Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)

Sonic the Hedgehog, known amongst fans as Sonic SatAM is an American animated television series created by DiC Entertainment based on the video game series of the same name. The series aired from 18 September 1993 to 3 December 1994 on ABC. The show served as the partial basis for the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic series by Archie Comics, which continues even twenty years after the cartoon's cancellation and still features many of the cartoon's own characters.

History
The show ran for two seasons. A third season was in the early planning stages until ABC canceled the show because of low ratings (thought to result from competition with FOX Kids' Power Rangers). After SatAM was canceled, reruns of the show appeared on USA Network's USA Action Extreme Team. The series was also televised in Canada on the CTV Television Network between the same dates ABC did, but also went beyond ABC's cancellation date of 3 December 1994, and ran one last summer rerun cycle between 10 June and 2 September 1995, where CTV ran the Season 2 episodes in order, with "Game Guy" airing first and "The Doomsday Project" bidding SatAM farewell to Canada. A potential reason for CTV airing the show during those dates of summer 1995, which ABC never did, was to simply run the rest of the 1994-1995 broadcast year out. The show has not been re-broadcast in Canada since its cancellation. The program initially had a complete run on Channel 4 on Sunday mornings. It was partly recently broadcast on the UK television channels Pop and ITV2.

Despite its cancellation and limited recent airings, the show enjoys a large and loyal internet fanbase. In response to popular demand, the entire series was released onto DVD by Shout! Factory on 27 March 2007. As of 29 February 2012, the show is being streamed on Netflix.

Freedom Fighters

 * Princess Sally
 * Antoine Depardieu
 * Bunnie Rabbot
 * Rotor Walrus
 * Sir Charles 'Uncle Chuck' Hedgehog

Villains

 * Doctor Robotnik
 * Snively
 * Swatbots
 * Naugus

Other Characters

 * King Acorn
 * Dulcy the Dragon
 * Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters
 * Lupe Wolf
 * Rosie Woodchuck
 * Shredbot

Background Characters
Several characters resembling those from the comics made cameos in several episodes of The show. However, these characters were never given names or speaking roles.
 * Geoffrey St. John
 * Hamlin
 * Dylan
 * Gopher Highwayman (fictional)

Unseen
While not featured in the comics, they were confirmed to exist in the Prime Zone through the Mobius Encyclopedia.
 * Nicholas O'Tyme (The Keeper of the Time Stones)
 * Nasty Hyenas
 * Kraken

Unused
While some elements were used in the comics, others were left out for various/unknown reasons, though a few made cameo appearances as background characters.
 * Cat
 * Ari
 * Griff
 * Pollo
 * Drik
 * Lazaar
 * The Guardian
 * Terapods
 * The Mandaras

Canonical Differences
While the comic was heavily influenced by the show, the writers were allowed to deviate from the source material; which resulted in several major differences between each series.


 * In the original show, Robotnik is the one who seals Naugus in the Void, implying a partnership between the two that ended in betrayal. In the comics, it is Warlord Kodos who plans to betray Naugus instead, but Naugus gives him the slip by escaping into the Zone of Silence. All this takes place before Robotnik's allegiance with the Kingdom of Acorn.
 * Additionally, the Void serves as Naugus' prison in the show, instead of the Zone of Silence as seen in the comics.
 * In the first episode of the series, "Sonic Boom", it is implied that the King had managed to escape Robotnik's coup was spending his time on the run; supplying the Freedom Fighters with useful information.
 * The events of this episode contradict what was established in the 2nd season, during the two-parter "Blast to the Past", in which Robotnik banishes the King into the Void to join Naugus. However, it's possible that this was a direct result of Sonic and Sally's efforts to alter history.
 * In the episode "Ultra Sonic", Sonic manages to temporally restore Uncle Chuck's roboticized mind with the use of a Power Ring, and later encouraging him to overcome his programing in "Sonic Conversion". In the comic, Chuck's mind is restored by a freak-accident caused by Robotnik experimenting with the Void's properties.
 * In the show, Bunnie is shown to have been childhood friends with the Freedom Fighters before the coup, and was amongst those smuggled into the Great Forest for safety. In the comics, she joined them at an older age, shortly after being roboticized.
 * In the comic, Antoine's last name is stated to be "Decoolete". In the 15-minute episode "Odd Couple" Antoine exclaims his last name to be "Depariedu".
 * This name would later serve as the last name of his Genesis reality counterpart, as well as his Dark Mobius doppelgänger.