditional television programming and highlighting its innovative nature.

💡Gary Goddard

Gary Goddard is mentioned in the video script as the creative mind behind the 'Captain Power' show. He is known for directing the 'Masters of the Universe' film and for pitching the idea of 'Captain Power' to Mattel. His role is crucial in understanding the creative origins and vision behind the show.

💡Mattel

Mattel is the company that developed the 'Captain Power' show and its associated toys, as mentioned in the video script. They had been working on interactive TV technology and saw the show as a way to revitalize their toy sales. Mattel's involvement is key to understanding the commercial aspirations and the ultimate fate of the 'Captain Power' project.

💡OverMind

In the video script, 'OverMind' refers to a supercomputer with which the antagonist Lord Dread merges, leading to his transformation into a powerful enemy. This concept is integral to the video's narrative, providing a sci-fi element and a clear adversary for Captain Power and his team.

💡Action for Children’s Television

The 'Action for Children’s Television' is an advocacy group mentioned in the video script, founded by Peggy Charren to improve children's programming and reduce commercial influence. Their opposition to 'Captain Power' highlights the controversy surrounding the show's violent content and its impact on children.

💡Serialised Drama

The term 'Serialised Drama' in the video script describes the narrative structure of 'Captain Power,' where the story unfolds over multiple episodes, building on previous events. This is in contrast to self-contained episodes and signifies an attempt to create a more complex and engaging viewing experience.

💡Phoenix Rising

In the video script, 'Phoenix Rising' refers to a proposed reboot of the 'Captain Power' show that never materialized. The name symbolizes the intended resurrection of the franchise, but it also reflects the ongoing struggle and ultimate failure to revive the series.

Highlights

In 2147, humanity is nearly eradicated by machines in the Metal Wars, with Captain Jonathan Power emerging as the last hope against Lord Dread's Bio Dread Empire.

The show 'Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future' is an ambitious interactive TV experience combining live actors with computer-generated characters.

The PowerJet XT-7 toy allowed 1987 children to interact with the TV show in real-time, shooting at the bad guys on screen.

The show was a mix of live action and 3D animation, with serious themes and adult-oriented content, unlike typical children's programming.

Gary Goddard, fresh from directing 'Masters of the Universe', pitched the concept of 'Captain Power' to Mattel, who were seeking the next big toy franchise.

Mattel's interactive TV toy technology was combined with Goddard's vision, creating a show that was both a live action series and an interactive experience for kids.

The show faced controversy for glorifying violence in children's programming, leading to a media war against it by concerned parents and activists.

Despite criticism, film critic Gene Siskel gave a positive review of the show, praising its production values and drama.

The interactive technology used photodetectors to sense light signals from the TV, allowing toys to interact with the show in real-time.

The interactive elements were shoehorned into the show after production, causing friction between the creative vision and the commercial requirements.

The show was a serialized drama with ongoing story arcs, a format not common in children's TV at the time.

The show's creators wanted to phase out the toys and focus on the storytelling, but Mattel's commercial interests clashed with this vision.

The show was a pioneer in using CG characters as part of the main cast and in creating a live-action toy-powered show.

Despite the show's failure, its influence can be seen in later sci-fi and toy franchises, such as 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'Power Rangers'.

The show's high production costs and the failure of toy sales led to its cancellation after one season, despite plans for a second season.

Efforts to reboot the show in recent years have not come to fruition, leaving 'Captain Power' as a forgotten but influential part of TV history.

Transcripts

The year is 2147. The machines have already won,  and 15 years of the Metal Wars have eradicated  

nearly all of humanity. But out of the ashes of  defeat, Captain Jonathan Power and his masters of  

combat have risen up to become mankind’s last hope  of defeating Lord Dread and his Bio Dread Empire.

But Captain Power can’t do it without you. He  needs your help. And you are an 8-year-old boy  

in 1987 armed only with a PowerJet XT-7 to  shoot at your cathode ray tube television.

But you’re not just fighting  Lord Dread and his Bio-Mech army.

You and Captain Power are fighting  nearly every angry mom in America.

I was flipping through the January  1988 issue of Popular Science when  

I found this article touting  the future of interactive TV.

Jim Shefter was reporting on a new  show that combined live actors with  

computer-generated characters…  and somehow it incorporated  

special signals from the TV that actual  toys could interact with in real-time.

For the first time in television history,  

you could shoot at the bad guys –  and they could shoot back at you.

I saw that the show was called “Captain Power  

and the Soldiers of the Future,” and  my immediate reaction was… “What!?”

I was a He-Man wielding,  Thundercat-battling boy of the 1980s.

I was the exact demographic for a post-apocalyptic  

robot-war spaceship shooting at the screen  in my parents’ den TV show… and I’d never,  

ever heard of Captain Power. Not the show  and not the toys. I didn’t have them,  

my friends didn’t have them, my cousins  didn’t have them. How is that even POSSIBLE?

I had to find out why… or why not. And what  I uncovered is one of the most ambitious,  

influential, and controversial TV shows  ever created. It had a dream team of  

talent that seemed to guarantee  success – but outside of a small,  

dedicated fanbase, it’s  fallen into total obscurity.

It’s the story of a great idea, a really  unique show, a groundbreaking toy line,  

outstanding talent, and a ton of  money. What could possibly go wrong?

Well… everything.

You need to know about Captain Power. I started  with the toys – it’s like how you always just  

started playing an NES game without reading  the manual. I teleported my mind to 1987,  

which is where it always kind of lives  anyway, and I eBayed the Powerjet XT-7,  

the Phantom Striker, the Power On  Energizer, the Interlocker, Power Laser,  

some action figures, some birthday  masks, and all 3 training VHS tapes.

After my experience with Butler in a Box, my first  question was, “Does any of this stuff still work?”

First of all I needed two different types of  batteries, a 9-volt and two double AA’s. Which  

is kind of weird. So I powered up the Powerjet  and popped in the first tape – which threw me  

into a beautifully 2D-animated future war.  It looks amazing. The Powerjet is also a gun,  

and I need to shoot the blinking red targets on  the screen and avoid the blinking yellow ones.  

If you hit your target, it sounds like this …  and if you take damage, it sounds like this…

After every battle you push a red button  on the back that tallies the enemies you  

hit minus the damage you received  and reports your score through an  

ascending scale of tones… that you just have  to count and remember or write down, I guess.

You start with 5 points, but if you take  too many hits and your score drops to 0,  

Captain Power is automatically ejected from the  cockpit of the Powerjet, sending him hurtling  

down to his doom – which is really the carpet  your mom wouldn’t let you eat snacks on.  

And that’s it. That’s the  1987 future of interactive TV.

There had to be more to this  – and there was. A lot more.

Because these radical 18 minute  training tapes are not the TV show,  

they’re standalone VHS games. And the  manual says it works on black and white TVs,  

which were still prevalent at  the time, so how could the gun  

even recognize the difference between red  and yellow targets? HOW did this work?!

Well, to know Captain Jonathan Power I  had to watch the show – all of it – so  

I got the series on DVD. And that’s  when things started to get weird.

Unlike the training tapes, the show isn’t a  cartoon – it’s live action with a mix of 3D  

animated enemies. And I kept watching and  watching and… I didn’t really see the toys  

anywhere? And the Power On Energizer in the show  looks completely different from the toy I have.

I was 3 episodes into the show and I still  hadn’t seen a Powerjet, a Phantom Striker,  

or an Interlocker anywhere. And the  interactive shooting parts seem to  

be really short sections of a dark,  serious, and adult-oriented show.

None of it made any sense… so I paused the show  and started reading. And virtually all I found was  

hit piece after hit piece demonizing Captain  Power for glorifying violence for children.

WHAT is going on here?!

All of this started when Gary Goddard was hot  off the heels of directing Mattel’s Masters  

of the Universe live action film, the one  where Dolph Lundgren is He-Man and Frank  

Langella is Skeletor. Goddard had a new  idea and a good relationship with Mattel,  

so he pitched them a concept based around  a name he loved for its simplicity:  

Captain Power. He couldn’t believe no one had  used it before, so he trademarked it immediately.

“I had the idea that we would maybe call him  Captain Power and that he would wear these  

suits. These suits that represented power.  And actually I thought well there must have  

been a Captain Power. Someone must have done  a Captain Power but, in fact, no one had.”

Mattel had spent years developing  interactive TV toy technology,  

but they didn’t have any intellectual  property to attach it to. Sales of  

He-Man toys were slowing down and they  desperately needed the next big thing.

So why not marry their revolutionary toy tech with  Goddard’s vision for a live action sci-fi show?

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the  Future was looking like Mattel’s future.

Goddard got to work on developing the show,  

which was centered on Jonathan Power and a  small team of specialized soldiers wearing  

powersuits to battle the robot army of Lord  Dread who became evil after merging with a  

supercomputer called OverMind. 8-year-old  Kevin and current Kevin agree this is cool.

Goddard wanted to partner with TriStar Pictures  to handle distribution of the show’s syndication,  

but Mattel didn’t want to give up any piece of  the money pie. They were confident that they  

could distribute the show themselves,  and… this ended up being a problem.

Goddard and his writers wanted to make  a show with serious themes, with deep,  

nuanced characters and meaningful  story arcs that would appeal to  

adults while… also selling toys to  kids. This ended up being a problem.

Mattel invested heavily in manufacturing toys  that they hoped would storm the market by  

creating the world’s first interactive show for  kids. And yeah, this ended up being a problem.

But those weren’t even the worst parts.  The entire concept of kids getting into  

gun fights with their TV and effectively  erasing the line between kids shows,  

warfare, and toy commercials ended up  being a REALLY, REALLY BIG PROBLEM.

In 1968, Peggy Charren was fed up with the  state of children’s educational programming on  

television, and she felt there were too many  commercials targeting kids – so she founded  

Action for Children’s Television to make TV  better for kids and families. And her group  

actually had influence – they successfully  lobbied for the Children’s Television Act,  

which set out rules for educational  kids’ TV shows. And by the late 1980’s,  

she filed a formal complaint with the FCC  and had an army of over 15,000 moms waging  

a media war against Captain Power, which she  said, “...teaches children wrong values.”

And they weren’t alone. Peace Activist Jerry  Rubin announced at Universal Studios that he  

was doing a 43-day fast to protest Captain Power.  And self-proclaimed TV Mom Ellen Klein rated the  

show 1 star, Poor, with a headline declaring,  “Violence is all there is to this show.”

The timing of the Goddard - Mattel - Captain  Power project could not have been worse:

“We became the whipping boy for any group out  

there that wanted to get publicity  for itself by attacking a TV show.”

But some people thought it was awesome. Legendary  film critic Gene Siskel of Siskel & Ebert fame  

gave the show a positive review in their 1987  hour-long Holiday Gift Guide episode – it was  

a segment that I knew existed, but it was gone.  Nowhere. The video on the official Siskel & Ebert  

website starts literally the line AFTER the  Captain Power review… which is really suspicious.

It was lost media.

And then AN HOUR before recording this video,  I heard from a website called PlatypusComix  

whose dad had recorded the episode on an  unmarked VHS tape more than 35 years ago.

So thanks to Peter Paltridge, we can  finally hear Gene Siskel’s review:

“When I watched this show… First of all I expected  this, something called ‘Captain Power’ to be a  

junk show. This is well made. I think you can see  somebody spent some money on the special effects,  

on the dialogue. In fact, there’s some  real drama in the one episode that I saw.”

So on one hand we had angry moms across  the country aiming their moral Powerjets  

at Captain Power, and on the other hand  , one of the most famous movie critics on  

planet Earth was saying it was actually a  pretty good show. What was the disconnect?

Everything. Everything was the disconnect. Captain  

Power may be the most monumental  disconnect in television history.

But first, you need to know  how the toys actually worked.

The interactive technology utilized photodetectors  – sensors that measure the intensity of light. The  

red targets on the enemy robots flashed with a  30hz signal, 1/60th of a second on and 1/60th of  

a second off, with a 1/30th of a second cycle.  The yellow signal for the enemy’s return fire  

pulsed at 15hz – 1/30th of a second on and 1/30th  of a second off with a 1/15th of a second cycle.

A microprocessor then determined whether you  scored a point or lost a point based on the  

rate that the voltage spiked over a period of time  – the color of the light on the screen was just a  

visual indicator for the viewer to differentiate  between what to shoot and what to avoid.

So the photo sensor is constantly looking  for either of the two flashing patterns,  

and pulling the trigger either registered  a hit or helped you dodge damage.

When the crew first got the finished toys  from Mattel and tested them on the show…  

they didn’t work at all. The targets were  way too small, so they had to scramble to  

completely remake them 4 times larger so their  interactive show was actually… interactive.

But surely the interactive  element was naturally woven  

into the show seamlessly because that is  the whole point of the project, right?!

No. The answer is no.

The entire gimmick ended up being shoehorned  in after with an extra 3rd production unit  

filming interactive action scenes that could  be plunked in at the beginning of an episode.

And the writers and producers were totally  blindsided. When they put the show together,  

they didn’t think the interactive technology  needed to have big ugly targets at all. They  

were under the impression that it would all be  invisible and not interrupt the show – that way  

if you had the toys, you could use them, and if  you didn’t, you could just watch a cool show.

The show’s developer, Marc Zicree, described  the production nightmare that ensued:

“We weren’t sure what could be done, what could be  pulled off. How it would all integrate. In fact,  

when I would say ‘what can we do and what can’t  we do?’ they could never give me that answer. So  

it was extremely difficult to write episodes that  were within production parameters when no one knew  

what those parameters were. We knew there were  going to be interactive toys and we would say,  

as writers we would say well will be seeing the  signal that emanates from the television to the  

toy and initially we were being told ‘no’ it  would be an invisible infrared signal. And then  

when we saw the show and there was this flashing,  ya know, chroma key thing we were going ‘oh no!’”

Exactly how much interactivity this show  was supposed to have really depended on  

who you asked. The instruction manual  states: “There are 3 to 5 minutes of  

action in each Captain Power television  show THAT YOU CAN REALLY PLAY AGAINST.”

A January 1989 Starlog interview with writer Larry  DiTillio said, “We were given parameters of having  

to have a minimum of one minute and a maximum  of three minutes of interactivity per episode.”

But a feature in the March 1988 Starlog –  nearly a year earlier – said that creator  

Gary Goddard, “breaks the show down to  approximately 30 seconds of interactivity…”

So the toy integration constituted either 2.3% of  the show or 23% of the show and its creators and  

its actors – like Tim Dunnigan, who played Captain  Power – just wanted to make a great sci-fi series.

Goddard said, “It did bother us that  the interactive toys – specifically  

the Powerjet XT-7 and the Phantom Striker  – would be so closely tied to the show.”

Ya think?!

And that doesn’t even scratch the surface  of all the complexity and contradictions of  

Captain Power – because the writers insisted  they weren’t writing a kids’ show at all.

A Series Bible is the reference  document for screenwriters that  

defines a show’s major elements  like characters and setting – and  

Marc Zicree explained exactly how he  wrote the Bible for Captain Power:

“And I was committed to the idea that this  would be an adult show. That we would create  

it exactly as if it were an adult show.  That we wouldn’t condescend at all.”

Does that sound like a kids’ show?!

Meanwhile, Larry DiTillio lamented that Captain  Power “never quite got away from its kid’s show  

label.” And he called Captain Power “the  worst title for a TV show ever created.”

Captain Planet seemed to do alright a few years  later. And Power RANGERS generated over $6 billion  

dollars in toy sales in less than a decade. So…  yeah, the name wasn’t really the problem here.

The point is: the writers set out to  create a serious drama set in a dreary  

hellscape that encompassed the enduring  themes of love and loss and betrayal, the  

delicate intricacies of surrogate families, and  uniquely human values embodied by fully-fleshed  

out characters whose realistic-but-tangled  arcs wound maze-like throughout the series.

Mattel just wanted kids to shoot their TV.

The towering 6’5” Tim Dunnigan fully  embraced his role as Captain Power. He  

traveled to toy stores, sweating in his  big bulky Powersuit so kids could meet  

their hero. And 35-years later he’s  still giving back to the fans through  

podcasts and interviews. He’s proud of  being Captain Power and he should be.

It wasn't his fault that it ended  in disaster. So… whose fault was it?

The secret here is in analyzing the incredible  risks that Captain Power’s creators took with the  

show – because they’re seriously astonishing. Yes,  it was the first interactive toy TV show – but it  

was also a live action toy-powered show at  a time when everything was still cartoons…  

6 years before The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers  proved that live action could sell action figures.

It was the first show to ever  use CG-modeled characters as  

part of the main cast in every episode  in an era with no digital storage – so  

all of the visual effects had to be  painstakingly layered on video tape.

And it was a serialized drama, meaning it  featured a story arc that really had to  

be followed throughout the season to fully  appreciate the changes the characters went  

through – it wasn’t a self-contained procedural  show like Batman or He-Man where everything just  

goes back to normal by the end and you can  watch and enjoy each episode standalone.

The most obvious risk was that decision not to  partner with a Hollywood distributor – instead,  

it was up to each TV station to determine  when the show aired. That could be 6am on  

Saturday in St. Louis and 6pm on  Sunday in Sacramento. Who knows?!

Kids needed to know. Kids in the 1980s whose lives  revolved around awesome TV shows needed to know.

But even those elements aren’t what  matter most. The real story is that  

the hidden influence of Captain Power,  this forgotten show, was incredible.

You may have noticed something about Lord  Dread at the beginning of this video:  

he… is kind of reminiscent of one of Star Trek:  The Next Generation’s most infamous villains,  

the cybernetic organisms called “The  Borg”. And not just their design – but  

the phrase “resistance is futile” matching  “resistance was futile” from a Captain Power  

comic book. It launched one of the  biggest debates in the sci-fi fandom,  

and the liner notes of the Captain  Power DVD address it directly.

And I also noticed some things. What about  Captain Power’s mentor, an AI-recreation of  

his father who appears in a tube at the Power  Base? He’s pretty close to the Power Rangers’  

mentor Zordon at their Power Chamber. Oh, and  one of the main villains was named Lord Zedd.

But it’s so much more than those  tangible influences – the talent  

behind Captain Power helped define  entertainment for a generation.

Head Writer J. Michael Stracyznski created the  massively successful space opera Babylon 5,  

which ran for 5 seasons and spawned 6 TV  films. And in an episode of Captain Power,  

the character Tank reveals where  he was genetically engineered:

Captain Power: “How ya doing?”

Tank: “When I escaped Babylon 5…”

Captain Power assistant animator Rob  Coleman became Creative Director at  

George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic,  where he worked on Men in Black and all  

of the Star Wars prequels – and he was  head of animation on The Lego Movie.

Captain Power had everything…  so how did it become nothing?

Between the live action and all  the visual effects, the show cost  

around $1 million dollars per episode –  which is nearly $3 million dollars today.

And the action figures also just…  weren’t great. They articulated  

less than GI Joes and they were tiny  compared to He-Man and Thundercats.

The whole thing was a star-crossed Shakespearean  tragedy before the ink was dry on the contract.  

Mattel needed a show to sell interactive toys  that no one had ever played with, and that no one  

even knew they wanted, and the show needed their  money to exist – but the two visions never meshed.

I’m convinced that a cartoon like we see in  the VHS game built around the toys would’ve  

been hugely successful, and a live action show  marketed and distributed properly to adults,  

one that was completely divorced from the  toys and interactivity, would’ve also been  

really successful. But combining them just… did  not work out, and both sides share the blame.

Even still… a lot of people loved this show,  

and they still do. As late as 2017 there were  plans to reboot it under the name Phoenix Rising,  

and a 40-minute animated Captain  Power fan film came out in 2021.

But the Phoenix is still languishing in the ashes.

People also loved the toys. You can find message  boards flooded with fond memories of dads playing  

together with their kids. But the toy sales never  reached the critical mass that Mattel needed,  

and when they failed to sell through  their Captain Power stock at Christmas  

they pulled funding on a Season 2 that  was already planned out and ready to go.

The show’s creators had hoped to phase out  the toys completely, and they even blew up  

the power base in the final episode of Season  1. That was a power base with a toy Mattel  

wanted to sell – it really was a poetic nail  in the coffin of the conflict between the two.

Gary Goddard spent years trying to  obtain the show’s rights from Mattel,  

and he eventually did – but it was too late.  The talent had all moved on to other projects,  

the funding to revive it didn’t exist, and  Captain Power was officially powered off.

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the  Future really did have everything going  

for it. It had the kind of budget creatives  dream of. It had beautiful, unique designs,  

cutting edge technology, an elite team of talent,  

and the weight of the Mattel juggernaut to flood  the shelves of every toy store in the world.

And it all failed.

But Captain Power’s tiny fingerprints  are in so many of the TV shows, movies,  

and toys that you love. And they’re all  over the science fiction franchises in  

which millions of hardcore convention-goers  worldwide see both themselves and the future.  

And those fingerprints were left by  a show you’ve never even heard of,  

one that you can’t even legally stream anywhere,  and one that’s locked away on out-of-print DVDs.

It reveals one of the strangest  phenomena in science, technology,  

and entertainment – that sometimes the greatest  impact you can have on the world… is to fail.

See you in the future.