Friday, December 27, 2013

Daytime Heroes: V. R. Troopers (1994)

One year had passed since Haim Saban had introduced American audiences to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Emboldened by the series' success in the ratings, Saban added a second hybrid of Japanese footage mixed with American actors, this time for syndication.

V. R. Troopers lasted two seasons, and would've gone longer had Saban not used up all the source material so quickly. That's just being kind. I tried to watch this show, but couldn't get into it any more than I could with the Rangers. Another reason the series didn't last too long was where it was placed on the schedule in most markets----in the morning, so's to avoid a conflict with the Power Rangers, which aired up to 6 days a week on Fox, including weekday afternoons, as part of a formidible combination with Batman: The Animated Series. In my area, the Fox affiliate aired Troopers at 7 am (ET), the spot filled by the series' replacement, Masked Rider, after Troopers was cancelled.

If you were into virtual reality back in the early-to-mid 90's, then this was the show for you. Standard action fare of the period, but overwhelmed by special effects and underwhelming writing.

Here's the open:



Rating: C.

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