Godzilla: The Series is an American animated television series which originally aired on Fox Kids in the United States. The show premiered on September 12, 1998, and is a direct follow-up to the 1998 American Godzilla film. Malcolm Danare, Kevin Dunn and Michael Lerner reprise their roles from the film.
Using an art style similar to that of Adelaide's previous productions Men in Black: The Series and Extreme Ghostbusters, the series follows the Humanitarian Environmental (or Ecological, in "Area 51") Analysis Team (H.E.A.T.), a research team led by Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) as they battle giant monsters which frequently appear in the wake of the events depicted in the 1998 film Godzilla. Godzilla, the only hatchling of its species to survive in the movie, imprints on Nick and becomes the chief weapon summoned against the other monsters encountered by the human characters. The series also introduces two new characters: Monique Dupre, a French secret agent assigned by Philippe Roache to keep an eye on Godzilla and H.E.A.T., and Randy Hernandez, an intern of Nick's who specializes in computer hacking.
H.E.A.T.
Godzilla (vocal effects by Frank Welker) – A giant mutant iguana and the only surviving offspring of the first Godzilla that attacked New York City in 1998. Due to Nick's presence at his hatching, Godzilla has imprinted on Nick as his parent, and as a result he is very protective of him. Nick also has the ability to control Godzilla to a certain extent, which allows the humans to use him as a weapon against other mutated monsters. He always seems able to sense whenever Nick is in trouble, and is quite willing to follow him and the rest of H.E.A.T. all over the world. Unlike his biological parent, he seems to be incapable of asexual reproduction.
Dr. Niko "Nick" Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) – Leader of H.E.A.T. and the "adoptive father" of Godzilla. Nick fiercely protects Godzilla and other mutants from both foreign and domestic governments. He is portrayed as younger and with longer hair then he is in the movie, as well as less absent-minded.
Dr. Elsie Chapman (voiced by Charity James) – One of the original members of Nick's team; sarcastic and dry-witted, and partly interested in Mendel. She specializes in studying the behavior of Godzilla and the other monsters.
Dr. Mendel Craven (voiced by Malcolm Danare) – The team's engineer and chemist. He is slightly cowardly (as his last name implies) and prone to numerous strong allergies, but is often resourceful. He is also enamored of Elsie. Although initially fearful of Godzilla, over the course of the series he comes to trust the monster as an ally.
Randy Hernandez (voiced by Rino Romano) – An intern working under Nick, and like him, is Godzilla's defender. He calls Godzilla "the G-man", and sometimes "the big guy", and he has referred to him as "Mr. G" and "the Lizard King", each on one occasion. Hugely talented in all fields of technology, but extremely lazy and somewhat laconic. He has a crush on Monique, but is always refused when he attempts to court her.
Monique Dupre (voiced by Brigitte Bako) – A French Agent of the DGSE specializing in hand-to-hand combat and infiltration. She is originally sent to have Godzilla killed, but becomes a member of H.E.A.T. after being assigned to supervise Godzilla indefinitely. She generally seems cold and impassive, but on occasion shows genuine care and concern for her teammates and Godzilla.
N.I.G.E.L. (voiced by Tom Kenny) – Short for "Next Millennium Intelligence Gathering Electronic Liaison", N.I.G.E.L. is an analysis robot created by Mendel and reprogrammed by Randy to have various quirky personalities, from Texas cowboy to Shakespearean. A running gag on the show is that he is damaged or destroyed in every episode (except one, and that one only because he does not appear in it) presumably to be rebuilt or replaced later (evidenced by Craven's remark in the episode "End of the Line" that he should "just buy spare parts in bulk"), similar to Kenny McCormick from South Park.
Others
Major Anthony Hicks (voiced by Kevin Dunn) – Major of the Sandy Point Military Base of New York, who played a key role in the first Godzilla's defeat. Though he is at first skeptical of the new Godzilla, over time he develops a soft spot for the creature, whom he views as a hero due to Nick's attachment to the creature that allows the humans to use him to fight against other mutant monsters.
Audrey Timmonds (voiced by Paget Brewster) – Nick's college sweetheart and somewhat untrustworthy girlfriend, whose career as a reporter often leads to conflict with him.
Victor "Animal" Palotti (voiced by Joe Pantoliano) – New York's Channel 8 News cameraman and Audrey's working partner. He is always willing to help film Godzilla and other giant monsters, his only worry being how his wife Lucy (unseen in the show) will react.
Mayor Ebert (voiced by Michael Lerner) – The Mayor of New York City, who is determined to keep it safe from mutation-related threats.
Philippe Roache (voiced by Keith Szarabajka) – The leader of the French secret service. He led the team hunting down the first Godzilla and later sent Monique to kill the second, but relented when the creature saved lives.
Cameron Winter (voiced by David Newsom) – A former classmate of Nick in college. He is a devious technological mogul whose desire is to control Godzilla for the fulfillment of his ulterior motives.
Dale, Bill and Hank (voiced by Ronny Cox, Tom Kenny, and Bob Joles) – Game hunters that came to New York to hunt for Godzilla. They serve as villains in the series. Dale is the leader of the group, Bill is the middle man, and Hank is the idiot of the trio. The three of them would usually try to hunt Godzilla, which usually ends with them being thwarted by H.E.A.T. or ending up in legal trouble. Their names are a parody of the characters from King of the Hill.
Leviathan aliens – An ancient race of psychically powerful extraterrestrials. One of their spaceships, called the Leviathan, crashed on Earth sometime during the Cretaceous and remained hidden until modern times. They attempted to conquer Earth by using a tachyon transmitter to send mind-controlling signals to subdue the mutations in order for their alien race to invade the planet - including Godzilla and their creation, Cyber-Godzilla (created from the corpse of the first Godzilla) - but were ultimately defeated by H.E.A.T and a freed Godzilla, and forced to retreat.
Monsters
Crustaceous Rex – A mutant crustacean (with some cephalopod-like features) which feeds on tar. It also appeared later in the "Monster Wars" trilogy and the episode "S.C.A.L.E." Currently on Monster Island.
Giant Squids – Giant squids of indeterminate origin, although it is believed they may have the same origin as Crustaceous Rex and the first Godzilla.
Nanotech Creature – An amorphous colony of nanobots designed to dissolve petroleum and other non-biodegradable forms of waste. It was however unperfected and began to grow larger and stronger, and it threatened to devour all of New York. H.E.A.T. defeated it by introducing a destructive computer virus, causing it to collapse.
El Gusano Gigante – A worm (though it looks like a giant caterpillar) that fed off of a rare poisonous plant. When it mutated it grew to an enormous size, and developed other features such as spikes, claws and jaws full of teeth. At first Godzilla struggled to fight El Gusano, but when he used his atomic breath on it, it shriveled and shrunk. It reappeared later in the "Monster Wars" trilogy.
Cyber-Flies – Insect-like robots created by Cameron Winter to implant his control device on Godzilla, only to be destroyed.
Giant Rats– A swarm of giant mutated sewer rats that appeared in New York City. Later a single surviving rat appeared in the "Monster Wars" trilogy.
Cryptocleidus – A pair of plesiosaur-like creatures mutated by the Leviathan aliens from their namesake species. One of them later appeared in the "Monster Wars" trilogy.
Reptilians – Guard-dogs supposedly created from the DNA of dinosaurs by the Leviathan aliens.
Crackler – An electrokinetic creature created when an insomniac named Sidney Walker underwent a new sleep treatment which involved amplifying the Theta waves in his brain. The Crackler feeds on electricity and is essentially a manifestation of Walker's suppressed anger. When Walker was awakened and overcame his frustration on how he was treated, the Crackler vanished for good in the middle of a fight with Godzilla.
Giant Mutant Bees - Giant bees or wasps inhabiting an isolated island full of mutated carnivorous plants.
Queen Bee – The queen of a giant bee colony discovered on an island whose unnaturally large and healthy flora fed off the radioactive ashes of a local volcano. One of her giant worker bees later reappeared in the "Monster Wars" trilogy.
Quetzalcoatl – A legendary, fire-breathing bird-like reptile that lived in a volcano in Mexico.
Ice Borers – Mole-like predators discovered in Antarctica. Their high body heat allowed them to burrow through ice by melting it.
Loch Ness Monster – A mosasaur whose ancestors survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and entered stasis during the Ice Age, ultimately to live in the Loch. When her baby was captured by Dr. Hugh Trevor, she aggressively attacked his facility until Godzilla helped to reunite her with her offspring.
Giant Albino Yeti/Robo-Yeti– A huge, white-furred Yeti/gorilla-like beast. It was revealed to be a robot created by a Japanese scientist as a counter to the mutation epidemic. It was destroyed helping Godzilla defeat the King Cobra.
King Cobra – A gigantic mutant cobra that was found in Japan. Instead of venom, it secretes a gluey substance to trap its prey. It later appeared in the "Monster Wars" trilogy and the episode "S.C.A.L.E."
Termite Queen – The ruler of a mutant termite colony found to be consuming the Amazon Rainforest.
Giant Bat – A giant bat that has the ability to emit powerful sonic waves from its mouth. It later appeared in the episode "S.C.A.L.E."
Cyber-Godzilla – A cyborg created by the Leviathan aliens from the cadaver of the first Godzilla. It appears in the "Monster Wars" trilogy (though the first Godzilla appears only in the pilot episode and two of the "Monster Wars" episodes, he is mentioned by H.E.A.T. and the military from time to time). Armed with blue atomic breath and shoulder-mounted blasters, he was nonetheless eventually "killed" by his own son Godzilla Jr.
Chameleon – A monster created by Cameron Winter from a combination of Godzilla's DNA and a chameleon's. Like a real chameleon, it can change its color to blend with the surroundings. Winter attempted to use this creature to frame Godzilla for rampages through New York.
Bacillus – A giant, mutant germ. It infected Godzilla with miniature replications of itself, which nearly killed him by attacking his brain stem. After Nick and Monique entered his body and eradicated the infection, Elsie developed a formula to weaken the giant Bacillus. Unable to produce a protective endospore, it was destroyed by Godzilla.
Giant Mutant Widow Spider - A black widow spider mutation of immense size, whose multitudinous offspring attacked military bases. It is possible that the Giant Mutant Widow Spider and her young were taken to Monster Island since they were just paralyzed, not killed. At one point, Elsie nicknames the creature "Mommy Longlegs".
Techno-Sentient – A mysterious object from outer space that landed on Earth. It was able to fuse itself with any mechanical device it encountered.
Silver Hydra – A cnidarian-like creature which stalked an abandoned mining field. It could spray a liquid that would slowly encase its victims in silver.
DNA Mimic – A shapeshifting creature capable of turning into a facsimile of anything it touched, including humans and Godzilla.
Lizard Slayers – Anti-Godzilla weapons created by Cameron Winter and piloted by Dale, Bill and Hank.
Swamp Beast – A monster able to throw mud at an opponent, trapping it.
Fire Fly – An insect-like creature which had the power to surround itself with flames.
Norzzug – An ancient sphinx-like monster from Saudi Arabia, reawakened by archaeologists who were cleaning it with a rust-removing agent.
Giant Mutant Hummingbirds – Giant hummingbirds that attacked San Francisco, California, whose food supply was polluted by chlorofluorocarbons, enabling their immense size. Their feathers have a mirror-like effect, rendering them invisible to the naked eye when in flight.
Sub-Zero Manta Ray – A mutated manta ray that could fly and breathe supercooled air. When Godzilla and H.E.A.T. encountered it, it was looking for a cold environment in which to enter hibernation.
Medusa – A mutant anemone who was the star attraction of Tobias Wilson's travelling mutant circus. She can turn herself into a liquid form and drain water sources and living creatures. After escaping, she threatened to drain away all the water on Earth until contained by H.E.A.T. with Godzilla's help. Her name may refer to the mythical monster or to a variety of jellyfish (which, like anemones, are cnidarians).
Scorpio - A mutant scorpion trained to perform at Tobias Wilson's mutant circus. It looks exactly identical to the Ts-Eh-Go scorpions H.E.A.T. would later encounter.
Giant Gila Monster – Another mutant creature owned by Tobias Wilson's mutant circus.
Megapede/Giant Cicada – A giant centipede/cicada hybrid that was destroying farms in Chicago, Illinois. Upon reaching its adult state, its mating calls interfered with radar signals.
Giant Centipede – A mutant centipede that battled the Shrewster in a monster arena. Possibly currently on Monster Island.
Ts-Eh-Go – A mutant scorpion created by the U.S. military, code-named the "First Wave". Later, the "Second Wave" - a swarm of smaller scorpions - were unleashed.
Nightmare Scorpion – A scorpion with a skull-like face that appears in a fever-induced dream Randy suffers from during the team's search for Ts-Eh-Go.
Armillaria – A mutant fungus that could suck the amino acids from any living organism. Godzilla defeated it by throwing it into a range of sand dunes, where no sustenance was within reach.
Shrewster – A mutated masked shrew that was fused to a tornado. It later appeared in the episode "Cash of the Titans" where it fought the Giant Centipede.
Skeetera – A mutated mosquito that could absorb the powers from other creatures by drinking their blood.
D.R.A.G.M.A.s – Short for Democratic Resurgence Against a Global Mechanized Armageddon, the D.R.A.G.M.A.s were genetically-engineered creatures created to replace technology. In the future they were indestructible and had overrun the world, but the young born in the past were easily defeated by Godzilla.
Mutant Jellyfish – Despite its name, this was actually a bug-like mutation that had acidic saliva.
Komodithrax – A mutant Komodo dragon that fell in "love" with Godzilla, who became a surrogate father to her unhatched egg. She can breathe blue fire.
Giant Turtle – A mutant turtle that battled Godzilla and Komodithrax. It had a mace-like tail, similar to those of ankylosaurs and glyptodonts.
Thorny Devil – A mutated thorny devil located in Area 51. It can shoot poisonous spines. Its upper body was covered in armor that Godzilla's fiery breath could not penetrate, but its underside proved to be more vulnerable.
Giant Armadillo – A giant armadillo mutation located in Area 51.
Desert Lizard – A mutant lizard located in Area 51.
Desert Rat – A mutant rodent located in Area 51.
Deep-Dweller – A mutant frogfish who lived in total darkness.
Rhinosaurus – A mutant rhinoceros genetically engineered by Cameron Winter's company for Maximillian Spiel's shows.
Giant Water Beetle - A mutant water beetle that sprays ammonium nitrate from its nostrils.
"Flying Gigan" – A strange, flying creature that appears in the main titles. Named after the alien cyborg Gigan from Toho's Godzilla films.
Reception
The series did well during Fox Kids' Saturday morning line-up. Ultimately, however, it was overshadowed by the late 1990s Pokémon/Digimon war between Kids WB and Fox Kids during the 1999-2000 season. As a result, Godzilla: The Series was placed in different timeslots on Saturdays to accommodate many of the Digimon marathons and back-to-back episodes (this would also affect other Fox Kids shows as well). For a brief period of time, episodes of Godzilla: The Series were either never repeated, or skipped over and rescheduled. There was a brief period where the show was taken off the schedule to accommodate new shows for mid-season, resulting in two episodes that were never broadcast in the US. The overall reception from the Godzilla fans was more positively received than the film it was based on, bearing more resemblance to the original Godzilla fans were familiar with.
Home video and DVD
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released two separate episode collections on VHS: "Trouble Hatches", composed of the two-part pilot, and "Monster Wars" featuring the three-part story arc of the same name. Columbia TriStar Home Video has also released nine episodes on DVD, spread out onto three separate volumes: "The Monster Wars Trilogy", consisting of the same three episodes previously released on the VHS of the same name, "Monster Mayhem", which included "What Dreams May Come", "Bird of Paradise", and "Deadloch", and "Mutant Madness", which contained "S.C.A.L.E.", "The Twister" and "Where Is Thy Sting?".
Also, the special edition DVD of the film titled Godzilla: Monster Edition also contains three episodes of the TV series: "What Dreams May Come", "Monster Wars Part 1" and "Where Is Thy Sting?".
As of July 2008, minisodes of Godzilla: The Series can be streamed on Sony owned Crackle. In addition, Kabillion syndicates the series on Comcast's On Demand service as well as online.
As of October 2010, the entire series is available on the Netflix Instant Streaming service.
On April 29, 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released Godzilla: The Series - The Complete Animated Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. The 4-disc set features all 40 episodes of the series, including the two never officially aired in the US. All of the episodes were released in chronological order instead of broadcast order.
