VR Troopers
Three teens defend two worlds from virtual reality mutants.
VR Troopers is a syndicated live-action superhero-adventure television series produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment from 1994 to 1996. It was the first 'sister series' to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, attempting to profit from the mid-1990s fascination with virtual reality and the success of Saban's other property. The show is an Americanization of Japanese tokusatsu children's programs by Toei Company, co-produced by Toei and Cyberprod.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction / Superhero / Action-adventure / Tokusatsu
- Creator
- Haim Saban / Shuki Levy / Toei Company
- Based On
- Metal Hero Series by Toei Company
- Starring
- Brad Hawkins / Sarah Brown / Michael Bacon / David Carr / Gardner Baldwin / Richard Rabago / Julian Combs / Michael Sorich / Aaron Pruner / Zeb
- Voices
- Gardner Baldwin / Kerrigan Mahan / Michael Sorich / Mike Reynolds / Richard Epcar / Dave Mallow
- Country
- United States / Japan
- Language
- English
- Executive Producer
- Haim Saban / Shuki Levy
- Producer
- Robert Hughes
- Composer
- Shuki Levy / Kussa Mahchi / Jeremy Sweet / Ron Wasserman
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
- Company
- Saban Entertainment / Toei Company, Ltd. / Cyberprod, Inc.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Regular characters included Zeb (Ryan's talking dog), Woody Stocker (Kaitlin's boss), Percival Rooney (a rival reporter), and Tao (the martial arts sensei). Recurring villains included General Ivar, Colonel Icebot, Decimator, and the Skugs. In the second season, Ryan's father Tyler was found and restored, and Ryan received new armor and upgraded powers. Grimlord's base changed to a large spacecraft, and new generals such as Oraclon and Despera appeared. The show was canceled after two seasons primarily because the available Japanese footage was quickly exhausted. Its successor, Big Bad Beetleborgs, was canceled due to declining ratings and the end of its planned run.
Reader's Guide
VR Troopers holds significance as the first sister series to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, pioneering the American adaptation of Japanese tokusatsu for a syndicated audience. It used early CGI and video effects mixed with stock footage from three different Metal Hero Series: Metalder, Spielban, and Shaider. The show's use of multiple Japanese sources created unique production challenges, such as separating the heroes in action scenes because their suits came from different shows. The series was more violent than Power Rangers, with monsters being destroyed in graphic ways. Its legacy includes a toy line and a video game for the Sega Genesis and Game Gear. The copyright for VR Troopers was transferred from BVS Entertainment to Saban Capital Group in 2010, and then to Hasbro in 2018 as part of the Power Rangers brand acquisition. The show's quick cancellation due to exhausted Japanese footage highlighted the limitations of adapting older material, but it remains a notable example of 1990s multimedia synergy.
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