By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, filed Dec. 9, 2010
Ted Turner, who on Wednesday told MSNBC that he was down to his last few million dollars after giving away so much, last month sat with Buzz to reminisce about his beloved Captain Planet cartoon, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Captain Planet foundation is holding its annual fund-raising banquet at the Georgia Aquarium Friday night.
“There were all these superheroes – Spider-Man, Batman,†he said. “There was no ecological superhero. And it just hit me. There should be one! What a wonderful opportunity to fill that space.â€
He came up with the name Captain Planet and his Cartoon Network aired 113 episodes over five years. The cartoon featured kids from around the world who solved ecological disasters like oil spills, calling on Captain Planet (replete with a classy mullet) when they needed extra help. It featured famous voices such as Whoopi Goldberg, Ed Asner and LeVar Burton. (Burton is scheduled to be at the banquet Friday night with Ed Begley Jr.)
Turner, though, is upset the cartoon has not been revived since he ceded control to Time Warner 15 years ago. “The stories are timeless,†he said. “We think it’s a very valuable asset.â€
He'd love to see a movie, either live action or animated. He also wouldn't mind seeing the series revived in some way. (Turner's Boomerang, which focuses on classic cartoons, airs vintage "Captain Planet" episode at 6 a.m. weekdays.)
Barbara Pyle, who helped put the cartoon together and continues to advocate the show's viability, said she's heartened that Planeteers (as fans of the show are called) have jumped aboard the Captain Planet Facebook page, which has nearly 400,000 fans. She recently shot a PSA for Comcast with 15 local Planeteers dressed up in their favorite costumes of various characters. "The cartoon had a more profound impact than I could have ever imagined," Pyle said. "It shaped a worldview of a generation."
She said Time Warner has been unwilling to relinquish the rights to Captain Planet but has allowed them to use the imagery and the name for the charity foundation, which funds and supports hands-on, environmental projects for children.
Ted was way more provocative when he talked about his financial situation with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Wednesday, saying he is "almost to the edge of poverty." And earlier this week, he told a Toronto paper he advocated a China-like one-child policy to reduce overpopulation.
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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